• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.79-89
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• 2022

Purpose - The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of ESG rating changes of companies listed in Korean Stock Exchange on stock returns. Design/methodology/approach - This study collected prices and ESG ratings of all the companies listed on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index. Based on yearly change of ESG ratings we grouped companies as 2 portfolios(upgrade and downgrade) and calculated portfolios' return. Findings - First, the difference in returns between upgraded and downgraded portfolios is small and statistically insignificant. Second, however, in the COVID-19 period (2020 ~ 2021), the upgraded portfolio outperforms the downgraded portfolio by 0.7 percentage points per month. The difference in returns between upgraded and downgraded portfolios is statistically significant after controlling for the Carhart four factors. Lastly, there are much higher volatility when the ESG rating changes are made of companies with low levels of ESG ratings. Research implications or Originality - This study is the first to examine the impact of ESG rating changes on stock returns in Korea. Furthermore, the findings can serve as a reference for managers who want to control a firm's risk by ESG rating changes. Practically, asset managers can use the findings to construct portfolios that are less risky or more profitable than the market portfolio.

• The Korean Journal of Archival Studies
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• no.79
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• pp.33-82
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• 2024

Interest in ESG management, which spread through the UN PRI in 2006, has recently spread throughout our society. Consumers use a company's activeness in the ESG field as the standard of consumption behavior, and the international community is reorganizing and strengthening various regulatory measures. In the investment market, non-financial performance (ESG information) is used as an important investment indicator along with financial performance (credit rating). Due to these changes in the corporate evaluation paradigm and market pressure, if a company neglects ESG response activities, it is more likely to be excluded from market selection, and accordingly, the importance of ESG management is also increasing. Companies are making various efforts to secure legitimacy in response to these market pressures, but in the process, it is difficult to systematically manage and utilize records/data that are the basis for ESG management. For a basic understanding of ESG management, this paper summarizes the emerging process of ESG and the current ESG-related regulations applied to companies. Through this, it can be seen that ESG management is not carried out with the good will of the company, but is accepted as a management strategy for the survival of the company according to the change in the corporate evaluation paradigm. Through interviews with the company's ESG-related personnel, the company's ESG response process was divided into passive communication and active communication, and the problems identified during the interview were summarized for each communication type. In addition, in the process of passively and actively communicating ESG management information with internal and external stakeholders, the possibility that ESG archives can function as a tool to overcome problems for each communication type was raised, and five types of ESG archives that can play this role were presented.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.103-123
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• 2022

Purpose - This study investigates the effects of earnings management, related party transactions between chaebol affiliates on earnings management and ESG score on their profitability using return on assets (ROA). Design/Methodology/Approach - We use data including ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) score of the Korea Corporate Governance Service(KCGS), and financial data of 10,145 firm-year observations from the Total Solution 2000 (TS 2000) and Korea Companies-Information Service (KOKOInfo), and apply the finite lagged models to investigate the long-term effects of related party transactions between chaebol affiliates of earnings management on ESG scores and corporate performance. Furthermore, to take into consideration the simultaneous mutual effects on each other of main variables, we introduce finite distributed lags of five years. Findings - First, ESG-rated firms have a higher total asset return than non-ESG-rated firms. Second, chaebol firms have a higher profitability than non-chaebol firms. Third, profit management of related party transactions between affiliates within a chaebol has a positive effect on the short-term profitability and a negative effect on the long-term profitability. Fourth, chaebol ESG firms have a lower impact on profitability due to rating up (down) than non-chaebol ESG firms. Research Implications or Originality - Based on the above results, it can be concluded that firms used related party transactions for earnings management, the effects of related party transactions change over time, and chaebol firms manipulate earnings through related party transactions and ESG scores.