• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.53 no.spc1
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• pp.765-772
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• 2020

The amount of water resources identified by water balance analysis are usually used to formulate water resources plans. However, this does not consider the trade in goods between countries. It is possible to use virtual water to come up with a supply and demand plan by looking at the export and import of products. This is because it looks comprehensively at the direct water use (water resources within the region) and indirect water use (water resources of other regions from imported products). Yet South Korea does not actively use the concept of virtual water in the national water resources plan. There is difficulty with calculating and identifying the appropriate virtual water amount as many of the research papers present only few of the cases or omit the calculation process. This paper introduces detailed water footprint values for calculating the virtual water trade for South Korea. The international movement, water footprint, and virtual water trade of agricultural and livestock products are presented and compared to existing research. The water footprint and virtual water research in this paper can be utilized as baseline data for future researchers.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.87-101
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• 2019

Purpose - This paper examines the effectiveness of the foreign exchange risk insurance system in the promotion of SME exports in Korea. The purpose of this study is to analyze the short-term and long-term responses of SME exports to foreign exchange risk insurance support policies. Based on these empirical studies, we would like to present some operational improvements to the operation of the foreign exchange risk insurance system. Design/methodology - In order to analyze the effect of exchange risk insurance on the exports of SMEs, a VAR model consisting of foreign exchange risk insurance underwriting values, export relative price, and domestic demand pressure, including export volume, was established. The study began with tests of the stationarity of time series data. The unit root tests showed that all concerned variables were non-stationary. Accordingly, the results of the cointegration test showed that the tested variables are not cointegrated. Finally, an impulse response function and variance decomposition analysis were conducted to analyze the impulse of foreign exchange risk insurance on exports of SMEs. Findings - As a result of estimating the VAR (1) model, foreign exchange risk insurance was found to be significant at a 1% significance level for SME' export promotion. In the impulse response analysis, SMEs' export response to the impulse of foreign exchange risk insurance showed that exports gradually increased until the third quarter, and then slowed down. However, the impulse did not disappear, and appeared continuously. Originality/value - This study analyzed the effect of foreign exchange insurance on exports of SMEs by applying the VAR model. In particular, this study is the first to analyze the short-term and long-term effects of foreign exchange risk insurance on exports of SMEs. The empirical evidence in the current study have a policy implication for the policy authority to support and promote the foreign exchange risk insurance in the effect of exchange rate volatility on Korea' export SMEs.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.65-86
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• 2023

Purpose - As globalization progresses, complexity also increases, and various factors that threaten port functions are emerging. Accordingly, the demand for port security to prevent the crisis and resilience that quickly recovers its original function after the crisis is also increasing in port operations. However, few studies have examined how to ensure the port security and how the resilience affects operation performance of port and sustainability performance as well. So the study aims to find out how port security affects port resilience and port operational performance, and consequently, this two factors affect socioeconomic and environmental sustainability performance respectively and synthetically. Design/methodology - Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was first performed to determine the validity of the factors of model and hypothesis test was performed using Structural Equation Model (SEM) to analyze the Port Performance Model, which show the perception logic among port security level, port resilience, operation performance, and sustainability performance. In order to empirically analyze this model, total 264 respondents from port security operators, shipping companies in South Korea were surveyed. Findings - As result of SEM, First, port security level positively affected the resilience (H1) and cargo operational performance (H2) but not in both of the sustainability performances (H3, H4). Second, resilience positively affected only cargo operational performance (H5) and socio-economic sustainability performance (H7). Last, cargo operation performance positively affects the both of sustainability performances (H8, H9). Originality/value - It was confirmed that port security could improve cargo operational performance through ensuring port resilience and eventually increase the socio-economic sustainability. Therefore the study implies that careful integration and management of port security, port resilience, and sustainability are required, along with compromise on sustainable development goals in the social, economic, and environmental area among all stakeholders.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.3-25
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• 2014

The megatrends of the Korean distribution industry market in 2014 reflect opportunities in parallel import & overseas direct purchase. Korean government addressed that "Monopoly & Oligopoly consumer goods import improvement plan" to stabilizing importing goods prices and domestic consumers' burden relief through accelerating market competition. and moreover it is to improving distribution channel and promoting parallel import market business. The Korean market is very unique in that consumers' real sensory index of open up importation effect level is low, but nominal open up importation effect level is high. This is due to difficulties in creating a proper importing goods distribution market and alternative importing routes are very rare. Thus, the purpose of this study is to analyze the market situation and parallel import to improve Korean government's "Monopoly & Oligopoly consumer goods import improvement plan" policy for the revitalization of the domestic market economy and to boost up a new growth engine industry.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.469-493
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• 2011

This paper attempts to examine the economic impact of technological barrier to trade(TBT) between Korea and China by using international input-output approach. With the tariff/quota reduced or eliminated since WTO's launch, the interest in TBT as a non-tariff barrier has been increased, and then there have so far been a large number of empirical studies on quantifying its effect in foreign. But still this area of study in Korea is limited in the literature survey. In encouraged in this situation, focusing on bilateral trade between Korea and China, which has been significantly increased in recent years, we have tried to estimates the impact of TBT on their output and employment. We use Asian International Input-Output Table(AIIO) for the year 2000 published by IDE-JETRO, and also use the estimated sectoral TBT provided by Ha et al.(2010). According to the result, there will be generated $3.63 billions values in outputs, and 18.1 millions persons in employments at most. And also we found that there is weak interdependence in sectoral and spatial linkage between two countries.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.22
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• pp.255-285
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• 2004

After more than 15 years of negotiations, China was finally able to achieve the WTO membership, opening up new trade opportunities for China as well as existing WTO members. China accepted a special safeguard mechanism as one of its WTO- plus commitments. And in response, Korea has since introduced China special safeguard rules, which in simple terms, allows an invocation of safeguard measures against Chinese product imports under more lapse conditions than would normally be allowed under the existing general safeguard rules. China also introduced new safeguard rules in November 2001 in an effort to increase transparency in its operation of safeguard measures. However, the current article contends that the new rules pose a serious threat to free trade in the form of the retaliation provision, which enables China to take unilateral retaliatory actions against safeguard measures on Chinese product imports, It indicates that the provision could be operated in an arbitrary manner as the US Super 301, and lead to infringements of WTO disciplines. This paper indicates that the foregoing elements could lead to mort trade disputes between Korea China regarding safeguard measures and subsequent retaliations on the hills of the so called the Garlic War. The current article goes on to offer policy recommendations toward deterring such disputes. First, it recommends a more active invocation of Korea's own retaliatory provision against China's unilateral actions at least to gain negotiating leverage. Second, it sites problems involving China's still conspicuous state-trading practices, and proposes to raise issues again China to induce more faithful implementation of WTO disciplines Final, it stresses the importance of preventing disputes before they arise, and suggests several specific preventive measures.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.43-63
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• 2013

This paper investigates the impact of free trade agreement (FTA) on the performance of Korea's foreign direct investment (FDI) firms. We use plant- and firm-level data to examine the trends of FDI patterns of Korean firms between 2002 and 2010 by dividing firms based on their sizes - large and small firms. Analyzing firms' FDI activities worldwide, we find that small firms account for large share of investment cases especially in countries where FTA became effective with Korea during our sample period. Using these facts, we estimate the changes of productivity and performance of large and small firms and their foreign affiliates before and after FTA became effective. Our results show that FTA increases productivity of small firms and their foreign affiliates after its formation. In particular, we provide evidence that productivity improvement by small firms and their foreign affiliates may result from an increase in production and capital during FTA period.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1-21
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• 2013

This study aims at conducting a quantitative assessment of potential economic effects of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) consisting of 10 Member States of the ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand using a multi-region, multi-sector CGE model. Three different policy scenarios are carried out based on baseline scenarios: China-Japan-Korea FTA (Scenario 1); ASEAN+3 FTA (Scenario 2); and the RCEP (Scenario 3). The impacts of three scenarios are described in terms of real GDP, Equivalent Variation as a measure of welfare, export and import volumes, trade balance, and terms of trade. This study finds that the RCEP is to lead to an increase in real GDP of all members of the RCEP, with Korea as a winner with a highest additional economic growth of 2.43 percent, which implies that Korea is in a better position to play a leading role in promoting the RCEP.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.25-43
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• 2022

Purpose - This study is to investigate the direct and moderating effect of intangible variable like economic freedom to facilitating factors on FDI(foreign direct investment) inflows and the difference of facilitating factors by the stage of economic development. Design/methodology/approach - Fixed-effect panel regression analysis with 19-year macro economic data from 2000 to 2019 including economic freedom index from Fraser Institute in 13 developed and 15 developing countries was used. Research implications or Originality - In analysis of direct effect of 5 sectors in economic freedom, the influence of economic freedom was shown weaker than other macro economic factors on FDI inflows, which indicates that actual development of economic factors are more important. The effect of economic freedom on FDI inflows at the stage of economic development differed. In developed countries, human capital, GDP, export, free trade and regulation affected FDI inflows in decreasing order, as did human capital, GDP, consumption expenditure, export, investment expenditure, government expenditure, free trade and sound money in developing countries. In analysis of moderating effect of economic freedom, a domestic and international market size, a flexible labor market which can provide a cheaper good human resources and government expenditures for improving social infrastructure under free economic environment facilitated FDI inflows. However, the statistical significance of moderating effect on export was not shown, which indicates that economic freedom policy itself without actual improvement of exports could not attract FDI inflows.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.43-56
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• 2006

In this thesis we aim at analyzing international competitive power of Chinese ginseng in comparison with Korean ginseng and searching policy direction for Korea to compete Chinese ginseng industry. We summarized the research results as follows; First, we examine the structural change of ginseng industry of China. Second, we review the theories for international competitiveness and apply the method of analyzing competitiveness to ginseng industry. Third, we compared the international competitive power of the ginseng industry between China and Korea and found that Chinese ginseng, estimated by Revealed Comparative Advantage(RCA) at about 15, still remains high competitiveness in terms of cost and price but lowering price competitiveness recently. Based on the research results, we suggest export promotion strategies of the Korean ginseng as follows; 1) Korean government should enforce trade cooperation with China so as to register Korean root ginseng an importable medicine. 2) Korean ginseng producer should develop various products such as capsules, powders and etc. according to China's consumer purchasing power and taste. 3) Korean ginseng should be sold as an differentiated commodity so that it will contribute to building consumer loyalty to Korean ginseng, makes market share superior to other cheaper ginseng products in China. 4) In order to be effective brand marketing and product advertisement, there should be established reliable networks to process and distribute Korean ginseng products exclusively.