ABSTRACT
The past decade has seen a rapid increase in foreign direct investment activity by Korean corporations in general, and by firms from the consumer electronics sector in particular. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw a strong advance into the developing and industrialized countries of western, central and eastern Europe by the Korean consumer electronics giants, Samsung, LG and Daewoo. Responding to changes in the domestic and global business environment, these Korean manufacturers sought low-cost production and export bases in developing and less developed countries, while seeking to protect key export markets and acquire the technology, management skills and expertise needed for globalization through investment in the industrialized nations of Europe. The internationalization process of the consumer electronics industry with regard to Europe was unusual in that the first advances into the region were made into industrialized countries, with large-scale investment in developing countries following at a later date.
