• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.3-33
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• 1991

Since the early 1980's, the Korean government has gradually been widening the Korean market to foreign consumer goods. This, combined with the increased purchasing power of the Korean consumers resulting from the continued economic growth of the country, has sparked a spectacular influx of foreign consumer goods into Korea, ranging from BMW's to chopsticks. Import of foreign consumer goods amounted to more than 6 billion dollars in 1989 and is continuing to grow at a rapid rate. The increased import of foreign consumer goods doubtlessly improved the overall welfare of the Korean consumers by providing them with a wider range of options to choose from, by lowering the prices of some of the consumer goods domestically produced, and also by forcing the producers of some Korean goods to face competition with better foreign goods, thus giving them an incentive to raise the quality of their products. However, it is agreed by most economists that this increase in general welfare has been much smaller than what they had expected at the outset. Consumer prices of most imported consumer goods are easily double the import price, and in some cases, more than treble the import prices. Further, there has not been a noticeable drop in the prices of domestically produced consumer goods. Much of the blame has been attributed to the distribution sector of Korea. The objective of this paper is to analyze the imported consumer goods distribution sector of Korea, focusing on the possible sources of the poor performance of that sector, and to make policy suggestions that could potentially increase the welfare. This paper differs from all the previous research by others on this subject in that it analyzes the imported consumer goods distribution sector of Korea as a vertical structure. The distribution sector of an imported consumer good is a vertical structure since it consists of an international market, an import stage, and domestic wholesale and retail markets, in that order vertically. Our study naturally includes the analysis of the vertical restraints as well as the analysis of the industrial organization of each horizontal stage in the vertical structure. Each horizontal component of the imported consumer goods distribution sector is basically a monopolistically competitive market differentiated by characteristics of goods and by the locations and the services of firms. Further, restrictive dealership and resale price maintenance are found to be widely in use. Our main findings are the follwing; First, most consumer goods are imported monopolistically or oligopolistically through restrictive dealership contracts between foreign producers and domestic importers. Such restrictive dealership gives importers market power in the domestic market and explains many of the large discrepancies betwen the consumer prices and the import prices of many goods. Korean anti - trust law does not cover the issues arising from the market power of an importer resulting from a restrictive dealership contract. Second, some major producers of Korean goods are also importers of foreign goods that are substitutes of their products. The import of substitutes by major domestic producers is anti - competitive because it tends to raise the prices of both domestic goods and foreign goods, and also because it reduces the incentive of the domestic producers to raise the quality of their products. Third, wholesalers and retailers widely use resale price maintenance as a price fixing mechanism, and while this is against the anti- trust law, it seldom gets noticed. Fourth, the high level of rents of real estate for commercial use works as an entry barrier to the distribution sector and results in reduced competition by the firms in that sector. Finally, there are information problems. Consumers have inferior information to firms about the quality of a foreign consumer good that they have not tried before. Such information asymmetry often enables firms to raise prices. In addition, information asymmetry between importers frequently delays the import of cheaper substitutes. In order to alleviate the problems indentified above, we suggest the following policy changes. The government should strengthen the anti - trust law and its enforcement to regulate restrictive import contracts, import of competing goods by major domestic producers, and RPM by wholesalers and retailers that is aimed at price fixing. In addition, the government should loosen its tight real estate policy to encourage investment in the distribution sector. Finally, we suggest that the import price revelation policy that has been in use for some items since 1990 be expanded to most imported consumer goods that are introduced for the first time to give consumer better information and be used only for the period of time needed to inform sufficient number of consumers.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Railway
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.418-429
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• 2013

This study assesses the appropriate amounts and applicable ranges of travel time values for freight transport modes in Korea. The findings suggest that it is possible to determine appropriate sizes and applicable ranges of travel time values of goods set for road transport mode (i.e. truck), whereas those for railway, inland waterway, marine, and air transport modes are not as easily estimated. The adequate travel time value for trucks is 20,000won/vehicle hour, and the application range of travel time value of trucks is 17,000~23,000won/vehicle hour considering other variables. The most adequate estimation method of determining the travel time value for road transport is the wage rate method, whereas the marginal rate of substitution method is more rational for railway, inland waterway, marine, and air transport modes considering the application purpose and characteristics of the goods transported.

• 한국연소학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2014.11a
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• pp.107-109
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• 2014

Through the economic development, people enjoying the camping and demand of camping goods are increasing since they have free time. So they use portable butane gas range outdoor. In addition to that, many restaurants that offer hotpot or meat in Korea use portable butane gas ranges for their convenience. But 19% of gas accidents are using portable butane gas range, 13.7% of them are using oversized cookware. Despite the high accident rate, there is no safety standards about portable butane gas range using oversized cookware. Therefore we conducted to measure temperature and pressure of portable butane gas ranges for reforming safety standards. As a result. we confirmed relation between bottom temperature of the portable butane gas barrel and pressure of the butane gas. Also we confirmed that portable butane gas ranges operate safely when bottom temperature of the portable butane gas barrel is bellow $50^{\circ}C$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Near Infrared Spectroscopy Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.1052-1052
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• 2001

Hear infrared (NIR) spectra were measured, at five temperatures, for forty-eight samples of honey, from a variety of geographical and botanical sources, and the data has been used to explore the possibility of using NIR spectroscopy for testing label claims concerning the geographical and botanical source of honey being offered for sale to the public. These results demonstrate that the successful characterization of the botanical source of a honey may be obtained by NIR spectroscopy. Further work with large numbers of samples and groups will be required to realized this potential. Additional analysis of these data suggest that research into new ways of obtaining information on the change of absorption with temperature might be beneficial for a range of technologies.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.43 no.4 s.206
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• pp.141-159
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of warning labels of consumption goods on consumer behavior and the consumers' evaluation in order to suggest a policy of warning labels and the Product Liability Law. The following items which are somewhat risky but are used in everyday the were selected: cup noodles, one-touch can foods, washing machine, microwave range, dry cell, hydro-oxygen detergent, baby-walker, and block-toys. Data were collected from 345 respondents by internet survey with the following results. (1) The average score of the effects of warning labels on consumer behavior was so low that warning labels are not considered effective, especially in block-toys, dry cell, and baby-walker. (2) Consumers' evaluation scores on the character size, design and sticking place of warning labels were very low. Therefore an effort to make warning labels more effective is needed.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to analyze the purchasing behavior related factors of Small Store User in Yhasi street of Dong-Sung Ro, Daegu. Frequency, $X^2$-test MANOVA, ANOVA and Duncan multiple range test were used to analyze the sample. The results of this study were as follows: 1) The largest sample were as follows: un married female, college students of twenties, 101-200 thousand won for salaries. 2) The factors of purchasing behavior were classified into 8 factors, enjoy shopping, store image, unique goods, culture space, salesperson, low price, information seeking, value via price orientation. 3) There were significant differences found between attitude on information source, number of seeking store, music in shop, music sound, size, display, price, street, in their factors of purchasing behavior (unique goods, value via price, low price, store image, enjoy shopping) 4) There were significant differences found between demographic characteristics (personal sales, location, transportation) in their factors of purchasing behavior (salesperson, cultural space, store image).

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.253-265
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• 1991

The purpose of this study was to investigate conflict management in family purchase behavior of urbanite by applying a systems approach. For this purpose, 230 questionnaire were distributed to the married men and women in Seoul. The 216 data were analyzed by Frequency, Percentile, Mean, t-test, ANOVA, Duncan's Multiple Range Test. The result were as follows. 1) According to the type of goods, the level of marital conflict in purchase decision making had differences significantly 2) According to the type of goods and the level of conflict, conflict management had differences significantly. 3) According to the level of conflict and the basic environmental characteristics, purchase management satisfaction had differences significantly. Through these results, the applicability of systems approach to family purchase behavior was shown． Family purchase behavior could be understood in environmental suprasystem, with considering the relationship of subsystem's components.

• Proceedings of the KSR Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.197-205
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• 2007

Radio frequency identification, or RFID, is a generic term for technologies that use radio wave to automatically identify people or objects. UHF RFID technology is used for everything from tracking goods within their supply chain, working in process and for other applications. If RFID is applied in wheel scanner that is a important equipment to measure a diameter, width, height of wheel, efficiency in maintenance will be improved because of checking data in real-time. In domestic technology, capacity of wheel scanner technology as well as RFID are less good than foreign goods there a up to current day a point of read range, anti-collision, a tolerance. Therefore, sturdy on the development of wheel scanner using RFID technology to measure wheel in maintenance of rolling stock was carried out in this paper.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.291-300
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• 2005

The purpose of this study is to investigate, analyze the purchasing behavior of fashion goods according to life style and role model of preteen generation, and provide manager or marketing planner for the reference data so that they can understand preteen generation and make proper strategy efficiently. So called, preteen market focusing on 1014 generation (from ten to fourteen years old) is highlighted. This generation created between the year 1989 to 1993 after Seoul Olympic monopolize parent's love in abundant economic environment and rise to the core of consumption subject. Products aiming at this preteen generation continuously though consumption mind was shrunk greatly due to recession. Only 2~3 years before preteen market was regarded as grey zone which doesn't belong to not only children (between six and nine years old) but also teenagers (between fifteen to eighteen years old). But in recent day their purchasing powers have increased rapidly and age group is divided on details, so that preteen market has become a niche market. Subjects were 333 persons consisting of students in the 4th~6th grade of primary school and the 1st~2nd grade of middle school in Daegu city. Measuring instruments are as follows: 5questions to differentiate preteen generation, 22 questions to measure life style, 17questions (which have six sub-factors such as purchase motive, factor of product selection, utilization of informant, purchase time, purchase place, and purchase method) to measure the purchase behavior of fashion goods measurement, and 16 questions (which have four sub-factors such as parent, entertainer & sports stars, brothers and sisters, friends) to measure model of role. Statistical data were processed by SPSS 10.0 programs. Frequencies, Factor analysis, Cluster analysis, ANOVA, Cross analysis, Multiplex regression analysis, and Duncan's multiple range test were carried out.

• Korean System Dynamics Review
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.25-49
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• 2013

As global competition for green car, that is environmentally friendly car, is getting tougher, the governments and the related industries are putting their core efforts in its diffusion. However, the green car sales are disappointing so far. To overcome the gridlock, it is necessary to develop concrete analytical framework to understand the diffusion process. Based on causal loop analysis from the previous work, we have identified main variables and relationships of them in the diffusion process and developed a stock-flow diagram and mathematical formula for the main components. The model would be applied for further quantitative simulation on the diffusion process of green car and other innovative goods as well. Also, we have suggested constructive insights for the policy makers and for the related industries. First, it is important to increase consumers' willingness to consider through marketing and word of mouth to accelerate the diffusion process. Second, in the perspective of the industry, the market share of green car should be increased at the earliest possible stage and this could be done by enhancing each components of green car attractiveness(e.g. price, driving range, social infra). Third, companies should develop a balanced investment between consumer and technology sector through a flexible financial policy. Fourth, the government continuously has the role of investing in the related R&D and social infra building. We expect the green car diffusion model and related formula from the research can provide meaningful tools to analyze the diffusion process of other new and innovative goods based on its deep researched literature review.