2026, Vol.33, No.1

Comparative Analysis of the Positioning and International Competitiveness of High-Tech Manufacturing Industries in Korea, China, and Japan within the Global Value Chain

표잉아이 , 리테인치 | 2026, 33(1) | pp.5~36 | number of Cited : 0

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Thispaper constructsathree-dimensional analytical framework encompassing GVC participation, positioning, and international competitiveness, utilizing the 2023 edition of the OECD Global Input-Output Database. It conducts a comparative analysis of the evolutionary changes in the linkages, specialization patterns, and international competitiveness of the high-tech manufacturing sectors in South Korea, China, and Japan from 1995 to 2020. The findings reveal a shift in the GVC linkage center for the high-tech manufacturing industries of the three countries from the NAFTA region to the RCEP region. Leveraging their respective factor endowments and technologicaladvantages,theyhaveadopteddifferentiatedlinkagestrategies withintheRCEP,NAFTA,andEUregions.Regardingtheirpositionswithin GVCs, South Korea exhibits the highest participation rate; China is situated in downstream segments but its position is continuously improving; while Japan predominantly occupies upstream segments, although its advantage is weakening. In terms of international competitiveness, the three countries haveformedacompetitivelandscapecharacterizedbydivergentdevelopment trajectories: South Korea maintains a leading edge, China's competitiveness is on the rise, and Japan's is declining. Their development pathways are distinct:SouthKoreahasenhanceditsinternationalcompetitivenessthrough technologicalbreakthroughsinspecificfields,yetitsfundamentalinnovation stillreliesonexternalsources.Chinahasleveragedtechnologicalintegration innovation and economies of scale to embed itself in low-value-added productionstagesandisascendingtomedium-andhigh-value-addedstages, with some sectors reaching upstream positions. Japan has reinforced technologicalcontrolandselectivelycontractedproductionstagestomaintain its upstream advantages, while simultaneously expanding into downstream service sectors to consolidate its competitiveness. This research, grounded in technology, market, and production dynamics, elucidates the strategic divergences among South Korea, China, and Japan in the logic of regional value chain restructuring and GVC governance participation. It concludes that cooperation among the three countries in non-strategic high-tech manufacturing technology, market access, and production domains would be instrumental in establishing a resilient and dynamically innovative Northeast Asian regional cooperation framework.

A Study on the Chinese Communist Party's Policy toward the New Social Strata during the Xi Jinping Era: From the Perspective of the United Front

Yoon, Taehee | 2026, 33(1) | pp.37~76 | number of Cited : 0

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Japan-US Alliance Transformation: Function-overflow, Structural Adjustment, Trends and Impacts (2017-2025)

BA Dian-jun , wang han , GENG Fei-man | 2026, 33(1) | pp.77~104 | number of Cited : 0

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Cold Gazes and the Warmth of Everyday Life: A Comparative Study of Quality of Life among Chinese and Other International Students in the Context of Rising Anti-Chinese Sentiment

Lee Min-gyu | 2026, 33(1) | pp.105~126 | number of Cited : 0

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This study aims to empirically examine whether the quality of life satisfaction and residential difficulties experienced by Chinese international students have changed in the context where anti-Chinese sentiment has emerged as a major political and social issue. To this end, the study analyzes trends in six domains of quality of life satisfaction and twelve categories of residential difficulties. Based on these findings, the relative conditions of Chinese international students were further compared and validated against those of international students from other countries. The main results are as follows. First, despite the unfavorable environment created by the rise of anti-Chinese sentiment, Chinese international students were found to report relatively high levels of quality of life satisfaction. In three out of the six domains, their satisfaction levels were even higher than those of non-Chinese international students. In nationality-based comparisons , Chinese students also demonstrated statistically significantly higher satisfaction than students from certain other countries. Second, the residential difficulties perceived by Chinese international students were found to have intensified compared to 2016 and 2022. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between Chinese students and those from other countries. This suggests that the residential difficulties experienced by Chinese international students may not be primarily attributable to their nationality, but rather reflect challenges commonly faced by international students in general. Third, contrary to initial concerns, the overall quality of life conditions of Chinese international students were assessed as relatively positive. Nonetheless, satisfaction with the educational environment—closely related to students’ study-abroad experiences—was comparatively low and showed adeclinecomparedto2016,indicatingtheneedforfurtherinvestigationinto the underlying causes. Moreover, although residential difficulties did not significantly differ by nationality, the survey results indicating an overall increase in such difficulties highlight the necessity of comprehensive policy review and institutional support for international student management and assistance.

North Korea’s Selective Acceptance of Human Rights Issues: Analysis of North Korea’s Response in the UN UPR

Hyunkyu Kim , 김재희 | 2026, 33(1) | pp.127~158 | number of Cited : 0

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The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Technological Innovation in the 21st Century: Evidence from Japan

song yu fei , chui jian | 2026, 33(1) | pp.159~197 | number of Cited : 0

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Foreign direct investment (FDI) has long been regarded as a key driver of technological innovation in host economies. However, for countries that have already reached the global technological frontier, the impact of inward FDI on technological innovation remains an open empirical question. This study investigates the effect of FDI on technological innovation in Japan using panel data from16 representative industries over the period 2005–2020. Technological innovation is proxied by total factor productivity (TFP), calculated based on the Solow growth model, and the analysis employs a two-way fixed effects model that controls for both industry-specific and time-specific heterogeneity. The empirical results indicate that inward FDI exerts a statistically significant inhibiting effect on technological innovation across Japan’s overall industrial sector. This inhibitory effect is particularly pronounced in manufacturing industries, including the chemical and pharmaceuticalsectors,aswellasindesignatedcoreindustries.Furthermore, the impact of FDI on technological innovation exhibits a double threshold effect with respect to the scale of industrial development. Specifically, when industrial scale remains below the first threshold, inward FDI promotes technological innovation. Once the first threshold is exceeded, however, the positive effect of FDI turns into an inhibiting effect, and after surpassing the second threshold, the magnitude of this inhibitory effect gradually diminishes as industrial scale continues to expand. These findings offer important policy implications for technologically advanced economies that are close to the technological frontier and deeply embedded in global value chains, highlighting how such economies can achieve a dynamic balance between technological innovation and external openness by optimize the structure of foreign direct investment at different stages of industrial development.

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Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies 2024 KCI Impact Factor : 0.59

2026, Vol.33, No.1