• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.45-62
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• 2022

Purpose - Using unexpected changes in geopolitical tensions on the Korean peninsula as a quasi-natural experimental setting, we examine whether and how geopolitical risks travel across borders through firm-level imports and exports linkages. We also test whether the effects are driven by either imports or exports and assess whether firms can effectively hedge themselves against geopolitical risks. Design/methodology - We focus on a series of unanticipated geopolitical events taken place in Korea in 2018. Making use of the shocks to geopolitical climate, we identify five milestone events toward peace talks. We employ the event studies methodology. We examine heterogenous firm-level stock price reactions around key event dates depending on firms' exposure to geopolitical risks. As a measure of firms' exposure to geopolitical risks in Korea, we utilize a text-based measure of firm-level trade links. When a firm announces and discusses its purchase of inputs from Korea or sales of outputs to Korea in their annual disclosure filings, we define a firm to have a trade relationship with Korea and have exposure to Korean geopolitical risks. Similarly, we use a measure of a firm's hedging policies based on a firm's textual mention of the use of foreign exchange derivatives in their annual disclosure. Findings - We find that U.S. firms that have direct trade links to Korea gained significantly more value when the intensity of geopolitical risks drops compared to firms without such trade links to Korea. The effects are pronounced for firms purchasing inputs from or selling outputs to Korea. We find that the effectiveness of foreign exchange hedging against geopolitical risks is limited. Originality/value - We document the international transmission of geopolitical uncertainty through trade linkages. Export links as well as import links serve as important nexus of transmission of geopolitical risks across borders. Hedging strategies involving foreign-exchanges derivatives do not seem to insulate firms again geopolitical risks. With the recent movements of localization and reshuffling of the global value chain, our results suggest a significant impact of geopolitical risks in Korea on the construction of the global value chain.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.524-533
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• 2020

The free-trade-zone system has been implemented in industrial-complex-type free-trade zones with a focus on the manufacturing industry since 1970, and was intended to attract foreign investment and increase trade by providing benefits such as tax reduction and deregulation to tenant companies. However, foreign investment in these industrial-complex-type free trade zones has decreased significantly. On the other hand, port-type free-trade zones have great potential to attract foreign investment for development due to the increase in port traffic. The developmental trends in the free-trade-zone system have been studied primarily in the manufacturing industry, and those studies must be extended. In this paper, the role and operation of free-trade zones are examined and problems highlighted. We analyzed a business model specialized in port-type free-trade zones to identify problems, propose measures to improve the system for re-exporting domestic goods to the customs area for storage, and upgrade overall operations. The effects of our measures were analyzed by simple simulation. These proposed improvements in the operation of port-type free-trade zones will help attract foreign companies to these international logistics hubs and global delivery centers.

• 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.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.123-136
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• 2019

This study investigates the facilitating factors of FDI (foreign direct investment) inflows in 15 developing countries of three continents (Asia, Latin America, and Africa) using fixed-effect panel regression analysis with 30-year macro socio-economic data. The facilitating factors of FDI inflows in each continent differed. In Asia, labor compensation, GDP, consumer expenditure, human capital, and export facilitated FDI inflows in decreasing order, as did export, total factor productivity, GDP, and human capital in Latin America, and investment expenditure, human capital, government expenditure, and export in Africa. Most importantly, the character of cost saving efficiency-seeking investment was very strong in Asia. Also, third-party export-oriented investment and economic growth-oriented investment were shown in Latin America and Africa, respectively.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.195-205
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• 2020

This study investigates the effects of financial development on the foreign direct investment (FDI) flow in host countries. Using bilateral FDI data from 34 OECD source countries to 146 host countries, we performed panel data analysis based on a gravity FDI equation. We hypothesized that the financial development would increase the volume of FDI flows. The results suggest that the well-functioning finance market of source countries as well as a better accessable financial market of host countries contribute to the increase in FDI of OECD in their partner countries. We found also that the financial development effects of source countries are larger than those of host countries. This result shows that the financial development can play a crucial role to impact the FDI inflows as push factor in source country than as a pull factor in host countries.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.35-51
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• 2000

International trade flows have been determined by social, cultural and political environment around the world as well as economic elements. The environment of international trade has changed rapidly as the world has globalized. Significant changes have been generated in the international trade flows. This study investigates the influences of economic globalization on the international trade flows. The changes in international trade flows examined comprehensively by integrating trade with industrial locations, investment, and the various trade related environments. The focus laid on the integration of world economies, such as widening and intensifying international linkages in economic, political and social relation. Special concerns are laid on the impacts of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) by Trans National Corporations (TNCs), which affect the supply-demand distributions of commodities by industrial relocations, and the expansion of intra-firm trade flows on the international trade flow patterns. The geographical characteristics of tile origins and destinations of FDI flows analyzed, since the spatial patterns of the intra-firm trade flows are determined by them. The FDI and intra-firm trade flow patterns have changed significantly over time.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.15-23
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• 2019

Purpose: Global economic integration has provided good opportunities and conditions for the development of foreign direct investment in Finances. Therefore, this paper attempts to explore what determines foreign direct investment in Finances of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Research design, data and methodology: This paper employs the panel data over the period 2005-2017 and uses the random effect model to estimate this proposition. Results: The results indicate that the foreign direct investment in services, growth rate of GDP, interest rate and saving are positively related with foreign direct investment in finances. Conversely, the growth rate of wage and fluctuation rate of exchange rate are negatively related with foreign direct investment in finances. Moreover, the results verify that the effect of these variables on foreign direct investment in finances is different before and after 2008 (global economic crisis). In addition, the results also manifest that the regional effect exists. Namely, the effect of these variables on foreign direct investment in finances between G7 countries and G20 countries exist significant difference. Conclusions: Those variables used in this paper are related with foreign direct investment in Finances of (OECD) countries.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• 2000.06a
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• pp.205-218
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• 2000

Hull forms of Jiao Yi Ship for shipping and foreign trade in Silla and Tang Dynasty were transformed and developed in accordance to their voyage and rational routes. The trade ship was a sea ship, used by Chang Po Go's, the Silla great sea merchant ship, in the marine trade with China during the 8th and 9th century. It is not easy to presume the hull type and trade formal of Chang Po Go's Jiao Yi Ship of the 8th and 9th Century. Studying on the ship type of the trade ship is the urgent problem to be solved, in the sphere of leaning about the history of communication between China and Korea. The authors take the initial prove into this subjects, by researching Chang Po Go's marine activities, and point out that the trade ship's original type should be the Sha Ship which was the sea ship sailing th sea in northern China, in the Tang Dynasty. This study aims to present materials concerning hull forms of Chang Po Go's Jian Yi Ship by analysing ancient voyage history, foreign trade history, and ship history of Silla, Tang and Japan during the 8th and 9th century.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.23-41
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• 2003

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the gravitation of ship's cargo tons of arriving and leaving port of Busan based on the gravity model empirically and experimentally and to suggest possible ways to expand the trade quantities(cargo tons) by identifying important factors determining the port of Busan's bilateral trade flows with foreign countries by using the 1995, and 2001 data. In this paper, new independent variables, such as land, populations, and the APEC and ASEAN memberships, and new dependent variable, such as the ship's cargo tons of arrival and leaving port of Busan were used for expanding the previous studies. Empirical analysis found that the port of Busan tends to trade more with countries in close proximity and the large size of economies. The fact that the port of Busan's trades more with APEC countries than with non-APEC countries is a clear empirical evidence of the growing importance of the regional trade agreement and strategic alliance with the ports of these member countries. The main policy implication based on the findings of this study is that GDP, distance, adjacency, and APEC membership which were the affecting variables to the bilateral trade with the port of Busan should be closely investigated for enhancing the trade quantities with those foreign countries.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.155-171
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• 2020

In reality, there are numerous [Note: I advise to change the tone to being more certain, as opposed to offering a possibility. You need to emphasize the seriousness of the conditions that your study wants to talk about] non-tariff trade barriers under free trade agreements, with various stakeholders having different trade-off interests. This study focuses on the rules of origin verification and considers cases in which domestic firms, foreign firms, and domestic consumer groups compete politically for their rent protection in the domestic market. As in Gwande et al. (2006), cross-border lobbies are considered possible wherein foreign firms also lobby the government to influence the decision-making process of how stringently to verify the rules of origin. [Note: Starting here, switch to past tense because a: study intentions above can be in present tense, b: study procedures should be in past tense] In this study, we assumed that all stakeholders form interest groups and present political contributions to the government based on their interests. The stringency of the rules of origin verification was then determined through this political process, and we compared this to a socially optimal one in the analysis. It was found that the verification was less stringent when there was cross-border lobbying than the socially optimal one.