• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.279-309
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• 2016

The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a free trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim countries whose joint gross domestic products (GDPs) account for 36 percent of world GDP and whose mutual trade accounts for approximately 24 percent of world trade. As for most proposed free trade agreements (FTAs), trade economists have provided ex ante computable general equilibrium (CGE) estimates to predict the trade, employment, and real per capita income effects of this agreement, such as ITC (2016). This paper-intended to complement these studies-examines the potential impacts of TPP beyond such traditional CGE estimates, taking a broader economic, governance, and historical perspective. First, we contrast these traditional CGE trade and welfare estimates that treat all firms within an industry as homogeneous with more recent CGE analyses that allow firms' productivities to be heterogeneous. We show that the latter models' trade predictions are much more consistent with ex post empirical evidence of average trade effects of FTAs. Second, empirical evidence now strongly confirms the existence of FTA "contagion." We review this evidence and show that predictive models of the evolution of FTAs indicate that the TPP should be formed. With China now having formed 12 FTAs and negotiating five new ones (including a sixteen member Asia-Pacific FTA), the United States would likely face considerable trade diversion without the TPP. Third, we examine empirical evidence on the likely further economic growth implications of FTAs by reducing firms' uncertainty over trade relations and trade policies. Fourth, we examine empirical evidence on the additional impact of FTAs on consolidating democratic institutions in countries. The TPP would likely help consolidate some of the less mature democracies. Fifth, we examine empirical evidence on the reductions of conflicts (and enhanced peace) between countries owing to the formations of FTAs. We conclude the paper noting that the potential net benefits to member countries of the proposed TPP extend well beyond the real income gains to households based upon traditional CGE models.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.618-629
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• 2019

Along with growing population and economic development, increasing waste generation rates in developing countries have become a major issue related to the negative impacts of waste management on the environment. Currently, the business-as-usual waste management practices in Myanmar are largely affecting the environment and public health. Therefore, this study developed an alternative approach to waste management for reducing the environmental impacts in Myanmar by highlighting the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from business-as-usual practices and three proposed scenarios during 2018-2025. The calculation methods of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies were used for estimating the GHG emissions from waste management. It was estimated that the current waste management sector generated approximately 2,000 gigagrams of CO₂-eq per year in 2018, trending around 3,350 Gg of CO₂-eq per year in 2025. It was also observed that out of the proposed scenarios, Scenario-2 significantly minimized the environmental impacts, with the lowest GHG emissions and highest waste resource recovery. Moreover, the GHG emissions from business-as-usual practices could be reduced by 50% by this scenario during 2018-2025. The target of the similar scenario could be achieved if the local government could efficiently implement waste management in the future.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-21
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• 2015

Recently, many companies have launched a new business model related to the mobile gift service in order to achieve or sustain a competitive advantage in the fast-growing mobile market. Due to the well combination of mobile technology advantages and offline gift-giving motivations, a mobile gift service has been proliferating over recent years. Although the motivation of mobile gift purchasing behavior can be different from that of offline gift purchasing behavior, there is still a lack of research on what factors are influencing and how they are impacting mobile gift purchasing behavior under diverse gift-giving settings. Therefore, based on both exchange and motivation theories as well as literature review, this study identified three influencing factors-economic (immediate rewards, convenience), social (friendship needs, reputation), and personal (enjoyment, self-satisfaction) benefits-and validated their impacts on intention to repurchase a mobile gift. Moreover, the moderating roles of intimacy and gift price in the relationships between benefits and mobile gift repurchasing intention were examined. The results provide many implications for marketing managers on how to enhance consumers' intention to repurchase, which in turn leads to sales and increased profit.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.281-289
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• 2013

For the purpose of evaluating the eco-efficiency(EE) on surplus heat generated from industrial process, techniques of life cycle assessment are adopted in this study. Because it can be indicated both environmental impacts and economic benefits, EE is well known as a useful tool for symbiosis network on the sustainable development of new projects and businesses. To evaluate environmental impacts, the categories were divided into two areas of resource depletion and global warming potential. It can be seen that environmental impact increased a little but much higher economic benefit on the company, environmental performance and economic value were improved on the apartment by the district heating, respectively. In result, eco-industrial park(EIP) project on surplus heat should be found sustainable new business because the EE was in the area of fully positively eco-efficiency and, moreover resource depletion was taken place than the reduction of greenhouse gas.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.35-60
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• 2006

This paper uses input-output techniques to analyze the impacts of the coastal and inland water transportation (CIWT) upon the Korean economy between 1990 and 2000. The impacts were identified by means of backward and forward linkages effects, production inducing and import-inducing effects, and commodity prices repercussion effects of the coastal and inland water transportation. The data of this study come from The Bank of Korea databases for Input-Output Structure of the Korean economy. The major findings in this study can, among others, be summarized: that the power of dispersion(=backward linkage effect) and the degree of sensitivity (=forward linkage effect) of CIWT are higher than those of the deep sea transportation sector and that it has higher production-inducing effect than the average of total industries, while it has lower import-inducing effect than the average of total industries.

• KIEE International Transactions on Power Engineering
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• v.4A no.4
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• pp.221-226
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• 2004

As power systems grow more complex and power demands increase, the fault current tends to gradually increase. In the near future, the fault current will exceed a circuit breaker rating for some substations, which is an especially important issue in the Seoul metropolitan area because of its highly meshed configuration. Currently, the Korean power system is regulated by changing the 154kV system configuration from a loop connection to a radial system, by splitting the bus where load balance can be achieved, and by upgrading the circuit breaker rating. A development project applying a 154kV Superconducting Fault Current Limiter (SFCL) to 154kV transmission systems is proceeding with implementation slated for after 2010. In this paper, SFCL is applied to reduce the fault current in power systems according to two different application schemes and their technical and economic impacts are evaluated. The results indicate that both application schemes can regulate the fault current under the rating of circuit breaker, however, applying SFCL to the bus-tie location is much more appropriate from an economic view point.

• Advances in Energy Research
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.127-146
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• 2013

Torrefaction technologies convert assorted biomass feedstocks into energy-concentrated, carbon neutral fuel that is economically transported and easily ground for blending with fossil coals at numerous power plants around the world without needs to retrofit. Utilization of torrefied biomass in conventional electric generating units may be an increasingly attractive alternative for electricity generation as aging power plants in the world need to be upgraded or improved. This paper examines the economic feasibility of torrefaction in different scenarios by modeling torrefaction plants producing 136,078 t/year (150,000 ton/year) biocoal from wood and corn stover. The utilization of biocoal blends in existing coal-fired power plants is modeled to determine the demand for this fuel in the context of emerging policies regulating emissions from coal in the U.S. setting. Opportunities to co-locate torrefaction facilities adjacent to corn ethanol plants and coal-fired power plants are explored as means to improve economics for collaborating businesses. Life cycle analysis was conducted in parallel to this economic study and was used to determine environmental impacts of converting biomass to biocoal for blending in coal-fired power plants as well as the use of substantial flows of off-gasses produced in the torrefaction process. Sensitivity analysis of the financial rates of return of the different businesses has been performed to measure impacts of different factors, whether input prices, output prices, or policy measures that render costs or rewards for the businesses.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.177-215
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• 2018

Trump's withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and his "America First" trade agenda ignite a second round of interest in mega-free trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific. Countries are evaluating alternative trade policy actions in a post-TPP era. Using national real GDP gains estimated by a modified GTAP model to construct "preference ordering" for 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations members and their six regional dialogue partners, this paper comes up with several policy-oriented findings. First, when multilateral agreements are not possible, countries are better off with a regional trading agreement than without one. Second, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is likely to have higher beneficial impacts than the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Third, for dual-track countries, implementing both agreements is better than each separately. Fourth, impacts of open regionalism are likely to be higher than those of a closed and reciprocal one. Going forward, this paper argues that countries should adopt a "multi-track, multi-stage" approach to trade policy.

• Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-30
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• 2019

The advent of digitalisation has transformed economies into more integrated, but increasingly complex systems. This new trend has brought dynamic changes in the manufacturing sector through advanced ICT infrastructure, smart factories, digitally-controlled logistics, and skilled ICT-labour. The impacts of the digital economy on manufacturing could be best illustrated through "Industry 4.0." With this wave of technological advancement, countries aim to establish an industrial ecosystem where every manufacturing process and function is connected and interacts through digital networks. Industry 4.0 presents opportunities for Emerging Asia, as the region has emerged as a fast-growing manufacturing hub and particularly a production base for ICT goods. However, growing production capacity, increased exports, and increases in FDI in the field of ICT goods manufacturing have so far contributed little to the development and diffusion of ICT. A huge gap exists in the ICT uptake amongst countries and between small and large firms. This paper highlights the level of Industry 4.0 readiness of Emerging Asia and key factors that determine its enhancement.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.311-331
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• 2021

Climate change with extreme hydrological events has become a significant concern for agricultural water systems. Climate change affects not only irrigation availability but also agricultural water requirement. In response, adaptation strategies with soft and hard options have been considered to mitigate the impacts from climate change. However, their implementation has become progressively challenging and complex due to the interconnected impacts of climate change with socio-economic change in agricultural circumstances, and this can generate more uncertainty and complexity in the adaptive management of the agricultural water systems. This study was carried out for the agricultural water supply system in Seongju dam watershed in Seonju-gun, Gyeongbuk in South Korea. The first step is to identify system disturbances. Climate variation and socio-economic components with historical and forecast data were investigated Then, as the second step, problematic trends of the critical performance were identified for the historical and future climate scenarios. As the third step, a system structure was built with a dynamic hypothesis (causal loop diagram) to understand Seongju water system features and interactions with multiple feedbacks across system components in water, agriculture, and socio-economic sectors related to the case study water system. Then, as the fourth step, a mathematical SD (system dynamics) model was developed based on the dynamic hypothesis, including sub-models related to dam reservoir, irrigation channel, irrigation demand, farming income, and labor force, and the fidelity of the SD model to the Seongju water system was checked.