• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.255-275
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• 2013

The purpose of the study is to examine compliance criteria for documents of the Letter of Credit(L/C) by the Korean Supreme Court in practical use. The judgement criteria of the court in documents' examination is supported by the doctrine of strict compliance. And, in examination of documents by the Supreme Court, the difference between documents presented and the credit should be followed by the allowance of international standard banking practices. In this case, the Supreme Court makes a reference for ICC's opinion or decision proposed as the international standard banking practices, or otherwise admit by exploring the practices. However, when documents reviewing by the bankers' auditors, it is very difficult for them to judge in a short time due to the lack of high level of knowledges and insights. As shown the cases of this study, the doctrine of strict compliance of an L/C be relaxed, and most of the recent precedents be ruled by the exception of the doctrine. Because, therefore, it is difficult for to documents reviewers of bank to judge these consistencies, conducting arbitrary document review will be inevitable. As a result, it will be difficult for banks and applicants to ensure the strictness of the documents, and free use of L/Cs in international transactions will be avoided. Finally, the expanded usage of the electronic negotiation system that simplifies the highly difficult compliance criteria to ensure the strictness of documents will be needed, and not only be eradicated the acts of arbitrary documents examination practices, but also be promoted the freely usage of L/Cs.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.241-265
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• 2013

The purpose of this paper is to examine the Banks's Examination of Documents in the L/C Transactions. Most of all, this article deals with one of most important aspects of the law on documentary credits, namely, the compliance of documents presented with the terms and conditions of a letter of credit. In addition, the general principles of strict compliance will be considered and in the next, the requirements of specific documents such as invoices, transport documents and insurance policies. This area of letter of credit law is shaped not only by judge-made decisions but also the articles of Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, the International Standard Banking Practice(ISBP Publication No.745) prepared by the Banking Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce as well as the position papers and opinions of the latter. Whether a document complies with the terms of a letter of credit is essentially a matter of examination and construction of the document in question against the terms of the letter of credit under which it is presented, articles of the UCP, ISBP as well as the opinions and statements of the Banking Committee. Most of all this article was focused on provisions of UCP600. Comparison with provisions of UCP500 have been drawn where appropriate.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.205-225
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• 2017

The study attempts to verify the case related to the notice of payment refusal by issuing bank regarding discrepancy in transport document under L/C(Letter of Credit) transaction. Considering the high portion of trade between Korea and China, Korean companies and banks in L/C transaction should be careful about many unpredictable situations. The case of this study is that Chinese seller(beneficiary) initiated a civil suit against Industrial Bank of Korea to Chinese court and Chinese courts in the first and second trials judged that the notice of payment refusal by Industrial bank of Korea doesn't satisfy Article 16, (c) (ii) (iii) in UCP 600. However, Industrial Bank of Korea implements the judgement even though the judgement is highly biased to Chinese seller. Considering the judgement by Chinese courts, the study suggests some countermeasures to Korean companies and banks which opened L/C. First, the issuing bank should describe the contents of discrepancy specifically based on Article 16, (c) in UCP 600. Second, it is necessary to insert a clause regarding governing law in the L/C contract like sales contract. Third, considering the biased judgement by Chinese court and difficulty in execution of foreign judgement in China, it is recommended to using arbitration as a method of dispute resolution such as ICLOCA and DOCDEX Rules which are international system operated by international instruments because it has legal effects to parties in L/C contracts if the issuing bank inserts arbitration clause in L/C.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.179-198
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• 2009

This paper aims at assessing reasonableness for restraining the independence principle in the operation of documentary credit in case of the illegality appeared in the underlying transactions. It has been a major rule under the independence principle to keep the credit operation free from the defences made by the issuing bank and/or credit applicant with a view to prevent the payment as specified under the credit. And also, it is generally accepted in the international commercial community to examine a presentation to determine, on the basis of the document alone, whether or not the documents appear on their face to constitute a complying presentation. Even though these two essences are major rules in the credit operation, if a presentation is made with the documents forged or materially fraudulent, the issuing bank can refuse to pay the documents in respect of fraud rule based on fraud exception for which a court of appropriate jurisdiction would enjoin such honour. Now we have newly come to another situation to determine whether or not we have to apply the same as fraud rule which is applicable to the illegality in the underlying contract under the new conception of illegality principle based on illegality exception. English Commercial Court handled the illegality case under the case of Mahonia Ltd., v. JP Morgan Chase Bank in 2003 and Justice Colman decided that issuing bank can rely on illegality affecting a letter of credit as an excuse for failure to pay. This judgement brought about the acceptance of illegality principle based on illegality exception as a defence to payment under a letter of credit as far as the illegality concerned in the underlying transactions. It is noticeable that this case will affect our international commercial community more to rely on the illegality in the underlying transactions as a good issue to stop payment for the issuing bank in the L/C operation.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.213-232
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• 2017

A Bank Payment Obligation is now in operation as payment instruments in the business of Supply Chain Finance since 2013. The BPO is an irrevocable undertaking of the Obligor Bank subject to the successful electronic matching of all required Data Sets with the established Baseline in the TMA. Although the BPO should be regarded as similar to a Letter of Credit, it is a new payment solution based on a technology and data-driven mechanisms. The BPO is different from the letter of credit in their structure such as a bank to bank obligation, an automated matching engine, a transfer and confirmation of the Credit, etc. The BPO can also be used more effectively on a stand-alone solution as an electronic alternative to the traditional instruments. it will provide a new range of solutions to meet the ever-changing needs of the trade customers. However, the BPO could be raised several issues including an assurance of payment between recipient banks and sellers because the BPO is a bank-to-bank obligation. The URBPO do not applies to the relationships between banks and their business clients. So, the primary objective of this paper is to promote the institutional understanding and present the implications by reviewing the majn issues in the BPO as comparision with the Letter of Credit from the institutional point of view. This research was also based on documentary research focusing on the preceding research and the materials of ICC and SWIFT.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.318-328
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• 2020

Letter of Credit (L/C) is currently a very popular international settlement method frequently used in international trade processes amongst countries around the globe. Compared with other international settlement methods, however, L/C has some obvious shortcomings. Firstly, it is not easy to use due to the sophisticated processes its usage involves. Secondly, it is sometimes accompanied by a few risks and some uncertainty. Thus, highly efficient methods need to be used to assess and control these risks. To begin with, FAHP and KMV methods are used to resolve the problem of incomplete information associated with L/C and then, on this basis, Bayesian game theory is used in order to make more scientific and reasonable decisions with respect to international trade.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.275-295
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• 2011

Any attempt which requires banks to consider non-documentary conditions would destroy autonomy principle and increase the risks of the bank in L/C transactions. Therefore, non-documentary conditions are disregarded in the letter of credit. This provision was first introduced in UCP500, but later, ICC Position Paper No.3 added that if L/C requires documents related to non-documentary conditions, it cannot be disregarded. While the language in UCP600 is basically the same as that in UCP500, there is a difference between the two in that the former disregards the documents related to non-documentary conditions even if they are required by L/C. However, it should be remembered that international standard banking practice does not disregard all of non-documentary conditions. It recognizes the validity of some non-documentary conditions which it is not feasible to change into documentary conditions. That is, such non-documentary conditions as can be determined from an index specified in the guarantee or identified from the issuing bank's own records or their normal operations are recognized as valid in legal cases. ISP98 and UR00758 do not consider these as non-documentary conditions. The applicant should be cautious not to include non-documentary conditions in their applications.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.22
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• pp.173-197
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• 2004

Letter of Credit between buyer and seller in International Trade Transaction is the means of payment which makes International Trade operate smoothly by guaranteeing an exporter against non-payment and an importer against non-delivery. Therefore, the parties to a sale apply UCP500 established by the International Chamber of Commerce, in accordance with principle of the freedom of contract among the parties concerned, to look to their own legal stability. However, we may recognize some cases to have been applied principle of faith and trust, one of the dominant principles of the civil law, by the Korean Supreme Court and other cases to have not been applied that principle by the Korean Supreme Court. The Court shall apply UCP500 strictly as long as the parties concerned adopt UCP500 in view of the legal stability. In other words, in case that the Court applies principle of faith and trust to the case related to L/C, this rule - principle of faith and trust - should apply to the subject matter which have not stipulated in UCP500 under certain restriction. We suggest keeping in mind points to korean companies as follows; First, the parties to a sale shall understand L/C basis transaction and principles related to L/C deeply. Second, the exporter shall prepare documents in compliance with L/C and fulfil his or her obligation according to UCP500 and L/C related to the contract. Third, as buyer or importer, when he or she receive the shipping documents with discrepancies from the notifying bank, he or she makes him or herself clear to all the parties concerned. Fourth, as bank, she shall examine all the documents according to UCP500 and L/C related to the contract, and if any document with discrepancies, the bank, by all means, shall approach applicant first, and then decide whether to pay the credit amount to beneficiary or not to.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.231-250
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• 2016

The study attempts to consider L/G(Letter of Guarantee) in a different angle, which is internationally used as a way of commercial customs and practices in a case when the consignee wants to receive the goods without the original Bill of Lading, Thus, this study focuses more on verifying the usage of L/G in Mixed Payment System and the range of guarantee responsibility by an issuing bank through case analysis. This case uses a mixed payment method of L/C(Letter of Credit) and T/T(Telegraphic Transfer) in the transaction of goods. The issuing bank of L/C issues L/G with the amount of L/C which is the same as the amount as C/I(Commercial Invoice). However the carrier deliver all goods laden under both L/C and T/T payment with the production of L/G. In this case, because the buyer is unable to pay, the seller makes a claim for damages to the carrier that the carrier delivers the goods to the buyer against L/G. Finally, the judge gives a decision that the issuing bank of L/G should pay the whole amount of the goods. In this case, the main issue of the dispute is the range of guarantee responsibility by the issuing bank of L/G. As a result of the case analysis, the study suggests two counter strategies for smooth utilization in international trade environment. First, in the case of mixed payment system, a seller should issue a commercial invoice separately based on the amount of each settlement plan in order to clarify the liability of guarantee. Second, banks should establish a new form for L/G including a sentence for verifying liabilities of the bank's side in the current form of L/G.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.89-110
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• 2018

This paper reviews the practical operations and exceptions to the independent principle by analyzing the leading cases of English documentary credit transactions. A bank's undertaking in L/C transactions differentiates between underlying contract and other contracts. The autonomy principle is the key principle governing L/C, but this principle may be connected with unfair (unjust) payment. English Law is strongly influenced by the developments in American Law in the case of fraud, but traditionally, British courts has been very reluctant to interfere in banks' independent undertaking under the L/C. The position of British case law relating to fraud is based on Sztejn. In practice, British courts recognize fraud as an exception to the autonomy principle in which the case is sufficiently serious to render it unjust to permit the beneficiary to receive payment. British case law has historically taken a narrow approach toward intervention in the independent principle of documentary credit. Therefore, innocent parties including beneficiaries are protected by these regulations regarding fraud.