• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.304-316
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• 2020

Laos is rich in natural resources but lacks the capital to develop them. Partly alleviating the shortage is FDI from neighboring countries, especially Thailand. Not only does this contribute to directly increasing GDP by increasing effective demand, it also has an additional GDP increase effect by expanding Laos' production capacity. Laos' exports mostly consist of mineral resources and electricity. This, too, contributes to an increase in GDP by increasing the effective demand. Thailand accounts for more than 40 percent of Laos' exports. This paper tries to confirm the economic impact on Laos in Thailand through a econometric analysis of Laos' GDP, Laos' exports to Thailand and Thailand's FDI to Laos. It turns out that economic ties with Thailand, including exports to Thailand and Thailand's FDI, play a very important role in Laos' economic growth. Laos recently recorded relatively robust economic growth, but its driving force is weak. That's because Laos' growth engines are very limited and have no resilience to external shocks. Moreover, economic growth has not been linked to an increase in employment because the economy is not diversified and growth in the hydroelectric power sector does not lead to growth in other sectors. Given this, Laos needs to actively take advantage of its geographical proximity to Thailand. It is necessary to create a more active environment for the inflow of FDI in Thailand, to foster resource-based and labor-based manufacturing to take advantage of the Thai market.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.117-128
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• 2021

In order for the users (shipping firms and shippers) and suppliers (stevedoring firms) in the container terminal industry to win-win, it is necessary to have some appropriate diverse market conditions for the industry. This study analyses the basic conditions and demand and supply characteristics of the industry and investigates the market performance of Busan container ports. First, this article analyses the basic characteristics of demand and supply. As the demand characteristics, there are five ones such as 1) exogeneity of demand, 2) function as export/import transportation and hub for transshipment, 3) increase of users' bargaining power, 4) high substituting elasticity, 5) reduction of volume growth. As the supply characteristics, there are seven ones such as 1) inelasticity of supply, 2) homogeneity of stevedoring services, 3) over-supply, 4) adoption of cutting-edge stevedoring technology, 5) scale economy and impossibility of storage, 6) labor market rigidity, 7) enhancing port's role in SCM. In addition, this study conducts the so-called structure-conduct-performance analysis. For the structure analysis, 1) lacks of scale economy in stevedoring companies, 2) high entry barrier, 3) strengthening of shipping firms' bargaining power, 4) transitory permission scheme for tariff are analyzed. For the conduct analysis, 1) price discrimination between export/import and transshipment, 2) mid-term length of terminal use contract, 3) continuous investment in equipment, 4) low level of cooperation among terminal operating firms are derived. For the performance analysis, 1) inequality in profitability, 2) reduction of export/import cost, 3) delay in adopting cutting-edge technology, 4) idle equipment are analyzed. Following this logical flow, the hypothesis that the market structure influences the market conduct is tested based on the actual dataset. As a future agenda in the conclusion, this article recommends the so-called port industrial policy.