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Financial Liberalization and Corporate Investments: Evidence from Korean Firm Data

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  • Jaewoon Koo
  • Sunwoo Shin

Abstract

This paper examines whether financial liberalization procedures introduced in Korea in the early 1990s succeeded in relaxing financing constraints on firms. Because external funds are more costly than internal funds in an imperfect capital market, corporate investments depend on the availability of internal funds. As financial liberalization mitigates constraints on firms, the sensitivity of investments to cash flow can be reduced. Using panel data on Korean firms, we found that cash‐flow effects on investment spending decreased drastically during the liberalization period. In particular, small, non‐chaebol and established firms that were severely constrained gained most from liberalization. Chaebol firms appeared to lose preferential access to credit after liberalization.

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  • Jaewoon Koo & Sunwoo Shin, 2004. "Financial Liberalization and Corporate Investments: Evidence from Korean Firm Data," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 18(3), pages 277-292, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:asiaec:v:18:y:2004:i:3:p:277-292
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8381.2004.00193.x
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    2. Niels Hermes & Robert Lensink, 2005. "Does Financial Liberalization Influence Saving, Investment and Economic Growth?: Evidence from 25 Emerging Market Economies, 1973-97," WIDER Working Paper Series RP2005-69, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Conor O'Toole & Carol Newman, 2012. "Investment Financing and Financial Development: Firm Level Evidence from Vietnam," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp409, IIIS.
    4. Liu, Yunxiao & Kim, Woochan & Sung, Taeyoon, 2021. "Investment efficiency of firms outside the business group," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    5. Oualid Lajili and Philippe Gilles, 2018. "Financial Liberalization, Political Openness and Growth in Developing Countries: Relationship and Transmission Channels," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 43(1), pages 1-27, March.
    6. Jaewoon Koo & Kyunghee Maeng, 2006. "Foreign ownership and investment: evidence from Korea," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(20), pages 2405-2414.
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    8. O’Toole Conor M., 2014. "Does Financial Liberalisation Improve Access to Investment Finance in Developing Countries?," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 5(1), pages 1-34, June.
    9. O’Toole Conor M., 2014. "Does Financial Liberalisation Improve Access to Investment Finance in Developing Countries?," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 5(1), pages 41-74, June.
    10. Rui Wang & Hang (Robin) Luo, 2019. "Does Financial Liberalization Affect Bank Risk-Taking in China?," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(4), pages 21582440198, November.
    11. Schmukler, Sergio L. & Vesperoni, Esteban, 2006. "Financial globalization and debt maturity in emerging economies," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(1), pages 183-207, February.
    12. Ameer, Rashid, 2014. "Financial constraints and corporate investment in Asian countries," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 44-55.
    13. Moncef Guizani, 2021. "Macroeconomic conditions and investment–cash flow sensitivity: Evidence from Saudi Arabia," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(3), pages 4277-4294, July.
    14. Xinxin Zhao & Zongjun Wang & Min Deng, 2019. "Interest Rate Marketization, Financing Constraints and R&D Investments: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-17, April.
    15. Koo, Jaewoon & Maeng, Kyunghee, 2005. "The effect of financial liberalization on firms' investments in Korea," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 281-297, April.

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