• Korea Trade Review
• /
• v.46 no.4
• /
• pp.39-60
• /
• 2021

Despite the fast growth and rising importance of digital trade, there still exists no multilateral agreement governing digital trade. Significant differences in policy directions regarding key digital trade issues among the U.S., EU and China are the main stumbling blocks for reaching agreement on the multilateral front. To overcome this deficiency in digital trade rules, there has been active movement among mainly countries in the Asia-Pacific region for rule-making on digital trade. Starting with the CPTPP chapter on E-Commerce in 2018, there has been a series of digital trade rules agreed in bilateral or plurilateral formats, such as the USMCA, USJDTA, DEPA, DEA and RCEP. Korea is currently only member of RCEP, which contains an e-commerce chapter with lower levels of commitment as compared to other digital trade agreements. This paper provides a broad analysis of the recently concluded digital trade agreements, comparing the different coverage of rules, levels of commitment, and rules templates. The analysis aims to provide implications for the desirable direction of rule-making on digital trade and Korea's digital trade strategy.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
• /
• v.19 no.6
• /
• pp.177-189
• /
• 2020

The OECD has assessed Korea as the third highest in trade facilitation worldwide. The paperless trade of Korea is world class based on uTradeHub : national e-trade service's infrastructure for trade community. Over 800 trade-related document standards provide interoperability of message exchange and trade process automation among exporters, importers, banks, customs, airlines, shippers, forwarders and trade authorities. Most one-to-one unit processes are perfectly paperless & online; however, from the perspective of process flow, there is a lack of streamlining end-to-end trade processes spread over many different parties. This situation causes the trade community to endure repetitive-redundant load for handling trade documents. The trade community has a strong demand for seamless trade flow. For streamlining the trade process, processes with data should flow seamlessly to multilateral parties. Flowing data with an optimized process is the critical success factor to accomplish seamless trade. This study proposes four critical digital trade infrastructures as a platform service : (1) data-centric Intelligent Document Recognition(IDR), (2) data-driven Digital Document Flow (DDF), (3) platform based Digital Collaboration & Communication(DCC), and (4) new digital Trade Facilitation Index (dTFI) for precise assessment of K-Trade Digital Trade Framework. The results of new dTFI analyses showed that redundant reentry load was reduced significantly over the whole trade and logistics process. This study leads to the belief that if put into real-world application can provide huge economic gains by building a new global value chain of the K-trade eco network. A new digital trade framework will be invaluable in promoting national soft power for enhancing global competitiveness of the trade community. It could become the advanced reference model of next trade facilitation infrastructure for developing countries.

• Journal of Korea Trade
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.61-76
• /
• 2023

Purpose - The digital service trade has become an important driver of the global service trade. The main purpose of this study is to explore the influencing factors of digital service exports from China and Korea to RCEP sample countries respectively, and to comprehensively study the export potential of China and Korea to RCEP countries, so as to provide theoretical guidance and a decision-making reference to promote digital service trade exports and digital economy development in China and Korea. Design/methodology - First, the stochastic frontier gravity model was improved by introducing nonefficiency factors affecting digital services trade, extending the gravity model of traditional services trade exports to digital services trade exports. Secondly, the panel data of China and Korea for the eight sample countries of RCEP from 2011 to 2021 were adopted for the empirical analysis of digital service export potential by a stochastic frontier model. Findings - China's economic growth plays a role in increasing China's digital service trade exports, while Korea's economic growth does not play a significant role in increasing Korea's digital service trade exports. However, the economic growth of trading partner countries can play a significant role in boosting the digital service trade in both China and Korea, and comparison shows that Korea has higher resilience in the digital services trade than China. In addition, the market size of target countries plays a positive role in promoting the digital service trade exports of both China and Korea, and the increase in the value-added share of services in target countries will lead to a decrease in the digital service trade exports of both China and Korea. Originality/value - This study is innovative in terms of research perspective and method. Academic research on the export potential of international trade has been extensive, but most studies are based on the perspective of the goods trade, fewer studies are based on the perspective of the service trade, and there are almost no studies based on the perspective of digital service trade. There is a gap based on the comparative analysis of the export potential of the digital service trade between China and Korea. This study extends the gravitational model of traditional service trade exports to digital service trade exports to comparatively analyze the export potential of China and Korea to RCEP countries. This study addresses this limitation by analyzing a comparative analysis of the digital service trade export potential of China and Korea.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
• /
• v.37 no.5
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2022

Digital trade rules are crucial in supporting the digital economy as the rules effectively reduce unnecessary trade barriers. This study introduces various approaches that major countries take regarding digital trade policies and rules. Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership has introduced comprehensive rules on e-commerce, including binding articles on the free flow of information, location of computing facilities, and source code. More recent e-commerce provisions or digital trade agreements cover wider range of issues, from cyber security, artificial intelligence, and data innovation to electronic invoicing and payments. Multilateral negotiations on digital trade rules, including the World Trade Organization E-commerce Joint Statement Initiatives and Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, are in progress. Thus, countries involved are expected to respond to new digital trade issues with long-term strategies considering domestic policy objectives.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 2023

Trade rules in service and digital sectors mainly focus on reducing regulatory uncertainties by improving transparency and minimizing unnecessary requirements. Recognizing the importance of digital trade rules and trade in information and communication technology (ICT) sectors, governments worldwide have rapidly adopted and expanded rules on free flow of data, personal data protection, electronic authentication, and cybersecurity. On the other hand, advances in technology have led governments to face multiple threats related to cybersecurity, intellectual property (including that related to source code and algorithms), and unauthorized access to proprietary information of their suppliers. This study presents digital trade rules related to digital security emphasizing cybersecurity, source code, and ICT products that use cryptography in different trade agreements. Additionally, it introduces various approaches that major countries are taking to both address digital security issues and seek balance between security enhancement and trade liberalization.

• Korea Trade Review
• /
• v.46 no.6
• /
• pp.239-255
• /
• 2021

To review the theoretical background of regulatory approaches to cross-border transfer of personal data, this paper divides major digital trade participating countries into four types according to the OECD - non-regulatory, post-intervention, pre-supervision, and national control. It then analyzes the US, Japan, the EU, and China respectively that belong to each type. South Korea, which is currently about to pass the amendment by the National Assembly, has identified that it is in the middle of post-intervention and pre-supervision, and needs to evolve into pre-supervision norms like the EU while it has to participate more actively in the process of establishing international digital trade rules. Korea first needs to sign digital trade agreements and promote mutual certification projects more actively from the standpoint of a medium-sized open country with growing digital companies and digitally-open consumers. Second, the government should fully consider the interests of not only companies but also various trade stakeholders including domestic consumers, when drafting and implementing trade policies. To this end, 'a single window approach' is needed not only at the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, but also at the level of the entire government which require an integrated form of digital trade policy governance.

• Korea Trade Review
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.285-301
• /
• 2023

The growing impact of cross-border movement of information is increasing interest in information policy through digital trade agreements in major trading countries. Major trading partners are calling for the inclusion of their digital policies in trade agreements to strengthen market dominance and protect personal information. This study analyzes the meaning and disputed settlement cases of the WTO's public policy objectives and examines the tendency of stakeholders to standardize legitimate exceptions to public policy objectives in digital trade. The study also examines the desirable direction of digital trade standardization suitable for the changing international trade environment. There is still debate about the specific objectives that should be included and the extent to which they should be allowed to restrict trade, however this study finds that there is a growing consensus on the need for legitimate public policy objectives to be included in digital trade agreements. The study concludes that the desirable direction of digital trade standardization is to strike a balance between the need to protect legitimate public policy objectives and the need to liberalize digital trade. This balance will need to be adjusted as the international trade environment continues to change.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.313-329
• /
• 2021

Purpose - Digital trade, which started in the early 2000s, is showing a sharp increase due to the recent pandemic. However, despite this proliferation, users' acceptance of innovation is very slow. Cloud services are at the center of digital trade activation. This study aims to contribute to the spread of digital trade through empirical analysis of the resistance factors that hinder the use of cloud service-based digital trade using the innovation resistance theory and the status quo bias theory. Design/Methodology/Approach - In order to achieve the research purpose, this study was conducted with 171 entrepreneurs using cloud service-based digital trade. Structural equation model(SEM) was used through empirical analysis. Findings - As a result of the study, it was found that the complexity of technology, perceived risk, compatibility, and trust in service providers had a significant effect on innovation resistance, and policy trust did not affect innovation resistance. Also, security concerns and institutional trust were analyzed to have a significant effect on the trust of service providers. Research Implications - This study is meaningful to help the rapid diffusion of innovative technologies through empirical analysis of factors that lower the intention to accept cloud service-based digital trade.

• Korea Trade Review
• /
• v.47 no.6
• /
• pp.335-353
• /
• 2022

There are two aspects of digital trade: the digitalisation of goods/services being traded and the digitalisation of the transactional act. Digital data (i.e. machine-readable industrial data and transactional data) is the major driving force for both aspects of digital trade. Digital data is a non-rivalrous input, whether for production or marketing activities, and is thus able to be used by many firms or government agencies without limiting the use of others. Digital platforms provide online infrastructure for the interactions between groups, for instance, consumers and producers. The externality effect refers to the situation in which prosperity in one group on a given platform will improve the returns of other groups on the same platform. In the era of the data-driven economy, strategic trade policy can involve data-related policies. The major objective of these policies is to improve the competitiveness of domestic firms. For instance, firms may be subsidised if they use cloud services provided by specific platforms. This strand of strategic trade policies might be useful for increasing the competitiveness of small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) via the digitalisation of production/marketing processes. Alternatively, strategic trade policy may also exploit the externality effect via platform economy-related policies. Further, some countries may form data coalitions to facilitate cross-border data flow. This paper uses cases in Asian countries to illustrate which role these strategic trade policies can play in the digital economy.

• Journal of Korea Trade
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.20-40
• /
• 2022

Purpose - In recent times, the international trade environment has been changing rapidly, centering on the online market. In the post-COVID-19 era, small and medium-sized trading companies are facing the problem of not being properly provided with overseas market research, market trend analysis, and trade-related information. Cloud-based digital trade is being sought as an alternative to solve these problems; however, there is a lack of research on the intention to switch to digital trade among small and medium-sized trading companies. Therefore, this study empirically analyzes the intention to switch to digital trade based on the migration theory, and through this, attempts to identify each factor that affects the intention to switch to digital trade. Design/methodology - In this study, in order to identify factors influencing intention to switch to digital trade and innovation resistance of small and medium-sized trading companies, through previous research on migration theory and the PPM (Push, Pull, Mooring) model, each variable was selected for the purpose of the study. Based on this, a research model was established for the factors affecting switching to digital trade of small and medium-sized trading companies and empirically analyzed. In addition, considering the differences in the innovation propensity and maturity of information infrastructure of trading companies as the recipients of innovation, this study analyzes the moderating effect of the mooring effect and seeks ways to establish specific strategies according to the degree. Findings - As a result of empirical analysis, the pull effect was found to have the greatest influence on intention to switch to digital trade. However, the pull factor was found to have an effect on user resistance, and it was confirmed that it was a factor simultaneously inducing positive and negative consumption behaviors among users. In addition, it was found that the higher the company's innovation propensity, the higher the pull effect's influence on the intention to switch, and analysis showed that the push effect had no influence. In addition, companies with high information infrastructure maturity were expected to have a relatively high level of intention to switch compared to companies with low information infrastructure maturity, and the difference between the two groups was found not to be statistically significant. Originality/value - This study is a timely study in that it demonstrated the effect on the switching to cloud-based digital trade for small and medium-sized trading companies and that the cloud system related to digital trade is in full swing. There are academic implications in that it revealed that the pull effect is an important factor in the intention to switch to cloud service. Practical implications were presented in that small and medium-sized trading companies suggested ways to increase the value of the cloud system for switching to digital trade and a way to increase the switching ratio by minimizing the mooring effect. In addition, the study argues that active institutional support from the government is needed to activate cloud service.