Electronic Commerce Related Issues in the WTO and Its Implication to Korea

전자상거래 관련 논의현황과 과제

There is no doubt that electronic commerce facilitates international trade and lower transaction cost and help firms make the best of the opportunities of market access. The comprehensive programs had been implemented to provide better electronic commerce environments by international organizations such as OECD, UNCITRAL, APEC and etc. Especially, WTO plays the most important role to implement efficient forms and rules on electronic commerce after Seattle 3rd Ministerial Conference. Member countries recognize the need to conduct the electronic commerce in compliance with the principles and rules of WTO. However, there are many issues to be solved such as the clarifications of concepts and definitions, the possibility of adaptation of technological neutrality In GATS, the Imposition of taxation in electronic commerce transactions and the methods of protecting copyright as well as trademark. The Implementation of concrete forms and rules of electronic commerce in the WTO will be influential to international trade as the member countries have to adapt them In their transactions. Considering that further discussion will be continued in GATS, we need to analyze the problems and strategies for electronic commerce.

인터넷과 전자문서교환(EDI) 같은 각종 정보통신망을 기반으로 이루어지는 국제적인 전자상거래의 구현을 위하여 OECD, APEC, UNCITRAL, IEC, ITU, UN, UNCTAD 등의 여러 국제기구에서 활발한 움직임을 보이고 있다. 특히 최근에서는 다자간 무역체제인 WTO차원에서 전자상거래의 발전과정에 대한 논의가 활발하게 논의되고 있다 본 논문에서는 주요 국제기구와 WTO에서 논의되고 있는 전자상거래 관련 쟁점이슈들을 분석하고 향후 논의과제를 통하여 우리의 입장을 제시하는데 그 목적이 있다.