• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.371-381
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• 2023

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), used in a variety of products in modern society, are hormone-like substances that cause various diseases. Humans are exposed to EDCs through their inclusion in pesticides, plastics, cosmetics, detergents, and drugs. Bisphenol A (BPA), one of the representative endocrine disruptors, is an estrogen-like substance that has been widely used commercially in plastic and epoxy resins. BPA is a chemical that can disrupt the endocrine system, leading to reduced reproductive function, obesity, cancer, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Since the adverse health effects of BPA began to be reported the use of BPA has been regulated worldwide. Various alternatives to BPA have been widely used worldwide; representatively, bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF) are the most commonly used in commercial contexts. BPS and BPF may cause endocrine-disrupting effects like those of BPA due to their similar chemical structures. Recent studies have reported that BPS and BPF disrupt the neurodevelopmental process and cause neurodevelopmental disorders. Therefore, future studies will be required for safety verification of BPA alternatives and the development of new alternatives to BPA for brain health. In this review, we reviewed the effects of BPA and the alternatives, BPS and BPF, on the nervous system.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-30
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• 2022

This study is to investigate consumers' acceptance and their willingness to pay for clothes made of materials with low microplastic emissions as an alternative to synthetic fibers made of plastics by applying the contingent valuation method. A nationwide web-based survey was conducted for 1,052 respondents proportional to region, age, and gender during February 2021. More than 75% of the sample expressed intentions to purchase microplastic emission-reducing clothing instead of synthetic fiber clothing, and more than 80% of them have stated their willingness to pay for additional prices. A variation of Heckman's sample selection model was adopted to estimate factors affecting respondents' intentions to pay for additional prices, in which the probit model of intentions to purchase the clothing with alternative materials was used as a sample selection equation. While respondents were sensitive to the amounts of price increases suggested in the CV scenario, they expressed high acceptance and preferences for eco-friendly materials regardless of the microplastic emission-reducing levels. Consumers in the circular economy were willing to pay for the range of 41,000 to 51,000 won for a pair of clothing made with microplastic emission-reducing materials. In addition, as the microplastic emission-reducing rate has increased from 50% to 80%, the willingness to pay estimates were also significantly increased, ranging from 41,000~50,500 to 42,000~51,700 won.

• Korean small business review
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-28
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the revitalization of the 6th industry by presenting suggestions on how to utilize agricultural food mobile SNS and how to purchase intention. In this study, the mobile SNS, which is rapidly emerging as a new marketing channel, was applied to the agricultural and food sector to conduct a empirical analysis. First of all, the characteristics of agricultural food-related mobile SNS that affect the purchasing intent of agricultural food were derived, and the indirect effects of consumer attitudes were analyzed in relation to the perceived characteristics of the mobile SNS for the agricultural food and the purchase intention. First, information quality and ease of access have a significant effect on cognitive attitude (+), and playfulness, information quality, ease of access have a significant effect on emotional attitude (+), and playfulness, interactivity have a significant effect on an acting attitude (+). Second, information quality, accessibility, and playfulness have a significant effect on purchase intention (+), and the quality of information has the greatest influence. Third, it was analyzed that information quality, interactivity, ease of accessibility, and playfulness have an indirect effect of consumer attitude in the path of purchase through consumer attitude. From the results of this study, it was confirmed that efforts to improve the quality of information in the case of mobile SNS related to agricultural and food products are needed first, that to improve the purchasing intent, we need to establish a mobile SNS operating strategy and marketing strategy for enhance consumer attitudes in a favorable. On the other hand, related education and system cooperation methods should be prepared to enable agricultural and food companies to use mobile SNS as a marketing tool.

• Analyses & Alternatives
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.31-69
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• 2018

This study examines the role of science in resolving trade disputes. After the Great East Japan Earthquake of 11 March 2011 that not only jeopardized the people of Japan, but also put the safety of an entire region at risk, the Republic of Korea (Korea) has imposed import bans as well as increased testing and certification requirements for radioactive material on Japanese food products. Japan has challenged these restrictions at the World Trade Organizations Dispute Settlement Body (DSB). This study aims to explain how international trade agreements and previous DSB rulings have dealt with different scientific viewpoints provided by confronting parties. In doing so, it will contrast the viewpoints espoused by Korean and Japanese representatives, and then analyzes the most similar case studies previously ruled on by the DSB, including the case of beef hormones and the case of genetically modified crops including biotech corn, both between the United States and the European Communities (EC). This study finds that science is largely subordinate to national interests in the case of state decision-making within the dispute settlement processes, and science has largely been relegated to a supportive role. Due to the ambiguity and lack of truly decisive decisions in the Appellate Body in science-based trade disputes, this study concludes that the Appellate Body avoids taking a firm scientific position in cases where science is still inconclusive in any capacity. Due to the panel's unwillingness to establish expert review boards as it has the power to do, instead favoring an individual-based system so that all viewpoints can be heard, it has also developed a system with its own unique weaknesses. Similar to any court of law in which each opposing party defends its own interests, each side brings whatever scientific evidence it can to defend its position, incentivizing them to disregard scientific conclusions unfavorable to their position. With so many questions that can arise, combined with the problems of evolving science, questions of risk, and social concerns in democratic society, it is no wonder that the panel views scientific information provided by the experts as secondary to the legal and procedural issues. Despite being ruled against the EC on legal issues in two previous cases, the EC essentially won both times because the panel did not address whether its science was correct or not. This failure to conclusively resolve a debate over whose science is more scientific enabled the EC to simply fix the procedural issues, while continuing to enforce trade restrictions based on their scientific evidence. Based on the analysis of the two cases of disputes, Korea may also find itself guilty of imposing an unwarranted moratorium on Japan's fish exports, only to subsequently pass new restrictions on labelling and certification requirements because Japan may have much scientific evidence at its disposal. However, Korea might be able to create enough uncertainty in the panel to force them to rule exclusively on the legal issues of the case. This will then equip Korea, like the EC in the past, with a way of working around the ruling, by changing whatever legal procedure they need to while maintaining some, if not most, of its restrictions when the panel fails to address its case on scientific grounds.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.113-136
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• 2017

New product preannouncement through global supply chain management and international strategic alliances is a critical issue for firm's survive and gaining the competitive advantage in the global smart-phone market. To identify the impact of exploration alliance and exploitation alliance on the short-term's Firm Performance, respectively, This study implemented the event study and the cross sectional regression analysis, focusing on the case of Galaxy Note series. Research results identified that new technologies by exploration alliance and the existing technologies through exploitation alliance have a positive effect on the short-term's performance of vendors related. Furthermore, information for the new products showed higher the excess earning rate than information related to the existing technologies. This implies the firms that provides new technologies have a stronger innovative ability than the companies serving the existing technologies, recognizing as a positive signal in the market. Finally, this study implicates that new technologies by exploration alliance enhances innovative abilities from new product preannouncement, and is a critical variable that can determines whether to survive in the market.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.131-155
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• 2016

Recently, the global trade environment has been composed of transactions in trade through integration of the global supply chain network. As FTAs are being signed between countries, the country of origin (COO) system on products has become an important issue. Companies are procuring raw materials through global sourcing and supplying to the retail markets. This research deducted major factors regarding the verification and utilization of the COO system through research on domestic and international literatures, and verified the mediating effects on the verification and utilization elements of the country image and the brand image of COO on the performance of the COO system through empirical study. For the purpose of this research, we conducted a survey implementing the COO system and analyzed the 152 data collected. The results of this research is as follows: First, the external verification level of the COO system has an impact on the performance of the COO system, and a mediating effect on the country image and the brand image of the COO. Second, the management capability of the COO has an impact on the performance of the COO system, and a mediating effect on the brand image of the COO. A research comparing and analyzing the difference in establishment of the verification system of the COO depending on the size of a corporation is necessary.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.391-410
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• 2017

This study examines Romalpa clause as an extended or enlarged retention of title clause under SGA. Under a simple retention of title clause, the seller retains title to goods supplied until the goods have been paid. A simple retention of title gives the seller super-priority interest in other creditors of the buyer without registering a charge. Aluminium Industrie Vaassen BV v. Romalpa Aluminium Ltd introduced the concept of 'extended reservation of title(so called 'Romalpa clause') in English law. It is because the Court of Appeal held that under an extended reservation about title clause the seller can trace his title into money which constitutes the proceed of sale by the buyer of goods supplied by the seller. However, since Romalpa case, the courts are reluctant to uphold the seller's extended title. Under Romalpa clause, the seller attempts to extend his protection by laying claims to new products manufactured from his goods or to proceeds of sale by the buyer. Where the seller's goods are lawfully used by the buyer to create new goods, the property in the new goods will generally vest in the buyer. It is because there has been discomfort if the seller gains the windfall profit of the new goods. Moreover, regarding tracing proceeds of sale by the buyer, the courts held that the seller must establish fiduciary relationship with the buyer. If the fiduciary requirement cannot be established, the extended retention of title clause is seen as a charge over the proceeds, and void if not registered. For these reasons, it is difficult that the claims based on the extended retention of title clause would be upheld.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.135-156
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• 2016

This study, with reference to data on economic conditions in Shandong Province, China, looked into trade and investment activities in Korea and major cities of Shandong - Qingdao, Yantai, Weihai and Jinan - and investigated claim cases between the two countries by type. In addition, we investigated the matter empirically by conducting a survey administered to 300 Korean companies investing in Shandong Province and, based on the data, tested hypotheses for inferential analysis. The findings are as follows: i) while hypotheses in which the size of a firm, represented by import and export volume, has a positive relation with the frequency of trade claim filings (H1) and with the financial value of the trade claims (H2) were quoted, company size proved to have a significantly negative relation with the time required to obtain a claim decision, which rejects the third hypothesis (H3) in which the relation was thought to be positive: ii) while products, as represented by the type of business, showed a clearly significant difference with the frequency of trade claim filings (H4) and with methods of preventing and responding to claims (H6), they did not show a significant link to the type of trade claim (H5). This study is a theoretical and empirical overview of Korean companies based in Shandong Province of China, and can be used to address the practical needs of the Korean companies looking to start business in Shandong Province.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.203-232
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• 2018

Gobizkorea is an online B2B matching platform operated by the Small & Medium Business Corporation. Gobizkorea provides an opportunity for resource-poor SMEs to promote their products and exploit new market opportunities at low cost. The successful operation of Gobizkorea will contribute to the increased exports of Korean SMEs. Accordingly, the present study examined determinants of foreign buyer loyalty toward Gobizkorea.com focusing on country image, e-service quality, and satisfaction. One hundred two survey questionnaires were collected from U.S. buyers registered with Gobizkorea.com. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed three dimensions of e-service quality including information & efficiency, reliability & privacy, and prompt communication & delivery. The path analysis results showed that the country image of Korea significantly and positively affected these three dimensions of e-service quality. Information & efficiency and reliability & privacy positively influenced buyer satisfaction. Reliability & privacy and satisfaction had a positive impact on buyer loyalty. This study enhances the understanding of the foreign buyers use of the domestic e-market platform by examining of determinants of U.S. buyer loyalty toward Gobizkorea.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.109-130
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• 2018

The cumulative standard is one of the criteria determining the origin of imported goods and is a provision that allows non-origin materials to be treated as origin goods when satisfying certain conditions. Regarding the Korea-Canada FTA, new cumulative standards were applied concerning cross accumulation of automobile products. It would benefit U.S. originating intermediate goods of HS code chapter 84, 85, 87, and 94 obtained into HS code heading from 8701 into 8706. We examine the effectiveness of crossover cumulative standards through the change in the import values of 84, 85, 87, 94, which are target items for cross cumulation. Only items designated for automobile parts were selected and analyzed. From the estimation results, significant changes appeared in 20 of the 35 items. It was found that the import amount increased significantly as of January 2015 or the rate of change in trend increases more than before. In addition, the estimation results show that Korean auto companies utilizing the cumulative standards through increased imports of auto parts form the U.S.