• 무역상무연구
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• 제22권
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• pp.173-197
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• 2004

Letter of Credit between buyer and seller in International Trade Transaction is the means of payment which makes International Trade operate smoothly by guaranteeing an exporter against non-payment and an importer against non-delivery. Therefore, the parties to a sale apply UCP500 established by the International Chamber of Commerce, in accordance with principle of the freedom of contract among the parties concerned, to look to their own legal stability. However, we may recognize some cases to have been applied principle of faith and trust, one of the dominant principles of the civil law, by the Korean Supreme Court and other cases to have not been applied that principle by the Korean Supreme Court. The Court shall apply UCP500 strictly as long as the parties concerned adopt UCP500 in view of the legal stability. In other words, in case that the Court applies principle of faith and trust to the case related to L/C, this rule - principle of faith and trust - should apply to the subject matter which have not stipulated in UCP500 under certain restriction. We suggest keeping in mind points to korean companies as follows; First, the parties to a sale shall understand L/C basis transaction and principles related to L/C deeply. Second, the exporter shall prepare documents in compliance with L/C and fulfil his or her obligation according to UCP500 and L/C related to the contract. Third, as buyer or importer, when he or she receive the shipping documents with discrepancies from the notifying bank, he or she makes him or herself clear to all the parties concerned. Fourth, as bank, she shall examine all the documents according to UCP500 and L/C related to the contract, and if any document with discrepancies, the bank, by all means, shall approach applicant first, and then decide whether to pay the credit amount to beneficiary or not to.

• 한국항만경제학회지
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• 제29권2호
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• pp.255-275
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• 2013

본 연구는 신용장 서류심사의 일치성 판단기준에 대해 우리나라 대법원의 실무적 판례를 중심으로 고찰하고자 한다. 대법원의 서류심사의 일치성 판단기준은 엄격일치의 원칙이 지지되고 있다. 그리고 대법원이 서류심사에서 그 판단이 구체적인 경우는 신용장과의 차이가 국제적 표준은행관행에 비추어 용인될 수 있는가의 여부를 따른다. 이 경우 대법원은 국제표준은행관행으로 국제상업회의소(ICC)의견이나 결정을 참고하기도 하고, ICC의 의견이나 결정이 없는 경우는 국제표준은행관행을 탐구하여 인정하기도 할 것이다. 그러나 은행 서류심사자들이 서류심사를 할 경우 고도의 높은 식견과 지식이 없으므로 짧은 시간에 이를 찾아 판단하는 것이 지극히 어려운 일이 될 것이다. 본 연구의 사례에서 보듯이 신용장의 엄격일치의 원칙은 계속 완화되어 가고, 최근의 판례는 거의 대부분 엄격일치의 예외로 판시하고 있다. 그러므로 은행 서류심사자들은 이와 같은 일치성판단이 어렵기 때문에 자의적 서류심사행위를 하는 것이 불가피하게 될 것이다. 그 결과 은행과 개설의뢰인은 서류상의 엄격성을 확보하는 것이 어렵게 되고, 국제거래에서 신용장의 자유로운 사용을 기피하게 될 것이다. 따라서 은행실무자의 신용장 서류심사의 일치성 판단기준에 대한 다양한 실무적 적용에 본 연구가 활용되기를 기대한다.

• 무역상무연구
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• 제41권
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• pp.79-102
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• 2009

L/C transaction, the most important issue for the seller and the buyer is the theory of documentary transaction and the theory of strict compliance which are the principles of L/C transactions. According to the leading cases in England and America where the practice of L/C transactions was created and developed, the descriptions of the commodities specified on all the documents which are submitted based on an L/C, should be identical to the descriptions of commodities specified in the L/C. And further, many leading cases of L/C continuously repeat to emphasize strict compliance. However, the recent leading cases in and out of the country show that the principle of strict compliance is being weakened. The leading cases in America show two trends of weakening the principle of strict compliance. That is, on the contrary to strict compliance, tends to apply substantial compliance (which puts more value on the substance of the documents). These leading cases reflect the attitudes of the judicial and the legislative authorization that don't want to approve formal approach to the commercial law. Recently, the Supreme Court of Korea is giving a decision on the principle of strict compliance, "The documents attached to an L/C should strictly comply with the conditions in the L/C, but it doesn't mean that they should be perfectly identical without any mistake in words. In case the bank can understand through reasonable care that a small mistake in words is too trivial to give different meaning or to give damage to the conditions of the L/C, the documents are regarded to comply with the conditions of the L/C. However, the judgment should be based on whether the difference between the documents and the L/C can be admitted by the international standard bank transaction practice or not." This decision tells that the principle of strict compliance is quite much modified so application of this modification can't be ignored. However, from the viewpoint of the party who requests to open an L/C, there is a criticism that a bank's arbitrary judgement can be involved. Therefore, reviewing the original purpose of L/C transactions (activating international transactions), the principle of strict compliance may be thought old-fashioned because it emphasizes a form, but in reality, for prompt transaction and payment, the principle of strict compliance should be observed in L/C transactions. And further, if a legislative device is prepared to systematically compensate for several side-effects, the principle of strict compliance will improve dynamic flow of prompt and low-costly L/C transactions. On the other hand, it will be able to protect the interested parties.

• 무역상무연구
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• 제61권
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• pp.191-211
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• 2014

This paper intends to study some problems in the application of UCP 600 in the international trade transactions with China. Generally speaking, China complies with UCP 600 well. Nevertheless, there are some problems in the application of UCP 600 in China owing to the difference in law and practices. There are some problems in the application of UCP 600 in China owing to the difference of practices under Bills of Exchange Act and The Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on Some Issues Concerning the Trial of Cases of Disputes over Letter of Credit. The Act insists on the formal requirements, the consistency between a letter amount and a figure amount, the unconditional payment character of bills of exchange. The Provisions include the recognition of revocable credits, the difference of standard in examining documents, the difference in the treatment of issuing banks in relation to discrepant documents. These aforesaid matters of the Act and the Provisions are inconsistent with the practices under the UCP 600. There are two main problems in the operation of letters of credit in China. One is the lack of concerned parties' practice knowledge in relation to letters of credit in China. The other is the inactive stance of nominated banks in China. There are two main problems in relation to judiciary institutions in China. First, judges in China tend to abuse the injunctions owing to the lack of understanding in relation to letters of credit. Secondly, there are inconsistency in the court ruling in China.