Dongseok Kim. 1999. Cyclicity in A-Movement. Studies in Modern Grammar 18, 21-37. In this paper, we examine operations that eliminate uninterpretable features in the recent version of the Minimalist Program presented in Chomsky (1998), and propose that defective T lacks EPP feature, contrary to Chomsky`s assumption. It is shown that if defective T is given EPP feature, problems arise in deleting ψ -feature of defective infinitival T in expletive raising constructions, since ψ -feature of expletive there, being defective, is not capable of deleting the probe. Reviewing arguments for SPEC position of infinitival T, we show that EPP feature is not forced or necessary for tenseless T. Thus, we suggest that there is no successive cyclic A-movement through SPEC of defective T.

Kim Dongseok. 1998. Distribution and Licensing of Null Subjects. Studies in Modern Grammar 14, 85-105. The primary aim of this paper is to examine the distribution and the status of null subjects, and to reduce the pro-drop parameter to the feature checking mechanism of the minimalist program presented in Chomsky(1993, 1995). We have demonstrated that if there is a topic, it becomes the first candidate to be the antecedent of the null argument; otherwise the null argument is controlled by a c-commanding argument. The difference between Italian and Korean in the possibility of null arguments getting their reference from the discourse context is explained by the availability of the D-morpheme proposed in Moon(1989). And the pro-drop parameter is analysed in terms of feature checking under the hypothesis that the EPP-feature is weak in pro-drop languages, whereas it is strong in non-pro-drop languages.