A Study on the Comparative Law for Acceptance of Electronic Bill of Lading in Republic of Korea: Focused on EU, UK, US, China, Singapore and Korean Commercial Law

Abstract

Purpose : This study contributes to promoting the use of electronic bills of lading by analyzing and Korean commercial law and the laws of major foreign countries, focusing on the EU, the UK, the US, China, and Singapore, and suggests related laws of major foreign countries and from Korean commercial law for revising the international trade environment.
 Research design, data, methodology : The research methodology used in this study is a thorough review of the laws on electronic documents and electronic bills of lading in the EU, UK, US, China, Singapore, and Korea, and a thorough review of the literature and data.
 Results : All major foreign countries have laws on electronic documents and electronic bills of lading, but with the exception of the US and Singapore, the legal status for acceptance of electronic bills of lading has not been established. Korean commercial law also covers electronic bills of lading, but the legal status was not completely established.
 Conclusions : We provide practical guidelines for using electronic bills of lading by suggesting revisions to the relevant laws of major foreign countries and Korean commercial law in line with changes in the international trade environment.