• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.1956-1964
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• 2009

Understanding ethical fashion consumers in Korea is essential for the expansion of the ethical fashion market. This study analyzed ethical consumers in Korea in an examination of the factors that influence ethical purchase behavior and attitudes. The differences between ethical fashion consumers and non-ethical fashion consumers were investigated using eight variables (perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE), self-direction, benevolence, universalism, social responsibility, perceived behavioral control, face saving, and group conformity). Data were collected by means of a questionnaire through both on-line and off-line surveys from April 20 to June 7, 2009. Only the respondents knowledgeable of ethical products or ethical consumption were asked to complete the questionnaire. A total of 494 samples were used for analyses. Using independent samples t-test, the differences in each variable between two groups were examined. There were significant differences between ethical fashion consumers and non-ethical fashion consumers in attitudes toward ethical consumption behavior, behavioral intention, PCE, self-direction, universalism, social responsibility, and face saving variables. The factors influencing attitude and behavior intention were investigated by step-wise regression analyses. For ethical fashion consumers, the attitudes to ethical consumption behavior were largely influenced by PCE and benevolence. Social responsibility was the most predictable variable in guiding behavioral intention. Behavioral intention was also influenced by benevolence and attitude. Group conformity was found to be negatively correlated with behavioral intention. The findings of this study provide significant guidance for marketers of ethical fashion products. This study is the start of ethical fashion consumer research in Korea and can develop into variable subfields in the future.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.605-611
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• 2024

The study explores the growing interest in up-cycling within the fashion industry, driven by concerns over environmental degradation caused by mass production and fast fashion. Emphasizing the ethical dimension, the research focuses on recombination processes. Departing from traditional up-cycling concepts, the study introduces new expression methods by altering the position, function, and role of clothes. The target audience is women in their 20s and 30s, with the designs incorporating various materials and re-purposing frequently discarded items like jackets, suits, jeans, and bags. The goal is to offer diverse expressions of uphigh-dimensional clothing designs using waste material dismantling and recycled clothing while addressing environmental responsibility in fashion design.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1793-1802
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• 2007

This study examined the relationship between consumers' ethical ideologies and consumers' perceptions of fashion counterfeits. Forsyth's Ethics Position Questionnaire(EPQ) measuring consumers' ethical ideologies-- idealism and relativism -- was used. College students enrolled at a large university in a metropolitan area participated(N=314). There were no significant differences between counterfeit purchasers and non-purchasers on their ethical ideologies, while there were significant differences between these two groups on their perceptions toward two of the perceptions toward counterfeit factors: economic and psychological uncertainty. Idealism was not significantly related to participants' perceptions toward fashion counterfeit, while relativism was positively related only to participants' perceptions concerning the return-related uncertainty of fashion counterfeits. The results of a multiple regression revealed that consumers' economic, psychological, and return-related uncertainty were significant predictors of intent to buy counterfeit goods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.60 no.8
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• pp.151-167
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• 2010

This research is to analyze ethics in fashion design for more valuable and sustainable human life against the increasing alienation of the human being, the global ecological crisis resulted from contemporary consumption society. I expect that it can be helpful to plan ethical fashion design practice more effectively. For this, the documentary study and practical case study have been executed. The results are as follows. The ethics in design can be defined as the responsibility to reform the social, environmental problem of consumptive design, to sustain together without human alienation, environment disruption and to do social good for total human being ultimately. The ethical design practice means to suggest solutions to problems of human rights and environment and to act willingly. Based on this, ethical fashion design appeared as responsible design solution which has two directions. One is the fashion design for coexistence and sharing, including the design for all which considers even underprivileged minority, the design to promote public issues as well as to donate some profits. The other is the eco fashion design for sustainable environment, including eco-friendly design which is reductive and slow in whole design process, the design to inform the seriousness of environmental crisis as well as to donate some profits. The last one of the most important ethical responsibility as fashion designer is to abide by vocational ethics, that is, the prohibition of design piracy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.1071-1084
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• 2017

This study investigates ethical fashion consumption factors and corporate social responsibility (CSR) factors to segment consumer groups by ethical fashion consumption (EFC) and identify differences of EFC groups in the perception of CSR and demographics. I surveyed 390 people over age 20 in February and March, 2017. Data were analyzed with factorial analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA, LSD, Chi-square, Cronbach's ${\alpha}$, using SPSS 20.0. The survey showed. 1) Five EFC factors (boycott/active purchase, donation/environmental protection, saving, legal consumption, and recycle) were extracted. 2) Four CSR factors (responsibility for stakeholder, ethical/environmental responsibility, social/charitable responsibility, and economic responsibility) were extracted. 3) EFC consumers were classified into four segments (low ethic, recycle, legal, and high ethic). 4) The perception of CSR factors was different among EFC groups. 5) The distribution of age level, education level, occupation, monthly purchase cost of clothing, and religion were different among EFC groups.

• Fashion Information and Technology
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• v.6
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• pp.54-62
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• 2009

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.181-191
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• 2020

The fashion industry has faced environmental, social, and ethical issues due to increased interest in ethical consumption. Numerous ethical studies have been conducted in the fashion industry. This study looked at the current state of research by year, academic journal, and detail in major related papers published in Scopus, KCI and KCI between 2009 and 2019. Ethical fashion studies began to appear in 2009 and were concentrated in certain academic journals and focused on fashion marketing and fashion design. Topics in ethical fashion were terms such as sustainable, eco-friendly, up-cycling, recycling, eco, zero-waist, and organic. In ethical fashion studies, environmental studies were conducted most often; in addition, the terms used along with ethical fashion tend to be frequently used for each particular major. Looking at key words used in research by period, the study showed that research was most diverse between 2016 and 2019. In particular, environmental and social issues of ethical fashion and convergence with animal protection, new distribution, science and technology sectors were newly added between 2016 and 2019. This study used text mining and network analysis to understand the overall trends of ethical fashion studies in Korea. In conclusion it is important to realize the relationship between the main words along with the current status analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.31 no.1 s.160
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• pp.141-150
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine variables affecting fashion consumer ethics. 202 consumers living in Seoul and its suburb participated in this study. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, factor analysis and multiple regression for this study. As the results, consumer ethics was classified into three factors such as 'Purposely illegal behavior', 'Tacitly illegal behavior' and 'Socialized illegal behavior' factors. Second, regarding ethics judgement, machiavellianism only had affected consumer ethics. Results showed that 'Tacitly illegal behavior' and 'Socialized illegal behavior' of consumer ethics affected consumer ethics on Fashion Products. Finally, results of multiple regression revealed that psychological factors such as compensatory purchasing, materialism and propensity of religion accounted for 19% of the explained variance in fashion consumer ethics. Based on these results, a fashion educational program about consumer ethics related to fashion industry would be suggested.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.66 no.7
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• pp.192-208
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• 2016

Due to the paradigm shift in fashion industry, its contribution to social activities and social enterprises' practice of ethical fashion has been on the rise lately. The surveillance and regulations of international community have increased in light of the betterment of working conditions and protection of the rights, and corporate social responsibility has been emphasized through consumers' interest in ethical consumption. In this regard, the fashion social enterprises' responsible and ethical management can both boost the trust in business and value-added. The study aims to propose feasible methods by exploring ways to induce support from central and local governments, which will lead to the activation of future fashion social enterprises and paradigms shift of consumers's perception and value. The sustainability of social enterprises requires management line or policies that consider social, environmental, economic, and political aspects of virtuous cycle, differentiated internally or externally. Fashion social enterprises also need ethic management and social responsibility management that are distinctive from general fashion enterprises. Thus, they will not be sustainable or differentiated unless entrepreneurial faith and role is not clear. Education and continuous promotion including upcycling are critical to build consumer base as they can make consumers spend ethically and recognize social enterprises. In addition, social education and public relations need to take place in order to internalize consumer pattern. The goal of sustainable corporate social activity is to change the awareness and become social investment that returns some profits to the society as members in line with reviewing corporate image. This can lead to establishing the foundation of securing a big comsumer market and winning the trust of the consumer's through corporate social responsibility and investment.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.307-327
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• 2021

This study analyzed the effects of fashion consumers' moral identity and empathy propensity on ethical consumption attitude and donation behavior, and the effect of ethical consumption attitude on donation behavior. The survey was conducted on consumers over the 20s who experienced the donation of fashion products, 384 responses were used for data analysis. The result showed that the internality and symbolism of moral identity had a positive effect on ethical consumption attitudes. The all factors of empathy propensity positively affected eco-friendly oriented consumption, and cognitive empathy and social empathy positively affected boycott oriented consumption. The cognitive empathy, social empathy and relational empathy positively affected community oriented consumption and practice oriented consumption. Furthermore, social empathy and relational empathy positively affected recycling oriented consumption. The eco-friendly, boycott, community, and recycling oriented consumption positively affected temporal donation. The all factors of ethical consumption attitude positively affected emotional donation, and eco-friendly, community, recycling, and practice oriented consumption positively affected material donations. The internality and symbolism of moral identity positively affected temporal and emotional donation, and the symbolism except internality positively affected material donation. The cognitive empathy, social empathy and relational empathy positively affected the temporal donation and material donation. In addition, the all factors of empathy propensity positively affected emotional donation. The results of this study will contribute to the ethical product strategy, marketing, and sustainable development of the fashion industry.