Abstract
We investigated major factors underlying an unusual 2008 public ‘candlelight protest’ in South Korea about US beef imports related to concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Using a survey we explored determinants of consumer responses to negative publicity in mass media. Respondents (80.7 per cent) reduced consumption of imported beef during the scare; of those 62.5 per cent decreased consumption of US beef only. We explain the determinants in order of their importance and define the relevant terms from a theory of consumer behavior in economics. Our findings suggest that several effects worked jointly in their influence on most respondents who reduced beef consumption.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government (NRF-2012-S1A5A2A01015888).
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The authors explore an exceptional case of consumer reaction in South Korea in 2008 to how the government tried to prevent ‘mad cow’ disease.
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Jin, H. The 2008 US beef scare episode in South Korea: Analysis of an unusual public reaction. J Public Health Pol 35, 518–537 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2014.33
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2014.33