• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.77-100
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• 2023

Purpose - Using the Model of Goal-Directed Behavior (MGB), this study identifies the critical factors that influence consumer intention to purchase an electric vehicle (EV). This study also provides differentiated policy implications to the Korean and Chinese governments and EV-related companies for the expansion of the EV market in both countries by comparing consumers' perceptions of EV purchase intentions. Design/methodology - Our extended MGB model adds to the standard model consideration of financial incentives, perceived risks, and environmental concerns. An online survey was conducted of Korean and Chinese consumers. Based on the collected responses, all tested hypotheses were verified using PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling). Differences in the path analysis results between Korea and China were compared and verified using Henseler's MGA (multi-group analysis), the parametric test, and the Welch-Satterthwaite test. Findings - The most critical factor that influences the intent to purchase an EV in consumers from both countries is personal desire. PBC and SN were identified as the critical factors that respectively increase personal desire in Korea and China. In addition, in Korea, among the three factors EC, FIP, and PR, environmental concerns were found to have the most significant impact on attitudes and purchase intention. In contrast, in China, economic factors (specifically financial incentives) had greater importance than environmental issues. Originality/value - This study has academic contributions in that it presents a new research model that includes financial incentive policies, environmental concerns, and perceived risk variables based on the MGB to explore consumers' purchase intentions. This study can also make a practical contribution in that it provides some meaningful implications to the governments and EV-related companies of both countries based on the differences in the analysis results of the Korean and Chinese markets.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.398-408
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• 2023

Smart clothing products can experience a decrease in performance and reliability due to various mechanical, biological, and chemical stress factors that occur throughout their life cycle. These issues can hinder consumer acceptance of the products. This study aims to enhance the reliability of smart clothing and facilitate quality control by analyzing and identifying the current status of international standardization for smart clothing and electronic textiles (e-textiles). The focus of this analysis was on the durability test methods in the use environment. Furthermore, similar standards published by different standardization organizations for durability tests were compared in depth. The study showed that a total of 27 international standards have been developed or are currently under development. The current standardization efforts mainly aim to develop functionality and durability test methods for smart clothing and e-textile products. A detailed comparison was made between two international standards (IEC 63023-204-1:2023 and AATCC TM210:2019) specifically in relation to the washing durability test method and the electrical resistance measurement standards (BS EN 16812:2016 vs AATCC EP13-2021), before and after the environmental exposure tests. Based on this comparison, several suggestions have been made and discussed for the future revision of these international standards.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.132-149
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• 2023

This study aims to analyze Instagram hashtags based on big data to investigate changes in consumer trends and perceptions of vegan fashion, and to derive strategies for revitalizing vegan fashion brands based on derived results. Among social media, Instagram was selected as a collection channel, and Instagram hashtags for 'Vegan Fashion' were collected from July 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021. After conducting semantic network analysis with the Ucinet 6 program based on the collected data, the CONCOR analysis on vegan fashion showed the following four clusters: 'Veganism practiced with fashion', 'Bag type of vegan fashion brand', 'Sharing vegan fashion', and 'Diversification of eco-friendly products'. Analysis results showed that the Instagram hashtag for vegan fashion confirmed the MZ generation's increased interest in vegan fashion and their thoughts to recommend and share frequently used items or brand products to people around them. CONCOR analysis of vegan fashion brands showed the following four groups: 'Differentiating the material of vegan bags', 'Eco-friendly products of vegan fashion brands', 'Interest in vegan shoes', and 'Donation campaign of vegan fashion brands'. CONCOR analysis on Meaningout showed the following four clusters: 'MZ Generation's Meaningout Start-up', 'Recommendation Platform for Skin Products', 'Value Consumption Trend for Eco-friendly Clothing', and 'Interest in Eco-friendly Packaging'. The results of this study on vegan fashion, a practical eco-friendly movement that can require changes in social responsibility and perception as issues that directly affect animals, the environment, and humans, are expected to provide basic data to help domestic vegan fashion brands develop marketing strategies.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.241-250
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• 2023

Purpose - The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of 'unmanned cafes' on the network through big data analysis, and to identify the latest trends in rapidly changing consumer perception. Based on this, I would like to suggest that it can be used as basic data for the revitalization of unmanned cafes and differentiated marketing strategies. Design/methodology/approach - This study collected documents containing unmanned cafe keywords for about three years, and the data collected using text mining techniques were analyzed using methods such as keyword frequency analysis, centrality analysis, and keyword network analysis. Findings - First, the top 10 words with a high frequency of appearance were identified in the order of unmanned cafes, unmanned cafes, start-up, operation, coffee, time, coffee machine, franchise, and robot cafes. Second, visualization of the semantic network confirmed that the key keyword "unmanned cafe" was at the center of the keyword cluster. Research implications or Originality - Using big data to collect and analyze keywords with high web visibility, we tried to identify new issues or trends in unmanned cafe recognition, which consists of keywords related to start-ups, mainly deals with topics related to start-ups when unmanned cafes are mentioned on the network.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.138-145
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• 2024

Background: Appropriateness issues have emerged regarding the non-application of hazardous substance safety standards for items classified as 'other textile products'. Objectives: Testing for formaldehyde (HCHO) and risk assessment were conducted on 'other textiles products' to provide reference data for promoting product safety policies. Methods: Testing was conducted on five items (102 products) classified as 'other textile products' according to relevant standards (textile products safety standards), and the risk of each product was assessed using the evaluation methodologies of the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC) and European Chemical Agency (ECHA). Results: Out of the 102 products tested, HCHO was detected above the quantification limit in five. Based on these results, the screening risk assessment indicated that three products exceeded the criteria. Upon reassessing the emission and transfer rates of products exceeding the criteria, it was confirmed that there were no instances of exceeding the criteria. Conclusions: Risk assessment results can be used as supporting data for non-application of hazardous substance standards. However, it is deemed necessary to transition towards a management approach based on risks in order to addressing emerging trends such as convergence/new products.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.363-373
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• 2023

Numerous studies have established a correlation between sociodemographic characteristics and water usage, identifying population as a primary independent variable in mid- to long-term demand forecasting. Recent dramatic sociodemographic changes, including urban concentration-rural depopulation, low birth rates-aging population, and the rise in single-person households, are expected to impact water demand and supply patterns. This underscores the necessity for operational and managerial changes in existing water supply systems. While sociodemographic characteristics are regularly surveyed, the conducted surveys use aggregate units that do not align with the actual system. Consequently, many water demand forecasts have been conducted at the administrative district level without adequately considering the water supply system. This study presents an upward water demand forecasting model that accurately reflects real water facilities and consumers. The model comprises three key steps. Firstly, Statistics Korea's SGIS (Statistical Geological Information System) data was reorganized at the DMA level. Secondly, DMAs were classified using the SOM (Self-Organizing Map) algorithm to consider differences in water facilities and consumer characteristics. Lastly, water demand forecasting employed the PCR (Principal Component Regression) method to address multicollinearity and overfitting issues. The performance evaluation of this model was conducted for DMAs classified as rural areas due to the insufficient number of DMAs. The estimation results indicate that the correlation coefficients exceeded 0.9, and the MAPE remained within approximately 10% for the test dataset. This method is expected to be useful for reorganization plans, such as the expansion and contraction of existing facilities.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.311-321
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• 2024

This study comprehensively analyzed the perceptions of Chinese consumers who have and have not purchased Samsung smartphones, based on data from the social media platform Weibo. Various big data analysis techniques were used, including text mining, frequency analysis, centrality analysis, semantic network analysis, and CONCOR analysis. The results indicate that positive perceptions of Samsung smartphones include aspects such as design aesthetics, camera functionality, AI features, screen quality, specifications, and performance, and their status as a premium brand. On the other hand, negative perceptions include issues with pricing, a yellow tint in photos, slow charging speeds, and safety concerns. These findings will provide a crucial basis for making significant improvements in Samsung's market strategy in China.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.91-108
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• 2020

Korea's famous soccer players are steadily performing well in international leagues, which led to higher interests of Korean fans in the international leagues. Reflecting the growing social phenomenon of rising interests on international leagues by Korean fans, the study examined the overall consumer perception in the consumption of uniform by domestic soccer fans and compared the changes in perception following the transfers of the players. Among others, the paper examined the consumer perception and purchase factors of soccer fans shown in social media, focusing on periods before and after the recruitment of Heung-Min Son to English Premier League's Tottenham Football Club. To this end, the EPL uniform is the collection keyword the paper utilized and collected consumer postings from domestic website and social media via Python 3.7, and analyzed them using Ucinet 6, NodeXL 1.0.1, and SPSS 25.0 programs. The results of this study can be summarized as follows. First, the uniform of the club that consistently topped the league, has been gaining attention as a popular uniform, and the players' performance, and the players' position have been identified as key factors in the purchase and search of professional football uniforms. In the case of the club, the actual ranking and whether the league won are shown to be important factors in the purchase and search of professional soccer uniforms. The club's emblem and the sponsor logo that will be attached to the uniform are also factors of interest to consumers. In addition, in the decision making process of purchase of a uniform by professional soccer fan, uniform's form, marking, authenticity, and sponsors are found to be more important than price, design, size, and logo. The official online store has emerged as a major purchasing channel, followed by gifts for friends or requests from acquaintances when someone travels to the United Kingdom. Second, a classification of key control categories through the convergence of iteration correlation analysis and Clauset-Newman-Moore clustering algorithm shows differences in the classification of individual groups, but groups that include the EPL's club and player keywords are identified as the key topics in relation to professional football uniforms. Third, between 2002 and 2006, the central theme for professional football uniforms was World Cup and English Premier League, but from 2012 to 2015, the focus has shifted to more interest of domestic and international players in the English Premier League. The subject has changed to the uniform itself from this time on. In this context, the paper can confirm that the major issues regarding the uniforms of professional soccer players have changed since Ji-Sung Park's transfer to Manchester United, and Sung-Yong Ki, Chung-Yong Lee, and Heung-Min Son's good performances in these leagues. The paper also identified that the uniforms of the clubs to which the players have transferred to are of interest. Fourth, both male and female consumers are showing increasing interest in Son's league, the English Premier League, which Tottenham FC belongs to. In particular, the increasing interest in Son has shown a tendency to increase interest in football uniforms for female consumers. This study presents a variety of researches on sports consumption and has value as a consumer study by identifying unique consumption patterns. It is meaningful in that the accuracy of the interpretation has been enhanced by using a cluster analysis via convergence of iteration correlation analysis and Clauset-Newman-Moore clustering algorithm to identify the main topics. Based on the results of this study, the clubs will be able to maximize its profits and maintain good relationships with fans by identifying key drivers of consumer awareness and purchasing for professional soccer fans and establishing an effective marketing strategy.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.7-29
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• 2012

Smartphone and its applications (i.e. apps) are increasingly penetrating consumer markets. According to a recent report from Korea Communications Commission, nearly 50% of mobile subscribers in South Korea are smartphone users that accounts for over 25 million people. In particular, the importance of smartphone has risen as a geospatially-aware device that provides various location-based services (LBS) equipped with GPS capability. The popular LBS include map and navigation, traffic and transportation updates, shopping and coupon services, and location-sensitive social network services. Overall, the emerging location-based smartphone apps (LBA) offer significant value by providing greater connectivity, personalization, and information and entertainment in a location-specific context. Conversely, the rapid growth of LBA and their benefits have been accompanied by concerns over the collection and dissemination of individual users' personal information through ongoing tracking of their location, identity, preferences, and social behaviors. The majority of LBA users tend to agree and consent to the LBA provider's terms and privacy policy on use of location data to get the immediate services. This tendency further increases the potential risks of unprotected exposure of personal information and serious invasion and breaches of individual privacy. To address the complex issues surrounding LBA particularly from the user's behavioral perspective, this study applied the privacy calculus model (PCM) to explore the factors that influence the adoption of LBA. According to PCM, consumers are engaged in a dynamic adjustment process in which privacy risks are weighted against benefits of information disclosure. Consistent with the principal notion of PCM, we investigated how individual users make a risk-benefit assessment under which personalized service and locatability act as benefit-side factors and information privacy risks act as a risk-side factor accompanying LBA adoption. In addition, we consider the moderating role of trust on the service providers in the prohibiting effects of privacy risks on user intention to adopt LBA. Further we include perceived ease of use and usefulness as additional constructs to examine whether the technology acceptance model (TAM) can be applied in the context of LBA adoption. The research model with ten (10) hypotheses was tested using data gathered from 98 respondents through a quasi-experimental survey method. During the survey, each participant was asked to navigate the website where the experimental simulation of a LBA allows the participant to purchase time-and-location sensitive discounted tickets for nearby stores. Structural equations modeling using partial least square validated the instrument and the proposed model. The results showed that six (6) out of ten (10) hypotheses were supported. On the subject of the core PCM, H2 (locatability ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) and H3 (privacy risks ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) were supported, while H1 (personalization ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) was not supported. Further, we could not any interaction effects (personalization X privacy risks, H4 & locatability X privacy risks, H5) on the intention to use LBA. In terms of privacy risks and trust, as mentioned above we found the significant negative influence from privacy risks on intention to use (H3), but positive influence from trust, which supported H6 (trust ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA). The moderating effect of trust on the negative relationship between privacy risks and intention to use LBA was tested and confirmed by supporting H7 (privacy risks X trust ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA). The two hypotheses regarding to the TAM, including H8 (perceived ease of use ${\rightarrow}$ perceived usefulness) and H9 (perceived ease of use ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) were supported; however, H10 (perceived effectiveness ${\rightarrow}$ intention to use LBA) was not supported. Results of this study offer the following key findings and implications. First the application of PCM was found to be a good analysis framework in the context of LBA adoption. Many of the hypotheses in the model were confirmed and the high value of $R^2$ (i.,e., 51%) indicated a good fit of the model. In particular, locatability and privacy risks are found to be the appropriate PCM-based antecedent variables. Second, the existence of moderating effect of trust on service provider suggests that the same marginal change in the level of privacy risks may differentially influence the intention to use LBA. That is, while the privacy risks increasingly become important social issues and will negatively influence the intention to use LBA, it is critical for LBA providers to build consumer trust and confidence to successfully mitigate this negative impact. Lastly, we could not find sufficient evidence that the intention to use LBA is influenced by perceived usefulness, which has been very well supported in most previous TAM research. This may suggest that more future research should examine the validity of applying TAM and further extend or modify it in the context of LBA or other similar smartphone apps.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.209-237
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• 2012

1. Research Purpose Consumers rely on various clues to evaluate their decision to patronize a retail store, and store brand is one of them (Dodds 1991; Grewal et al. 1998). As consumers find ever increasing variety of contact points connecting them to specific store, the value of experiential shopping as a means of increasing store's brand equity warrants greater attention from scholars of retail management. Retail shopping values are credited for creating not only cognitive experiences like brand knowledge but also emotional experiences such as shopping pleasure and pride (Schmitt 1999). This may be because today's consumers place emphasis on emotional values associated with shopping pleasure, lifestyle brought to life, brand relationship, and store atmosphere more than utilitarian values such as product quality and price. Many previous literature found this to be true (Ahn and Lee 2011; Mathwick et al. 2001). This brings forth important research issues and questions regarding the roles of shopping experiential values and brand equity with regard to consumer's retail patronage choice. However, despite this importance, research on this area remains quite inadequate (Hwang 2010). For this reason, this study aims to verify the relationships among experiential shopping values, retail store brand equity and tries to link that with customer loyalty by surveying large-scale discount store shoppers in Korea and China. 2. Research Contents In order to carry out the research objective, this study conducted comprehensive literature survey on previous literature by discussing major findings and implications with regard to shopping values and retail brand equity and store loyalty. For data collection, researcher employed survey-based research method where data were collected in two major cities of Korea (Seoul) and China (Bejing) and sampling frame was based on patrons of large discount stores in both countries. Specific research questions raised in this study are as follows; RQ1: How do Korean and Chinese consumers differently perceive of shopping values regarding shopping at large-sclae discount stores? RQ2: Are there differences in consumers' emotional consumption propensities? RQ3: Do Korean and Chinese consumers display different perceptions of brand equity towards large-scale discount stores? RQ4: Are there differences in relationships between shopping values and brand equity for Korean and Chinese consumers? For statistical analysis, SPSS17.0, AMOS17.0 and SmartPLS were employed. 3. Research Results The data collected through face-to-face survey conducted in Seoul and Bejing revealed appropriate data validity and reliability as a result of exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis and reliability tests, andh SEM model yielding satisfactory model fitness. The result of the study may be summarized by three main points. First, as a result of testing differences in consumption dispositions, Chinese consumers showed higher scores in aesthetic and symbolic dispositions, whereas Korean consumers scored higher in hedonic disposition. Second, testing on perceptions toward brand equity of large discount stores showed that Korean consumers exhibited more positive perceptions of brand awareness and brand image than Chinese counterparts. Third, the result of exploratory factor analysis on the experiential shopping values revealed different factors for each country. On Korean side, consumer interest value, aesthetic value, and hedonic value were prominent, whereas on Chinese side, hedonic value, aesthetic value, consumer interest value, and service excellence value were found salient. 4. Research Implications While many previous studies on inter-country differences in retailing area mainly focused on cultural dispositions or orientations to explain the differences, this study sets itself apart by specifically targeting individual consumer's shopping values from an experiential viewpoint. The study result provides important theoretical as well as practical implications for large-scale discount store, especially the impotance of fully exploring the linkage between shopping values and brand equity, which has significant influence on loyalty. Therefore, the specific implications deriving from the result shed some important insights upon the consumption values based on shopping experiences and brand equity. The differences found in store shoppers between the two countries may also provide useful insights for Korean and Chinese retailers who plan to expand their operations globally. Related strategic implications derived from this study is the importance of localizing retail strategy which is based on the differences found in experiential shopping values between the two country groups. Especially the finding that Chinese consumers value consumer interest and service excellence, whereas Koreans place importance on hedonic or aesthetic values indicates the need to differentiate the consumer's psychographical profiles when it comes to expanding retail operations globally. Particularly important will be to pursue price-orienated strategy in China in consideration of the high emphasis on consumer interests and service excellence, but to emphasize the symbolic aspects of brand equity in Korea by maximizing the brand equity associated with aesthetic values and hedonic orientations. 5. Recommendations This study focused on generic retail branded discount stores in both countries, thus making it difficult to tease out store-specific strategies based on specific retail brands. Future studies may benefit fro employing actual brand names in survey questionnaire to verify relationship between shopping values and brand-based store strategy. As with other studies of this nature, this study needs to strengthen the result's generalizability by selecting respondents from a wider spectrum of respondents.