• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.91-116
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• 2012

This paper analyzes how the adverse impacts of the global financial crisis on Korea's employment could be mitigated in comparison with the Asian crisis period. The results from error-correction models suggest that the less severe impacts during the global financial crisis could be attributed to (i) smaller GDP reduction, (ii) better maintenance of domestic demand despite a sharp fall of export, (iii) less serious over-employment during the run-up to the crisis, and (iv) less severe credit crunch. Analyses of OECD cross-country data provide corroborating evidence. In order to mitigate adverse impacts on employment, therefore, priority should be given to expansionary macroeconomic policies to keep aggregate domestic demand from collapsing once a crisis is triggered. Also crucial, however, is to maintain sound economic structures such as flexible labor market and adequately supervised financial market.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.7-26
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• 2012

The success story of E-mart fascinated many academics and practitioners alike. Though E-mart began as a nameless discount store in Chang-dong, Seoul in 1993, it has transformed itself into a leading distribution company and one of the most powerful brands in Korea. Surprisingly, it achieved the great success against the two crises it met: the national economic crisis and the invasion of the global giant Walmart. The main objective of this case study is to formally examine how E-mart overcame the two crises. More specifically, this case study highlights the ways with which E-mart turned those difficulties into opportunities for growth. In our examination of the E-mart case, we could clearly see E-mart's competence and spirit that allowed it to turn crises into advantageous opportunities. E-mart attracted the customers who wanted value-oriented consumption by its positioning as the "Lowest price discount store", when consumer sentiment was frozen under the economic crisis. Furthermore, when a large-scale foreign discount store like Walmart entered the Korea market, E-mart built its core competencies as the 'Korean style discount store'. These ingenious positioning and efforts resulted in E-mart taking over their archrival, Walmart, and forced the global Goliath to exit the Korean market. The case of E-mart's effective crisis management teaches many important lessons and a few core lessons that apply to many companies. One such lesson is the importance of positioning which enabled E-mart to turn crises into opportunities. Granted, the strategy of positioning as the 'Korean style discount store', or 'Lowest price discount store' was possible due to overall support with cost reduction, development and management of their own system, an apprentice educate system, etc. based on an excellent selection of location of the store and efficient distribution systems. Still, the positioning strategy of E-mart was truly ground breaking in distancing itself from its competitors. The lessons from E-mart will help those companies currently in a stagnant situation or a crisis to turn their obstacles into great success.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.59-90
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• 2020

U.S. monetary policy has been claimed to generate global spillover and to destabilize other small open economies. We analyze the effects of certain identified U.S. monetary shocks on gross capital flows in the Korean economy using the local projection method. Consistent with previous results on other small open economies, we initially confirm that U.S. interest rate hikes are dynamically correlated with foreign outflows and residents' inflows. That is, not only are they correlated with withdrawals by foreigners but they are also correlated with those by domestic (Korean) investors. The results are mostly driven by portfolio flows. Second, however, the marginal response to a U.S. monetary policy shock is, on average, subdued if we focus on the sample periods after the Global financial crisis of 2007-2008 (henceforth, global financial crisis). We conjecture a possible reason behind the change, an institutional change related to financial friction. If the degree of pledgeability of the value of net worth increases, the marginal responses by both investors would drop with a U.S. monetary policy shock, consistent with our findings.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.203-204
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• 2023

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.3-22
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• 2016

In this study, I examine mutual shock spillover effects among interest rate differences, won-dollar foreign exchange change rates, and stock market returns in Korea during the daily sample period from the beginning of 1995 to the October 16, 2015, using the multivariate GARCH (generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity) BEKK (Baba-Engle-Kraft-Kroner) model framework. Major findings are as follows. Throughout the 6 model estimation results of variance equations determining return spillovers covered from symmetric and asymmetric models of total sample period and two crisis sub-sample periods composed of Korean FX Crisis Times and Global Financial Crisis Times, shock spillovers are shown to exist mainly from stock market return shocks. Stock market shocks including down-shocks from the asymmetric models are shown to transfer to those other two markets most successfully. Therefore it is most important to maintain stable financial markets that a policy design for stock market stabilization such as mitigating stock market volatility.

• Korea Real Estate Review
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.105-120
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• 2014

This research is to examine the impacts of the on-going global financial crisis on the housing systems of welfare states. Four developed economies in the Western Europe were selected for the analysis, and the qualitative research employed in-depth interviews with scholars in the fields of housing market and social policy in order to meet the research goal. The major findings indicate that the global economic crisis embedded into the liberalization of housing finance and the inadequacy of regulatory measures caused the vicissitude of housing markets, and its scale and magnitude could be determined by the resilience of each state's housing system. While the globalization of housing finance markets rendered easy borrowing for homeownership, intensive competition for excessive lending among financial institutions backed by heavy reliance on inter-bank and overall bank triggered market volatility, and further worsened household and public debts. It's clearly evident that a housing system with varied safety nets becomes a greater cushion to bear the risks of the financial crisis and to weather the economic storm.

• Management & Information Systems Review
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.63-74
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• 2018

Recently, in the asset management industry, the smart beta strategy, which has an intermediate nature between passive and active strategies, is attracting attention. In this smart beta strategy, value, momentum, low volatility, and quality index are widely used. In this study, we analyzed the quality index which is not clear and complicated to calculate. According to the MSCI methodology, the quality index was calculated using three variables: return on equity, debt to equity, and earnings variability. In addition, we use the index using only return on equity variable, the index using only two variables of return on equity and debt to equity, and the KOSPI index as comparison targets for the quality index. In order to evaluate the performance of the indices used in the analysis, the arithmetic mean return, the coefficient of variation, and the geometric mean return were used. In addition, Fama and French (1993) model, which is widely used in related studies, was used as a pricing model to test whether abnormal returns in each index are occurring. The results of the empirical analysis are as follows. First, in all period analysis, quality index was the best in terms of holding period returns. Second, the quality index performed best in the currency crisis and the global financial crisis. Third, abnormal returns were not found in all indices before the global financial crisis. Fourth, in the period after the global financial crisis, the quality index has the highest abnormal return.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.177-211
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• 2013

The Chinese dual structure of employment('Shuangguizhi') has been retained through the Economic Reforms, and has been supported and reproduced by the system of division between rural and urban household registration. In the 2000s, efforts of the government to abolish the division appeared to be effective with the introduction of the 'Labor Contract Act'. However, the eclecticism of the Act and the outbreak of the global financial crisis in 2008 gave new momentum to the revival of the Chinese dual structure of employment by increasing the scale of labor dispatching. Labor dispatching in China has become a regular form of employment rather than an exceptional one. Labor dispatching reveals its Chinese characteristics against the particular background formed during the periods of state-owned-enterprise restructuring around 2000. The combined effects of the 'Labor Contract Act' and the global financial crisis brought about the effect of increase rather than control of labor dispatching, and gave a signal to enterprises to use various forms of labor dispatching including 'reverse directional labor dispatching' to lessen burdens and costs caused by the Act and the crisis. As labor dispatching strengthens or displaces the existing dual structure of employment, social groups which need more social protection tend to be much more excluded from the protection of the government and the society.

• Korean System Dynamics Review
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.47-79
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• 2009

The paper examines dynamic relationship among 'Limit to Growth' factors in Korea using causal loop diagram. It also aims to explore policy implications for Korea in overcoming current difficulties and future crisis we may face. For this purpose, five factors -economy, population, resource, environment, food- used in the were adopted as an analytical framework. Findings show that Korea is fragile to external shock such as world economic crisis, food price surge, and resource price -including energy price- hike. High dependency of energy, food and resource on foreign market was found to be a major source of limit to growth in Korea. Furthermore, environmental problems like global warming could be a major external shock that could hit Korea harder than the rest of the world. Policy implications and measures for these problems were discussed too.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.205-215
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• 2011

Korea has experienced a remarkable economic achievement since the 1960s. However, behind this facade of growth and progress, a chronic housing shortage in the capital region, declining owner-occupation, rising housing costs, and polarization in housing conditions between the better-off and the worse-off clearly illustrate the impasse and crisis in housing that Korea now faces. In addition, the IMF crisis and the late global financial crisis shocked the Korean housing market. The Korean government has made significant policy changes to improve housing security for less-privileged groups. In order to achieve housing policy development, the Korean government has tried to employ of advanced countries. What are the benefits(merits) and dangers(demerits) of housing policy transfer between countries? This paper emphasizes that we must recognize about 'differences' rather than 'commonalities' between countries with respect to policy transfer. It also maintains that the government should play a main role as an enabler rather as a provider of 'low-cost' housing.