• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.429-455
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• 2013

This paper investigates the extent and scope of electronization of Letter of Credit and examines the obstacles in the course of electronization of Letter of Credit. For this purpose, this paper adopts two track methodologies. First, we study the electronization of Letter of Credit in the macro perspective. It means that we analyze the scope and the extent of electronization of electronic Letter of Credit in the national economy as a whole. Second, we utilize the case study approach to examine the electronization of Letter of Credit in micro perspective. In other words we examine individual commercial banks in Korea. For this purpose, we analyze the data from two commercial banks out of four largest domestic banks in Korea. For example, we select two commercial banks in Korea and ask current status of electronization of Letter of Credit, i.e, the utilization of EDI L/C, e-L/C, and e-B/L. A major finding of our study is that the extent of electronization is not negligible in micro perspective as well as in macro perspective. In micro perspective, two commercial banks utilize EDI letter of credit in a critical sense. On the other hand, they seldom uses e-L/C and e-B/L in international transaction. This study shows that major bottlenecks for the electronization of Letter of Credit are pessimistic perception of SME entrepreneurs toward the electronization of Letter of Credit and the high costs of system building. We conclude that unlike superficial perception, there is a considerable progress toward the electronization of Letter of Credit in micro perspective.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.58
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• pp.237-263
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• 2013

Traditionally, a L/C (letter of credit) has been known as a relatively low risk method of payment. This is why L/C has been used in international trade. However, L/C has a number of weak points such as high cost, long processing time, and complicated documents. Using an electronic L/C is one way to solve those weak points. In Korea, there are two types of electronic L/C. One is the EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) based L/C and the other one is the XML (Extensible Markup Language) based L/C. The former, established in 1990's, is sent from banks to the beneficiary solely through VAN (Value Added Network, KTNET) operators. On the other hand the latter, started in 2005, is sent from banks to KFTC (Korea Financial Telecommunications & Clearings Institute) for management of the L/C balance, as well as to KTNET. So far, paper L/C and EDI based L/C have been used overwhelmingly instead of XML based L/C in spite of the aforesaid disadvantages. In this paper, the authors examined empirically why the users of electronic L/C were reluctant to use XML based L/C. The results are as follows. First, the users of paper L/C were more dissatisfied than the users of electronic L/C due to many factors such as cost, the time required, and information reuse. Second, the users who have more experience with XML based L/C wanted to adopt integrated management with EDI based L/C more than the users who had not experienced XML based L/C. Third, the users who had used more than one form of L/C wanted to adopt integrated management to EDI and XML based L/C more than the users who had only used one form of L/C. Therefore, the authority for electronic L/C should consider a change of the policy from the XML based electronic L/C oriented to integrated management of the various types of L/C.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.213-233
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• 2005

A letter of credit is the best settlement among various means of payments until now. A letter of credit plays very important roles in rational and smooth international trade. Letter of credit is usually used in international trade. But many people have to prepare a lot of transport documents in order to transact with L/C. Therefore, the transactions will be happened to delay in international trade very often. Owing to the EDI, international trade will be materialized with electronic business of E-commerce. If we transact with the electronic documents, it will be reduced the time very much in international trade. Generally speaking, all relating parties transact with L/C complying with UCP, but there are no ruling articles about electronic documents in UCP. If all parties want to transact with electronic documents in global business, UCP has to contain the electronic provisions. So, ICC published eUCP on 2002. The purpose of the study was to analyze original electronic papers and provisions through foreign precedents in UCP and eUCP. If we want to exchange the electronic document, the UCP provisions about electronic documents would be revised as follows: UCP provision 20(b) would be revised, “Unless otherwise stipulated in the credit, banks have to accept as an original documents, a documents produced or appearing to have been produced: (i)by reprographic, automated or computerized systems (ii)as carbon copies,; provided that it is marked as original and, where necessary, appears to be signed. A document may be signed by handwriting, by facsimile signature, by perforated signature by symbol, or by any other mechanical or electronic method of authentication."

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.13
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• pp.1033-1055
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• 2000

Almost business enterprises have recently used electronic commerce to conduct their business. Electronic commerce has come to encompass the Internet as well as EDI on private networks begun in the 1960s. The Internet is already changing the way that many companies conduct their business. Domestic electronic commerce has rapidly enhanced, while Int'l electronic commerce has gone steady. There are four issues for developing of Int'l Electronic Commerce. Firstly, The EDI Standardization is to be uniformed and prevailed over the world in UN/EDIFACT authorized by ISO. Secondly, There are two useful systems on Electronic Document Transmission, so called, Bolero project system and Trade Card System. It is thought that Bolero system will be more useful for large trading enterprises, especially, who need a Letter of Credit and electronic B/L, while T/C system is proper to small trade companies who do not need those. Successful results of Bolero system is very important for Int'l electronic commerce enterprises. Thirdly, to secure electronic signature, Int'l Certification Authority is essential for the users of Int'l electronic commerce. Trusted way of distributing public keys is to use a Int'l Certification Authority. The Int'l Certification Authority will accept user's public key, along with some proof of identity and serve as a depository of digital certificates. Both governments and the International business community must involve archiving keys with trusted third parties. Finally, It is important that all the nations and UNCITRAL continue efforts to make legal bases in Int'l electronic commerce concerned, including electronic signature, certification etc.