• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.139-148
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• 2016

There is an expanding global network of free trade agreements (FTA). High-quality, comprehensive free trade agreements play an important role to support global trade liberalization and are explicitly allowed under the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. An FTA is an international treaty that removes barriers to trade and facilitates stronger trade and commercial ties that contribute to increased economic integration between participating countries. Korea benefits from the global FTA trend; however it has started and developed FTA negotiations later than other countries. Current FTA agreements exist with Chile, Singapore, EFTA, ASIAN, India, EU, Peru, USA, Turkey, Australia, and Canada; in addition, there are ongoing negotiations with China, Colombia, New Zealand, and Vietnam. FTA open up opportunities for the textile/clothing industry to expand businesses into key overseas markets. FTA improve market access across all areas of trade to help maintain and stimulate the competitiveness of textile/clothing firms. This study examines the expansion of free trade agreements in light of changes in the international trade environment and the status of the Korean textile/clothing industry. Korea's textile/clothing export/import products and concession of tariff, country of origin covered under Korea-US/China FTA are investigated to identify problems. This study provides practical and policy implications for the textile/clothing industry in regards to the Korea-US/China FTA.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.931-955
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• 2024

International trade in the clothing industry has contributed significantly to South Korea's economic development. This study examines the interplay between textile and clothing exports, imports, and gross domestic product (GDP) growth from a macroeconomic perspective using a model with vector autoregressive with exogenous variables (VARX). The findings indicate that GDP growth negatively impacts textile and clothing exports but is positively correlated with imports. Furthermore, GDP growth from one and two years prior negatively affects current exports while positively influencing imports. Macroeconomic indicators, including the consumer price index, private consumption index, and producer price index, significantly impact the textile and clothing trades. By contrast, the won/dollar exchange rate and the Bank of Korea's base interest rate do not appear to exert any substantial effect. An unexpected impulse from GDP growth strongly affects the status of textile and clothing imports. Predictions for the future indicate stable GDP growth over the next five years, with high volatility anticipated in the clothing industry's trade balance. This study applies endogenous growth theory to the global clothing trade, yielding theoretical insights, and offers empirical guidance for government agencies wishing to support domestic clothing trade firms.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.588-595
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness levels of Korean textile companies and develop appropriate response plans for the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement. Through such, the study aims to explore practical and realistic directions that the Korean textile industry must take in the future. As for the research method, a survey on the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement was conducted to 50 Korean textile companies which mainly deal in textile exports. Results showed that Korean textile companies possess above average awareness for the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement and carry the perception that the FTA has thus far had a positive effect of market revitalization and contributions to sales. Nonetheless, perceptions on the needs for the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement and level of awareness were below average while government assistance seen to be unsatisfactory. Such results suggest that measures for successful access to the U.S. market require developing products customized for the U.S. market and creating new market opportunities by participating in U.S. exhibits and shows. In addition, textile companies must develop their abilities for self-sustainability through continuous FTA related programs provided by government in addition to investing efforts to understand global markets within companies through response measures on the FTA as a whole.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.819-830
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• 2003

Korea is facing great threat from other countries as a major global sourcing site for textile and apparel products. The threat has been augmented by changes in external environment such as advents of Trading Blocs and Free Trade Area(FTA) as well as internal environment such as hikes in labor cost and lack of flexibility in accommodating international buyers' needs. This study analyzed international buyers' sourcing activities in Korea for the purpose of developing strategies to enhance competitiveness of the Korean textile and apparel industries in the global market. The data used in this study were gathered by surveying 52 non-Korean textile and apparel product buyers with cooperation of the Korea Federation of Textile Industries (KOFOTI). The data were analyzed by mean, frequency, Pearson correlation coefficient, and ｘ$^2$ analysis. The results indicated that Korea is still attractive to many international buyers especially to those who have been engaged in global sourcing for longer periods of time with bigger purchasing budgets. However, in order to expand and solidify their customer bases, Korean companies should focus more on developing competitively priced value added products a step ahead of their foreign competitors, diversifying their marketing channels including internet.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.31 no.6 s.165
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• pp.902-910
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to suggest future marketing strategy for Korean textile and apparel industry so that they could find a way to maintain a major sourcing site in the global market place. This study identified international buyers' visiting purposes and the items they were most interested in sourcing from Korea according to their firm types and home country regions. This study analyzed the survey results obtained fiom international buyers who visited the international textile and apparel trade show in Seoul, Korea. The data was analyzed using frequency and ${\chi}^2$-test analysis. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between buyers' country regions and their interests. There was also a significant relationship between buyers' firm types and their visiting purposes. The results indicated that decision making for what Korean industry should focus their marketing efforts on should be different according to the buyers' country regions and firm types. This study was conducted to present an effective marketing strategy for how Korean textile and apparel industries could survive in the competitive global marketplace.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.28 no.910
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• pp.1341-1350
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• 2004

With the advent of the globalization trend of the industry, the enterprises in the fashion industry around the world have witnessed a surge in exports and foreign direct investment (FDI). Many fashion enterprises in each country, along with the multi-national enterprises, have engaged in global outsourcing of the production process in order to increase their global competitiveness, and have attempted to expand their commercial presence in the world market by entering into other foreign markets. Such market entry attempts have lead to the increase of FDI and trade by the fashion enterprises. This study attempts to examine the interactive relation between FDI and export/import of fashion products in different fashion industries both worldwide and in Korea. First, we will look into the relation between export/imports and FDI of each regional fashion industry, then expand the study to the relation between those two factors found in the fashion industry of Korea in general, and finally, to the relation between the two factors in the fashion industry of countries that are the major export nations of fashion goods into Korea. The data which this study is based on were collected from the International Trade Statistics Yearbook Vol. II (UN, 1991-2002, New York: UN), UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics (UN, 1996-2001, Vienna: UN), UNCTAD database, the archives of the Korea Federation of Textile Industry and the archives of the Export-Import Bank of Korea. The methods of analysis used in this study were correlation, regression, and descriptive statistics of the data. The result of this study showed that each fashion industry of different regions was subject to a diversity of effects. For one, the fashion industry in Korea showed a significant correlation between outbound investment and both export and import. On the other hand, the apparel industry in Korea showed a significant correlation between outbound investment and imports, but no such correlation between outbound investment and exports.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.606-616
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• 2016

We intend an empirical assessment of examining the differences in the appearance management behaviors and demographic variables among groups classified by the clothing consumption values. The questionnaires are administered to 493 female and male adults above 20 years old in Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, Daegu and Kyungpook regions. For analysis of data from 478 respondents, descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, Cronbach's ${\alpha}$, ANOVA, Duncan test and ${\chi}^2$ test were applied. We show the following results. First, Factor analyses were employed for the clothing consumption values and appearance management behaviors. Six factors were for clothing consumption values: Individuality, appearance attractive, social, functional, conditional and fashion clothing consumption value. Four factors were for appearance management behaviors: weight training, skin care, hair care, make-up and clothing selection. According to clothing consumption values, four groups were classified: the passive, functional, social, and active group. We did cluster analysis to the appearance management behaviors of weight training, skin care, hair care, make-up and clothing selection. Second, the social and active groups were more interested in individuality, appearance attractive, social, functional, conditional and fashion clothing value. And they were also more involved in appearance management behaviors. Third, among the demographic variables, the single and female in 20s and 30s with higher level of education belonged to the active group. In this contribution, we find significant differences in the appearance management behavior and demographic variables classified by the clothing consumption values.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.203-218
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• 2022

The global value chain, as a major feature of the contemporary global economic system, has been mainly led by developed countries. Whereas developing countries have taken the relatively low value-added activities and this made geographical imbalances in value distribution. This imbalance in value distribution, however, began to gradually alleviated. Related to this phenomenon, the purpose of this research is to analyze the factors affecting factors. Focused on the method of upgrading the industry in the global value chain, the impact on the acquisition of value-added in developing countries was analyzed among the various factors to achieve the research purpose. Panel analysis was conducted on all industries, food and tobacco industries, textile and clothing industries, computer and electornics industries, and automobile industries of the OECD Value-Added Trade Data (TiVA). As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that in all industries, value-added acquisition in developing countries was improved by increased total production, high value-added product production and participation in early stage. The analysis results by detailed industry showed slightly different patterns depending on the characteristics of each industry.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.207-220
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• 2017

Today, the fashion industries, which are appearing in the world, can satisfy their economic needs, as well as provide and distribute their products in order to introduce sustainable methods and avoid becoming a bad influence on future generations. Recently, SPA brands have contributed to the sustainable development of society with different kinds of products, such as organic, recycled and environmental products. For this research, among different SPA brands, we chose H&M as the most representative one. Using Russian and Korean consumers as examples, we analyzed how sustainable activities affect a consumer's ethical consciousness, brand loyalty and purchase intention. The results of this study show that firstly, all sustainable activities have positive effects on the ethical consciousness of Russian and, in particular, Korean consumers. Secondly, ethical consciousness has a positive effect on brand loyalty, which, in turn, has a positive effect on purchase intention. Consequently, by adding to the existing sustainable and cultural activities, we can propose new perspectives for future research on sustainability. Due to the effect on a consumer's ethical consciousness, future research might consider ethical consciousness as the main factor. By focusing on H&M as a representative of SPA brands with Russian and Korean consumers as target audiences, we can advise global SPA brands on the direction of their sustainable activities and exporting of their products to foreign markets.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.468-478
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in appearance management behaviors and demographic variables among groups classified by the appearance management motives. The questionaries are administerd to 493 female and male adults above 20 years old in Seoul, Kyeonggi-do, Daegu and Kyungpook regions. For analysis of data from 478 respondents, descriptive statistics, factor analysis, cluster analysis, Cronbach's ${\alpha}$, ANOVA, Duncan test and ${\chi}^2$ test were applied. We show the following results: First, factor analysis for appearance management motives extracted three factors such as self-development, emphasis on the trendy appearance, and sexual appealing motive. Factor analysis for appearance management behaviors extracted four factors such as weight training, surgery/skin care, hair care and clothing selection. Second, three groups of the appearance management motives were classified into such as the social self-management type, the sexual appealing self-management type, the passive appearance management type. The social self-management groups are more interested in self-development, emphasis on the trendy appearance, and sexual appealing motive. And they are also more involved in appearance management behaviors: clothing selection is the most pursuing appearance management behavior. Third, among the demographic variables, the single and female in 20s and 30s with higher level of education belonged to the social self-management group. In this contribution, we find significant differences in the appearance management behavior and demographic variables classified by the appearance management motives.