• International Area Studies Review
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.429-449
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• 2011

This study investigated the determinants of the foreign direct investment (FDI) by the Korean firms. We focused on types of FDI such as market-seeking, efficiency-seeking, strategic asset-seeking, resource seeking investment and institutional distance including economic distance, political distance and cultural distance which were affecting Korean FDI decision. We tested our hypotheses using Korean FDI data collected between 1980 and 2010. The result showed that Korean FDI to be associated with market-seeking, efficiency-seeking, strategic asset-seeking investment, and institutional distance such as economic distance. We also examined Korean FDI before and after IMF, and the results indicated that before IMF, Korean FDI was associated with market-seeking and strategic asset-seeking investment. However, after IMF, Korean FDI was associated with market-seeking, efficiency-seeking, strategic asset-seeking investment, and institutional distance such as economic distance.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.9
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• pp.241-249
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• 2020

This study aims to empirically examine the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) and corruption on the development of public-service sectors in 10 ASEAN countries. It then investigates whether this relationship is different between two FDI compositions including greenfield FDI and FDI in the form of cross-border merger and acquisitions (M&As). Using a panel database of 10 ASEAN countries during the period 1996-2015 from various sources including the World Development Indicators of the World Bank and UNCTAD, we first find that FDI strongly and positively contributes to the development of the public-service sectors in the recipient nations, except for the electricity sector. However, we show that this relationship is dependent on the type of FDI modes of entry. Specifically, while greenfield investment exerts a beneficial influence on the development of telecommunication and transportation sectors, cross-border M&A has no effect on these sectors, perhaps because of the distinct differences among three public service sectors. Finally, we found that in a highly corrupt environment, aggregate FDI might have no influence on all three public-service sectors, possibly because the two contradictory influences of the interaction terms between corruption and two FDI sub-types seem to cancel each other out.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.345-361
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• 2019

In recent years, Chinese firms have explosively increased outward foreign direct investment (oFDI). While state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are still dominant in Chinese oFDI, privately-owned enterprises (POEs) are also accelerating their internationalization. These two types of Chinese firms differ in their behavior regarding oFDI. The objective of this paper is to analyze the differences in the choice of oFDI locations between Chinese SOEs and POEs by considering host country factors. By integrating the literature on Chinese firms' oFDI and on FDI locations, we developed six hypotheses concerning how host country factors affect their choice of location. We tested our hypotheses by conducting multiple regression analysis with recent secondary data on 413 Chinese MNEs in 88 countries between 2005 and 2016. The results of the test show that in selecting oFDI locations, Chinese SOEs invest relatively more in countries with richer natural resources, more abundant strategic assets, less production efficiency, higher political risk, and lower institutional quality compared with Chinese POEs. It is our hope that the empirical results of this paper will contribute to research on Chinese oFDI.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.379-402
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• 2015

The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a significant difference in impacts decomposed into scale effects and technique effects on $CO_2$ emissions between Greenfield FDI and M&A FDI flows into Korean manufacturing sectors, ultimately leading to clarify the relationship between FDI and environmental pollution. To this end, the research constructed a simultaneous model to analyze coincidental relationship of influence and interactions between each variable. Archival data, spanning the 15 years period from 1995 to 2009, is industry-level panel data on 13 Korean manufacturing sectors, and it is empirically analyzed with three-stage least squares (3SLS) method. Key findings can be summarized into two parts. First of all, Greenfield FDI has a greater impact on increasing industrial gross output, resulting in more $CO_2$ emissions than M&A FDI through scale effects. Secondly, technique effects of FDI have a bigger impact on $CO_2$ emissions than scale effects, implying that this inflow of FDI into Korea contributes positively to the reduction of $CO_2$ emissions. These findings are expected to play a meaningful role in establishing FDI policies with consideration of the environment by giving the implication that different incentives for each FDI type should be considered to maximize the effect of environmental protection.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.12
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• pp.283-293
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• 2021

To verify the employment impact of two-directional FDI, the study analyzes panel data composed of 26 OECD countries from 2006 to 2018 by using the system GMM. Furthermore, we decompose domestic employment into types of industries and skill compositions to identify the heterogeneous employment impact. The results show that inward and outward FDI at lag one period promote domestic employment at the overall level. In terms of workers' skill levels, lagged inward FDI significantly persistently promotes high-skilled workers' employment, likewise, the positive employment impact also appears with a time lag in low-skilled labor subgroups. Outward FDI, on the other hand, initially inhibits both high- and low-skilled labor demand, but then changes to a positive effect in the highskilled labor subgroups. Although there is a time difference between inward and outward FDI, it has a significant and positive impact on employment in the manufacturing and service industries. The results indicate that the relationship between manufacturing and service employment is a mutual substitute. To attract international investors, governments should promote a favorable investment climate and maintain stable economic growth. Because low-skilled labor is more susceptible to changes in FDI, policy measures are required to ensure employment stability.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.37-59
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• 2021

Purpose - Although models of innovation and exporting dominate recent studies of relations between innovation and access to foreign markets, relations between innovation and foreign direct investment (FDI) are less explored. This is especially true of relations between types of innovation and FDI. We fill that gap in the literature with empirical evidence that clarifies whether firms enter foreign markets through exports or FDI. Design/methodology - In order to assess the role of innovation in firms' international engagement strategies, we develop research hypotheses and present new empirical evidence on firms' choice of entry - exports and FDI - based on firm-level data. Findings - Our empirical results suggest that the impact of product innovation is more significant in transition from being a purely domestic firm to an exporter, while process innovation more significantly affect transition from being an exporter to a multinational enterprise. Our results also support 'self-selection into FDI' rather than 'learning-by-performing FDI' in the relationship between innovation and firms' overseas expansion. Originality/value - Recent literature on the relationship between innovation and firms' participation in foreign markets is dominated by models of innovation and export behavior. However, foreign direct investment by multinational enterprises may also be associated with firms' innovative activities. We first analyze how product and process innovations influence firms' choices to initiate exports or FDI.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.29-54
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• 2014

The purpose of this research is to identify the relation between OFDI (Outward Foreign Direct Investment) and wage inequality. In order to analyze various effects of OFDI on wages depending on the types of workers, the research classified laborers into four categories: permanent/skilled worker, permanent/unskilled worker, temporary/skilled worker, and temporary/unskilled worker. With controlling wage-determining factors such as education, labor union, individual fixed-effect, and industry-level effect, this paper examines whether OFDI attributes to the wage inequality among each type of workers. Moreover, this study also analyzes possible effects on wages that could vary according to the different characteristics of investments by classifying OFDI into two groups: OECD and non-OECD. The results reveal that OFDI makes certain differences according to skill-intensity and contract type in terms of influences on wages. It also shows that the effect of OFDI on wages is more subject to contract type than to skill-intensity. The classification of OFDI into OECD and non-OECD proves that effects on wages can vary by characteristics of the subject of investment.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.56-68
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• 2020

Objective : This study introduces domestic and overseas systematic assessment tools that can identify eating problems of dementia patients based on abnormal behavior observations and turns them into Korean through the verification of content placement by expert groups. Methods : Three types of assessment tools were selected for final development in Korean version through several meetings based on a wide range of relevant literature searches. The 3 selected assessment tools were first translated by the researchers, and a 9-person expert team was used to verify the Content Validity Index. Results : The EBS content equivalence calculation shows that all 6 questions and 1 response item had a CVI value 0.9, and all items were included in Korean EBS without modification. The EdFED content equivalence calculation showed that all 11 questions had CVI value 0.9, which was included in the Korean edition of EdFED without modification. The content equivalence calculation of the FDI showed that all 19 questions had a CVI of 0.8 or higher, and all items were included in the Korean version of the FDI without modification of the item. Conclusion : Korean versions of the EBS, EdFED and FDI, which are based on behavioral observation and diet tools for people with dementia, have been developed. Early determination of problems related to diet in dementia patients and providing proper intervention through observational Korean version assessment tools is vital in terms of strengthening patient nutrition and reducing caregivers' burden.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.421-437
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• 2009

China has transformed her strategies for economic development from exogenous development founded on foreign capitals to endogenous development based on enhancing technology innovation capabilities since 2000. More specifically, Chinese business activities have coupled with new institutional settings which enable them to facilitate advanced technology and management methods. As a result, the characteristics of the spatial economy in China are likely to transfer from export-led developmental space to technology-oriented developmental space. In this context, this paper aims to identify the characteristics of technology-oriented space by investigating intra-, inter- and extra-firms relations of Korean FDI firms in Shanghai, China. In terms of intra-firm relations, Korean FDI firms adopted strategies for maximizing business efficiency and effectiveness by transforming their personal networks into formal networks. In terms of inter-firm relations, the distinction of Korean FDI firms' networks has been found in accordance with firm size, industrial sectors, ways of investment etc. Finally, Korean FDI firms has formal networks resulted from institutional involvement, as well as informal (personal) networks based on guanxi (inter-personal relations) in extra-firm relations. Therefore, two types of processes affecting the networks and institutional legacies of the Soviet system can be identified. First is the interaction of institutions and restructuring of pre-existing networks. Second is the insulated institutions and endurance of preexisting networks. And these two governance types have created regional economies which are embedded and over-embedded.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.18
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• pp.159-188
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• 2002

International joint ventures are usually formed and managed by domestic companies and foreign investors for the common objectives. They offer an opportunity for each partner to benefit significantly from the comparative advantages of the other. Local partners bring knowledge of the domestic market; familiarity with government bureaucracies and regulations; understanding of local labor markets; and existing manufacturing facilities. Foreign partners can offer advanced process and product technologies, management know-how, and access to export markets. In Korea, joint ventures have been encouraged to usher in foreign investors with foreign currency capital badly needed during the IMF financial crisis. In the meantime, Korean laws and regulations with respect to joint ventures have been largely overhauled to promote foreign direct investment (FDI) both inbound and outbound. They include four types of FDI, i.e., acquisition of foreign stocks, provision of long-term loans, participation in joint operations like resources development, and establishment of foreign offices. From the legal point of view, the formal joint venture agreement must be an offspring of a series of tough negotiations between domestic and foreign partners. They usually stress the long-term relationship with the good will and dedication to each other, and restrict the free transfer of stocks. Both partners are earnestly interested in the ownership and management of the joint venture. So they keep a close eye on the articles of incorporation, changes of business environment, conflict resolution methods, transparency of accounting and other financial matters. When a multinational corporation (MNC) is involved in the joint venture, conflicts over management strategies, marketing and other issues take place more often than not between the MNC and local partners. We have to pay attention to joint ventures, particularly, in China and North Korea. As witnessed in other transition economies, China is eagerly bringing in foreign direct investments for the development of nation's economy. China encourages foreign investors to establish ordinary joint ventures, contractual joint ventures, solely invested foreign capital companies and jointly operated development companies with local partners. In North Korea, however, joint ventures have a different meaning like contractual joint ventures in China, in which North Korean partners have an initiative in the management. Rather, jointly operated companies or simply processing-for-wage companies are recommended in view of the unpredictable legal infrastructure in North Korea.