KJC Korea
Journal Central

This paper analyses the problems of ideological polarization between the left and the right in the areas of politics and economic. Based on this, it will be examined the principles and theoretical logics of 'life politics' proposed by the Democratic Party. The aim of this analysis is to suggest the model for building the advanced society through elaborating social consensus on compatibility between economic development and distribution in the 21st century. To do the task, this paper explores the characteristics of the evolving Korean society in terms of three aspects: condensity, pluralism and irresponsibility. The features resulted in serious problems such as the distortion of party politics, poverty and social exclusion. After solving the substantial problems, Korea will take an opportunity for the construction of the advanced society in the post-industrial period. The prime agenda of this Korea should be the human rights that is the viable value of democratic society.

This article evaluates Kim Dae-jung Government Reform. For the evaluation, limits of the reform agenda for the domain of economy and politics, and for the policy toward North Korea, and the details of reform that were actually accomplished examined. First of all, to overcome the IMF crisis, Kim Dae-jung Government, which had the problems for the reform of unstable economy, carried out the reform of Chae-bol(財閥). But the reform of Chae-bol caused side effects by the unilateral policy that only arose not the carefully thought-out goal for a long period but the effect for a short period. Moreover, the restructuring organized by IMF policy had not only collapsed the middle-class, but also had yielded the fragile economic structure without considering the disorder of market being not regulated under the opening and democratization. Secondly, in terms of political reform, Kim Dae-jung Government could not overcome the limit of political minority and maintained the negative stance concentrating on the securement of stable constituency. So, under the name of political reform, the amendment of election system for the purpose of the stable seat-securing of ruling party had been executed. Finally, The Sunshine policy of Kim Dae-jung Government, more than anything else, had a general significance at the level of overcoming the anti-communism in South Korea and peacefully stabilizing the relation between South and North Korea. By clinging to the policy, however, the way of execution became rigid. It is evaluated that from an excess of giving undue value to the visible result, the Summit meeting, constituting the alternatives for the peaceful regime droped off sharply, and as a result of not being able to engage the conflict between the people in the South Korea, sustainable effect for the policy was declined remarkably.

This paper attempts to analyze the Internet civil movement case and explain the possibility and implications of civil participation in Korea. This study analyzes the relationship and influence of participation of the Internet civil movement with the case study; Seogwipo city lunch box scandal. So, in a viewpoint of civil participation, this paper studies the dynamism of the Internet civil society and civil movement in Korea. In this paper, some meaningful results are founded. First, the Internet civil movement have merits, as compared with off-line movement. Second, the Internet civil movement is possible to development not only typical state-oriented participation activities but also protest activism of the Internet civil society. This is the new trend for enlargement of political participation and building of e-Governance. Third, the Internet civil movement caused by voluntary participation and cooperation reinforces effect of the Internet civil participation.

Domestic trust industry greets a new turning point by a capital market unification law enforcement and development of aging. I become it at the opportunity when such situation develops various articles in trust business and can give profit, but rather a market can be shortened by deepening of competition. Meanwhile, the domestic trust business that greeted a turning point grew up as an assistant of the bank reception, but development is postponed by regulation of a system. On the other hand, it revises law recently, and Japan plans development and develops various trust articles and grows up. Taxation system improvement such as Japanese deregulation it must consist earlier to develop domestic trust industry. I develop the new article which positive business of company trust and general property trust is necessary, and seem to be a distribution figure product every month, and supplement of a system must consist together. You must concentrate an ability on real estate trust and the retirement annuity that growth possibility is high. I cooperate with PB and must introduce a trust article to asset management consulting of a customer positively. It strengthens education to improve with specialty of trust-related human power last and must guide long-term work.

This paper tries to examine the recent trends of research and methodology of Chinese studies in english-speaking nations and to address the identity question of Chinese studies in Korea. For that purpose, it analyses above all some textbooks on the Chinese political system written in English. For the analysis of the text books, three areas are to be examined. The first area is the question of descriptive system and methodology, in other words, on what kinds of theories the textbooks are based? The second area is the object of the research. What kinds of themes are included in the studies of Chinese politics? The third area is the question of normative assessment of the researchers about Chinese politics. In other words, to what extent are the studies value-neutral? The preliminary results of this study are as follows. Most of the textbooks adopt formally the approach of sinology, not that of Chinese studies. In other words, they seem to be focusing on the uniqueness of the Chinese context. A more critical examination on the text books, however, shows that the uniqueness is not seriously taken into consideration by them, but that it is highlighted just against the process of the modernization in the sense of westernization.

The purpose of this study is to illustrate the attitude of the Social Democrats toward the Reichstag in Imperial Germany. Imperial Germany consisted of the Bismarck(1808-1890) and the Wilhelm period(1890-1914). In the Bismarck period, the Social Democrats were passive and negative in the Reichstag, but the Wilhelm period, they showed active and positive activities. Namely, the attitude of the Social Democrats was changed in time. Which factors determined their attitude in this period? They were an entrance of reformist line in the Social Democratic Party and their expansion, the growth of trade unions, the improvement of status of a German Parliament(Reichstag), and the existence and activities of a catholic party(Zentrum). In Bismarck period, only small number of the Social Democrats was elected to the Reichstag, but Wilhelm period, a member of Reichstag from Social Democratic Party was increased greatly. In this situation, he reformist line of the Social Democrats had advocated that the Social Democratic Party didn't stir up yet a revolutionary upheaval, but should be a practical party which could represent the interests of the working class in Reichstag, and it was accepted in time. The trade unions that supported, were organized after 1890 and expanded greatly in the Wilhelm period. They demanded the social policy that could improve a life chance of working class. Only active and positive activities of the Social Democrats in the Reichstag could satisfy this demand. In the Bismarck period, the Reichstag had week political power. Therefore, even if a party became a majority party, he couldn't play an important political role in imperial policy. So the Social Democrats didn't take interest in the Reichstag at that time. But a political situation was changed in the Wilhelm period, and the Reichstag became one of most important constitutional institution in Imperial Germany. So the Social Democrats that held many seats couldn't give up an active and positive activities in this institution. The Zentrum as a catholic party was one of most important parties in the Wilhelm period that determined an imperial policy. At that the Zentrum tried to improve the life of worker, so a part of worker was supporting this party. Because of this situation, the Social Democratic Party as a labor party had to compete against the Zentrum in election for the Reichstag. In order to gain the support of working class, the Social Democrats had to bend over backward to meet the worker's demand, and the demand was active and positive activities in the Reichstag.

Consumer trend is considered as the most important factors, which strongly influences quality of life and standard of living. Goods and services, which comprise consumer trend, could be a reflection of a response of management according to a change of economic environments. This paper is to identify the changes of consumer trends and response of management to the changes. This identification would be through the hit items and the consumer attitude against the hit‐items implemented. Hit‐items, which are regarded as a reflex of the consumer sentiment, play a roll as an advance notice of consumer’s demand. So as a managerial response to consumer trends shall be described with an example of hit‐items. The first analysis showed that people's perceptions of their current spending level closely correlated with their actual spending behavior. Spending behavior would be displayed in the preferred items, so‐called, hit‐items. The hit products described evidently reflect consumers' interest. As far as consumption features are concerned, quality‐valued consumption culture, rather than price, is widely diffused. They focused most on brand, price and quality when making a purchase decision. In relation to the preferred brands’ features, all income brackets prefer the brands of practical image. Nowadays more and more consumers go for usefulness, rather than pricey things. The new consumer trend has three keywords, i.e. reasonableness, customization, simplicity. In accordance with consumer trends, Korean companies have concentrated their resources to strengthening competitiveness in the non‐price areas such as product quality, design and branding. They have added more value to their products by swiftly releasing sophisticated products reflecting needs of consumers, upgrading design and raising brand profile. A corporate strategy is based on gaining a “differential competition position” rather than pursuing “operational effectiveness” has been stressed. Correspondingly, the creation of quality brands is a way to gain a “differential competition position” and top‐hit brands can be regarded as appropriate response to consumer trend.

As the current manifestation of the ongoing sequence of technological revolutions, ICT can be seen as the key factor driving economic growth in the present-day industrial societies. This paper investigates the major factors of the information society measured by ICT-related expenditure per capita in GDP. Using the panel data on 50 countries during 1992-2001 periods, this article reviews what is known about the determinants of the ICT expenditure figures and takes it as a proxy measure for the informatization across countries. Models were estimated to explore determinants using a cross-country analysis. Consistent with previous literatures, the results show that per capita income and ICT-related infrastructures were two robust explanators. Moreover, human capital investment significantly contributes to the national informatization in developing world. Openness to foreign trade should also be an important determinant as if the statistical analysis performed in the paper did give any statistical support. Consequently, to be able to take actions to bridge the digital divide or to eradicate information poverty, overall results in the paper can be helpful for policy-makers to establish the promising policies concerning national informatization.

This paper presents a case of the failure of Korea's merchant banks in the wake of the 1997 Korean financial crisis, based on both questionnaire and interviews analysis undertaken in April 2002. The survey was carried out to get information and opinion from sources in the closely related areas, including staff of merchant banks, professors, scholars, government officials and journalists. Various malpractice and negative factors in both individual institutions and financial system were perceived through the survey analysis, such as lack of appropriate supervision over financial industry, reckless business by financial institutions, etc. In the process of financial reform following the crisis, various measures have been taken to rectify factors likely to deteriorate financial institutions, including strengthened prudential regulation and supervision, and enhanced accounting standards, although there is something to be desired. [C81, G21, G33, N25]