• Journal of Korea Trade
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• 제23권8호
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• pp.1-26
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• 2019

Purpose - This paper investigates the recent trade collapse, recovery, and prolonged slowdown to shed light on the discussions about whether the current slowdown is structural or cyclical. I examine structural, cyclical, and heterogeneous aspects of the recent trade trends using detailed statistics of a small open economy, South Korea, whose economic success and growth have been heavily dependent on exports. Design/methodology - I use both aggregated and disaggregated trade statistics of South Korea. I apply the following methodologies: 1) I decompose the trade growth into the extensive and the intensive margin and observe the effect of prices over time. 2) I estimate the trade-income elasticities focusing on the world's import demand, separately for goods from the world and from Korea. 3) I compare the drop in goods exports in slowdown and trade collapse, which are the two unusual periods in the recent history when world trade has substantially dropped altogether. Findings - I show that while the last drop of trade after 2015 has cyclical aspects, there is evidence that the continued slowdown from 2012 is structural: 1) the so-called 'China factor' is found in the analysis of trade-income elasticity of the world and China for imports from Korea. 2) The bilateral trade barriers between Korea and its principal trading partners are universally tightening. 3) Firm sizes, destination countries, and the mode of transactions affect disaggregated trade flows during the slowdown periods. Originality/value - This paper contributes to the debate regarding whether the current trade slowdown is structural or cyclical. I provide two concrete evidence that the export drop in 2015 stems from low oil prices: one is the divergence of Korean export value index from its export quantity index, which started in late 2014 when oil prices plunged. I also contribute to the literature by providing evidence that Korea's trade barriers with important trading partners are steadily increasing since 2012 as the protectionist measures toward Korea's export products are steeply increasing after the global financial crisis.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• 제23권6호
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• pp.14-32
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• 2019

Purpose - This study is designed to provide new insights on trade claim management by typifying trade claims from a relational perspective, which defines trade as an organic combination that exchanges relationships based on a mutual goal instead of conflicts between obligations and rights of the contracting parties. Design/methodology - This is a phenomenological study that aims to typify trade claims based on a relational perspective and extract implications for trade claim management. The research procedures of this study are as follows. First, international commercial dispute cases applying the CISG are collected. Second, the cases collected are quantified through content analysis. The variables for quantification are developed based on a relationship perspective. Third, cluster analysis is conducted on coded data to typify cases. And finally, this study compares the characteristics of each type using analysis of variance and suggests implications for the strategic management of trade claims from a relational perspective. Findings - Results show that trade claims are divided into four clusters, depending on whether flexibility is accepted or not and which party violates mutuality. There is also a difference between the claimant and the cause of the claim, according to the cluster. Based on the results, this study suggests that the buyer and the seller should employ different strategies depending on the type of trade claim and presents proposals for strategic claim management. Originality/value - Firstly, this study extends the theoretical discussion on trade claims by applying relational contract theory. Prior studies on trade claims have been primarily based on traditional contract theory. The second is to analyze trade claims quantitatively. Prior case studies on trade claims have mainly relied on qualitative research. Finally, the study contributes to international commercial practice by typifying trade claims and presenting options for strategic management.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.20-37
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• 2019

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyze the trade structure and competitiveness of China's information technology (IT) industry in comparison to that of Korea and the United States, particularly in terms of quality. Design/methodology/approach - Indices such as trade specialization index (TSI), Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), and Market Comparative Advantage (MCA) are used. Further, an Intra-industry Trade (IIT) index is used to analyze qualitative changes in horizontal intra-industry trade and intra-industry trade of high- and low-quality goods. Findings - China's IT industry has a comparative competitive advantage over that of Korea and the United States, and mainly exports goods of inferior quality and imports goods of superior quality. Further, China's horizontal intra-industry trade has been decreasing, while its vertical intra-industry trade has been increasing and vertical trade of inferior quality goods outweighs that of superior quality goods. This shows that China is rapidly catching up with Korea and the United States, even though its qualitative competitiveness has not significantly improved. Research limitations/implication - This study has academic and political implications, as it analyzes changes in China's IT trade competitiveness. However, it is somewhat limited as factors determining qualitative aspects has not been considered. Originality/value - Most studies aggregate analyses of export competitiveness using methodologies such as TSI, RCA, and market share. However, the focus of these methods is price competitiveness. Hence, an examination of the objective and qualitative trade competitiveness of China's IT industry is necessary. this study the trade structure and quantitative competitiveness of the industry by analyzing intra-industry trade focusing on the quality of competitiveness. Therefore, the changes in China's IT industry in the USA and Korea and in foreign trade competitiveness and quality competitiveness are clarified. The results show that the academic and policy implications of these changes in the IT industry will be a useful resource. This is the first study in Korea to attempt such an analysis. This is the first study in Korea to attempt such an analysis.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.67-90
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• 2016

This paper provides an assessment of the potential economic impacts of the Vietnam-Korea free trade agreement on Vietnam, by using general equilibrium modeling. The results show that Vietnam-Korea FTA will increase aggregate welfare for both countries in the long run. The most important gains accrue from better allocation of resources consequent to trade liberalization. All the sectoral differences and changes are consistent with the trade profiles of the two countries, and the long-run results are more pronounced than those of the short-run. In comparison with other ASEAN countries, the CGE analysis suggests that Vietnam's agriculture exports to Korea would especially rise in the long run. However, there will be strong competition in this sector among ASEAN members. Thus, an earlier conclusion of a comprehensive FTA with Korea is expected to be a good strategy for Vietnam, so as to avoid the direct competition with ASEAN members in the future.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.371-400
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• 2018

Although asset price is an important factor in determining changes in external balances, no studies have investigated it from the Chinese perspective. In this study, I empirically examine the underlying driving forces of China's trade balances, particularly the role of asset price and the real exchange rate. To this end, I estimate a sign-restricted structural vector autoregressive model with quarterly time series data for China, using the Bayesian method. The results show that changes in asset price affect China's trade balances through private consumption and investment. Also, an appreciation of the real exchange rate tends to deteriorate trade balances in China. Furthermore, forecast error variance decomposition results indicate that changes in asset price (stock price and housing price) explain about 20% variability of trade balances, while changes in the real exchange rate can explain about 10%.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• 제18권1호
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• pp.83-107
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• 2014

This paper studies the effects of economic development and cultural proximity as common determinants of trade in cultural goods in a dynamic preference selection model. For the empirical analysis, this paper utilizes the gravity framework with importer fixed effects and Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood estimators. This paper applies the model to Korean export of broadcasting contents to Asian countries. The relative economic development of the export country and the market size of the import country are important determinants of cultural trade, the results of which are generally consistent with traditional goods trade. However, the distance variable does not show much significance, reflecting the unique characteristics of trade in cultural goods.

• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.77-96
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• 2019

This paper examines the relation between the skill premium and international trade given differences in the relative supply of skills across countries while allowing the South (developing countries) to develop its appropriate technology. Typical assumptions put forward in the literature state that either technology is exogenously given, or technical change is allowed only in the North (developed countries). I present a model of international trade with endogenous growth by allowing the South to direct its technology. The results show that more R&D is directed towards skill-augmenting technology in the North than in the South, in sectors with the same skill-intensity. Technical change induced by lowering trade costs can increase the skill premium in both the North and the South. This result can explain the empirical observation that the skill premium has increased within many developing countries after they experienced trade liberalization. Finally, the model predicts larger gains from trade compared with the model where technical change is either not allowed, or allowed only in the North.

• Journal of East Asia Management
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• 제2권1호
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• pp.23-48
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• 2021

The consumer is living in the frame which is called a city and is leading life through "the purchase act". As for there not being "the purchase act", our life doesn't stand up. It is possible to say that the retail trade it therefore occupies the mailbox which is important in the urban function. However, as for former research, the functional model about the retail trade in the city leaned to the gross income of the customer development degree of each retail store and the retail trade in the city and the overall show of the model of "the role of the retail trade in the city" wasn't done. Therefore, at this article, it focuses on the retail business status, the chain store which has a multitude ready in the retail trade, and it has a purpose of seizing out boiling and considering and making a new hypothesis about how the retail trade which is one of the urban functions contributes to the city.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.76-87
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• 2019

Purpose - This study empirically analyzes the effects of the European Union-South Korea Free Trade Agreement on Korean exports in major sectors. Design/Methodology - This study is based on the augmented gravity model with a panel data set covering 51 countries between the years 2000 and 2015. Findings - Main findings of the present study is that the agreement has affected the chemical sector the most. Fixed effects estimation predicted a positive trade effect of 38.3%, while Poisson maximum likelihood estimation predicted an impact of 4.75% in the chemical export sector. Regression results for the other sectors only show insignificant effects. Originality/value - The findings imply that the effects of the EU-South Korea free trade agreement on the Korean exports are quite specific compared to the European ones, meaning that the Korean government should focus on sector-specific programs to maximize the welfare benefits of the free trade agreement.

• 무역학회지
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.75-92
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• 2022

This study aims to analyze the International trade network of Water transport service using Social Network Analysis for defining the status of Korean Water transport industry. This study use World Input-Output Table of Asian Development Bank from 2000 to 2020 and build the International trade matrix of Water transport service from that. Therefore, this study analyze Out-degree centrality, In-degree centrality and betweenness centrality of Korea and other main countries in the matrix of World Water transport industry. As a result, Korea rank above 10th in the all centralities and the total output also rank 8th in the world, therefore, this study show the importance of Korean Water transport industry in the world. However, Singapore has the highest centrality in the world, even though China has the largest Total output among 63 countries.