• International Journal of Human Ecology
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.1-12
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• 2014

This study focuses on apparel production and consumption trends in major Asian economies in order to understand a paradigm change in the Asian fashion industry. A comparison of trade among ASEAN, NICs, and developed countries shows the changes that have occurred in terms of production and consumption of fashion products before and after 2000 in Korea, Hong Kong, and China. The flow of imports and exports in the apparel industry was analyzed using UN trade statistics data. The results found a change of industry structures in Asian NICs and ASEAN countries. Garment production bases have moved to lower cost regions like China and ASEAN; in addition, NICs sent a part of their export business in the fashion industry to ASEAN countries. The Asian fashion industry has transformed from a production base for developed countries into a consumption market with the emergence of newly industrializing economies.

• 한국의류학회지
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• 제30권9_10호
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• pp.1354-1365
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• 2006

China has a big potential as an apparel market due to its rapid economic growth. In the fashion industry, great attention has been paid to China. However, analysis of competitiveness has received relatively little attention from fashion scholarship. This study attempts to apply the double diamond model to analyze the international competitiveness of the apparel industry of China as well as of Korea. The purpose of this study is 1) to establish diamond model components in the fashion industry for Korea and China respectively, and 2) to compare the established diamond models(i.e., double diamond model, multinational diamond model) between Korea and China. Finally we suggested a marketing strategy based on the results of the double diamond model application. To build a diamond model for each country intensive literature review were conducted and additionally quantitative data were collected from 31 merchandisers and managers. We found that the domestic diamond of China was larger than Korea's, but firm strategy, structure and rivalry condition of Korea were more competitive than China's. Secondly, regarding the international diamond, China was more competitive, and especially had more the larger factor condition than Korea confirming that Korea was less competitive than China. This article provides a theoretical background and empirical findings for the competitiveness model of the fashion industry.

• 복식
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• 제34권
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• pp.37-56
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• 1997

The Korean Apparel industry has played an significant role for the econom-ic development in Korea which is mainaly due to the apparel exports to the world market. However the Koran apparel industry has confronted drastic changes in domestic and also in international market for the last several years. Korean apparel products have lost price competitiveness in international market because domestic labor costs have increased so fast and al-so newcomers such as China or other Asian countries have emerged as compet-itive producers. Furthermore domestic market has been saturated with the Korean apparel manufacturers and also with the foreign retailers. Therefore the Korean apparel industry should establish market-ing strategies in order to regain competitiveness. This study aims to analyze the factors for non-price competitiveness of Korean apparel industry and propose the way to regain competitiveness form the buyers' point of view. The present study utilize the survey data for the internet database which is established by the Cotton Incorporated. The results show that the Korean apparel industry is not competitive in terms of non-price factors such as minimum orders terms of payment preproduction stage use of new technolo-gy and lead times. These factors are not directly related to the price of product which is suggested to the buyers. However these are flexibility factors which play important roles in decision making process of buyers because they can reduce risks in uncertain business environment. Therefore the Korean apparel industry should establish global marketing strate-gies which can enhance non-price competitiveness as well as price competitiveness.

• 복식문화연구
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.593-603
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to study the Central Asian costumes($1{\sim}7C$) and develop new design items and suggest new brand launching. Korean apparel industry has been suffering from imbalance of supply and demand caused by the sagging economy and too many apparel companies. Due to the several years of recession, clothing consumption decreased and foreign brand's market share got bigger. As a result, managing a company became difficult and it is time for Korean apparel industry to enter the global market. We need a brand with new image and design that has big potential of purchasing power not only in Korea but also in China, and furthermore in global market. But even nearby Chinese market already became very competitive. One way of approaching Chinese fashion market is to find something special, for example, their historical background. Central Asian culture and costumes, a part of China, has both Eastern and Western culture. No other apparel industry had interest in the Central Asian costumes yet. Therefore, through their costume, a fresh design idea can be suggested.

• 한국의류학회지
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.474-485
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants and elements to enhance Korean international competitiveness, employing Porter's(1998) Diamond Model. Half of the 500 leading apparel exporters that were members of the Korea Apparel Industry Association in 2003 were selected as the target of this research. From May to June of 2003, survey questionnaires were sent to executives of these 250 companies in person or by telephone, e-mail, or fax. Seventy questionnaires were used for the final data anlysis. The items used were Reliability, Categorical Regression, and Frequency, using SPSS 11.5. The results were as follows: First, as a result of analyzing the influence of international competitiveness in Korean apparel industry, the firm's strategy, structure, and rivalry was the most influential factor. Others were related and supporting industries, government, chance, demand conditions, and factor conditions. Also, the elements that affect Korean international competitiveness were listed as the level of price competition in foreign markets, the level of labor cost, export marketing capacity, and exchange fluctuation. The most important element to improve the international competitiveness of the Korean apparel industry was a demand growth rate of the overseas markets(Demand Conditions), followed by the level of the labor costs(Factor Conditions), the capability of internationalization(Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry), the change of currency(Chance), the quality and management of products(Demand Conditions), the capability of planning products(Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry), free trade from 2005(Chance), and global sourcing strategy(Firm Strategy, Structure, and Rivalry). Korea's main rival country in apparel related and supporting industry factors is China. However, Korea has a higher level of technology development, quality, and price level than China.

• The International Journal of Costume Culture
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• 제13권2호
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• pp.93-100
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• 2010

The business strategies of small to medium enterprises (SMEs), especially in relation to the Japanese apparel wholesaler and apparel manufacture markets, have been undertaken by Urakami and his colleagues (Komiya et al., 2009; Urakami et al., 2009; Urakami & Wu 2010). The aim now is to investigate the changing business climate of apparel products in Asia, now that China seems to a major player of apparel products in the Asian region. The production of apparel products from China has resulted in a major shift of the business environment. Such products have now invaded import markets throughout the world economies. Such a drastic change in the business environment impacts the structure of distribution channels in competing economies, affecting both wholesalers and manufactures. This research focuses on the effects this has had on the Japanese distribution channels. The findings derived from our previous research are highlighted, together with several planned hypotheses that require testing, in order to build a clearer understanding of apparel manufacturing in the Asian region.

• 한국의류학회지
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• 제32권3호
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• pp.462-473
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• 2008

In recent years, Korea's apparel exports to the USA have faced a great threat, as the trade environment around the world has changed continually. The purpose of this study is to analyze the competitive position of Korean apparel exports to the USA, and to enhance export competitiveness by applying to offshore sourcing. The trade data of the Office of Textiles and Apparel(OTEXA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce were selected for inquiry about export competitiveness of apparel products made in Korea. In addition, we targeted members of the Korea Apparel Industry Association among the 500 exporters of clothing items in "The Import and Export Textile Product 2003." A total 70 sheets were analyzed. The results of this study were as follows: 1) Korean apparel exports to USA have decreased by 20-35 percent per year since 2005 under the Free Trade Area, showing that Korean apparel industries have not adapted to the new trade environment. Although Korean apparel exports to USA have indicated a trade surplus from now on, Korean apparel industries should find new ways to overcome this situation, diminishing exports and increasing imports. 2) Korean apparel companies selected more offshore sourcing than domestic sourcing. Also, as Korean apparel companies manufactured apparel products offshore, foreign subcontracting outranked manufacturing in their own foreign plants. When they chose foreign countries to source, they turned mainly to China and Vietnam. Also, they considered the target country's manufacturing price, labor stability, apparel products, quality, lead time, and so on. In order to increase apparel exports, Korean apparel industries should focus more on developing competitively new apparel products, improving the ability of sourcing management, and establishing on-the-spot agencies.

• 한국의류학회지
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• 제26권6호
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• pp.751-762
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• 2002

Korean apparel industry is facing critical moment due to shortage of labor, wage increases and intensive competition among domestic manufactures. In addition, international production has been shifting to China and the other low-wage countries from established locations such as Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Global sourcing has been received considerable attention since firms can enhance their competitive advantage as well as comparative advantage by coordinating their sourcing activities global]y. This studs regarded global sourcing as one of the strategic tools to achieve competitive advantage of Korean apparel firms, and explored the current status by literature reviews and series of in-depth interviews with managers of korean apparel firms. The findings of this study were as follows: 1) Due to geographical advantage, China was the most favored nation for outsourcing for domestic markers. However, exporting firms preferred Latin America (including Mexico) to take advantage of duties, quotas and geographical proximity to the US market. 2) In selecting the global sourcing country, productivity, technical ability, local government regulation, and culture were considered important. 3) Most Korean apparel firms sources production globally, and followed by raw materials and trims. 4) Cost and quality were the most important factors in deciding subcontractors, and experience, productivity, equipment and finances were the next concerns. Academic implications and future directions were suggested based on findings.

• 복식문화연구
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.287-298
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• 2024

Clothing is intimately intertwined with daily lives as every individual relies on it. The pervasive issue of plagiarism in the fashion industry has led to an increased demand to protect intellectual property rights. Currently, studies on the protection of fashion design intellectual property rights in China remain in the exploratory stage and warrant further investigation. This paper addresses the issue in two parts. The first part contains an analysis of the theoretical foundation for the protection of fashion design copyrights. It is further divided into three subsections. The first subsection primarily examines the concept of copyrights and laws. The second subsection focuses on the concept of fashion design copyrights and laws. The third subsection analyzes copyright laws concerning fashion designs in China. The second section offers an analysis of infringement cases involving fashion designs published during the Baiyi Cup Intellectual Property Case Summary Writing Competition held in China in 2023. It outlines the shortcomings of the current Chinese copyright laws regarding the protection of fashion designs, and proposes measures for improvement. This study argues that the institutional framework for intellectual property rights in the Chinese fashion industry should align with practical considerations and explores suitable legal regulations and how they relate to specific circumstances in China. Besides refining the legal framework, fashion designers and enterprises must take measures to entablish the intellectual property rights of their clothing brands.

• 한국의류학회지
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.244-255
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was 1) to inquire into characteristics of apparel manufacturers and distributors in China, 2) to classify private Guanxi and organizational relationship type, 3) to find differences in private Guanxi to enterprise type and the class of participations' position, and 4) to also find effects of private Guanxi on organizational relationship. Apparel manufacturers and distributors in China participated in the study. Random sampling method was used to collect the data. Data from 173 questionnaires were used for the statistical analysis. Descriptive analysis, factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, t-test, and regression analysis were conducted. Two factors of private Guanxi were classified(i.e., affective Guanxi, instrumental Guanxi). Three factors of organizational relationship type were identified(i.e., opportunistic relationship, cooperative relationship, vertical relationship). The results indicated that distributors regarded affective Guanxi as important more than manufactures and employees regarded affective Guanxi and instrumental Guanxi as important more than presidents. Distributors regarded cooperative relationship as important more than manufactures. Employees regarded organizational relationship as important more than presidents. Affective Guanxi positively affected on cooperative relationship and vertical relationship but negatively affected on opportunistic relationship. Instrumental Guanxi positively affected on opportunistic relationship and vertical relationship. The result of this study may give valuable information to retail merchandisers and strategists who participated in fashion business in China.