• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.151-174
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• 2021

This paper empirically examines whether and how inward foreign direct investment (FDI) affected industrial productivity in Korea during the 2000-2016 period, based on dynamic panel data of inflow FDI on an arrival basis from 427 manufacturing industries. The paper adds to the literature by analyzing whether both technology spillovers and industrial restructuring from inward FDI can differ according to industrial characteristics such as capital intensity, imported intermediate inputs, and tariffs. The empirical results show that the overall effects of inward FDI on total factor productivity (TFP) were statistically insignificant in general. However, the positive effects of inward FDI on productivity became statistically significant for industries with lower tariffs. Capital intensity were not involved in the relationship between inward FDI and productivity. Thus, the paper highlights that the results in previous studies with inward FDI on a notification basis were overestimated and inward FDI policies in Korea should focus on channels such as trade liberalization and the redistribution of production factors rather than capital accumulation.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.35-58
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• 2020

Purpose - This study examines the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) location choice for Chinese firms, focusing on the agglomeration effect for firms of the same nationality. Design/methodology - The empirical data are China's inward FDI from the top 19 economies (excluding tax havens and Taiwan) in terms of FDI during 1997-2015 and China's outward FDI from the top 18 economies (excluding tax havens). This study uses a random effects generalized least squares model for panel data analysis. Findings - The results confirm that both host countries' costs and market conditions and the degree of agglomeration affect these countries' attractiveness for FDI inflows. Specifically, agglomeration has a significant effect on China's inward and outward FDI. This study confirms that the agglomeration of firms of the same nationality has predictive power for multinational enterprises' FDI location choices. The host countries' real GDP and trade openness also positively affect FDI inflows. Interestingly, however, China's production cost has a positive effect. Thus, inward FDI aimed at entering the Chinese market is increasing in recent years relative to the previous efficiency-seeking FDI. Inward FDI in China is therefore the market-entry type, whereas outward FDI by Chinese firms is the market-oriented type. Originality/value - These results suggest that the effects of the potential determinants of Chinese outward FDI are similar to those of inward FDI as China's trade liberalization progresses.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.55-72
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• 2020

Purpose - In this paper, we provide recommendations for Korea's long-term direction and strategic measures to attract inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in response to Japan's export regulations. In doing so, we analyze the current situation and characteristics of trade between Korea and Japan, focusing on the parts and materials industry, which is particularly affected by Japan's trade regulations. Design/methodology - Based on the analysis of five successful inward FDI cases (e.g. Toray, IGK, Delkor, GlobalWafers, DuPont) and statistic trend review in the parts and materials industry, we consider various factors pertaining to successful inward FDI in Korea and propose valuable investment attraction strategies. Findings - For a successful investment attraction strategy, we studied some statistical trends in the internal and external environments of the parts and materials industry and successful investment attraction cases in Korea. We have found that in order to increase the probability of success in attracting investment, we need a mid-to long-term strategy considering multiple factors such as "Production-oriented, Demand-linked, Global Value Chain (VGC) linked, and Policy-linked investment attraction." Originality/value - We suggest several specific measures and important strategic implications for the Korean government and firm's managers to attract inward FDI successfully.

• Industry Promotion Research
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.69-81
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• 2021

Pakistan is a South Asian auspicious developing country. Based on the corruption perception index report 2020 by transparency international, Pakistan has ranked 124 with total scores of 31 globally and 188 ranks with a score of -2.25 in terms of political stability ranging from 0 (lowest) to 100 (highest). More crucially, the inflow of foreign direct investment toward Pakistan has declined between 2008 and 2019. Though political instability and government corruption have both positive and negative linear relationships with foreign direct investment, we tested the moderating impact of government corruption between political instability and inward foreign direct investment over time. We also tested the relationship between political instability and inward foreign direct investment in different phases of political regimes in the same country. Our results suggested that authoritarian regimes attracted more inward foreign direct investment than that during democratic periods of government. Furthermore, we found that there was low inward foreign direct investment when government corruption was high in the country. However, government corruption weakened the positive relationship between political instability and inward foreign direct investment (FDI).

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.391-408
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• 2009

This study first designates the factors affecting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in order to analyze the FDI in Korea, and calculates the Korean FDI index by using various designated variables and by applying Factor Analysis Technique. In addition, it attempts to understand the influence wielded by the foreign investment variables of foreign multinationals on FDI in Korea, by setting to analyze & verify Environmental Factors and the overall model based on FDI in Korea. Through an emprical analysis of USA, Japan, EU, China, as our hypothesis, we could verify that the positive effects(+) among the decisive factors of FDI in Korea include the market size, the mean earning rate of domestic manufacturing industries, and the marketing capacities of foreign corporations, while the negative effects(-) include the ratio of taxation on domestic manufacturing industries. Other FDI factors have various effects on each, so some factors show the same effects as the hypothesis while others show separate effects. In addition, the only nation for which the effects of FDI factors in Korea coincide with the hypothesis completely is the USA, while other nations (such as Japan, EU, China) have some effects that conform to the hypothesis, but other effects do not accord with it.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.231-248
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• 2014

The role of the foreign direct investment is very crucial for the regional economic growth nowadays. The inward FDI in Korea has been increased since the Act of foreigner investment promotion in 1998. The municipal and national government have designated the special industrial zones and supported the diverse incentives for the foreign investment companies. The service sector had a large share of inward FDI. However, manufacturing sector overtook the service sector as the largest FDI in 2009. This study focuses on the greenfield manufacturing FDI, which was established from 1999 to 2012 in Korea. In order to find out the impacts of low-priced industrial electricity and loose environmental regulations on choosing Korea, this paper did in-depth interviews with MOTIE, Korea industrial complex, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, some FDI companies. Investment incentives such as low price of domestic industrial electricity strongly affect why manufacturing FDI companies choose Korea to invest. The Korean government has also acknowledges that low-price policy can internationally compete to attract FDI. There is a possibility that FDI energy-guzzling industrial companies may choose for Korea to use the low-priced electricity, raising the issue of supply-demand of electricity of Korea in the future.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.245-267
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situation of foreign direct investment of Korea based on GVC (Global Value Chain) perspective and to presentthe policy direction. From GVC perspective which comprehensively describes the world's increasing FDI and imports/exports phenomenon since the 2000s, the level of internationalization of Korea is excessively concentrated in trade. Therefore, the expansion of foreign investment (OFDI, IFDI) is urgently needed. The results of regression analysis using data from 50 countries and the international comparison of major countries including Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, etc, showed that the level of foreign direct investment of Korea is 20 to 30 years behind compared to those major countries. Therefore, exploiting the benefits of trade and foreign direct investment at the same time is needed to increase the level of GDP per capita.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.11
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• pp.31-39
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• 2021

This study empirically examines the proposition that the domestic fundamentals of a nation can emerge as absorptive capacity factors to reap the benefits of inward FDI. The study is contextualized in Asia, set from1982 to 2017, and data is grouped into low-income and lower-middle-income economies, in comparison to high-income and upper-middle-income economies, catering to different geographical regions within Asia. The investigation is based on a series of absorptive capacity factors such as infrastructure, human capital, domestic credit, and health indicator. The methodological analysis is premised on dynamic panel structure and employs the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation technique. The empirical findings suggest that that the infrastructure variable appears to be the major absorptive capacity factor for both groups of countries. The health indicator, on the other hand, can help reap the benefits of inward FDI, but only if the threshold level is met. The selected economies must achieve this threshold level to reap the benefits of FDI. To absorb the benefits of inward FDI, countries must be proactive in providing sound infrastructure and implementing proper healthcare measures.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.173-183
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• 2020

The paper investigates the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Vietnam in 2000-2019 period. This study uses difference Generalized Methods of Moments (GMM) and Pooled Mean Group (PMG) to analyse panel data officially provided by General Statistical Office of Vietnam. The results show that market size impacts positively significant on FDI attraction: 1% -1.45% (PMG) and 1% -1.25% (GMM). Besides, some other factors have positive influences as labor force, macroeconomic policy, macroeconomic stability and skilled labor. Meantime, the trade openness negatively affects FDI inflows in the short-term, while not being statistically significant in the long-term. Moreover, economic shocks often have a negative impact on FDI inflows. The findings of this study lead to the following recommendations. First, authorities should pay special attention to encourage economic growth rate in Vietnam to expand market size because this is the first priority of foreign investors. Second, authorities need to continue increasing the rate of skilled labor, especially highly qualified management force, engineers and well-skilled workers. Third, the authorities should adjust trade openness to boost the role of its determinant in attracting FDI inflows. Fourth, macroeconomic stability needs to be governed by international standards in order to secure the belief of foreign investors in the long-term.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.123-143
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• 2010

This paper attempts to analyze the strategies that Korean enterprise have taken to respond to China's rapidly changing foreign direct investment policies, especially after China's participation in the WTO. China's logistics industry has entered a stage of fast growth and the demand of logistics infrastructure Korea which is trying to be a logistics hub in Northeast Asia has to pay attention to the logistics of China. This paper provides the basic information for enhancing global logistics to logistics enterprise. Korean logistics enterprises analyze problem of China's policy and will have to cope political change spontaneously.