This research is to analyze spatial characteristics of labor process at the labor properties in footwear industries in Busan Metropolitan area. The production process of a footwear industry is mainly composed of the development and production of goods...
This research is to analyze spatial characteristics of labor process at the labor properties in footwear industries in Busan Metropolitan area. The production process of a footwear industry is mainly composed of the development and production of goods and design, the development of component parts and materials and the assembly of parts to be end products, and the marketing. Each process inclines to concentrate in a region having the needed labor; therefore, a manufacturing factory for each process attempts to be located at the different places. The critical core functions such as the development of products and design, the development and production of critical component parts and material, and the marketing are carried out by manufacturing companies with the trademark of the products. These functions intend to be located in the Sasang industrial complex in Busan city and Seoul metropolitan area. The function such as the development and production of major component parts and materials needs high skilled technicians and well trained laborer, and inclines to be located in traditional footwear industrial regions. The assembling process is carried out by skilled females and/or unskilled labors, and attempt to be accompanied with critical core functions or outsourcing. This process has been spatially concentrated in the traditional footwear industrial areas; but recently it extends to the developing countries. The development and production of materials and the production of component parts mainly depending on male labors incline to be located in the developed countries for critical core component parts and materials, and to be located in Busan for major components parts and materials. The production of standardized components parts and materials are carried out in the less developed countries.