KOREASCHOLAR

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect that Chinese tourists’ perceptions of beauty products and their friendliness toward Korean culture have on beauty tourism, particularly on Chinese tourists’ intent to purchase, re-purchase, and recommend beauty products. Between the 10th and 21st of June, 2016, a total of 277 questionnaires were distributed in Seoul, Busan, and Daegu using SPSS 21.0. Cronbach’s α was undertaken to test the reliability of the questions and an analysis of the frequency, factors, t-test, and Sobel test used in the study. Korean beauty was derived from two factors: “product favorability” and “product excellence and credibility.” Product favorability had a significant effect on the intent to purchase, as did participants’ friendliness toward Korean culture. Re-purchases and the intent to recommend beauty products were also significantly affected. In the relationship between the perception of beauty products and the intent to purchase, the study revealed partial mediation effects of the participants’ friendliness toward Korean culture on product favorability and complete mediation effects on product excellence and credibility. Friendliness toward Korean culture had partially mediated the effect that product favorability had on the intent to re-purchase and recommend. Tourists’ friendliness toward Korean culture had complete mediation on the effect that product excellence and credibility had on the intent to re-purchase and recommend. According to the Gender Equality and Family Act, the difference between buying and selling beauty depends on the difference between purchase and intentions. Friendliness toward Korean culture has become an important variable thanks to product superiority and reliability.

• Ha-Eun Jeong(가천대학교 의상학과) | 정하은
• Mi Young Kim(가천대학교 의상학과) | 김미영