• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.333-356
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• 2013

The main purpose of this article is to find out the determinants of usage and performance of the uTradeHub system in Korean SMEs. To achieve the purpose of the study, the research model and the hypotheses were developed based on the previous research on uTradeHub and e-Trade. And to test the research hypotheses, empirical survey was conducted to Korean SMEs which were using uTradeHub services. The results of the empirical analyses are as follows. First, among the external factors, intra-industry competition and transaction intensity were significant determinants of uTradeHub usage level. Secondly, among the internal factors, only CEO's support was found to be a significant determinant. Thirdly, among the IT related factors, IT infrastructure and IT training were positively related to uTradeHub usage level. Finally, the uTradeHub usage level was found to have positive effect both on financial and non-financial export performance of the Korean SMEs.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.1-16
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• 2021

Purpose - This study reviews changes in the steel export-import structure between Korea and Japan to strengthen the competitive advantage of the Korea Steel industry using a trade-related index. Design/methodology - This study focuses on analyzing comparative advantage based on the trade intensity index (TII), revealed comparative advantage index (RCA), and trade specialization index (TSI). Findings - Korea's steel import from Japan increased due to the domestic supply shortage of HR (Hot Rolled Coil) and Plate, rather than the sharp decline of the domestic steel industry's competitiveness in 2010. However, after the completion of Hyundai Steel's blast furnace, the Korea Steel industry solved the supply shortage. Additionally, the import of Japanese steel products had decreased significantly from 2009 to 2019. Originality/value - This study attempts to analyze Japanese steel products' competitiveness in trade and the domestic influence of high-quality Japanese steel products. These results are connected to domestic steel supply and demand structure and relations with the Japanese steel industry. After completing Hyundai Steel's blast furnace, the Korea Steel industry solved the supply shortage, and the import of Japanese steel products has decreased significantly from 2009 to 2019.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.221-237
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• 2019

Multinational corporations (MNCs) usually face indigenous business environments in host countries which are different from a home country's. In this circumstance, MNCs would accomplish low-investing performance if they pursuit the same as the home oriented business strategy in the host country. The more different kinds of specialized environments a host countries have, the more pressure of modifying the international strategy needed for MNCs. This paper examines that how a different market environment between a home country and a host country, through MNC's local responsive managements, can influence investing performance in a host country. This paper conducts structural equation analyses with collected empirical data focusing upon a MNC's market orientation efforts and the realization of management localization (i.e., increasing local sourcing intensity or local sales intensity) as mediators between the specialized environment in a host country and the MNC's investing performance. This paper has several contributions in developing the prior approaches: first, the market orientation variables are regarded not as normal independent factors but mediators; second, two step mediation model is examined to make link between host market's heterogeneity and MNC's performance.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Telematics and Electronics B
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• v.30B no.12
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• pp.1-11
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• 1993

This paper concentrates on models useful for analyzing the error performance of ML(Maximum Likelihood) estimators of a single unknown signal parameter: that is the error intensity model. We first develop the point process representation for the estimation error and the conditional distribution of the estimator as well as the distribution of error candidate point process. Then the error intensity function is defined as the probability dessity of the estimate and the general form of the error intensity function is derived. We then develop several intensity models depending on the way we choose the candidate error locations. For each case, we compute the explicit form of the intensity function and discuss the trade-off among models as well as the extendability to the case of multiple parameter estimation.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.75-92
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• 2021

There is increasing awareness in the international alliance literature that the firm performance effects of the alliance portfolio go beyond the effects of the individual alliances. I enrich this nascent perspective by developing a alliance portfolio composition framework based on the alliance portfolio dimensions - underpinned by the simultaneity of quantitative and qualitative factors in international portfolio - that enhances firms' financial performance. This paper assesses the impact on firm performance of composing the alliance dimension within a firm's international alliance portfolio. In an unbalanced panel data analysis with fixed effects of the performance of 502 firms operating in the Korean manufacturing industry during 2011-2017, I test whether firm's three dimension of international alliance portfolio affect on firm financial performance. I find that the intensity of international alliance have significantly positive effect on the firm performance. And following the moderating analysis of three portfolio dimension-functional, relational, and attribute, all of each three international alliance portfolio has positive moderating effects on the relationship between the alliance intensity and firm performance. These results indicate that firms should consider and form simultaneous approaches to exploit the international alliance based on the alliance portfolio dimensions with intensity of alliance portfolio.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.459-465
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• 2014

Visible light communications (VLC) using the intensity modulation of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) provides a new communication medium to overcome the shortage of radio spectrum, and allows reuse of LED lighting infrastructures. Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) was introduced to VLC for its merits in mitigating the fading effects resulting from delay spread, and in avoiding low-frequency ambient interference. Noise and clipping are two major factors that degrade the performance of OFDM in VLC. A larger signal easily overcomes noise, but experiences impairment by clipping. Therefore, degradation due to clipping has a trade-off relationship with that due to noise, depending on the signal amplitude of OFDM. In this paper, the optimal signal amplitude in the trade-off is obtained by simulation when the dimming and LED intensity are given. The former indicates a user's requirement for lighting, and the latter represents the channel quality. The required LED intensity-to-noise ratio, as the channel quality that guarantees dimming as well as an adequate bit-error rate (BER), is also discussed.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.133-151
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• 2021

Purpose - This study examines the effects of expatriate transfer on foreign affiliate's labor productivity. Design/methodology - Using Korean-owned foreign affiliate-level data, we estimate the effect of expatriate transfer on foreign affiliate's labor productivity using the system generalized method of moments model. We also consider foreign affiliate- and host country-specific contingencies and test how they are associated with expatriates in enhancing foreign affiliate's labor productivity. Findings - We consider foreign production intensity and cultural distance between the home (i.e., South Korea) and host countries as key contingencies that influence the effect of expatriates on foreign affiliate's labor productivity. We find that expatriates are effective in enhancing the labor productivity of less production-intensive foreign affiliates. This effect is strengthened as expatriates are deployed to countries that share cultural similarities with the home country. Originality/value - Considering that previous studies provide mixed results on the effect of expatriates, our findings suggest that foreign affiliate-specific operational orientation and cultural distance should be considered jointly to understand the true effect of expatriate staffing on foreign affiliate performance.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.157-175
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• 2022

This study calculates agglomeration indices of manufacturing specialization and diversification in different regions of South Korea. Two types of agglomeration indices are introduced into the spatial durbin model (SDM) to analyzes the effects of manufacturing agglomeration in Korea on CO₂ emission intensity. The subjects of this study are 17 regions of South Korea , and the research period is from 2013 to 2019. This study also uses partial differential to analyze the direct and spillover effect of specialization and diversification agglomeration on CO₂ emission intensity. From the perspective of direct effect, the results reveal that specialization agglomeration is an important factor contributing to Korea's CO₂ emissions. However, diversification agglomeration has an obvious CO₂ emission reduction effect. From the perspective of spillover effect, this study finds that specialization agglomeration in one region can also contribute to CO₂ emissions in nearby regions. However, the development of diversification agglomeration in one region can have CO₂ emission reduction spillover effect on neighboring regions.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.45-64
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• 2022

Purpose - This paper examines South Korea's potential status as a carbon leakage country, and the level of risk posed by the Korean emissions trading scheme (ETS) for Korean industries. The economic effects of border carbon adjustments (BCAs) to protect energy-intensive Korean industries in the process of achieving the carbon reduction target by 2030 through the Korean ETS are also analyzed. Design/methodology - First, using the Korean Input-Output (IO) table, this paper calculates the balance of emissions embodied in trade (BEET) and the pollution terms of trade (PTT) to determine Korean industries' carbon leakage status. Analyses of the risk level posed by carbon reduction policy implementation in international trade are conducted for some sectors by applying the EU criteria. Second, using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, three BCA scenarios, exemption regulations (EXE), reimbursement (REB), and tariff reduction (TAR) to protect the energy-intensive industries under the Korean ETS are addressed. Compared to the baseline scenario of achieving carbon reduction targets by 2030, the effects of BCAs on welfare, carbon leakage, outputs, and trading are analyzed. Findings - As Korea's industrial structure has been transitioning from a carbon importing to a carbon leaking country. The results indicate that some industrial sectors could face the risk of losing international competitiveness due to the Korean ETS. South Korea's industries are basically exposed to risk of carbon leakage because most industries have a trade intensity higher than 30%. This could be interpreted as disproving vulnerability to carbon leakage. Although the petroleum and coal sector is not in carbon leakage, according to BEET and PTT, the Korean ETS exposes this sector to a high risk of carbon leakage. Non-metallic minerals and iron and steel sectors are also exposed to a high risk of carbon leakage due to the increased burden of carbon reduction costs embodied in the Korean ETS, despite relatively low levels of trade intensity. BCAs are demonstrated to have an influential role in protecting energy-intensive industries while achieving the carbon reduction target by 2030. The EXE scenario has the greatest impact on mitigation of welfare losses and carbon leakage, and the TAF scenario causes a disturbance in the international trade market because of the pricing adjustment system. In reality, the EXE scenario, which implies completely exempting energy-intensive industries, could be difficult to implement due to various practical constraints, such as equity and reduction targets and other industries; therefore, the REB scenario presents the most realistic approach and appears to have an effect that could compensate for the burden of economic activities and emissions regulations in these industries. Originality/value - This paper confirms the vulnerability of the Korean industrial the risk of carbon leakage, demonstrating that some industrial sectors could be exposed to losing international competitiveness by implementing carbon reduction policies such as the Korean ETS. The contribution of this paper is the identification of proposed approaches to protect Korean industries in the process of achieving the 2030 reduction target by analyzing the effects of BCA scenarios using a CGE model.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.1-16
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to analyze how Korea's exports amount changed due to COVID-19 and what factors played a role in these changes. We analyze Korea's exports with 40 countries around the world. In analyzing the impact of COVID-19, we estimate the gravity model using international trade data for five years from 2015 to 2019 and and compare the results with those for 2020. Several factors such as mortality, quarantine intensity, industry characteristics are considered for the analysis. The following results were obtained. First, as a whole, exports of Korea decreased significantly to countries with strong containment measures. In addition, Korea's exports (increase further) or decrease less to countries with a large number of deaths and confirmed cases in importing countries. Second, these results were similar in the major industries, classified by HS two units. Exports to countries with strong containment decreased a lot while exports decreased less to the countries with severe COVID19 (based on the number of deaths or confirmed cases). Third, however, different results were obtained in the analysis of reagents and vaccines, which are detailed items directly related to COVID-19. Rather, the degree of containment does not matter for these items, and it seems that Korea exported more to countries to more severe Corona countries.