• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.33-51
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• 2019

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to provide practical implications for Korean companies searching for new market opportunities. From the experimental analysis, the impact of country image on product-country image and purchase intention of Korean products are measured. In addition, this study disaggregates the impacts of country image and product-country image and purchase intention among ethnic groups in South Africa for searching further useful implications. Design/methodology - To examine South African consumers' country image and product-country image towards Korean products, data were collected between June and July 2019 through an online questionnaire, and 335 questionnaires were used for analysis. Firstly, the multivariate analysis was conducted to examine the general tendency of South African consumers' perceptions of country image to Korea, product-country image, and purchase intention among three ethnic group consumers. Then in order to verify the country image model and hypotheses of the study, we analyzed the structural models for each of the three ethnic groups and compared the sizes of the path coefficients for each groups. To compare the difference of path coefficients across ethnic groups, configural invariance, metric invariance, and scalar invariance tests were conducted sequentially. Findings - In the black and white ethnic groups, the country image had a statistically significant impact on product-country image, but it did not affect the purchase intention to Korean products. The product-country image showed a statistically significant impact on the purchase intention to Korean products in both ethnic group. However, in the coloured ethnic group consumer, the country image had a significant effect on the product-country image, but it did not affect the purchase intention of Korean products. In addition, the product-country image did not have a significant influence on the purchase intention of coloured ethnic group consumers unlike black and white ethnic group consumers. The results of this study suggest that even though differences in terms of the impact of CoI on PCI and PI were investigated for the sample of white, coloured, and black respondents, the groups seemed to respond in a reasonably comparable manner. Originality/value - South Africa occupies more than 20% of Africa's total GDP in sub-Saharan Africa and is a hub for Southern African logistics as a hub for Korean companies to enter Africa. However, it is rare to find a study focused on the determinants of consumer behavior in South Africa. In particular, this study disaggregates the impacts of country image and product-country image on consumer behavior across ethnic groups in South Africa. Therefore, this study could provide practical implications for Korean firms which desire to diversify their export markets and pioneer future markets.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.267-273
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• 2010

This study is about to reveal the connections and the importance of China's country image, product image, and purchase intention. Following are the results of the empirical analysis summary. First, in country's national image, except political image, economic image and cultural image have a positive (+) impact on the product image is true. Secondly, a country's product image have a positive (+) impact on purchase intention. Therefore, consumer tend to improve purchase intention when China's product image increase. In summary, consumers' purchase intention can obtain the best positive result, when a country's national image is set as the core factor, which combines and improves concurrently with one's product image.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.455-472
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• 2013

This paper's aim is to explore how China's country image affects the product evaluations and purchase intentions through three major hypothesize. Four hundred eighty-nine Korean adult consumers, who have the purchase experiences of goods made in China before, were invited to take part in this investigation. Data analyses were conducted by reliability test, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling with SPSS ver. 19.0 and AMOS ver. 18.0. This study focused on multi-dimensional country image and found that China's country image contains 5 elements (people, evolution, politic, economic and culture). Empirical verification through structural equation modeling indicates that the data offer substantial supports, such that China's country image represents the predominant influence on product evaluations and people, evolution, and politic image showed positive effects. Also, China's country image has a positive influence on the product purchase intentions directly (culture image) and indirectly (people, politics, and evolution image) through the product evaluations. Practical implications of findings will be discussed and suggested as follows. First, this study complements the lack of researches on China among the studies regarding country image. Secondly, research results would help us to understand the perception on China's country image of Korean consumers' and to seek the criteria by which consumers evaluate goods made in China. Finally, this research can help Chinese companies to make market strategies effectively when they entering Korean market by exploring the factors which have strong influences on Korean consumers' purchase behaviors.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.173-184
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• 2015

This study examined the impacts of the cultural proximity of Chinese consumers on the image of both country and product, and investigated how they are related to purchase intention of Korea fashion. Subjects were Chinese female consumers in their 20s and 30s, living in Yangtze River delta and Seoul. The results of the study were as follows: 1) The cultural proximity had a significant influence on the country image and fashion product image. Chinese consumers with more emotional proximity had more positive attitude towards country image, such as politics, economics, technology, cultures and people image. And consumers who had higher interest in Korea and Korean culture evaluated the quality, design, value and reputation of Korean fashion more positively. 2) Chinese consumers with positive attitude towards people, technology and culture image seemed to prefer fashion product. Specifically, the dimensions of country image had a different influence on the fashion product image such as product quality, design, value, reputation. 3) The Korea country image and fashion product image had also affected on purchase intention of Korean fashion products. Consumers with positive attitude towards people and technology image had higher purchase intention of Korea fashion products. And consumers with positive attitude towards reputation, value and design of fashion products had higher purchase intention of fashion products.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.8
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• pp.3439-3445
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• 2011

The Purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of the country image and brand image of product on Chinese consumers' brand attitude and the purchasing behavior. The results of this research are wrapped up as follows : First, the original country image of product is positive related to the product brand image itself. Second, both the country image and brand image of product have positive influences on consumers' brand attitude. Third, Chinese consumers' brand attitude has positive influences on purchasing behavior. Forth, both the country image and brand image of product have positive influences on consumers' purchasing behavior.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.507-526
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• 2017

To infer the true state of a regional product's attributes, consumers use the image they have of the product's region of origin; however, products may have multiple countries of origin in their design, branding, sourcing and manufacturing becuase more products are increasingly a result of multi-firm and multi-country efforts. We examined how the country-of-origin image (country image and product image) affect international consumers' perceived value (function value and symbolic value) and purchase intentions of made-in China goods by extending and deepening the flexible model. Second, to investigate the differences of COO effects according to different types of country-of-origin we divided the traditional country-of-origin into two components: country-of-manufacture (COM) and country-of-brand (COB). We then explore how the impact of China's country image on consumers' perceived value and purchase intentions varies when China is the COM or COB of the same product. Six hypotheses were proposed to test our anticipations. We recruited 800 Korean adult consumers who previously purchased made-in China products to participate in the online investigation. Data analyses were conducted with confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling using SPSS and AMOS. The main results are discussed as follows. First, the effects of China's COO image on Korean consumers' perceived value and purchase intentions vary when China is the COM or COB of a product. Second, a positive effect of the function value and symbolic value on the purchase intentions was found. Literature and practical implications of findings are discussed and suggested in the conclusion.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2016

An extensive body of research on the effects of country-of-origin has emerged in the international marketing and business literature streams. Nonetheless, extant studies do not satisfactorily demonstrate whether and how a foreign firm's choice of market entry mode influences consumers' purchase intentions of its product in country-related affect contexts. Using a survey and an experimental design, we aimed to provide evidence of the effects of the choice on consumers' evaluation and attitude of its product in an animosity context and in a national image context. Through the survey, we collected data regarding consumer animosity, national image, product evaluation, and product attitude from 185 university students and tested the hypotheses that consumer animosity and national image have effects on foreign product evaluation and attitude. The results of the survey research show that personal animosity has a negative effect on consumers' evaluation of foreign products and that a country's image regarding economics has positive effects on consumers' attitude toward foreign products as well as consumers' evaluation of foreign products. In the experimental design, we divided subjects into four groups and exposed them to several descriptions of hypothetical purchase situations. Conducting a 2 (market entry modes)${\times}2$ (country-of-origin) ANOVA, we tested the hypothesis that a market entry mode influences foreign product evaluation and attitude. The results of the experimental study reveal that in a high country-related product association (Germany), market entry modes have insignificant effects on foreign product evaluation and attitude. In addition, in a low country-related product association (China), international partnership has more positive effects on foreign product evaluation and attitude than does exporting.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.45-72
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• 2019

Purpose - This study examines the mediating effect of switching costs (economic risk costs and setup costs) on the relationships of country image with product attitude and product attachment. Switching-cost effects for the Korean Wave, which are insufficiently addressed in the literature, were investigated using the country image of Korea as a proxy for the Korean Wave. Moreover, this study examined the economic effects of the Korean Wave and the negative effect of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment on these economic effects. Design/methodology - A total of 302 Chinese consumers were surveyed using a questionnaire. Because this was an exploratory study and was not based on a classical model, the PLS-SEM method was employed to test the stability of the model and its hypotheses. Findings - Switching costs had mediating effects on the relationships of country image with product attitude and product attachment. The switching-cost effects for the Korean Wave were verified. However, neither the economic image nor cultural image of Korea had significant effects on the economic risk costs. Moreover, the economic image of Korea had no significant effect on the set-up costs. Originality/value - This study broadened the understanding of the relationships among country image, switching costs, product attitude, and product attachment and advanced the knowledge of relevant theories. The results contribute theoretically to the literature on switching-cost effects for the Korean Wave. The results confirmed the negative effect of THAAD deployment on the economic effects of the Korean Wave. In the rapidly developing international environment, these research results could serve as theoretical reference guidelines for suppliers when developing marketing strategies.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.55-71
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to establish the causal structural model among brand image and country image associated with consumers' purchase decision of products. The specific objectives were 1) to analyze the effects of brand image on consumers' purchase decision of products, 2) to analyze the effects of country image on consumers' purchase decision of products, 3) to analyze the effects of brand image on country image, 4) to analyze the mediating effects of country image between brand image and consumers' purchase decision of products. The conclusions of this study are as follows: First, companies must have an advantage strategy for brand image along with country image. To this end, a strategy to promote the brand image through various media is effective. Second, it is necessary to find new transformation through the establishment of brand identity at the corporate level so that consumers can have a good impression on the brand image. Third, it is important for companies to make efforts at the level of brand image and country image to provide consumers with information that can increase expectations and actual satisfaction and to build product reputation. In addition, it is necessary to embody brand images and country images into global marketing mix strategies. Fourth, if companies build a brand image that symbolizes a differentiated culture, the brand image can have a positive effect on consumer purchase decisions. Along with this, companies can further increase their positive effects by developing representative brand image contents. Fifth, this study confirmed that the higher the image level of the manufacturing country in a situation where consumers' preferences are diversifying, the more the brand image leads to consumers' purchasing decisions. Therefore, brand managers are required to build a country image suitable for the existing brand image when advertising at the time of product introduction.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.169-174
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to clarify the impact of national and corporate brand image of Korea on chinese consumers' purchasing Intention, also the impact of China on korean consumers' purchasing Intention. And the second aim of the research is to provide Korean businessmen who are interested in chinese market with information about chinese consumers' purchasing behaviour. Data from 205 chinese and korean consumers were analysed. As the result of analyses, it was found that Korean country image positive affects corporate brand image(samsung) and Chinese country image negative affects corporate brand image(haier) and product image. Korean corporate brand image only affects product image on chinese consumers. The product image affects Korean and Chinese consumer's purchasing intention.