• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.197-219
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• 2008

The aim of this paper is to review KORUS FTA Rules of Origin. Although there are some differences in terms of structure and contents, KORUS FTA Rules of Origin is not much different from the other FTA's texts that Korea has already concluded. Textile and Apparel chapter is also separately specified. For textile and apparel goods, Korea and the US agreed to adopt 'yam-forward rule', allowing exceptions for certain goods. Both sides also agreed to introduce procedures for permitting to use non-Party's materials when fibers ryarns rfabrics are not available in commercial quantities. Overall evaluation on KORUS FTA is considered to be positive. Economically, KORUS FTA is expected to provide good opportunities for Korean companies to access the US market. Politically, Korea and the US can take advantage of KORUS FTA to reinforce the relationship between the two countries.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.38
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• pp.37-59
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• 1988

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the technological changes on locational changes on the assumption that technological changes cover over all industrial sectors. The study is carred on 1) To investigate the theoretical backgrounds of the technological and locational changes and their problems. 2) To investigate the location and economic characteristics of the Korean textile industry. 3) To investigate the technological development and regional variations in technological level. 4) To the relationship of the technological change to the location of the textile industries. The locational change of the Korean textile industries have been closely related to economic characteristics. In the begining stage of development in the 1950's, thetextile industries were largely concentrated in the major cities(Seoul, Pusan, Taegu, Masan et. al.). In the growing stage of development in the 1960's, the textile industries were relocated in suburban areas with the trend of large corporations building their branch plants of chemical fibers in the suburbs. With the expansion in the export industry in the 1970's, the textile companies were distributed throughout the whole country. But the research and development(R&D) activities caused the textile industries reconcentrate around Seoul and Pusan, owining to the change of the economic environments in the 1980's. The 1980's have witnessed the increased R&D investment for the development of better new and value-added products. This was because the technological level was much higher than that of Taegu and Other regions. What is more, plant birth location and branch plant location support that locational changes of textile industry were caused by technological changes. Plant birth location put stress technological environments of region, compared with branch plant locaiton. Accordingly, the technological changes of industry can be an important factor in locational changes. Through this study, it can be seen that locational changes come from technological changes. Other locational factors influence the industrial locations, but regional variations in technological level which has been relatively ignored has to be considered on the location study. Together with the accomplishments of existing location study, the study on technological change and location can better explain the location phenomena. And further research on technological change and location can provide better policy implications for regional development.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2024

This study investigated the usage and product conditions of clothing companies and online dummy companies for the development of fitting dummy for South Korean women's wear in their 50s and 60s. These women-targeted apparel companies mainly used nude-sized torso type and torso crotch type made of FRP material. The frequency of use of the dummies was high, while the user satisfaction was moderate. Users expressed dissatisfaction with the inaccurate reflection of the body shape according to the KS sizing system and the measurements such as the front and back intercye, upper arms, abdomen, crotch, and waist back length. Upon survey, 73.7% of the respondents answered that development of the dummy and the appropriate age for it is 50 to 54, and they preferred the torso crotch form. In the production of online dummy companies, the torso crotch type and torso type were most widely produced, and polyurethane, FRP, and recycled paper materials were used. The size of dummy was expressed in numerical type, and 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 44, 55, 66, 77, 88 were being produced. Even models of the same size had significant deviation, especially in the waist circumference. Also, there was no dummy reflecting 25%~75% center interval to the KS garment sizing standards of women in their 50s and 60s. Therefore, it is desperately necessary to develop a fitting dummy for KS clothing sizing system that reflect their body sizes and shapes.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.183-198
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• 1997

This case study was conducted by verification the site characteristics based on the questionnaire and interview obtained from the all factories located at No. 1 developing area in Kumi industrial complex. The site characteristics were presumed from the process of location behavior and spatial linkage. Kumi industrial complex was developed to improve export industry at national levels by providing chief land price and benefiting various tax. Kumi industrial complex which enticed many factories is playing an important role in export industry in Korea. At beginning, the detention of large enterprises promoted the establishment of related small to medium sized factories into the complex. Two distinctive industries. textile and electronic, were reflected by the purpose to establish the complex and industrial characteristics of Taegu city. respectively. In Kumi industrial complex, positive responses on traffic and raw material supply and negative reactions on the environmental impact on social community as well as high labor charge were investigated. Especially the higher labor cost prevented to hire laborers effectively. In the linkages of spatial and raw material, most factories in the complex depended on the availability of out side the Kumi city. For the textile factories, the supply of raw material and parts were relied on Taegu and/or other cities, whereas in electronic factories purchased them mainly from other cities and partly from abroad. Although questionnaire and interview suggested it, most of the parts were supplied by a parts maturing companies on the complex to a few large enterprises. In the marketing linkage, textile factories revealed higher relation-ship with the foreign countries and sewing factories in Korea. On the other hand, electronic factories have strong relation-ships in the marketing linkage to the parts supplying companies in the complex or large-scale resembling companies in other cities. In the textile companies, the right for decision on purchasing raw materials and parts is belonging to the owner whereas mother enterprise usually have the right for the marketing. In the case of the electronic factories, all the purchasing activities are related to the sub-contracting companies. In the service linkage, the Quality of the service created spatial distinction. There was high linkages on inside of Kumi complex for the low grade services such as repairing and installing machines, whereas strong linkages on outside of the complex for the high grade services such as management, law, taxation, new product development. and manufacturing technology. In the linkages of activity on the R&D (research and development), electronic factories do not have sufficiently qualified institutes in the complex. Strong regional linkages in the field of textile and electronic industries revealed limitations of the local industrial complex. In the sub-contracting linkage, high linkage ship within Kumi boundary reflected the characteristics of industrial site in the complex. There, most decisions by the companies centered by the mother enterprise.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.291-301
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• 2010

Today Korean clothing companies are experiencing difficulties in the global market due to unfavorable business conditions including poor production environments, labor shortage, rising costs, the further opening of the domestic distribution market, and increased competition among them. As a result, this has caused many of Korean clothing companies to transfer their production bases abroad in search of relatively inexpensive labor force, instead of using domestic plants. This study attempted to examine how Korean clothing companies perceive production environments and labor standards with regard to their offshore outsourcing. In such an attempt, in-depth interviews were conducted with 24 brand-name clothing firms. Those interviewed firms were the brands for the domestic or foreign market that were found to produce more than 200,000 pieces of clothing per year, and also the group of interviewees included some promotion service providers. The key findings from this study are as follows: First, a large number of the interviewed clothing companies were found to manage their foreign contract manufacturers by "visiting their factories regularly on a seasonal basis" or "stationing their personnel in factory for management purposes." Second, in relation to quality control in their foreign manufacturers, the most frequent response was to "have personnel stationed in those manufacturers." A smaller number of the clothing companies answered that they had "engaged their production management teams in quality control from time to time," or "used their inspectors to inspect products." Third, when asked about labor standards in foreign contract manufacturers, the largest number of the clothing companies responded, "we apply our own standards." The results of this study suggest that most of domestic clothing companies still use offshore sourcing just as a means of reducing their initial labor costs. However, in the continuously changing environment of the global clothing industry, clothing businesses are required to escape from the early phases of their manufacturing environments and set up more globalized standards.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.112-112
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• 2003

A Web-based fabric information system has been developed. Recently the numbers of textile companies that have their own homepage to advertise their product fabrics for apparel through the Web-based E-commerce rapidly increase.(omitted)

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.166-179
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• 1998

The purposes of this study were to 1) investigate the problems in and the complaints from fashion textile converters and 2) develope the effective strategies to revitalize the converting business. This research study consists of two parts. The one part includes a study, on the domestic industry, which is mainly conducted through questionnaires, interviews and a review of related literature. The other part includes a study on the foreign industries. In case of Japan, survey was performed by visiting Japanese industry and interviewing Japanese converters. However, in case of Italy, a study was mainly conducted through a review of related literature and by interviewing Italian converters thru mail. As a survey instrument, a questionnaire was developed by the researchers after reviewing the related literature and interviewing textile converters. A questionnaire was distributed to 250 textile converters who were selected at random from the directory of textile converters which had been made by the researchers. All of the returned responses which include sixty four questionnaires were used for the analysis. The difficulties with which these converters confront are in a small scale and lack of specialty, professional training, and government support. Also, converters need an association or an organization that represent them. Cases of Japan and Italy were researched as examples of developed nation's. For instance, one of bench mark companies in development, planning and management, "Fashion Soft House" in Japan was analyzed. Regarding to Italy, the functions of the textile design studios which were mainly located around the silk complex, Como, were examined. Finally, on the basis of the results of this study, the strategies to revitalize the fashion textile converters include the tactics concerning management, production, education, improvement of the relationship between related industries, and the supportive policy by the government.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.55-56
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• 2003

An old castle in a tranquil setting. At first glance, no-one would suspect that this was the backdrop for the research and services centre providing expertise from all areas of the textile-clothing supply chain, textile care and other associated sectors. The Hohenstein Institutes are a modern communications centre with the latest research equipment where highly qualified scientists carry out their research and exchange knowledge. This combination of high-calibre staff and the philosophy of the unity of research, training and application have guaranteed the Hohenstein team of their position as an internationally respected institution offering high levels of expertise in all areas of the textile-clothing chain. At the beginning of the 21st century, the team of scientists at Hohenstein made the research and development of high-tech textile and garment innovations their number one priority. They recognise a rapidly developing market for "intelligent textiles" and "Smart Clothes" capable of adapting their function to the existing environmental conditions. Clients for the research projects, which are often carried out in conjunction with other institutions and industry, are research associations, federal ministries, the European Union and numerous leading companies both in Germany and abroad. The Hohenstein Institutes dispose of four international offices at the moment: in Turkey (since 1996), USA (since 1999), Lima (since 2002) and Mexico (since 2003).

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.53-71
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• 1999

The purpose of this study is to determine the fashion images implied in men's fashion trends and systematize the characteristics of the textile materials used for fashion images, by analyzing men's fashion trends published by Korean fashion information service companies. This study would be meaningful if it can suggest some objective criteria for the characteristics of textile per fashion image. The researcher analyzed the data on the basis of 8 fashion images, which were ethnic, modern, traditional, avant-garde, active, romantic, natural, techno ones. Above men's fashion images were choosed by analyze the some literatures and men's fashion trend information. The data used for this study were information about S/S and F/W men's fashion trends published by Interfashion planning, Samsung fashion Research Center for the period of 1995-2000. The data collected were subject to “content analysis method”. As a result of the analysis, the major images of 1995-2000 were natural, active, traditional, modern, ethnic, avant-garde, techno images, and while such combinations of conflicting images as ethnic/modern, traditional/avant-garde, natural/techno. Other mixed images were ethnic/natural, modern/active, tradional/active, traditional/modern, romantic/modern, ethnic/romantic, traditional/natural, modern/natural, active/natural, active/traditional/natural, etc. The various characteristics of eight men's fashion images were found in color, pattern and textile materials.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.812-824
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• 2016

Morning grooming is a ritual daily held for transition from private to public life of an individual. Based on the previous literature's definition of the ritual characteristics, this study aims to identify the meaning of grooming rituals that are repeatedly performed every morning. Although many studies have conducted ritualistic analysis of the behaviors that are closely related to daily life, few studies analyze grooming from a ritualistic perspective. Establishing the ritual - that is, a person's distinct behavioral pattern-as the core concept, this study reveals the relationship between ritual performers and the ritual's composition to identify the meaning of the grooming ritual. The study conducts qualitative research with ten participants to identify the ritual characteristics of every-morning grooming and the factors that influence this ritual. Considering everyday grooming as a behavioral pattern that possesses mostly ritualistic elements, the study examines both the external characteristics that are shown through the methods of grooming and the internal characteristics that reflect the inherent symbolic meaning. This study contributes to extending the scope of the field. By understanding the factors that influence grooming rituals, companies can communicate their marketing messages regarding the step-by-step approach to grooming, thereby supporting consumers to effectively use various grooming products.