• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.341-366
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• 2013

The term, Mittelstand, has no exact english translation for the definition, but, today, Mittelstand refers to small and medium-sized enterprises(SME), mostly family-owned firms in Germany. The Mittelstand is called the backbone of the German economy because it drove the economic miracle after World War II. During the global recession and the euro zone's debt crisis in recent years, in which european businesses have faced the near-collapse of competitiveness particularly in manufacturing, the German exports are booming and exceeded exports of China in 2012. Most importantly, the Germany economic performance has been widely attributed to the strength of the Mittelstand. Many of countries, even some leading public companies are seeking to emulate the success of the Mittelstand. Investors evaluate that many of Germany's investable "hidden champions" are Mittelstand companies. The purpose of this study is to present some of answers to the following questions: Firstly, what makes the German Mittelstand so successful? Secondly, what does the success of the German Mittelstand mean for the Korean SMEs in global competitiveness? Thirdly, what Korean government has to do improve the global competitiveness of the Korean SMEs? Some discussions in this study mention the managerial implications for Korean exporting SMEs particularly in manufacturing. Several factors that account for the success of the German Mittelstand are technological excellence and the tradition of family-owned management, concentration on niche market and globalization, and institutional supports. There are some of important lessons to be learned from the German Mittelstand. If the purposes of Korean SMEs want to remain in the sustainable competitive advantage and withstand unforeseen economic turbulences in the future, they must be able to meet the followings: 1) Technology that meets the global standard or exceeding it 2) Competitiveness in price in the global market 3) Active involvement in the globalization process, utilizing various entry modes Innovative products at globally competitive price are a crucial point for Korean exporting SMEs to achieve their competitive edge over others in the target markets abroad. It is time for Korean SMEs to cultivate a core competence in manufacturing in order to position Korea as a global manufacturing hub with SMEs leading.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.43
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• pp.207-239
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• 2016

The Altai Humanities Belt connecting Siberia to Central Asia is very important to the history of civilization. It had a huge influence on the formation of an ancient civilization in the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, a variety of studies have been carried out in the field of folklore and anthropology as well as archeology. One of these studies is about the oral epic. The oral epic remains in the form of a unique transmission in Korea, but it wasn't that long ago when it was noted as the component of the Altai Humanities Belt. In that context, some epics from Central Asia, Mongolia, and Siberia were introduced to Korea. This preliminary investigation is conducted to introduce the oral epic Olonkho from Yakutia in Siberia to Korean academia. Although it was revealed recently, Olonkho is highly valued. The epic study has been buried from the Western point of view, but Olonkho is expected to provide a global perspective to the field of epic study. Above all, it contains a very significant clue to a new study because the content and the style of performance are considerably different from those of the West. Additionally, the original form is relatively well preserved. In particular, it explains how human thinking and behaviors have changed in the transition from the mythical age to the heroic age. This change appears in the ethnic history of Yakutia, as well as in the formation process for all Altai countries around the 10th century. Therefore, this preliminary investigation will be a foundation to facilitate the translation of the voluminous Olonkho into Korean, and to conduct full-fledged research on it. In particular, it can motivate a study on the differences and similarities in comparison to the tradition of oral epics between Central Asia and the Korean Peninsula. Furthermore, it will serve as a foundation for the formation of the Altai Humanities Belt.

• (The)Study of the Eastern Classic
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• no.37
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• pp.217-248
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• 2009

'Pil-dam-chang-su-jib'(collection of conversation by writing about poetry or sentences) which was remained in Japan through the dispatching of Tong-sin mission belong to the Joseon dynasty is a valuable historical records directly to verify sincere relationships with Korea and Japan in the past. At the center of the 'Pil-dam-chang-su-jib', a conversation of senators who was technocrat both countries at that time was not a little contained. Because they need to exchange information and opinions which they had been curious at an appointed hour, the most impending medical problems of that period had to be brought out in the senator's 'Pil-dam-chang-su-jib' and the value of material is high as much. If you examine the 'Pil-dam' records which was exchanged from senators to senators of both countries at that time, you can directly confirm the universality and difference of the medical science and medicine tradition of various East Asian countries. The purpose of a paper was in consolidation to a base of translation and investigation hereafter to consider the characters embodied in medical conversation in the first half of $18^{th}$ centuries. '~ Rok(錄)' can be an opportunity to organize the customs history through the studying an illness, medicines and a remedy. The necessity of the investigation about medical related conversation by writing is in this place. '~ Ui-dam(醫談)' is considering with the all factors above, the first half of 18th century's medical conversation materials are certificated remarkably valuable materials to the cultural history around the physician at that time. '~ Pil-ur(筆語)' is to use of questions and answers form gives presence and reality at the conversation by writing. So, conversation was let the readers to gain the feeling of movement. Also, the contents are substantially reflected the long history of Eastern medical and revealed medical science, treatment reality at that time. Not correspondent with normal collection of conversation by writing, the medical conversation by writing shows a special quality at rich material to confirm the technocrat's identity. The first half of $18^{th}$ century medical conversation by writing had been a foundation of the rational description system at the coming medical conversation to change the description system according to the envoy's coming situation.