| dc.description.abstract | The first dissertation essay, “Feeling Blue and Seeing Red from Yellow Dust: The Effect of Air Pollution on Adolescent Mental Health” investigates the causal effect of air pollution on Korean adolescent mental health. Less attention is paid to mental health outcomes such as symptoms of depression and aggression, in particular among adolescents. In this study, I follow prior work using wind speed and direction as instruments to measure the causal effects of air pollution on mental health statuses among South Korean adolescents. Regression results show strong adverse effects of PM10 and CO on adolescent mental health, especially in the younger cohort.
The second essay, “Gangnam Style and the Housing Market in the Eponymous District: How a Global Pop Culture Phenomenon Boosted Property Prices” investigates how the viral hit of “Gangnam Style” affected the housing market in Gangnam District. Almost overnight, the 2012 hit “Gangnam Style” made the Gangnam District in Seoul world famous. Using a difference-in-differences framework and data on all real estate purchases in Seoul between 2009 and 2022, this study shows Gangnam’s sudden popularity increased house prices while decreasing the number of transactions. The market was driven by supply-side factors and tourism industries, supported by the concomitant and significant increase in the number of available hotel rooms in Gangnam.
The third essay, “How Are They Doing? The Academic Performance and Mental Wellbeing of World Cup Babies” investigates the quantity-quality trade-off of children using the 2002 Korea & Japan World Cup induced upward fertility blip as an experiment. Unexpected wins carried the Korean National Football Team to the semi-finals and sparked unprecedented euphoria and joy among Koreans. In the subsequent spring of 2003, the country experienced a temporary and significant increase in its fertility rate. Using a difference-in-differences design, this study shows World Cup children perform worse at schools (adverse effect on child quality). However, the results uncover a hitherto overlooked aspect: the same students exhibit significantly higher degrees of mental wellbeing. | |
