• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.177-197
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• 2018

This paper aims to analyze the effects of external uncertainty on the entry modes decision of multinational firms. On the basic assumption that the entry modes of the firms are dependent on ex-ante or ex-post perceived risk, we empirically analyzed the impacts of perceived risk factors on the investment patterns of firms. We found that the larger the population, the higher the level of GDP per capita, and the larger the trade volume as a ratio of GDP resulted in increased M&A FDI and greenfield FDI. The economic growth rate variables were found to be significantly positive effect on only greenfield entry mode. Regarding the main variables, lower levels of corruption and increased stability regarding political issues resulted in the host country receiving increased M&A investment. However, we found only a positive statistical significance of the political stability variable on the explaining greenfield FDI. Results show that M&A entry mode is affected by both corruption and political instability level. However, the greenfield FDI featuring sunk costs, seems more responsive to political instability.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.87-105
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• 2018

We investigate the effects of inward foreign direct investment on innovation in Korean industries from 1998 to 2015 by first dividing FDI into greenfield and M&A (mergers and acquisitions). Furthermore, we use the number of patent applications as the proxy of innovation. Our empirical results are as follows: First, inward foreign direct investment has a significantly positive effect on the number of patent applications. This result suggests that the transfer of technology or knowledge through the inward foreign direct investment has a positive impact on innovation in Korean industries. Second, the greenfield investment has a positive impact on patent applications. This result is consistent with Liu and Zou (2008)'s assertion that greenfield investment has a positive impact on innovation by increasing facilities or plants. The M&A investment, however, has no significant effect on patent applications. This result is consistent with Stiebale and Reize (2011) who argue that the host countries do not benefit from technology transfer through M&A investments. In addition, this supports Liu and Zou (2008) and Garcia et al. (2013)'s hypothesis that foreign parent firms do not influence the innovation of host countries by employing strategies to increase market power rather than R&D activities through M&A investments. It is meaningful that this study first analyzes the impact of foreign direct investment on innovation in Korean industries and uses the number of patent applications as a proxy of innovation. Our empirical evidence provides policy implications for innovation and attraction of inward foreign direct investments.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.514-528
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• 2022

This study attempted to understand the characteristics of foreign direct investment by Chinese companies from the perspective of Dunning's OLI paradigm. This development of OFDI by Chinese companies was influenced by the Chinese government's policy, internal factors of the Chinese economy, and the economic and institutional environment of the investment target country. The characteristic of Chinese companies' OFDI is that investment in developed countries is gradually increasing amid regional concentration in Asia. And the proportion of tertiary industries is high, In the meantime, the structure of the secondary industry is changing. In addition, Chinese companies are gradually expanding and showing characteristics by considering the economic and political factors of the investment target country in the selection of overseas investment areas, and then selecting areas with little cultural difference from China's system. This characteristic of OFDI by Chinese companies is basically evaluated to be in line with the OLI paradigm of Dunning. However, the difference is that Chinese companies' OFDI not only advances in overseas investment using the strengths of companies, but also advances in investment to compensate for their shortcomings.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.253-268
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• 2019

This paper analyses the characteristics of partner countries when multinational firms of Korea, China, and Japan make greenfield FDI in foreign countries. Particularly, this paper applies the gravity model for greenfield FDI flows for the period 2003-2017. This paper finds that multinational firms of Korea, as compared to those of China and Japan, are very significantly and negatively responsive to political risks of partner countries. In contrast, multinational firms of Korea as well as those of China and Japan tend to make greater amounts of greenfield FDI in financially high-risk countries. This result indicates that multinational firms from these three countries should take financial risks of partner countries into more serious consideration.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.121-138
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• 2014

China and Korea have interacted with each other for 20 years since 1992 when China and Korea established diplomatic relations. During this period, the trade and investment between two countries have increased rapidly. In addition to the enhancement of economic cooperation and the expansion of personal exchange, the relationship between two countries was upgraded to mutual strategic cooperative relationship in 2008 from the 1 friendly and cooperative relations and the economic exchange and cooperation were largely expanded. In this paper, the current situation and characteristics of the trade between China and Korea were figured out. In order to find out the development direction of China and Korea trade, through empirical analysis, the correlation of decisive factors that influence the trade amount of these two countries were analyzed. In terms of dependent variables for the empirical analysis, the trade amount between China and Korea was considered. While the GDP of these countries, the direct investment amount of two countries and the openness of external trade of these countries were considered as independent variables. The degree of economic freedom of these countries was set as policy variable. According to the analysis results, when the GDP of China and Korea is getting higher, there is positive influence on the trade amount of China and Korea. It is showed that the direct investment of Korea has positive influence on the trade amount of China and Korea. Meanwhile, there is negative influence of China's direct investment on the trade amount. When the degree of freedom of these countries is getting higher, the influence of trade amount was showed significantly. Furthermore, when the economic freedom of these countries is getting higher, the insignificant things about trade amount of China and Korea were extracted as insignificant.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.65-105
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• 2018

This study examines the employment relations of TNC subsidiaries in Central and Eastern Europe(CEE). Specifically, this study analyzes the employment relations of Volkswagen subsidiaries, which has led the restructuring the CEE's automobile industry since the collapse of socialist regimes, and Hyundai subsidiaries, which has sought to cast employment relations through Greenfield Investment as a latecomer. After the collapse of socialism, with the massive inflow of foreign direct investment and the social legacy of weak labor unions, CEE has been included in the global production network as low-wage production base. Both VW and Hyundai have entered the CEE with their own characteristics and global strategies that have been developed in their home countries and have developed the local production. In the process, both have formed local employment relations, combining low-wage, unstable employment, and weak labor unions of CEE under their own strategy. In recent years, however, it has been doubtful of the sustainability of employment relations based on the advantages of low-wage production bases, as the pools of low-wage workforce decline and new union movements occur in CEE. These changes in CEE are an indication of the inherent contradiction of low-wage production base strategies.