Temu and AliExpress Popularity in Korea - Is It Okay as It Is?
Kicker: COVERSTORY Temu and AliExpress Popularity in Korea Is It Okay as It Is? By Su-Young Kim, Reporter /kimsuyoung@gmail.com Have you ever used Temu, AliExpress? Temu is an online marketplace platform under Pinduoduo that directly connects local Chinese producers and global consumers without an intermediate distribution process and sells inexpensive products in large quantities. AliExpress is like Temu, a site specializing in B2C (Business to Customer) operated by a subsidiary of Alibaba Group, a Chinese internet company. Looking at these platforms, the types of products sold are not only clothes and accessories, but also various products such as electronics, furniture, and auto parts at very low prices. In addition, these provide a convenient and fun shopping experience through mobile apps in line with consumer trends. These Chinese overseas direct shopping malls are very popular in Korea these days. Ali and Temu ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in mobile apps with the highest number of users in Korea last year. Contrary to the view that even if Ali and Temu enter Korea in the early days, only teenagers and those in their 20s with low economic power will use them, their use is expanding across all ages. Also, these are making a big impact by entering global markets such as the United States, Russia, Brazil, India. Let's find out why Temu and AliExpress suddenly became popular in Korea, and whether there is any controversy or concern arising from these issues. Temu and AliExpress, why are they popular? There are several reasons why these platforms are popular. Firstly,price competitiveness may be the biggest reason why consumers are enthusiastic about AliExpress and Temu. You can find the same item or similar item at half the price. Based on its enormous financial power, it is investing astronomical money in subsidies and logistics to use an ultra-low-cost strategy against the global market. As their parent company and major shareholders are global big tech companies, they have excellent platform operations and supply chain management, use data-based marketing strategies, and are quickly targeting the global market. Consumers do not have high expectations for quality because it is so inexpensive, but rather, when high-quality products for the price are delivered, they continue to purchase them on the site because they feel joy as if they have found a treasure. Secondly, it maximizes the time spent on the platform by inducing consumer interest by adding an element of games or gambling to shopping. As consumers experience events such as spinning roulette and drawing gifts on mobile apps, they become interested and try to buy them cheaper. Thirdly, it is an overseas direct purchase, but it is not difficult to purchase. It's an overseas item, but it doesn't require complicated procedures for delivery, and you can sign up by e-mail and write down your address in Korean as if you were shopping in Korea. You can even pay with Kakao Pay, a simple payment method. Lastly, even though it is an overseas direct purchase, the delivery is as fast as the domestic delivery. By drastically shortening the existing delivery period, consumers with resistance to overseas direct purchases were introduced. At the same time, it provided free returns and customer service (CS), showing the same service as domestic product delivery. In fact, I've used AliExpress before, and since the price is much cheaper than when I bought it in Korea, my satisfaction was maximized when I received a decent product, and I was able to easily purchase it due to this joy and low pressure. In addition, unlike Coupang, which is famous in Korea, I thought it was better than Coupang because it can be delivered right away for free without buying things in bulk. picture1https://www.globalsources.com/knowledge/temu-vs-aliexpress-which-is-the-winner/ The Problem with Temu and AliExpress However, controversy over Temu and AliExpress, which are gaining popularity worldwide in such a groundbreaking way these days, continues. Various problems have been raised, such as intellectual property infringement due to design theft, customs clearance issues for unverified products, and safety issues due to the discovery of carcinogens. Amid growing interest in domestic fashion brands in the global market recently, there are more cases of damage suspected of preempting the trademark right of "K-brand" by stealing it without permission around the world. Recently, as Chinese e-commerce platforms have expanded their influence in Korea, cases of unauthorized theft of trademark rights and damage to design copies have become more serious. In the fashion category of the platform, it is easy to find cases of intellectual property violations using Korean designer brand trademarks such as “Yale” and “Mmlg” without permission. In addition, unlike products that have been certified as National Certification Integration Mark (KC) through official import procedures, products that entered through the Chinese platform were brought into Korea without a separate safety verification procedure, causing problems. Chinese e-commerce companies receive benefits such as exemption from customs clearance and customs duties and exemption from KC certification obligations because they are direct overseas purchases. However, carcinogens have been detected more than 270 times the standard level in children's supplies sold at AliExpress recently. In response, the government came up with a plan to make safety certification mandatory for some items. The government announced, "measures to strengthen consumer safety in response to the surge in overseas direct purchases." Children's products or large electric household items that are likely to be fire-prone will be blocked from direct purchases unless they are certified by KC. In addition, measures to prevent products containing harmful ingredients from being brought into the country even if they have been certified for safety will also be implemented. In addition, to intensify personal information protection, AI monitoring is strengthened for overseas direct purchase platforms, and a system that matches and blocks information held by the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) and the Korea Customs Service (KCS) in real time is introduced. To sum up, Chinese shopping platforms such as Temu and AliExpress, which have won the hearts of people around the world with unconventional prices and delivery and services in the era of a high-price economy, are gaining popularity. However, controversy has recently arisen as various problems such as intellectual property infringement, lack of safety certification, and personal information infringement and contraction of domestic companies have been raised. Before we try these platforms, I think we need to know the overall situation and make sure we can consume them wisely. I think it is a smart way to consume it by using high-quality items that you need for a long time rather than buying a lot of various items because it is cheap. Sources: https://m.newspim.com/news/view/20240126000863 http://www.ktnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=131432 http://www.apparelnews.co.kr/news/news_view/?idx=211124 https://n.news.naver.com/article/030/0003206534?sid=101
DEBATE
Do You Agree with AI Regulation?
Kicker: DEBATE Do You Agree with AI Regulation? by Ji-Min Baek, Editor-in-chief pjm5875@naver.com The SM Herald has consistently covered and mentioned issues related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as AI and copyright, and ChatGPT, in articles. As widely acknowledged, the development of AI encompasses both positive and negative aspects. Advances in AI can improve productivity and create new contents, but this involves complex legal dilemmas, particularly concerning job displacement and copyright infringement. As a result, the EU has enacted the AI Act with problems related to AI and new measures to protect copyrights. This AI Act is about AI regulation, and this article is going to deal with the regulatory Act on AI. Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/tungnguyen0905-17946924/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7111802">Tung Nguyen</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=7111802">Pixabay</a> Emerging Concerns about the Advancement of AI Apprehensions regarding AI technology are surfacing across various sectors. For instance, there is a concern that AI will dominate human society while surpassing human capabilities. There is also apprehension regarding that human labor can be replaced by machines as the way they work changes due to the development of AI. Moreover, there are concerns about copyright infringement caused by AI learning and creating. A related example was the strike of Hollywood writers and actors in the United States. It happened with concerns about the possibility that AI could replace the roles of human creators, as the jobs of actors and voice actors were virtually threatened by using deepfake technology and Generative AI. In addition, as AI learned existing works and wrote scripts with a few keywords in a short time, it led to a strike by writers as it could cause problems with writer’s creativity, copyright infringement, and job substitution. Recently, lawsuits related to AI and copyright issues have been increasing in the United States, but legal solutions have not yet been found. The advancement of AI has advantages such as improving productivity and creating new forms of content, but it also entails complex legal dilemmas related to job displacement and copyright infringement. About the EU AI Act The EU AI Act represents the world’s first AI legislation. Striking a balance between the potential risks and benefits of AI, this regulatory law aims to mitigate adverse effects while fostering the development and deployment of safe and reliable AI. The Act assesses the risk level of AI and imposes duties and responsibilities into four categories: Unacceptable Risk, High-risk, Limited risk, Low or minimal risk. This is a risk-based regulatory method, and Unacceptable Risk AI, which is concerned about restricting EU basic human rights and infringement of values, is prohibited. High-risk, which is concerned about safety and basic rights, Limited risk AI, such as deepfakes and chatbots must comply with transparency obligations, and general AI is classified as minimal risk. The Act established separate regulations for general purpose AI (GPAI), such as chatGPT. Companies must disclose the sources and data processing methods used to learn AI. Failure to comply may result in fines of up to 35 million euros or 7% of the company's previous year's revenue. In addition, technical documentation of the GPAI model should be prepared, and related information and documentation to supply to downstream providers should be provided. It is necessary to establish a policy to respect the Copyright Directive and publish a sufficiently detailed summary about the content used for training. As AI technology advances, various side effects have occurred, and Korea, the United States, and China, have tried to regulate AI, but it has never been legally binding like the EU. Since the AI regulations and penalties stipulated by the EU AI Act are quite strict, it is questionable whether they can be applied well in reality. Regarding the regulation of AI, the two opinions have been largely opposed to the regulation due to the impediment to technological advancement and the approval of the regulation that copyright and human protection are important. In the end, achieving a balance between these viewpoints will be crucial. What is your opinion on whether these regulations will become the right path to the development of artificial intelligence and will be activated or hinder the development of AI? Do you think it is necessary to regulate AI to do that? Sources: https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=6716784&cid=42107&categoryId=42107 https://blog.naver.com/kcc_press/223434463091 https://www.ddaily.co.kr/page/view/2024042616490221575 https://blog.naver.com/kcc_press/223434475206 https://www.g-enews.com/ko-kr/news/article/news_all/202402161658391211ea588b1547_1/article.html https://it.chosun.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=2023092111987
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EDITORIAL
In the Middle of the Year
Kicker: EDITORIAL In the Middle of the Year by Ji-Min Baek, Editor-in-chief pjm5875@naver.com Half of the year is over and the semester is winding down. I am curious about how you all spent your semester. It may or may not have been enjoyable or satisfactory, but I hope each of you found some fulfillment. I understand that you are currently under a lot of stress as you prepare for your finals. That’s why resting is becoming more precious these days. Rest and health care are vital aspects of self-care, and I believe they contribute significantly to our ability to accomplish our goals, such as studying and working. I hope you take good care of yourself, preparing for your finals and final projects. It feels like just yesterday that I wrote the editorial for the beginning of the semester, but I feel that time passes really fast now that I am writing the editorial for the June issue. Our upcoming summer break will also fly by. I hope you enjoy the time to relieve the stress of the end of the semester and prepare for the next steps of your life. I wish you all success and happiness as you wrap up the semester amidst your busy daily life. Good luck on your finals!
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