Korean Respondents Research Articles

Exploring the influence of cultural values on green purchasing and its consequence

The principal aim of this research is to elucidate the causal dynamics among cultural values (namely collectivism, long-term orientation, and power distance), ethical attitudes (with a focus on teleological evaluation), and the propensity of consumers to opt for green hotels, all conceptualized within the Value-Attitude-Behavior (VAB) theoretical framework. This study further investigates the moderating role of status consumption on the relationship between power distance and ethical attitudes, as well as the impact of green purchasing behaviors on consumers’ subjective well-being. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze data from 380 Korean respondents. The results confirmed the significance of all six hypothesized relationships: the three cultural values significantly impact teleological evaluations, status consumption has a significant moderating effect between power distance and teleological evaluation, and teleological evaluations significantly influence green purchase behavior, which in turn enhances consumers’ subjective well-being. These findings advance theoretical discussions and provide practical insights for the tourism and hospitality industry.

Factors influencing travelers' intention by environmental changes of destination: Cross‐country evidence from Far‐East Asia

AbstractTravel intentions are influenced by not only personal background but also external factors such as national disasters, infectious diseases, and government policy. While international flights and the travel market are sharply recovering from the effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic, travel risk will affect future travel demand. This study analyzed the relationship between potential risk of destination and travel avoidance intention using the stimulus‐organism‐response (SOR) model. The survey was conducted with 303 Chinese and 253 South Korean respondents living in countries adjacent to Japan. The results reveal that travel avoidance intentions may be influenced by emotional reactions to the complexity of the geopolitical environment or the diverse protection motivation perceptions of travelers. This study proposes that nationality has a moderate effect on tentative travel avoidance intention compared to gender.

The Model of Goal-Directed Behavior in Sports Participation: A Meta-Analysis Comparing Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Eras in the Republic of Korea.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on sports participation worldwide, including in Republic of Korea. Due to the restrictions and safety measures implemented to prevent the spread of the virus, many individuals have had to alter their sports participation. Therefore, this study conducted a meta-analysis based on studies applying the Model of Goal-directed Behavior (MGB) in sports participation to compare the pre- and post-COVID-19 eras in Republic of Korea. By analyzing 18 selected studies involving 5772 Korean respondents, the study investigates the relationships between MGB variables and sports consumption behaviors pre- and post-COVID-19. This study found that all correlations with the MGB were significant, indicating the applicability of the MGB in understanding sports participation in Republic of Korea. Moreover, the moderating effect of COVID-19 was identified in the relationships between subjective norms and desire and between perceived behavioral control and desire. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors influencing sports participation in Republic of Korea. Additionally, the study provides valuable insights for sports managers and policymakers in Republic of Korea to develop strategies and interventions that can promote and support sports participation during challenging times.

What motivates international tourists’ positive word-of-mouth? The effect of individualist and collectivist cultural orientations

Purpose The purpose of this research paper was to determine which needs for incentives influence positive word-of-mouth (PWOM) among international tourists and how these needs differ based on the cultural orientation toward individualism and collectivism. Design/methodology/approach This research used online surveys to gather data from 959 Australian, US, UK, Japanese and Korean respondents who had visited Beijing. A random sampling method was used, and data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0. By adopting the existence relatedness growth theory, the findings explain how cultural orientation affects the impact of needs for incentives in generating PWOM. Findings Three hypothesized relationships were significant for Australia/UK/USA and Japan/Korea – the effect of needs for incentives on motivation, the effect of motivation on PWOM and the effects of needs for incentives on PWOM were significant and positive for Australia/UK/USA and Japan/Korea. The effect of needs for incentive type on motivation varied across national populations, and the intensity of the effects of needs for incentive type on PWOM was also different. For Australian, UK and the US tourists, the honorary title was the most influential need to stimulate word-of-mouth motivation. The need for cultural learning was the most influential for Japanese and Korean tourists. Originality/value This research contributes to the literature by exploring and comparing the needs for incentives that influence PWOM among tourists from the perspective of individualism and collectivism. The results also increase the understanding of the relationships among needs for incentives, motivation and PWOM.

Surveying Willingness to Learn About and Share Results of Brain MRIs in South and East Asian Adults

AbstractBackgroundDementia in South Asian (SA) and East Asian (EA) adults is often under‐reported by family due to stigma or under‐recognized by medical practitioners due to language barriers. Older SA and EA adults are also underrepresented in dementia research. While recruiting for a memory and aging study in the New York City/New Jersey (NYC/NJ) area, we noted hesitancy among older SA adults towards undergoing brain MRI analysis. We hypothesized that differences in attitudes towards MRI and brain health research may differ between older SA and other adults.MethodWe recruited a convenience sample of community‐dwelling adults in the NYC/NJ area from August 2022 to January 2023 to complete an anonymous survey on knowledge and attitudes towards MRIs and dementia. Topics and wording reflected concerns reported in the literature, including potential harms from MRI, desire to learn about incidental MRI findings, and stigmatizing beliefs. We specifically targeted SAs, but also recruited older Chinese and Korean adults.Result210 participants (n = 151 for 50+) completed the survey, including 69 (33%) SA adults. Chinese and Korean respondents had similar attitudes and perceptions, and were hereafter analyzed together as an EA group. Compared to non‐Hispanic White (White) respondents, SA and EA respondents were less interested in learning about incidental brain MRI findings. EA and White respondents were much more likely to share de‐identified brain MRI for research purposes than SA respondents, and this was mediated by future concern for dementia/stroke in EA, but not White, respondents. There was no difference in perception of MRI‐related harm or dementia‐related stigma.ConclusionSA and EA adults were both less interested in learning about incidental brain MRI findings than White adults, but the two Asian groups differed in willingness to share de‐identified MRI for research and concern for future dementia/stroke. In the absence of knowledge differences, these may be explained by cultural attitudes towards health and locus of control. Future studies on these factors are needed to promote research participation and dementia prevention among older SA adults.

What on-site landscape experiences attract potential visitors to a site? A Japan–Korea cross-cultural comparison

ABSTRACT In the age of big data, social media’s influence on on-site landscape experiences is growing, and the relationship between on- and off-site landscape planning and management is becoming more important. The study’s objectives were: 1) to identify scenic hotspots based on on-site visitor experiences, 2) clarify landscape preferences and attractiveness based on photographs taken at scenic hotspots, and 3) examine similarities and differences between Japanese and Korean visitors in terms of landscape preferences and attractiveness. The data were collected using geotagged visitor employed photography from 153 visitors to the Takao Quasi-National Park in Japan were used to understand off-site appreciation, and compare Japanese and Korean visitors’ experiences. Photo-based questionnaires were completed by 42 Japanese and 40 Korean respondents. We collected 1,645 geotagged photographs, and performed a GIS analysis with network-based kernel density estimation to identify scenic hotspots. The data extracted from the photo-based questionnaire were used to analyze the relationship between on-site and off-site experiences, as well as similarities and differences between the Japanese and Korean participants. The data were analyzed using means, Welch’s t-test, Wilcoxon sum-rank test, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and Kendall’s correlation analysis. The results identified nine scenic hotspots, and revealed that the photographs that the Japanese visitors preferred to take would not necessarily attract tourists, nor were they the same as the scenic spots and objects the Korean visitors found attractive. As international tourism expands, cross-cultural research on on- and off-site experiences and preferences has become increasingly important for forest landscape management and sustainable tourism.

Does the Fukushima nuclear accident still matter? Analysis of its mediated effects on five dimensions of nuclear power acceptance by using the parallel multiple mediator model

Although 10 years have passed since the Fukushima nuclear accident, it continues to greatly impact global energy policy and the acceptance of nuclear power. This study aims to empirically analyze the Fukushima accident's effects on five dimensions of nuclear power acceptance and the interactions of these effects with various determinants of nuclear power acceptance. We analyze survey data from 1020 Korean respondents and find that they remain highly worried about the Fukushima accident 10 years later. The Fukushima accident has negative impacts on the general acceptance of nuclear power, acceptance of nuclear power's contributions to addressing climate change, acceptance of high-level radioactive waste disposal sites, and acceptance of extensions of old nuclear power plants. However, the accident has a positive impact on the acceptance of denuclearization policies. Our parallel multiple mediator model shows that the Fukushima accident has only an indirect effect on general acceptance; this effect is negative and significant. The accident has a positive direct and indirect effect on acceptance of denuclearization policies but negative direct and indirect effects on the acceptability of high-level nuclear waste disposal and extensions of old nuclear power plants. Finally, we find a positive direct effect and a negative indirect effect of the accident on acceptance of nuclear power's contributions to addressing climate change. The latter is greater than the former, meaning that acceptance of nuclear power in the context of addressing climate change fell in response to the accident. In short, the Fukushima accident has different direct and indirect effects across different dimensions of nuclear power acceptance.

A South Korean study of age trends in HEXACO-PI-R self-reports

We examined age trends in mean scores on self-report scales of the HEXACO Personality Inventory—Revised (HEXACO-PI-R) in a cross-sectional sample of 147,564 South Korean respondents with ages ranging from 14 to 70 years. The most prominent trends were observed for the Honesty-Humility and Conscientiousness factor scales, where in each case respondents in their 60s averaged about one full standard deviation unit higher than did respondents under 20. Within several factor scales, facet-level scales differed widely in their age trends. The pattern of the Korean age trends was generally similar to that observed in a previous study involving persons mostly from English-speaking countries. This similarity suggests that some of the observed age trends could reflect universal developmental tendencies.

Economic value of the development of nuclear power plant decommissioning technology in South Korea

The nuclear power plants (NPPs) worldwide operating for more than 30 years have reached over 50% of the total and have entered the deterioration stage in earnest. Thus, the requirement and demand for NPP decommissioning technology are expected to continue to increase in the future. The primary purpose of this research is to estimate the national willingness to pay (WTP) for the development of NPP decommissioning technology. To this end, we used the contingent valuation method with survey data from 1,028 Korean respondents. It was found that 812 out of 1,028 respondents were willing to pay for the development of NPP decommissioning technology. The mean WTP was estimated at KRW 14173.86 (USD 10.87), and it was also found that respondents with a higher level of knowledge of NPP decommissioning had higher WTPs. The analysis shows that additional policies and projects to boost public acceptance of NPP decommissioning must be preempted to achieve a suitable level of social consensus to promote the development of NPP decommissioning technology in Korea.

Influence of Playability on Perceived Game Software Quality: A Comparison Between Chinese and South Korean Gamers

The usability of ISO/IEC 25000 series SQuaRE and other existing software quality models seems unsuitable for unique software products such as game software. This study revealed that playability has a higher predictive capacity than usability for evaluating game software quality using a survey methodology involving 344 Chinese respondents and 142 South Korean respondents. Specifically, dimensions of playability in terms of enjoyable, exciting, fun, interesting, relaxing, novel, creative, convenient, curious, fantastic, stimulating, splendid, effective and attractive positively influenced both Chinese and South Korean game software users’ satisfaction. In addition, results show that there is a significant difference between Chinese and South Koreans in playability dimensions such as exciting, relaxing, novel, creative, convenient, curious, stimulating, splendid and attractive. This study extends the existing knowledge on how playability influenced game software users’ satisfaction and software quality, and limitations were also highlighted.

Research of mutual perception of the Republic of Korea and Russia in the period 2016-2021

The study of the mutual perception of Korea and Russia can be considered an important form of cultural exchange for understanding the perception of the people and culture of another country. In addition, this project explores obstacles to the development of bilateral relations and possible points of contact for cooperation, that helps to determine the direction for strengthening the strategic partnership. This article is based on the results of the 2021 study, with particular attention to the differences in perceptions of the peoples of both countries and its changes since 2016.
 Koreans still associate Russia with images of the past - the Soviet Union, a communist country, and communism. Russians associate South Korea with modern concepts such as the development of industry and technology and Korean culture. Both peoples express a desire to visit another country, while the interest in culture is slightly higher among Russians.
 There are no significant changes in the perception of Koreans in bilateral relations. The proportion of Korean respondents expressing a positive attitude towards political cooperation has slightly decreased, positive sentiments can also be observed in relation to cooperation in the economic sphere. There are also no significant changes in Russians' perception of relations between the two countries. The proportion of those who positively assess the prospects for current bilateral relations has slightly decreased, just like the Koreans, the Russians have a positive attitude towards economic cooperation.
 As the analysis of the survey results showed, cooperation between South Korea and the United States as allies and confrontation between Russia and the United States is the main obstacle to the development of relations between Russia and Korea. Foreign policy problems remain a decisive factor in the development of cooperation. Thus, in public opinion, a practical and effective way to develop bilateral relations can be an exchange in the field of economy, medicine, tourism and culture at the level of the private sector and local authorities, rather than political and diplomatic cooperation at the state level.

Legitimation of earnings inequality between regular and non-regular workers: A comparison of Japan, South Korea, and the United States

This study explores functions of labor market institutions in perpetuating earnings gap between different categories of workers with focusing on people’s views of earnings gap between regular and non-regular workers in Japan, South Korea, and the United States. An original cross-national factorial survey was conducted to measure the extent to which respondents admit earnings gap among workers with different characteristics. We found that Japanese and South Korean respondents tended to justify the earnings gap between regular and non-regular workers. In Japan, non-regular-worker respondents accepted the wide earnings gap against their economic interests, which was explained by assumed difference in responsibilities and on-the-job training opportunities. Specific institutional arrangements contribute to legitimating earnings gap between different categories of workers by attaching status value to the categories.

Breaking Status-Quo Inertial Use of Incumbent Payment to Adopt Mobile Payment: A Contingency Perspective

Integrating a contingency perspective with status-quo theory, this study investigates how to break the inertial use of incumbent payments to use mobile-payment services in South Korea. We surveyed 330 Korean respondents from March 2021 to May 2021, using a non-probability purposive and web-panel sampling method. Our hierarchical regression estimation results reveal that the status-quo inertia of incumbent transactional method negatively influences user behavior regarding mobile payment adoption. Moreover, from a contingency perspective, individual factors, including gender and age, and technology environmental factors, such as technology diversity, weaken the effect of status-quo inertia. Meanwhile, regulatory environmental factors, such as institutional inertia, strengthen status-quo inertia’s effect on the intention to use mobile payment. More attention has been given to the questions of how and why leapfrogging from traditional transaction methods to mobile payment has not yet been replaced. In this context, our findings could provide answers for both academic and industry experts who have explored how to break inertia to adopt mobile payment.

Role of multidimensional customer brand engagement on customer behavior for online grocery shopping

This study aims to understand the relationship between environmental consciousness and multidimensional (i.e., cognition, affection, and activation aspects) of customer brand engagement (CBE) in relation to online grocery shopping. It also investigates the moderating effect of customer characteristics on the associations among environmental consciousness, CBE, and behavior intention. 358 Korean respondents took part in this research using an online survey to assess the impacts of multidimensional CBE for online grocery. The outcomes reveal that environmental consciousness positively influences cognition and activation aspects of CBE. Additionally, activation, affection, and cognition aspects of CBE positively affect behavioral intention. Multi-group analysis is performed to identify the difference among customers in low and high customer characteristics. In addition, by demonstrating a role for CBE, this study adds to the existing literature on online grocery. Furthermore, the outcomes of this research provide direction for building marketing strategies for online groceries for marketers and practitioners.

Does Social Media Use Mitigate or Exacerbate Loneliness among Korean Older Adults? Focusing on the Moderating Role of Media Literacy

As older adult populations rapidly increase worldwide, loneliness among older adults is emerging as a societal burden. Whether social media use can increase or decrease older adults’ loneliness remains debated in the literature. The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect of social media use on loneliness among older adults by examining the moderating role of media literacy on the relationship between social media use and loneliness. Considering that Korea is facing the most rapid population aging among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries and that two-thirds of Korean older adults use social media, Korean data can provide international insights into the impact of social media use on older adults. Responses from 554 Korean respondents aged 60 to 79, extracted from the 2021 Korea Media Panel Survey, were analyzed using the PROCESS Macro Model 1. The results of this study showed that the effect of social media use on loneliness among older adults was moderated by their level of media literacy. As the amount of time spent using social media increased, loneliness increased for respondents with low-to-middle media literacy. This study’s findings emphasize the importance of educational interventions to increase older adults’ digital media literacy and expand scholarly understanding of the impact of social media use in non-Western countries.

Estimating the economic value of ultrafine particle information: a contingent valuation method

Global concern regarding ultrafine particles (UFPs), which are particulate matter (PM) with a diameter of less than 100nm, is increasing. These particles are difficult to measure using the current methods because their characteristics are different from those of other air pollutants. Therefore, a new monitoring system is required to obtain accurate UFP information, which will raise the financial burden of the government and people. In this study, we estimated the economic value of UFP information by evaluating the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the UFP monitoring and reporting system. We used the contingent valuation method (CVM) and the one-and-one-half-bounded dichotomous choice (OOHBDC) spike model. We analyzed how the respondents' socio-economic variables, as well as their cognition level of PM, affected their WTP. Therefore, we collected WTP data of 1040 Korean respondents through an online survey. The estimated mean WTP for building a UFP monitoring and reporting system is KRW 6958.55-7222.55 (USD 6.22-6.45) per household per year. We found that people satisfied with the current air pollutant information, and generally possessing relatively greater knowledge of UFPs, have higher WTP for a UFP monitoring and reporting system. We found that people are willing to pay more than the actual installation and operating costs of current air pollution monitoring systems. If the collected UFP data is disclosed in an easily accessible manner, as is current air pollutant data, it will be possible to secure more public acceptance for expanding the UFP monitoring and reporting system nationwide.

Mind over matter: how biased perceptions of political knowledge influence selection and evaluation of political YouTube channels

PurposeIn the face of increasing political polarization worldwide, this study explores whether people create biased perceptions of political knowledge and how this affects their selection and evaluation of political content on YouTube.Design/methodology/approachFor this study, an online experiment was conducted with 441 panels of South Korean respondents. In the first phase, participants answered 10 questions designed to capture their level of objective political knowledge, and for each question, they indicated whether they had responded to that question correctly as a means of measuring their subjective political knowledge. In the second phase, two types of YouTube thumbnails were presented to represent progressive and conservative claims on two controversial political issues, and participants rated and selected the content they would like to see.FindingsParticipants with low political knowledge perceived their knowledge as more than it really was. In contrast, participants with high political knowledge perceived their political knowledge as less than it really was. This biased perception of political knowledge influences respondents' choice and evaluation of political YouTube channel videos.Originality/valueAt a time when political polarization is increasing around the world, this study sought to explore how perceptions of political knowledge differ from actual political knowledge by applying the Dunning-Kruger effect. The authors also used political YouTube channels, whose role in forming public opinion and political influence is rapidly growing, to study the behavior and attitudes of a group of Korean respondents in the media according to their actual and perceived level of political literacy.

A Comparison of Attitudes About Paternal Child Support Payments in the United States and South Korea

ABSTRACT We compared attitudes about child support between the United States and South Korean respondents, using a multiple segment factorial vignette to gather quantitative and qualitative data from 132 Americans and 132 South Koreans. South Koreans were more likely than U.S. respondents to think child support should be paid. Respondents in both countries thought fathers should pay more child support when mothers had sole custody than when both parents shared custody. Remarriage, combined with custody, affected respondents’ attitudes. The primary rationale of U.S. respondents focused on issues of fairness, while Koreans highlighted fathers’ responsibility and obligation. Cross-cultural differences in attitudes regarding child support payments, and their implications for support compliance rates in the United States and South Korea, are discussed.

Evaluation of public's perception of scar cosmesis after thyroidectomy: results of a survey of Turkish versus South Korean individuals.

Visible scars on the neck caused by thyroid surgery give rise to significant aesthetic, functional, and psychosocial problems. The objective of this study is to comparatively investigate the public perception of neck scar cosmesis in Turkish and South Korean populations. This survey was prepared to collect participants' demographic and socioeconomic data and determine their perception of scar cosmesis on the neck and consisted of 15 questions. One thousand thirty-nine individuals who did not undergo thyroid surgery completed the survey. The P-values of <0.05 were deemed to indicate statistical significance. There were 1,039 respondents, of whom 525 (50.5%) were Turkish and 514 (49.5%) were South Korean. South Korean respondents stated that they would be significantly more uncomfortable with the thought of having a scar due to thyroid surgery, compared to the Turkish respondents (P < 0.001). The South Korean respondents stated that they would be significantly more concerned about the scar's length, thickness, and darkening color, compared to the Turkish respondents (P < 0.001 for all cases). Patients' expectations, which are affected by various sociodemographic factors and cultural characteristics, are as important as the medical condition when deciding on the type of thyroid surgery. The study findings clearly indicated that the South Korean population would be significantly more uncomfortable with having a scar on the neck, compared to the Turkish population. Therefore, in selected cases, a scarless thyroidectomy approach, such as transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy, vestibular approach may be preferable for societies like South Korea.

Determinants of Healthy and Active Ageing in Korea

Based on a framework developed by the World Health Organization, we construct an individual-level percentage measure of healthy and active ageing employing the results of a unique survey of ten thousand elderly Korean respondents conducted in 2020 and relate its values to the senior respondent's physical, lifestyle, and socio-economic characteristics. We find that the median value of our healthy and active ageing index is approximately 40%, suggesting significant room for improvement. An important role in interpreting our empirical results is played by the apparent role of Korea's senior employment as a means of "making ends meet" rather than a way of improving the quality of one's ageing, suggesting an important direction for government policy development. Our results underscore the importance of promoting higher-quality employment opportunities for senior citizens as opposed to creating these opportunities per se. This appears especially important given the fast pace of Korea's ageing.