earticle

영어

This study intends to analyze in detail the mega store and SSM(Super Supermarket) regulatory issues that have been controversial in Korea since 2012. In particular, from the point of view of problem definition, Q methodology was used to identify the in-depth recognition types of stakeholders towards business regulations on mega stores and SSMs. According to this study, the viewpoint of regulation of mega stores is complicated and multi-layered with various factors such as economic and social effects of regulation, consumer utility, and policy side-effects as well as ideological and moral frame. As a result of this study, five kinds of frames were revealed: a) argument against the infringement of the right of large-scale merchandise, b) argument for protection of small and medium merchants, c) argument stressing positive effect of regulatory effect, d) argument empathizing ineffectiveness of regulation, and e) argument focusing on regulatory side effect. At the existing debate about the regulations on the large-scale shopping mall, however, there are only two main points: (a) an argument against the infringement of the rights of mega stores based on free marketism and (b) an argument for small- and medium-sized merchant protection based on joint growth theory. However, according to the in-depth study, three additional frames were found in addition to these two frames. As the previous two frames focus on the market ecosystem based on the political and moral point of view of the mega store regulations, the three newly discovered frames focus on whether this regulation can produce policy effects or cause any adverse effects. This suggests that large mart regulatory policies should be watched according to the frames of market efficiency and consumer utility, rather than being buried in existing political and moral frames.