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This study analyzes the impact of tariff barriers on economic growth in ten ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam) from 2000 to 2022. While the positive relationship between trade liberalization and economic growth has been widely verified, the recent spread of high-tariff policies necessitates re-examining the effects of tariff variations on economic growth. In this study, the simple average applied tariff and the weighted average applied tariff are used as key independent variables, and a fixed effects model is employed for empirical analysis. The results indicate that a 1% increase in the simple average applied tariff rate is predicted to reduce GDP by approximately USD 21.5 billion, while a 1% increase in the weighted average applied tariff rate is expected to reduce GDP by about USD 14.1 billion. These findings suggest that the economic growth of ASEAN countries may be hindered by rising tariff barriers. This study highlights the need for ASEAN countries to establish trade and growth strategies that expand trade liberalization and reduce tariff barriers to achieve sustainable economic growth.

This study utilized the Post Acceptance Model to confirm the factors affecting Chinese consumers’ intention to continue using home beauty devices. For the empirical analysis, data was collected through a survey of Chinese female consumers aged over 20 who had experience using home beauty devices, and a total of 354 cases were statistically analyzed to verify the hypothesis. The analysis results showed that, first, perceived risk, utilitarian consumption value, and expectation confirmation of home beauty devices had a significant affect on the usefulness of home beauty devices. Second, expectation confirmation and usefulness of home beauty devices were significantly affecting the satisfaction of home beauty devices. Finally, usefulness and satisfaction of home beauty devices were significantly affecting the intention to continue using home beauty devices. This study has academic implications in that it provide a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior by systematically analyzing consumers’ intention to continue using home beauty devices using the Post Acceptance Model. Moreover, this study is useful for companies in establishing strategies to enhance consumer satisfaction and repurchase intention regarding home beauty devices, and provides practical insights for Korean companies entering the Chinese home beauty device market.

This study empirically investigates the effects of gross national income (GNI) and trade openness on Korea's food and crop self-sufficiency rates using time series data spanning the period from 1970 to 2022. To account for potential structural heterogeneity across different crop types, both linear and nonlinear regression models are employed. The results from the nonlinear specifications suggest that increases in income and trade openness generally exert a negative influence on self-sufficiency rates, although the magnitude and direction of the effects vary across crops. Notably, wheat demonstrates the highest sensitivity to changes in GNI and trade dependence, as revealed through sensitivity analyses. The observed decline in self-sufficiency in response to rising income reflects structural shifts in Korea's agricultural production and consumption patterns. These findings highlight the pressing need for policy interventions aimed at sustaining and enhancing national food self-sufficiency amid continued economic growth and deepening globalization.

This study examines the global implications of the United States’ withdrawal of support for digital trade norms, with a focus on developments since 2023. The research analyzes how this policy shift has affected the structure of international digital trade regulations and explores its impact on the evolving roles of key economies, particularly the United States and China. By comparing regional trade agreements (RTAs) and the dynamics of multilateral platforms such as the WTO Joint Statement Initiative (JSI), the study highlights the emerging fragmentation in digital trade governance. The absence of U.S.-led provisions in the final 2024 WTO e-commerce text reflects the challenges of multilateral digital rulemaking. The paper concludes by offering policy recommendations for reimagining international cooperation frameworks and identifying strategic pathways for third countries, including Korea, to enhance regulatory adaptability, digital competitiveness, and active participation in shaping future digital trade norms. These recommendations aim to support a fair, stable, and inclusive digital economic order amid shifting geopolitical and technological landscapes.

This research aims to explore AI adoption in South Korean firms and how it improves networking capability, supply chain resilience and firm performance. This study is an empirical investigation utilizing psychosomatic variables (AI adoption, networking capability, supply chain resilience, and firm performance) to establish a model. A sample of 124 Korean firms is used to gauge the research model and its interconnections. PLS-SEM is adopted for the analysis and mediation effects are denoted. Findings signify that AI adoption significantly improved networking capability and supply chain resilience; besides, supply chain resilience enhanced firm performance by showing mediation effects. Further implications are demonstrated from the study.

One of the most critical challenges for modern companies is ensuring corporate sustainability. Furthermore, corporate competitiveness no longer hinged on the competitiveness of individual companies, but rather on the competitiveness of their entire supply chain. Sustainable supply chain management(SSCM) was a management strategy that simultaneously achieves these two goals. This study proposed blockchain technology as an information technology for achieving SSCM. Furthermore, we examined how blockchain technology impacts the activities of companies that have adopted it. At the same time, we examined how blockchain technology impacts corporate environmental performance. To validate the proposed research model, a survey was conducted among mid-sized companies. The results of the data analysis was as follows: Among SSCM activities, environmental and economic SSCM activities had a positive impact on the adoption of blockchain technology. Furthermore, the integration of SSCM also had a positive impact on the adoption of blockchain technology. The adoption of blockchain technology was found to have a positive impact on corporate environmental performance.

This study investigates the legal liability structure under the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks (WRC), focusing on the discrepancy between the convention's formal assignment of responsibility to registered shipowners and the actual risk management carried out by carriers in practice. In modern maritime transport, vessel operation is often governed by complex charter arrangements, in which bareboat or time charterers may exert de facto control over navigation and safety management. However, the WRC limits liability to registered owners, excluding these operational entities. Through a critical analysis of the WRC's legal framework, this research identifies a gap between formal liability and operational responsibility. Comparative case studies, legal provisions in South Korea, Japan, and EU member states, and an assessment of domestic insurance and registration systems reveal structural shortcomings in aligning convention-based obligations with practical enforcement. The study concludes with specific policy recommendations: expanding the scope of liability to include carriers, revising domestic maritime legislation, integrating charterers into insurance regimes, and enhancing international legal harmonization. These reforms aim to enhance the effectiveness of WRC implementation and improve the protection of third-party victims.