• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.35-45
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• 2019

Korean agriculture experienced rapid changes in its production structure to respond fluctuations on external conditions, and these changes have increased the dependence between agricultural resources and negative environmental externalities from agricultural production. As a tool for managing agricultural resources and reducing negative environmental effects from agricultural production, this study employs water-energy-food nexus for integrated resource management. To show the necessity of an integrated approach, this study evaluated three policy scenarios including changes in capital interest, water capacity, and energy cost. The results show that three scenarios have unintended consequences for farmers' incomes and their use of resources. Also the unintended consequences of government policies also affected farms' vulnerability to environmental changes. In particular, the expansion of financing for the establishment of non-circulating water curtain facilities did not have a significant effect on the crop switching of farms. In addition, increasing the amount of available water through the aquifer recharge project leads to the installation of non-circulating water curtain facilities in zucchini farm. It raises dependence on groundwater in agricultural production, thereby increasing farmers' vulnerability to groundwater shortages. These results imply that the agricultural sector needs to consider the interrelationship between agricultural resources when designing or evaluating policies.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.1-22
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• 2020

This study explores the role of relationship banking for the exports of SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) in Korea. Using a sample of SMEs listed on the Korean stock markets between 2004 and 2018, I find that relationship banking has a positive impact on exporting behaviors of SMEs. This result indicates that relationship banking is suitable for SMEs to raise their funds in the export decision-making since the incentive for banks to obtain soft information enhances SMEs' access to external finance. In particular, through further analysis considering financial constraints, I find that the positive impact of relationship banking on exports is amplified for financially constrained SMEs. In addition, the positive impact on exports is also amplified for export starters. Finally, relationship banking provides benefits for SMEs' export decision-making regardless of the financial crisis. To sum up, relationship banking may be useful means of financing for Korean SMEs whose creditworthiness cannot be assessed only by hard information. As the role of finance in international trade has recently been highlighted, this study provides insightful evidence that relationship banking may enhance exports of SMEs as a source of trade finance.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.85-94
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• 2015

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide a political registration point for analyzing the economic impacts on the national economy from the REITs distribution industry in our country. The REITs distribution industry was introduced in 2001 to accelerate the corporate restructuring process and advance the real estate market. During its establishment, the REITs distribution industry faced difficulties; however, the industry grew rapidly through interest from institutional investors, thus mitigating the establishment problems by 2006. In Korea, more than 108 REITs were operating as of the end of June 2015. REITs contribute significantly to the national economy. The economic impacts on the national economy of the REITs distribution industry was analyzed using input-output (I-O) analysis with respect to production, imports, value-added, and employment. Research design, data, and methodology - The research used an I-O analysis of the activities of the REITs distribution industry in the national economy. The I-O analysis methodology analyzes the economic effects that influence other industries with respect to one unit of external investment. The data for this analysis were the I-O table of 2013 as published by the Bank of Korea in 2014. Results - The findings of this study are as follows. First, if an external input to the REITs distribution industry is 1 won, the overall impact of the product is 1.3869 won, the import induction is 0.0002 won, and the value-added induction is 0.7656 won. A new investment of 659.9 billion won into the REITs industry was estimated to produce a gross effect of 915.2 billion won. Second, if an external input to the REITs distribution industry is 1 billion won, the employment-inducing effects are estimated at 19.6394 individuals. The employment-inducing coefficient of 19.6394 for the REITs distribution industry indicates that the industry created significant employment-more than other industries-because the coefficient was 2.2 times the 2013 industry average employment-inducing coefficient of 8.8. Third, the investment effects of the REITs distribution industry on production induction, value-added induction, and employment induction are assumed to be large in business support services, financing, communications and broadcasting, and professional, scientific, and technical services. Conclusions - The REITs distribution industry was analyzed as having a strong employment inducing, high value added effect. The REITs distribution industry is an excellent alternative for the government authority to create multilateral jobs. Because the REITs distribution industry has a significant positive impact on the national economy, it should be developed. However, the I-O methodology has restrictions with respect to the fixation and timing of the input coefficient. Follow-up research is expected to supplement the analysis method at a specific point in time.

• The Korean Journal of Financial Management
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.137-164
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• 2008

This paper examines the operating performance of firms that for a four-year period, held more than 15% of their assets in cash and cash equivalents. During next four years, operating performance of firms maintaining high cash persistently is greater than the performance of firms matched by size and industry or firms adopting transitory high cash policy. Furthermore, the effect of persistent cash holdings on operating performance depends on the ownership structure and the level of information asymmetry. Foreign investors deteriorate the operating performance of high cash firms, suggesting that potential M&A and the pressure of excessive dividend reduce the usefulness of cash. The level of information asymmetry enhances the operating performance for the firms adopting persistent high cash policy. It suggests that cash holdings reduce the costly external financing and underinvestment problem for firms with high information asymmetry.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.145-153
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• 2022

This study is an empirical analysis of the major factors influencing the globalization level of Chinese public enterprises. Based on previous research, we conducted a regression analysis using the transnational index as a dependent variable and export tax refund, exchange rate, human resources, innovation ability, asset management ability, loan ability, corporate development stage, global deployment ability, etc. as independent variables. As a result of the empirical analysis of this study, it was found that export refund (E_tax) and exchange rate (E_rate) have a statistically significant effect on the external influencing factors of globalization. Human resource capabilities (Edu, O_hunan), innovation capability (R&D), and financing capability (Finance) were found to be important internal influencing factors for the globalization of public enterprises. The role of the government in establishing the strategy of SOEs should be maintained at the level of guidance and it should provide guidance so that the autonomy of SOEs is not restricted as the role of the government is separated from the government's compulsory management and supervisory functions, leading to excessively compulsory management.

• Korean small business review
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.23-42
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• 2020

In this paper, it is analyzed that the financial factors of successful/unsuccessful companies in restructuring among Korean SMEs. For this purpose, the cases of 494 SMEs that had been subjected to workout programs due to financial distress between 2008-2014 were collected from A bank which is a SME financing bank, and had been subjected to logistic regression and t-test. And the sample cases are categorized into two groups, companies subject to external audit and the others, to provide more reliability. The result suggests; First, in all sample cases of SMEs, those are success factors for workout in connection with smaller total assets, lager sales amount, lower ratio of intangible assets, higher ratio of operating profit, lower ratio of short-term debt, higher ratio of long-term debt, and longer corporation history. Secondly, several factors have different influence on companies subject to external audit and the others. Lastly, the success factors for workout in Korean SMEs turned out to be different from those suggested in previous studies that are focused on large company. Some of the financial factors that led financially distressed firm to a successful restructuring showed the same results as large companies, but some of them were not related to them or even had the inverse influence on SMEs. This implies that SMEs have their distinctive success factors.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.121-148
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• 2018

This paper examines the role of accounting conservatism on investment expenditure for non-financial Korean listed firms around the 2007-2008 global financial crisis using a differences-in-differences design. Specifically, this paper examines the association between an ex ante classification of firms by their level of accounting conservatism prior to the credit crisis and the ex post magnitude of the decline in investment. Consistent with prior literature, this study found that firms experienced a decline in their investment when hit by the financial crisis (Campello et al. 2010). And also this study found that firms with more conservative financial reporting experienced a smaller decline in investment activity following the financial crisis than did firms with less conservative financial reporting. Together, the results suggest that negative shocks to the supply of external finance hampers firm-level investment and that conservative financial reporting can lessen the sensitivity of firms' investment to such negative shocks. Next, this study shows that the magnitude of our findings is greater for firms more likely to suffer from underinvestment (as opposed to overinvestment). Firms that are financially constrained or have greater demand for external finance are more likely to experience underinvestment. Consistent with the predictions, this study finds stronger benefits of conservatism for firms that face relatively greater costs in raising external capital (i.e., financially constrained firms) or that have a relatively greater need to do so (i.e., firms that lack internal financial resources). This study also finds that the role for conservatism is greater in firms with a higher level of information asymmetry, consistent with the notion that conservatism mitigates financing frictions arising from information problems.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.69-77
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• 2015

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine whether the cash policies of retail firms listed on Korean stock markets are consistent with the evidence provided in the study of Almeida et al. (2004). Liquidity management is an important issue for financially constrained firms relative to financially unconstrained firms. Because there are few sources of external funding, the optimal liquidity policies of financially constrained firms should reflect their own earnings or cash inflows to create opportunities for current and future real investments. According to this simple idea, we estimate the sensitivity of cash to cash flows and simply check whether the estimated sensitivity to cash flows of the cash retained by constrained retail firms is greater than that of the cash retained by unconstrained retail firms. Through this work, we aim to explain why the cash policies of the retail firms listed on the Korean stock markets differ from those of listed manufacturing enterprises. Research design, data, and methodology - To explain a firm's cash holdings, we use only three explanatory variables: earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), Tobin's q, and size. All the variables are defined as the value of the numerator divided by aggregate assets. Thanks to this definition, it is possible to treat all the sample firms as a single large firm. The sample financial data for this study are collected from the retail enterprises listed on the KOSPI and KOSDAQ markets from 1991 to 2013. We can obtain these data from WISEfn, the financial information company. This study's methodology has its origin in Keynes's simple idea of precautionary liquidity demand: When a firm faces financial constraints, cash savings from earnings or cash inflows become important from the corporate finance perspective. Following this simple idea, Almeida et al. (2004) developed their theoretical model and found empirical evidence that the sensitivity of cash to cash flows varies systematically according to different types of financing frictions. To find more empirical evidence for this idea, we examined the cash flow sensitivity of the cash held by Korean retail firms. Results - Through several robustness tests, we empirically showed that financially constrained Korean retail firms display significant positive propensity to save cash from earnings before interest and taxes, while the estimated cash flow sensitivity of the cash held by unconstrained retail firms is not significant. Despite the relatively low earnings of retail firms, their sensitivity is three times greater than that of manufacturing enterprises. This implies that Korean retail firms have greater intentions of facilitating future investments rather than current investments. Conclusions - The characteristics of the cash policies of Korean retail firms differ from those of manufacturing firms. This contrast may be attributable to industry-oriented policy planning, regulations, and institutional differences. However, the industrial policymakers should observe signals of the long-term growth options of retail firms based on their high propensity to save from their cash inflows.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.123-133
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• 2015

Purpose - The Korean government has devised intermodal transportation policies and granted subsidies to shippers and logistics companies that made a conversion of transportation means through the policies. This provides support by expanding the complex uniform railroad transportation and overhauling the deteriorated railroad facilities. As for 2013, however, the freight transportation percentage of railroad was 4.5% in tons and 8.5% in ton kilometers. Meanwhile, since the 1990s, developed countries such as the U.S. and Europe have been trying to expand intermodal freight transport with a legal and institutional support to build a logistics system corresponding with social and economic environmental changes. In this study, I set out to examine the effects of the intermodal freight transport policies in the EU and the U.S., and to explore the direction of setting up a rail intermodal transport system in South Korea. Research design, data, and methodology - The paper used a qualitative research methodology through the literature review. First, was an overview of Intermodal transportation in the EU, U.S. and UN. Second, it describes the development of transport in Europe and the U.S. with particular emphasis on intermodal freight transport. Third, it explores the direction of setting up a intermodal freight transport in South Korea. The last section contains concluding remarks. Results - As for the EU, it has been promoting integration between transport and intermodal logistics network designs while utilizing ITS or ICT and supports for rail freight intermodal by giving reduction to a facilities fee or subsidizing for rail freight in order to minimize the cost of external due to freight transport. On the other hand, as for the U.S., it has been made up of an industrial-led operating project and has been promoting it to improve accessibility between intermodal hubs and cargo terminals through intermodal corridor program, and an intermodal cargo hub access corridor projects, etc. Moreover, it has tried to construct intermodal transport system using ITS or ICT and to remove Barrier. As a result, in these countries, the proportion of intermodal freight transport is going to be the second significant transport compared with rail and maritime transport. An Effective rail intermodal transport system is needed in South Korea, as seen in the case of these countries. In order to achieve this object, the following points are required to establish radical infrastructure policy; diversify investment financing measures taken under public-private partnerships, legal responsibilities, improvement of utilization of existing facilities to connect the railway terminal and truck terminal, and enhancement service competitiveness through providing cargo tracking and security information that combines the ITS and ICT. Conclusions - This study will be used as a basis for policy and support for intermodal freight transport in South Korea. In the future, it is also necessary to examine from the perspective of the shipper companies using the rail intermodal transport, ie, recognition of shipper, needed institutional supports, and transportation demand forecasting and cost-effective analysis of the railway infrastructure systems improvement.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.3870-3881
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• 2015

This study examined one of the contemporary issues on debate to identify any significant financial determinants on the cash holdings of the cheabol firms in the Korean domestic capital markets. Several important findings on the financial characteristics affecting the cash holdings were evidenced by utilizing various methodologies for statistical estimations. Financial or managerial implications with discussion were provided for the pronounced factors such as CASHFLOW, MVBV, REINVEST, and AGENCY. Assuming that the chaebol firms were overall subject to the financial constrains, they may increase or stockpile cash reserves as internal capital for future investment opportunities or repayment of existing debt, rather than external financing burdened by a high cost of capital. Given the on-going controversy on the optimal level of corporate cash holdings coupled with any foreseeable capital transfer among the associated nations through the investment vehicles such the FTAs (Free Trade Agreements) or TPP (Trans-Pacific Pacts), any empirical findings of the study may shed new light on identifying financial determinants which may significantly affect the level of cash holdings for the business conglomerates, the 'chaebol' firms, in the Korean capital markets.