• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.506-523
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• 2011

Since the 1990s, the handmade shoes industrial agglomeration district has formed in the city center, Hyangchon-dong, Jung-gu in Daegu. This paper aims to examine the formation process, to analyze the viability, and to propose policy implications of manufacturing industrial districts in a city center through studying this industrial district. The district's creation began as the result of the dissolution of local production and marketing system of handmade shoes in the 1980s, the excellent accessibility of the location and an inexpensive rent. The district's core viability lies in the external economies derived from local networks through social divisions of labor of production and marketing systems. Because of the lack of organizers of the social division of labor and 'integrated production system done by single business', the effect of external economies created by the social division of labor is limited. To get over this limitation, the district should to be restructured into a 'cultural street of leather crafts' as a part of 'making modern historical and cultural belt' programs within Daegu downtown regeneration policies. To support the restructuring, public assistant measures such as the establishment of a corporate services center should be strengthened.

• Journal of Korea Planning Association
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.5-18
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• 2018

While the zoning system has been developed based on the rationale of separated and specialized land uses to prevent negative externalities in the modern industrial era, the emergence of office-based new industries in the post-industrial era rather encourages mixed land uses to create agglomeration economies. This study aims to find historical basis to justify the reform of zoning system to promote both specialized and mixed land uses. When the zoning system was first introduced in Japanese colonial period by Chosun Planning Ordinance enacted in 1934, Special District within Manufacturing Area, and later within Residential, Commercial, and Mixed Areas respectively was institutionalized for specialized land uses, though it was not actually designated. When City Planning Law was enacted in 1962, Special District was substituted by Exclusive Areas (Exclusive Residential Area, Exclusive Manufacturing Area). Meanwhile Undesignated Area was designated for mixed land uses by Chosun Planning Ordinance, and later it was converted mostly into Mixed Area and partially into Green Area. Finally Mixed Area was substituted by Semi-Areas (Semi-Residential Area, Semi-Manufacturing Area) by City Planning Law in 1962. These demonstrate that Korean zoning system needs to revive the tradition that clearly promoted both specialized and mixed land uses.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.14-25
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• 2018

The operation of high-speed rail (HSR) has an effect on the agglomeration economies, and the impact is shown as a relocation of individual firm and worker to where business activity can be maximized. The proximity to the HSR station could be considered as a core district to maximize the industrial benefit through the HSR network. From this perspective, this study considers the agglomeration effect of HSR within the HSR station-area and analyzed the agglomerated spatial pattern through hotspot analysis by service industry in the cases of Korea and Japan using GIS. This study analyzed the service industry within 1km distance from 8 HSR stations of Korea and 4 Kyushu Shinkansen stations of Japan. The results suggest that the hotspot patterns are observed in the service industry within 1km distance from the HSR station of Korea and Japan, except for two HSR stations of Gupo station and Kagoshima-Chuo station. Leisure, amusement, association, and other specific service industries could be affected by HSR passengers and knowledge-spillovers through HSR station. Therefore, the observed hotspot districts near the HSR station-area could explain an agglomeration pattern of the service industry through a closeness to the HSR station. Further, we could expect that the impact of HSR affects the service industry, and the impact could attract business activities of the service-area to maximize their benefit from HSR travelers. With the result, it is required to build up a supportive policy to maximize the HSR's impact on the service industry when considering the HSR station-area development.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.148-162
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• 1993

There is much speculation that modern capi-talist society is undergoing fundamental and qualitative chnge towards flexible specialization. The purpose of this study is to examine this hypothesis. This paper focusses on: the idea of flexible specialization; the significance of this transition; industrial district; and the implicati-ons of this new production system for Korean industrial space. Main arguments of this study are as follows: First, as all different groups of researchers apply the idea of flexible specialization according to their own specifications, the current debate on this topic is not much fruitful. Not surpri-singly, the concept of flexible specialization has overlapped with subocontracting. This intergration of subcontracting into flexible specialization systems, however, is inappropriate because the two concepts have different historical contexts. The other cause of this controversy is its inherent weekness, conceptual ambiguity. Thus, today's flexibility becomes tomorrow's rigidity. Secondly, transition towards flexible speciali-zation has only been partially achieved even in advanced capitalist countries. The application of dualistic explanatory framework, such as rigidity versus flexibiity, mass production versus small-lot multi-product production, and de-skilling versus re-skilling, has resulted in great exaggeration of the transformation, from Fordism to post-Fordism. There is no intermediary part between two places. Considering that the workers allocated to the Fordist mass production assembly line are not as large as one might imagine, the shift from mass to flexible production has only limited implications for the transformation of capitalist economy. Thirdly, 'industrial district' contorversy has contributed to highlighting the importance of small firms and areas as production space. The agglomeration of small firms in specific areas is common in Korea, but it is quite different from the industrial district based on flexible specialization. The Korean phenomenon stems from close interactions with its major parent firm rather than interactions between flexible, specialized, autonomous and technology-intensive smll firms. Most Korean subcontractors are still low-skilled, labour-intensive, and heavily dependent on their mojor parent firms. Thus, the assertion that the Seoul Metropolitan Area adopts flexible specialization has no base. Fourthly, the main concern of flexible speciali zation is small firms. However, the corporate organization that needs product diversification and technological specialization is oligopolistic large corporations typified by multinational corporations. It is because of this that most of these organizations are adoptiong Fordist mass production methods. The problem of product diversification will be resolved naturally if economic internationalization progresses further. What is more important for business success is the quality and price competitiveness of firms rather than product diversification. Lastly, in order to dispel further misunderst-anding on this issue, it is imparative that the conceptual ambiguity is resolved most urgently. This study recommends adoption of more speci-fied and direct terminology (such as, factory automation, computer design, out-sourcing, the exploitation of part-time labor, job redesign) rather than that of ideological ones (such as, Taylorism, Fordism, neo-Taylorism, neo-Fordism, post-fordism, flexible specialization, peripheral post-Fordism). As the debates on this topic just started, we still have long way to go until consensus is reached.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.29-49
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• 2000

The purposes of this study are to identify the characteristics of inner-city industrial community and to analyse the subsistence mode of small manufacturing enterprises in the industrial community in Taegu Metropolitan area. The case study area, Nowon 1. 2-ga dong, is the typical inner city industrial community, adjacent to old industrial complex, which was recently transformed from semi -industrial to semi-residential zoning district. Now there are many old one story housing, newly constructed multi stories housing and many small factories of metal and machinery products. The conflicts of between residents and small business owners are not serious but latent. The subsistence mode of small manufacturing enterprises in this area is characterized as the network production system. The main attributes of this mode are local integration, horizontal subcontracting and strong industrial linkages in production processes and transactions. These transactions are mainly made by face-to-face contacts. The small business owners' local social networks are seen as series of units which are interconnected through various types of social and business relations. They exchange business information as using social networks. In addition, the majority of them join local social clubs with their local business counterpartners. Finally, the locational advantages of inner-city industrial community are production network, different industrial linkages and characteristic industrial milieu such as social solidarity, informal labor market and incubator effects. But these advantages are being challenged from the contradiction between capital and laned property and the urban gentrification policy. Accordingly, there should be positive redevelopment policy considering the subsistence mode of small business in these areas.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.226-244
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• 2012

This paper aims to analyze the process of the evolution of Gumi electronics industrial cluster and to understand the role of governments for local industrial dynamics. Gumi was a typical satellite platform type new industrial district up to mid-1990s. At that time, Gumi industrial park was the agglomeration of branch plants headquartered in Capital Region with weak local linkages. During the last two decades, however, Gumi has evolved to an electronics industrial cluster with considerable local interfirm linkages and innovation activities of SMEs. Recognizing government industrial policies is critical in understanding the process of the evolution of Gumi electronics cluster. At the early stage, the state was the developer and locator of business activities within the confines of the Gumi industrial park. In recent years, central government's innovative cluster policy contributed to strengthening networks among firms, universities, and research centers to form local innovation networks as well as networks between large branch plants and SMEs. Gumi city and Gyungsangbuk-do promoted innovative activities of SMEs through the supports of cooperative networks between universities and SMEs. The increasing roles of SMEs and local governments in addition to the large branch plants and the central government have become the basis of the evolution of industrial cluster in Gumi.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.689-705
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to examine the geographical distribution and the clustering characteristics as an industrial cluster in order to provide alternative fundamental data for the preparation of the policies to facilitate the development of the Green Energy Industry. The main source of the data in this study is the outcome of a survey conducted to the firms and environment specialist from June 21st, 2010 to July 23rd, 2010. The Green Energy related companies in Daegyeong region are clustered around Pohang and Gumi, Gyeongbuk, and Dalseo District of Daegu Metropolitan City. The core element of the sustainability of the Green Energy Industry in the region is the inducement of the large-scale corporate presence in the region as well as the technical and geographical proximity. That is, the fact that there are sister companies established by the large scale corporate Daegyeong region as they have chosen this field for their new drive for growth. The major location factors are proximity, higher quality expectations from the local demands, technical availability, and competition with other companies of the same industry in the region, rather than the availability of the raw material. And the choke points for these companies are the financial support of R&D and the policy support of specialist training. The policy to facilitate the development of the industry in question in Daegyeong region, therefore, should shift from its previous focuses on infrastructure building and taxation benefits to financial supports for the technical research, human resource development in response to the needs of the companies. Also, programs to support the proficiency training for the already-hired work forces and development of new policies for the Green Energy Industry are needed to be introduced for the development of the Green Energy Industry in Daegyeong region.