• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.41-60
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• 2022

Purpose - The policy implications of free trade agreements have traditionally been a matter of debate among economists. The official signing of the Korea-China Free Trade Agreement provides economists with a quasi-natural experiment to analyze the FTA's policy effects. This article aims to more accurately understand the impact of Korea's FTA accession on the macro economy. Design/methodology - This study adopts the counterfactual method based on panel data to find common factors in the generation process of macro data to fit the counterfactual path, to accurately evaluate the effect of the macro policy. Findings - Our research results show that the signing of the Korea-China FTA has a relatively significant short-term positive effect on Korea's economic growth. On average, Korea's real GDP growth rate has increased by 2.1%. This study finds evidence in support of FTA signing not having a significant impact on Korea's GDP growth in the long run. Additionally, we evaluated the impact of the FTA on Korea's imports and exports and found that it had a significant positive impact in the short term, but the trade effect of the FTA is significantly affected by the external macro-environment. Originality/value - First, this study uses macro panel data at the national level to examine the impact of the Korea-China FTA on Korea, and more accurately describes the policy effect of the FTA. Second, our empirical results show that the Korea-China FTA policy impact is subject to occasional changes in the external environment, such as the geopolitical conflict (crisis) between Korea and China, and the US-China trade war. Finally, the analysis shows that the short-term effect of FTA is significant but the long-term is uncertain, which provides empirical evidence for the debate on whether joining FTA can promote national economic growth.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.65-83
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• 2022

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to evaluate the economic effects of FTAs using the concept of value-added exports. So far, the economic effects of FTAs have been dependent on decrease in import prices due to tariff cuts in importing countries, but the actual tariff reduction need to consider the value added of the exporting countries. Design/methodology - Value-added export refers to the added value created in the exporting country out of total exports. Among value-added exports, direct value-added export is interpreted as the Regional Value Contents (RVC), from which the economic effect of the FTA can be analyzed. A modified GTAP-VA model takes into account RVC in order to estimate accurate effects of FTAs. Findings - By the re-evaluation of the FTA based on the RVC, this paper makes it clear that the economic effects of the existing FTA methodology have the possibility of overestimation. In addition, as a new FTA with a strengthened Rules of Origin (ROO) is being initiated, a negative impact on international trade and GVC utilization may occur. Originality/value - This study introduces the concept of value-added export in analyzing the effects of FTAs. The new analysis methodology of this paper emphasizes the importance of value-added exports. Re-organization of GVCs would change regional trade agreements and empower ROO by weakening existing GVCs and transforming the value chain from global into regional scope.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.235-253
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• 2010

The export is an important economic growth strategy in South Korea. South Korea is strongly dependant on external trades. Bilateral trade between China and South Korea has been grown rapidly in recent years. The China is now Korea's first-largest trading partner. Thus, the Korea-China Free Trade Agrement (FTA) in South Korea's trade operations is very important. A discussion of Korea-China bilateral FTA commenced in 2004 November. This paper is to recognize the phenomenon of major issued fields in the Korea-China FTA such as a manufacturing, agriculture, customs and seek a negotiation strategy that are summarized as follows. In terms of trade based on manufacturing, it is necessary to divide into a private, general reduction and priority reduction item to recognize whether it is complementary or competitive on the specific industry in the FTA negotiation by using an index regarding supplement and competition of these two countries. In particularly sensitive agricultural field, FTA should be progressed gradually after giving a certain period of time of grace period on the basis of various flexible tariff systems in order to minimize agriculture damage as a result of the rapid growth from import of Chinese agricultural goods.

• Monthly Duck's Village
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• s.55
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• pp.45-45
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• 2008

• The Journal of shipping and logistics
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.245-264
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• 2019

With the first agrement in 2004, Korea(ROK) has been one of the most active countries participating in FTA. Companies should meet some requirements to use preferential tariff benefits of FTA. For example, it is required for firms to fulfil the origin criteria and direct transportation principles. This study is designed to provide important factors determining reliability of FTA Origin Certificate. In specific, characteries of firm(trade experience, professional expertise), country (FTA participation, economic development) and product(processing level, value pricing) are investigated as determinants of how trust FTA origin certificate. According to the theoretical foundation and previous studies, this study made 6 hypotheses. SEM(Structural Equation Modeling) was used to test empirically the hypothesized relationships among variables. The empirical findings show that trade experience, professional expertise and FTA participation are important determinants. In other words, firms can trust more FTA Origin Certificate by trading partners with more trading experiences and professional expertises located in countries where participate actively in FTA.

• Journal of Applied Tourism Food and Beverage Management and Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.41-67
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• 2006

The study is aimed to analyze the influence of FTA(Free Trade Agreement) between Korea and Japan on tourism and to suggest ways to increase tourists exchange between them by considering countermeasures of Korea's tourism based on the analysis and deriving political significance. The results of the study showed that the expected effects of FTA between Korea and Japan on tourism would overall be positive. There would be increases in employment and a higher rate of foreign-exchange earning, which plays a critical role in the cash flow. Therefore the government is required to prepare for several political measures as follows. First, ways to promote investment in tourism have to be established in a systematic way for FTA. Second, restructuring of tourism has to be considered seriously for tourism to be a high value-added industry after FTA. Third, the tourism information industry needs to be included in the tourism promotion act to promote e-tourism using information technology. In addition to this, an expansive cluster strategy needs to be developed, which relates tourism to other industries like culture and movies and to find ways to re-locate and re-educate manpower currently engaged in the tourism industry. Though the study investigated the influence of FTA on tourism through a practical analysis, it was restricted only to Korea. So the influence of FTA between Korea and Japan on the tourism of Japan should be included in further study. Furthermore, in subsequent studies the CGE(Computable General Equilibrium) model will be applied for objective analysis of the effects. Or measuring the ripple effect with multinational inter-industry relation table will be made for the study to make practical contributions to the development of government policy.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.247-280
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• 2020

For customs-free and liberalization on the trade of aircraft parts, the WTO Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft was separately concluded as plurilateral trade agreement at the time of launching WTO in 1995, and currently 33 countries including the United States and the EU are acceded but Korea does not. Major details of the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft include product coverage, the elimination of customs duties and other charges, the prohibition of government-directed procurement of civil aircraft, the application of the Agreement on Subsides and Countervailing Measures, and the consultation on issues related to this Agreement and dispute resolution. Article 89 paragraph 6 of the current Customs Act was newly established on December 31, 2018, and the tariff reduction rate for imports of aircraft parts will be reduced in stages from May 2019 and the tariff reduction system will be abolished in 2026. Accordingly, looking at the impact of the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft on the aviation industry, first, as for the impact on the air transport industry, an tariff allotment of the domestic air transport industry is expected to reach about 160 billion won a year from 2026, and upon acceding to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft, the domestic air transport industry will be able to import aircraft parts at no tariff, so it will not have to pay 3 to 8 percent import duties. Second, as for the impact on the aviation MRO industry, if the tariff reduction system for aircraft parts is phased out or abolished in stages, overseas outsourcing costs in the engine maintenance and parts maintenance are expected to increase, and upon acceding to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft, the aviation MRO industry will be able to import aircraft parts at no tariff, so it will reduce overseas outsourcing costs. If the author proposes a policy direction for the trade liberalization of aircraft parts to ensure competitiveness of the aviation industry, first, as for the tariff reduction by the use of FTA, in order to be favored with the tariff reduction by the use of FTA, it is necessary to secure the certificate of origin from foreign traders in the United States and the EU, and to revise the provisions of Korea-Singapore and Korea-EU FTA. Second, as for the push of acceding to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft, it would be resonable to push the acceding to Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft for customs-free on the trade of aircraft parts, as the tariff reduction method by the use of FTA has limits. Third, as for the improvement of the tariff reduction system for aircraft parts under the Customs Act, it is expected that there will take a considerable amount of time until the acceding to the Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft, so separate improvement measures are needed to continue the tariff reduction system of aircraft parts under Article 89 paragraph 6 of the Customs Act. In conclusion, Korea should accede to the WTO Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft to create an environment in which our aviation industry can compete fairly with foreign aviation industries and ensure competitiveness by achieving customs-free and liberalization on the trade of aircraft parts.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.3-32
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• 2007

This age is called the age of global trade, and the World Trade Organization is a forerunner in promoting the global free trade through multilateral negotiations as the global level. On the other hand, regional economic cooperation such as North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA) is appearing, saying that promotion by WTO takes too much time. As is known to everybody, Europe is on the way of integrating member states through EU not to mention economic cooperation. Even in Asia such tendency is shown through ASEAN, Korea, China and Japan in Northeast Asia share geographical proximity, many common historical experiences, and similar cultural norms and values although they have disparities in stages of development, trade and economic policies, and financial and legal frameworks. Under the situation, efforts have been made between three countries of Korea, China and Japan for the conclusion of investment agreements including FTA. If the conclusion of the FTA between the three countries would be realized, it would promote regional trade and investment, contributing to economic growth in the Northeast Asian region. The writer in this paper reviewed the settlement of private commercial dispute including investment dispute arising from the FTA and investment agreements. The investment dispute is quite different from an ordinary commercial dispute arising from commercial transactions in view of disputing parties, applicable laws and rules, etc. Therefore it is a problem of vital importance that the parties interested in investment under the FTA as well as the relevant investment agreement should understand and cope with the settlement mechanism of investment disputes arising therefrom. The ICSID Convention provides facilities for the conciliation and arbitration of disputes between member countries and investors who qualify as nationals of other member countries. All contracting states of the ICSID Convention are required by the Convention to recognize and enforce the ICSID arbitral awards. The New York Convention(formally called "United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards") is also applicable for the enforcement of arbitral awards to be rendered under the FTA. As to applicable rules, the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules may be required for the settlement of investment disputes under the FTA. This Rules has adopted by the internationally recognized arbitral organizations although it was developed primarily for use in ad hoc arbitration. The promotion of arbitral cooperation may be realized through agreements between arbitral institutions. Especially under the NAPTA system, a central common system was established to resolve jointly private commercial disputes arising from such free trades by the initiative of arbitral organizations among the member countries. It is called Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Center for the Americas(CAMCA), which may be a good example for the settlement promotion of the private commercial disputes between Korea and other relevant countries.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.83-94
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• 2009

This study examined the expectations and attitudes of urban Korean consumers with respect to the Korea-USA Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which was drafted on April, 2007. The data were collected through online surveys in which 527 adults answered structured questionnaires. The results showed that the number of consumers who favored the Korea-U.S.A. FTA was almost twice the number of those who objected to it. Most of the consumers surveyed expected not only positive effects but also negative ones from the FTA, and the more consumers expected positive effects from the FTA, the more they tended to have positive attitudes toward the trade agreement. The effects of consumers' individual characteristics on their expectations and attitudes were also analyzed in this experiment.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.117-142
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• 2015

This paper uses a 53-country 15-industry computable general equilibrium model of trade to analyze the effects of the Korea-China free trade agreement on the Korean economy, the manufacturing sector in particular. The model is based on Yaylaci and Shikher (2014) which uses the Eaton-Kortum methodology to explain intra-industry trade. The model predicts that the Korea-China FTA will increase Korea-China manufacturing trade by 56%, manufacturing employment in Korea by 5.7% and China by 0.55%. The model also predicts significant reallocation of employment across industries with the Food industry in Korea losing jobs and other industries there gaining jobs, with the Medical equipment industry gaining the most. There will be some trade diversion from the ASEAN countries, as well as Japan and the United States.