• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.89-102
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• 2002

Genetically modified foods may be defined as the foods deemed as safe by current technology among the many kinds of agricultural and stockbreeding products that are now under research and development using contemporary gene-modification techniques. This study examines hotly debated arguments, both for and against genetically modified- foods, in various countries. This study also investigates consumers'rights and responsibilities. Countries that are developing and exporting genetically modified organisms(GMO) have maintained that GMO can help produce more crops while reducing labor and other production-related costs, and that the genetically modified foods signify ″the second green revolution,″ which will solve future food and environmental problems by strengthening specific nutritive substances and extending shelf-life. But consumer groups, environmental organizations. and food-importing countries are more cautious about importing and consuming those foods because the potential dangers of GMO to human bodies and the environment have not been tested thoroughly yet. South Korea, following suit with others such as EU, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, introduced a law on 'Labeling of Genetically Modified Foods', which went in effect in March, 2001, on the basis of customers'rights to make informed choices. The law takes the ″precautionary principle″ into consideration, rather than stopping at insuring ″substantial equivalence″ in developing and consuming GM foods. The actual impact of the law will depend on the level of citizens'Participation more than on the government's willingness to carry out the law. So far the level of Korean consumers'consciousness about genetically modified foods is very low. Therefore, it is hard to expect consumers to exercise their ″rights not to buy″ foods that are potentially unsafe. The Korean government must devise an effective plan to inform and educate the people about the labeling of genetically modified foods.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.25-34
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• 2019

Purpose - Investigate the association of internal and external factors of consumers and analysing the role of moderating comparative marketing aspects, especially the part of YouTuber and celebgram in influencing purchase decisions. Apart from that, it provides an overview of the pattern of purchase decision making in forming Millennials and Y generation consumer culture Research design, data, and methodology - This study uses a quantitative research approach with descriptive, predictive, and prospective data analysis on 300 eligible Millennials and Y aged 20-35 years who are bachelor-educated. Data collection using online surveys with final statistical analysis using the Partial Least Square (PLS) approach Results - All hypothesis are declared accepted, indirect testing the dominant internal consumer factors have a positive and significant effect on consumers' purchase decisions. Through testing Moderating, aspect marketing comparative is also authoritative able to moderate internal consumer factors towards purchase decision making. Conclusions - Digital technology is changing the paradigm and perceptions of the millennials and Y generations in terms of behaving as a generation of technology connoisseurs who also influence and shape the culture of that generation and the generations to come in the future.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.1063-1070
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• 2021

The study aims to investigate the role of consumer's social risk perceptions in retailing private label brands. Since private label brands are exclusively available at retail stores, consumers make their purchase decisions regarding them based on the image of that retail outlet. While buying them, risk perceptions are influenced by the retail store's image. The study identifies various retail store dimensions. For this purpose, primary data was collected using a survey questionnaire that was administered to a representative sample of retail store consumers in Riyadh. The data was analyzed and exploratory factor analysis was applied using SPSS 25 version to extract store image dimensions. The results showed six significant dimensions of retail store image namely 'Sales Staff', 'Promotion', 'Store Environment', 'Store Services', 'Product Assortment', and 'Customer Convenience'. Regression Analysis was performed and the effect of these retail store image dimensions was tested on social risk perceptions of consumers. Results indicate that store image dimensions significantly influence consumer's perceived social risk perceptions. However, the relationship is not consistent across all the six identified store image dimensions. The study brings forth several valuable consumer insights and the findings of the study have some very interesting and practical implications for retailers.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.114-129
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of consumer's need for uniqueness, whether or not using ALPHA-NUMERIC Brand Name and types of fashion goods upon the consumer's attitude. The experimental design of this study is three-ways complex factors design of 2 (Consumer's Need for Uniqueness : High vs Law) ${\times}$ 2 (Whether or not to use ALPHA-NUMERIC Brand Name : Used brand vs Non-used brand) ${\times}$ 2 (Types of fashion goods: Rational fashion goods vs Emotional fashion goods) The conclusions are as follows. 1. The interaction effect upon a favorite level according to consumer's need for uniqueness, whether or not using ALPHA-NUMERIC brand name and types of fashion goods upon the consumer's attitude is proven significant. For the group where customer's need for uniqueness is low, when ALPHA-NUMERIC brand name is not used, the favorableness of rational fashion good, a parka is lower than that of emotional fashion good, one-piece dress. However, there is no significant difference in favorableness by types of fashion goods when ALPHA-NUMERIC brand name is used. At the group with high need for uniqueness, while there is no significant difference in favorableness when ALPHA-NUMERIC brand name is not used, the favorableness of parka is higher than that of one-piece dress when ALPHA-NUMERIC brand name is used. 2. The interaction effects upon purchase intention according to consumer's need for uniqueness, whether or not using ALPHA-NUMERIC brand name and types of fashion goods are proven significant. For the group where customer's need for uniqueness is low, there is no significant different in the favorableness whether or not ALPHA-NUMERIC brand name is used. On the other hand, the group with high need for uniqueness, if ALPHA-NUMERIC brand name is used, the intention to purchase parka is higher than the intention to purchase one-piece dress.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.19-34
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• 2001

Since the introduction of product liability law from America in 1960s, product liability has been on the rise as an important problem to the quality management of company and consumer's safety. Together with this, before the legislation of product liability system in Korea, the sense and level of company and consumer about product safety are rapidly changing, In times like the present, ensuring more systematic product safety and consumer safety, and the buildup need of competitive power in accordance with product liability prevention of company grows raising. Therefore, this study presents the most effectively manageable ways of product liability the side of safety management of consumers and companies through the ensuring ways and activity models of product safety and certification system in company.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.3-33
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• 1991

Since the early 1980's, the Korean government has gradually been widening the Korean market to foreign consumer goods. This, combined with the increased purchasing power of the Korean consumers resulting from the continued economic growth of the country, has sparked a spectacular influx of foreign consumer goods into Korea, ranging from BMW's to chopsticks. Import of foreign consumer goods amounted to more than 6 billion dollars in 1989 and is continuing to grow at a rapid rate. The increased import of foreign consumer goods doubtlessly improved the overall welfare of the Korean consumers by providing them with a wider range of options to choose from, by lowering the prices of some of the consumer goods domestically produced, and also by forcing the producers of some Korean goods to face competition with better foreign goods, thus giving them an incentive to raise the quality of their products. However, it is agreed by most economists that this increase in general welfare has been much smaller than what they had expected at the outset. Consumer prices of most imported consumer goods are easily double the import price, and in some cases, more than treble the import prices. Further, there has not been a noticeable drop in the prices of domestically produced consumer goods. Much of the blame has been attributed to the distribution sector of Korea. The objective of this paper is to analyze the imported consumer goods distribution sector of Korea, focusing on the possible sources of the poor performance of that sector, and to make policy suggestions that could potentially increase the welfare. This paper differs from all the previous research by others on this subject in that it analyzes the imported consumer goods distribution sector of Korea as a vertical structure. The distribution sector of an imported consumer good is a vertical structure since it consists of an international market, an import stage, and domestic wholesale and retail markets, in that order vertically. Our study naturally includes the analysis of the vertical restraints as well as the analysis of the industrial organization of each horizontal stage in the vertical structure. Each horizontal component of the imported consumer goods distribution sector is basically a monopolistically competitive market differentiated by characteristics of goods and by the locations and the services of firms. Further, restrictive dealership and resale price maintenance are found to be widely in use. Our main findings are the follwing; First, most consumer goods are imported monopolistically or oligopolistically through restrictive dealership contracts between foreign producers and domestic importers. Such restrictive dealership gives importers market power in the domestic market and explains many of the large discrepancies betwen the consumer prices and the import prices of many goods. Korean anti - trust law does not cover the issues arising from the market power of an importer resulting from a restrictive dealership contract. Second, some major producers of Korean goods are also importers of foreign goods that are substitutes of their products. The import of substitutes by major domestic producers is anti - competitive because it tends to raise the prices of both domestic goods and foreign goods, and also because it reduces the incentive of the domestic producers to raise the quality of their products. Third, wholesalers and retailers widely use resale price maintenance as a price fixing mechanism, and while this is against the anti- trust law, it seldom gets noticed. Fourth, the high level of rents of real estate for commercial use works as an entry barrier to the distribution sector and results in reduced competition by the firms in that sector. Finally, there are information problems. Consumers have inferior information to firms about the quality of a foreign consumer good that they have not tried before. Such information asymmetry often enables firms to raise prices. In addition, information asymmetry between importers frequently delays the import of cheaper substitutes. In order to alleviate the problems indentified above, we suggest the following policy changes. The government should strengthen the anti - trust law and its enforcement to regulate restrictive import contracts, import of competing goods by major domestic producers, and RPM by wholesalers and retailers that is aimed at price fixing. In addition, the government should loosen its tight real estate policy to encourage investment in the distribution sector. Finally, we suggest that the import price revelation policy that has been in use for some items since 1990 be expanded to most imported consumer goods that are introduced for the first time to give consumer better information and be used only for the period of time needed to inform sufficient number of consumers.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.225-266
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• 2018

In 2017, 1,252 cases of damages relief related to air passenger transport service were received by the Korea Consumer Agency, a 0.8% drop from 1,262 cases in 2016, the first decline since 2013. In 2017, 444 cases (35.4%) out of received cases of damages relief in the field of air passenger service received by the Korea Consumer Agency were agreed on, and out of cases that were not agreed on, the most number of 588 cases (47.0%) were concluded due to information provision and counseling, and 186 cases (14.9%) were applied to the mediation of the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee. Major legislations that contain regulations for the damages relief and disputes resolution of air service consumers include the Aviation Business Act and the Consumer Fundamental Act, etc. The Aviation Business Act provides the establishment and implementation of damage relief procedure and handling plan, and the receiving and handling of request of damage relief by air transport businessman, and the notice of protection standard for air traffic users. The Consumer Fundamental Act provides the establishment and management of the consumer counseling organization, the damage relief by the Korea Consumer Agency, the consumer dispute mediation, and the enactment of the criteria for resolving consumer disputes. The procedures for damages relief of air service consumers include the receiving and handling of damages relief by air transport businessman, the counseling, and receiving and handling of damages relief by the Consumer Counseling Center, the advice of mutual agreement by the Korea Consumer Agency, and the dispute mediation system by the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee. The current system of damage relief and dispute mediation for air service consumer have the problem in the exemption from obligation of establishment and implementation of damage relief plan by air transport businessman under the Aviation Business Act, the problem in the exemption from liability in case of nonfulfillment and delay of transport by aviation businessman under the criteria for resolving consumer disputes in the aviation sector, and the uppermost limit in procedure progress and completion of consumer dispute mediation under the Consumer Fundamental Act. Therefore, the improvement measurements of the relevant system for proper damage relief and smooth dispute mediation for air service consumer are to be suggested as follows: First is the maintenance of the relevant laws for damage relief of air service consumer. The exemption regulation from obligation of establishment and implementation of damage relief plan by air transport businessman under the Aviation Business Act shall be revised. To enhance the structualization and expertise of the relevant regulation for protection and damage relief of air service consumer, it will be necessary to prepare the separate legislation similar to the US Federal Regulation 14 CFR and EU Regulation EC Regulation 261/2004. Second is the improvement of criteria for resolving air service consumer disputes. For this, it will be necessary to investigate whether the cause of occurrence of exemption reason was force majeure, and distinguish the exemption from liability in case of nonfulfillment and delay of transport by aviation businessman under the criteria for resolving consumer disputes in the aviation sector, and revise the same as exemption reasons regulated under the air transport chapter of the Commercial Act and Montreal Convention 1999, and unify the compensation criteria for the nonfulfillment of transport that the substitute flight was provided and the delay of transport. Third is the reinforcement of information provision for damage relief of air service consumer. Aviation-related government agencies and concerned agencies should cooperate with airlines and airports to provide rapidly and clearly diverse information to the air traffic users, including laws and policies for damages relief of air service consumers. Fourth is the supplement to the effectiveness, etc. of consumer dispute mediation. If there is no sign of acceptance for dispute mediation, it is not fair to regard it as acceptance, therefore it will be necessary to add objection system. And if a dispute resolution is requested to another dispute settlement agency in addition to the Consumer Dispute Mediation Committee, it is excluded from the damage relief package, but it should be allowed for the party to choose a mediation agency. It will be necessary to devise the institutional measures to increase the completion rate of mediation so that the consumer dispute can be resolved efficiently through the mediation. Fifth is the introduction of the air service consumer arbitration system. A measure to supplement the limitations of the consumer dispute mediation system is to introduce the consumer arbitration system, but there are two measurements which are the introduction of the consumer arbitration under the Consumer Fundamental Act and the introduction of the consumer arbitration under the Arbitration Act. The latter measurement is considered to be appropriate. In conclusion, as a policy task, the government should prepare laws and system to enhance the prevention and relief of damages and protection of the rights and interests of air service consumers, and establish and implement the consumer-centric policy for the advancement of air service.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.177-185
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• 2013

This study analyzed restaurant table settings with Gestalt's law of visual perception to obtain basic data for future marketing strategies. The research uses methods that involve applying images of restaurant table settings to Gestalt's law of visual perception, doing content analysis, and conducting a frequency analysis as well as a Chi-square test for classification analysis by visual perception. Results show a significant difference in the laws of visual perception, especially in the laws of nearness and closure, between table settings of different countries and backgrounds, such as Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Western cultures. In terms of the law of nearness, Chinese dishes were low, while other countries' dishes and Korean dishes showed high figures. In terms of the law of closure, Japanese dishes and western dishes had low values, while other countries' dishes and Korean dishes were high in their closure. Further studies on consumer awareness by visual perception classification need to be conducted.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.71-94
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• 2020

When a dispute or conflict occurs, standard methods for resolving them include resolution by trial or resolutions outside of courts. An alternative dispute resolution method called ADR that aims at remedying disputes instead of filing lawsuits is used commonly throughout the world, including the US and China. ADR, which is a remedy method outside of courts, includes negotiation, arbitration, or mediation between the concerned parties, and the arbitration system has several advantages. The Lemon Law is a consumer protection law of the United States that was enacted in 1975. This law prescribes that when specified quality standards are not met repeatedly due to defects in vehicles or electronic products, the manufacturer must provide exchanges or refunds to consumers. Korea also enacted a newly revised automobile management act, the Korea "Lemon Law," on January 1, 2019, which allows consumers to receive exchanges or refunds from the manufacturer if the same malfunction repeatedly occurs after purchasing a new automobile. There have recently been many cases of large fires occurring while driving import vehicles, causing huge public rage; therefore, interest is being focused on the revised automobile management act. Part 5-2 of the automobile management act was newly added to implement automobile exchange or refund arbitration systems. It is desirable to utilize the arbitration system to smoothly resolve automobile-related disputes that have recently increased significantly, and it is thus being used frequently for practical purposes.

• Proceeding of Spring/Autumn Annual Conference of KHA
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• 1993.09a
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• pp.13-20
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• 1993

In Korea, the elderly support has been accomplished by the families in the extended family system with the influence of the transmigration and the confucianism thought. But in Korea the drastic changes of society such as, the growth of the elderly pollution, the urbanization, the decrease of the birth rate, the increase of the working women, the growth of the nuclear families, etc., make the family difficult to take care of the elderly. Therefore, some people insist on the construction of the elderly home as the way to solve the elderly problems and some of corporations including profit-organizations are ready to participate the construction of the elderly home. They force the change of the current social security law because it is impossible to carry out the plans uncer the law. At this point, the conditions of the elderly home in Japan which is geographically close to Korea and has facillicated the elderly home business were examined at the consumer perspectives. The purpose of this study were to consider the possible problems in the elderly home and to prevent from happening another elderly problems in the future.