• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.71-88
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• 2009

The Korean online gaming industry has seen rapid growth since the boom of information technology (IT) related industries, especially Internet and PC-bang or local area network (LAN) use, throughout the country. Online games are real-time games in which two or more players meet, compete, and cooperate in the same game space using the same communication network. Even though the growth rates of IT-related industries have recently slowed, the growth of the online gaming industry has increased, and Korean firms are expanding their businesses to countries all over the world. However, the online gaming industry is becoming an oligopoly, in which 4-5 leading companies occupy most online gaming markets. This situation presents a disadvantage to the Korean online gaming industry, since online players usually seek a diversity of online gaming contents and high quality online game services. Therefore, small- and medium-sized game developers must survive in this market by upgrading the quality of their online gaming services in an effort to provide differentiated goods and services in monopolistic competition markets. However, most venture companies in the online game industry, whether new or previously existing, are not able to obtain adequate financing. The objective of this paper is to examine the management environment for medium- and small-sized game developers in the Korean online gaming industry. By introducing the case of Grigon Entertainment, we try to identify the source of difficulty obtaining external financing for Korean venture firms in the online gaming industry.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.39-52
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• 2002

Some projects being in force by the Ministry of Government Administration & Home Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry for farm village area activation offers experience activity of various form to city dwellers, and to farm village inhabitants, affirmative effect is expected in aspect that activation becomes possible for a lot of visitors. But, to farm village(rural district) area activation that huge budget and effort carried out successfully, there are some items that specialist, administration and the persons concerned must inspect together now. First, to project for farm village area activation succeeds; leading participation of inhabitants should be premised. Second, that stagnated economy revives is as rightful result that appears in case farm village area activation effort succeeds. But, can drop more highlights like the value pursuit of life in case put success or failure of all businesses in income enlargement. Third, because inhabitant cultivates own in making process, the attachment and pride for area can be inculcated. Doing not become focus is set to economical logic to do, the heritage of area as well as history culture, must consider that apply eco-museum concept that magnify nature heritage and industry heritage. Fourth, actually the plan period given usually is too shortly than received huge budget. Furthermore, in case it carries out by desirable inhabitants leading type so. Project that not consider the period that is cost to the statement of inhabitants' active opinion and finding out a point of compromise may be hard to get desirable result.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.63 no.7
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• pp.121-133
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• 2013

The globalization of the world, fueled by the Internet, made possible for individuals to access the cultures around the world, other than their own, easier than ever before. But among those rapidly sought out sub-cultures, the video gaming industry, once a niche market mostly for nerds and geeks, now has become one of the biggest entertainment businesses in the world. In a video game, one of the critical elements that could determine its success or failure is the characters featured in the game. And as the countless number of animated characters from many different video games from the past few years have become incredibly popular among the audiences around the world, the expectations from the fans also grow higher every time a new game comes out. Ultimately this has forced the video game developers to come up with more unique and interesting characters for their video games. And at this point, where a video game character is more than just fictional fantasy but a brand to be recognized, it is worth paying proper attention to the video game characters that represent Korea. Hence in this study, we will take a look at Han Ju-Ri, a Korean character featured in Super Street Fighter IV, a competitive fighting game developed by Capcom, one of the world's most recognized video game companies that started its life as an arcade video game, developer but eventually ventured its business into the online world. The study will propose a complete overhaul of the character by incorporating Korea's own traditional looks.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.1-12
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• 2014

It is essential factor for business operation to raise funds effectively. However, in Korea, many start-ups and small businesses have difficulties in fund-raising. In recent years, crowdfunding, a new method for funding a project of individuals or organizations by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people, has been growing up simultaneously with diffusion of social media. Crowdfunding is on early stage in Korea, and the majority of projects are focused on cultural or art categories. There is high proportion of projects that have social value in start-up sector. Crowdfunding in Korea has great potential because success rate of it is much higher than its of advanced countries, although market size is much smaller than them. The purpose of this paper is to propose success strategies of crowdfunding for start-up through case study. 5 crowdfunding platforms of Korea and Kickstarter, the platform of United States were investigated. Then we checked the figures related to the operation of the whole Korean projects on start-up. Finally, we made comparison between the cases of success and failure by analyzing 8 project characteristics. The study shows that it were the differences in trustworthiness and activeness of project creator, value of reward and efforts for interactivity that have great effects on success of the project. Whereas there was no significant influence of societal contribution and sponsor engagement. The thesis provides success strategies of crowdfunding for start-up as follows. Firstly, creator of the project should make support base by enthusiastic activites before launching funding project. Secondly, there should be contents that can easily show the process of business development in the project information. Thirdly, there must be appropriate design of rewards for each amounts of support money. Finally, efforts for interactivity, such as frequent updates, response for comments and SNS posting, should be followed after the launch of the project.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.169-176
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• 2016

Our Korean cuisine, due to growing interests in Korean culture along with outstanding performance of K-pop stars, is attracting worldly attention. As the worldly food pursuit tendency is changing from"fast food" to "slow food", preference for our Korean cuisine, which is well-known for its healthiness, is growing. However, our Korean cuisine, in terms of the world citizen's preference, as receiving evaluation for being lacking behind of Sushi of Japan, Dimsum of China, pizza and pasta of Italy, rice noodle of Vietnam, even to Indonesian and Middle-East foods, has not been achieving drastic advancements despite the cosmopolitan's attention. The previous studies were suggesting that, failure of a localization strategy that changes our traditional taste and aroma adaptive to foreigners' preference, is a cause for this. This study, through case studies of Korean food businesses in the US which have achieved a success through localization strategy, attempts to propose the following global entrepreneurial strategy of Koran food at the US dining out market. As a global entrepreneurial strategy for success, we propose, first a sales strategy not for Koreans but for local people as main customers, second a customization strategy which is not our traditional way but that meets local standard, and finally a committed entrepreneurship.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.49-59
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• 2011

A franchise can be said to be the main method of distribution and marketing. It appears to be the future of the retail industry and is one of the world's fastest growing businesses sectors, as many policy reports and research results have acknowledged. Korea's franchise industry began in the 1970s, spread out into many areas (including food services, retail, and the service industry), and has grown by over 10% each year ever since. The industry's influence on the national economy becomes ever greater. Although the size of the franchise industry is expected to grow as it spreads and as the government expands its support, it has not yet attracted much academic interest. Research has so far been very fragmented. The main interest has been the relationship and conflicts between the head offices and the affiliates. No study has yet occurred on whether the concepts of satisfaction and intent to conclude a contract directly affect the success or failure of the affiliates. Few studies have empirically inquired into the demographic characteristics and abilities of the affiliates that significantly affect their results. Domestic franchise industries must prepare to leap from quantitative to qualitative growth. Most important is the need for affiliate headquarters and affiliates to build confidence between them. A friendly and reliable relationship between affiliate headquarters and affiliates will eliminate distrust from the franchise and maintain a healthy franchise system. This study suggests that current and prospective heads of affiliation should concentrate not on attracting affiliates but on investment and techniques of affiliate support. They should work on the reinforcement of brand power, the appropriate affiliate business environment, systematic education/training, taking burdens off the affiliate business persons, consolidating the relationship with the affiliate business persons, marketing mix factors (e.g. products, price conditions, logistics and shipping services, promotion, supervising and supervisor, operation procedures/processes, and material evidence); these all greatly affect the success or failure of the affiliate business. Supporting the affiliates is an important factor that enhances their results and satisfaction and consequently increases the positive recommendations to others and the ratio of recurrent conclusions of contracts, which ultimately generate the growth of the franchises. In addition, it is suggested that prospective franchise founders should make every effort to choose a good head office since the characteristics of the head office greatly influence the success of the affiliates. This study is significant in that it grasps the characteristics of the head office of affiliation and of the affiliates that influence affiliate results in ways not yet academically attempted.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.457-491
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• 2008

As stage equipment export markets along with special lighting service lack the attraction for already globally established businesses, such markets can be viewed as an advantageous opportunity for SMEs as in general. In reality, global businesses tend to focus on large construction projects and this indicates relatively less substantial markets such as stage equipment and special lighting service export are more suitable for SME businesses. However, possible problems may be recognized as following; doubtful capabilities by such businesses to join in the vast and competitive global market and pursue manufacturing and service based export. This point is also supported by the fact that such in general SME businesses have substantially less experience in exporting products and services abroad. Realizing the distinctive features of the Korean economy, it is unarguable that every sector and area of global market must be regarded and monitored closely. Hence, it can be argued that there is an imminent need for establishment of supportive institution to assist export process of combination of stage equipments and special lighting service. This study emphasizes the need to improve export process of stage equipments, special lighting services as well as other related products and services which have been focused in domestic market only until now. Further, it also analyzed the potential prospect of such direction reconciling current crisis our manufacturing industry is facing. Even though it maybe regarded as one of the niche market for export of Korea in the short term view, stage equipment and special lighting service industry may rapidly grow as the global cultural industries have grown along with the increase of national income earnings overall. Due to such advantageous features, it can be expected that such industries will show strong growth in the near future. After analyzing the fact that Korea's plants (eg. powerplants) export sector is at its boom, there is a need to transform stage equipment and special lighting service export market into a primary market from a secondary(niche) market for SMEs. This study is viewed from the Korean economic and export sector aspect in the aim of seeking a solution to conquest our realistic limit in our export sector by developing a suitable export model. There have been cases of very few attempts to expand abroad by SMEs who have failed miserably due to their failure to adapt to foreign culture, practice and languages as well as substantial lack in experience in export marketing. Despite this, neglecting our manufacturing industry as it is which is showing its limit and problems is out of option therefore, it is imminent that we come up with an effective measure to address this problem and service export can be suggested as one of them. This study reveals manufacturing-service export model of stage equipment and special lighting service and its related areas is recognized as a field with a very strong future and furthermore, it is expected to bring synergy effects in manufacturing and services sector as well. Further, the operation strategy contains combination, composition and fusion(convergence) of manufacturing and service sectors which could derive various of export products which displays greater success probability or this export model. The outcome of this research is expected to become a useful source for enterprises related to such industry which are seeking a possible global expansion. Furthermore, it is also expected to become a catalyst which fastens the process of global expansion and not only that, we are firmly assured that this study will become an opportunity to improve our current policies and institutions related to this area's export market.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.541-549
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• 2015

Research about U.S. and European countries demonstrated that startups and young firms account for nearly all net job creation. If we want to bring down unemployment and to increase economic growth rate, we need to create new companies and to make them to grow. Credit availability is one of the most important factors for entrepreneurs as they attempt to start or expand a business. For young firms, access to credit for business growth can mean the difference between survival and failure. Equity crowdfunding is an innovative means of raising capital for businesses. Crowdfunding campaigns can give new business access to a large pool of investors. This brings huge benefits for marketing and increase provability of success of business and ROI, so it leads follow-on investment from Venture Capital and Angel investors. In Korea, the survival rate of startups and average growth rate of survivors is far lower than those of the U.S or other countries due to lack of funds for startup or early business growth. Equity crowdfunding can be a new funding source for venture or startups. It can increase startup and survival rate, in addition to the growth rate of survivors, resulting in decreased unemployment rate. In Korea, Equity crowdfunding will be available from 2016. Further study is needed to determine whether the impact of crowdfunding in Korea on job creation will be similar to its impact in the U.S.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.67-80
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• 2015

Although recent policies and regulations in Korea strongly advocate and encourage cultivation of venture foundations, studies on venture foundation and success are very limited and often primarily focus on entrepreneurship or individual quality as a venture founder in addition to such studies' validity in question. Therefore, this study primarily focuses on venture preparation process which is subject to venture founder's effort to verify the policy effectiveness in the relationship between venture preparation and business performance. Major goal of this study is to reduce social cost of venture failure by suggesting systematic policy support for venture foundations and analyzing the relationship between following variables: first, venture preparation and financial performance, second, venture preparation and non-financial performance, and third, venture preparation and business performance. 400 initial venture foundations less than 5 years are selected from KISED(Korea Institute Startup & Entrepreneurship Development) trend analysis to carry out statistical analysis using SPSS 18.0. To organize the data features, frequency analysis as well as descriptive statistics are performed to verify the hypothesis. As a result, sub-factors in measurement of venture preparation which are venture education period, venture benefit, and experience of incubating organization are selected as independent variables. Likewise, sub-factors in measurement of business performance which are financial performance and non-financial performance are used as dependent variables. To validate interactive effect, venture preparation period is selected as control variable to perform hierarchical regression analysis. The analysis result verifies that venture benefit has positive influence on financial and non-financial performance while venture education period has positive influence on non-financial influence and experience of incubating organization has negative influence on non-financial performance without influence on financial performance. In addition, interaction of venture preparation period has positive influence solely between venture benefit and non-financial performance. Through this study, appropriate supporting plans depending on the level of venture preparation can be derived to improve business performance of initial venture foundations for policy designer of venture support, and quality rather than quality improvement of venture businesses is possible through investigation of structural issues of individual venture businesses. Ultimately, this study suggests venture founders to determine whether to focus on venture preparation process or to start a venture business.