Most Popular
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Marine Corps commander summoned by CIO for questioning on alleged influence-peddling case
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Debate rages over ‘overly fatty’ samgyeopsal
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40 flights canceled on Jeju Island due to bad weather
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[Weekender] Korean psyche untangled: Musok
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N. Korea slams US, other countries for seeking alternative to UN sanctions monitoring panel
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Pandemic left Korea more depressed than before: report
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Gov't appears to shelve punitive measures against mass walkout by doctors
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[Eye Interview] 'If you live to 100, you might as well be happy,' says 88-year-old bestselling essayist
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From fake prostitution ring to nonexistent robber, prank calls hamper police
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Missing S. Korean traveler in Paris found safe after 2 weeks
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Online shopping increases 16.8% in Aug. amid pandemic
Online shopping in South Korea jumped 16.8 percent on-year in August to 15.8 trillion won ($13.3 billion), the highest transaction amount ever recorded for the month since records began in 2001, data showed Tuesday. According to data from Statistics Korea, food delivery orders set a new record high of 2.4 trillion won, rising from the previous month when the figure stood at around 2.3 trillion won. Statistics Korea said the COVID-19 pandemic and this year’s Tokyo Olympics contributed to
Oct. 5, 2021
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More Shin Ramyun sold overseas than in Korea
International sales of Nongshim’s spicy Shin Ramyun surpassed local sales for the first time in the third quarter of this year, the South Korean foodmaker said Monday. Sales generated outside of South Korea accounted for 53.6 percent of the product‘s 690 billion won ($600 million) total sales in the first three quarters of the year. This is the first time that more Shin Ramyun was sold overseas since the product’s launch 35 years ago. Should the trend continue, Nongshim exp
Oct. 5, 2021
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Starbucks workers plan rally over excessive workload
Baristas and employees of Starbucks Korea are fuming over excessive workload, after a recent marketing event drew customers lining up for hours. Saying the company has no consideration for the working conditions of its already-overworked staff, the employees said they may stage their first-ever collection action this week. A staffer at the US-based coffee chain, who requested anonymity, confirmed to The Korea Herald on Monday that workers are planning a rally this week. The
Oct. 4, 2021
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Korean milk providers start to raise prices
South Korea’s major milk and dairy product providers are set to raise retail prices of their products next week. Namyang Dairy Products said Friday the company will increase retail prices of commercial milk products by an average 4.9 percent from Oct. 14. The firm said the prices of fermented and processed milk products will be risen 0.3 percent and 1.6 percent on average, respectively. For example, two packs of Delicious MilkGT, Namyang’s best-selling product, will be priced
Oct. 1, 2021
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Dunkin’ Donuts apologizes for unsanitary donut factory
The Korean operator of Dunkin’ Donuts, BR Korea, issued an official apology Thursday saying it will “thoroughly abide by sanitary standards,” following a video showing donuts baked in unsanitary conditions. South Korea’s public broadcaster KBS aired on Wednesday a video taken by an anonymous worker this summer showing the inside of the firm’s donut factory in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province. The footage shows dough stained with orange droplets that are presumed to ha
Sept. 30, 2021
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[Newsmaker] COVID-19 cashback scheme criticized over fairness
South Korea’s new cashback scheme, designed to encourage private spending, has rather unusual criteria for coverage. Money spent at Emart Every Everyday stores is eligible for rewards, but not at Emart outlets. Businesses covered by the scheme include Ikea, Starbucks, small supermarket chains, hotels, movie theaters, restaurants as well as delivery apps. But purchases made at big supermarket chains such as Emart, Costco and Homeplus as well as department stores and duty-free stores do n
Sept. 30, 2021
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[Feature] Not just headsets: Gaming gear gets dedicated furniture, room
Gamers are fast becoming the latest demographic target for the retail industry as companies rush to take advantage of a recent surge in video gaming. Last week, Swedish furniture giant Ikea unveiled a lineup of furniture designed for gamers as a collaboration project with Republic of Gamers -- a gaming-focused brand by a Taiwanese computer manufacturer. Hitting the shelves next month, the company said the new range including gaming desks, chairs as well as accessories is aimed at “democr
Sept. 30, 2021
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Retail sales up 6.4% in Aug. on popularity of food delivery
Retail sales in South Korea moved up 6.4 percent in August from a year earlier, data showed Wednesday, as people continued to purchase more food and groceries online amid the new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The combined sales of 25 major offline and online retailers reached 12.6 trillion won ($10.6 billion) last month, compared with 11.9 trillion won tallied in the previous year, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Sales from offline stores moved up 2
Sept. 29, 2021
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BAT unveils glo pro slim in Korea
BAT Rothmans on Monday launched the new tobacco heating product Glo Pro Slim in South Korea in an online media conference. Glo Pro Slim marks the latest edition of the Glo series, following the launch of Glo Pro early last year. The company said the new product adds to its growing list of Glo products and will appeal to consumers seeking potentially reduced-risk products. “BAT Rothmans will lead the market transformation through product portfolio expansion and innovation in tobacco heati
Sept. 27, 2021
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[Weekender] Metaverse: the new gold rush
A growing number of South Korean companies are turning to the metaverse to offer new services, promote their products and train their staff, ushering in what has been described as the “future of the internet.” BGF Retail, the firm behind convenience store chain CU, opened the second store on Zepeto recently -- a 3D avatar metaverse platform run by South Korea’s largest web portal operator Naver. Following the opening of the “world’s first” virtual store in A
Sept. 25, 2021
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Gordon Ramsay to bring his burgers to Seoul
Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay will open a Seoul branch of his famed burger restaurant at Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southern Seoul, this December. The Seoul location will be the first Gordon Ramsay Burger in Asia, and the third branch to open globally. Ramsay rose to stardom as the iconic host of “Hell’s Kitchen,” an American cooking competition show that has aired since 2005. The British chef owns several restaurants under his name which, all together, have earned
Sept. 24, 2021
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Secondhand smartphone market sees growth in Korea
The secondhand smartphone market is enjoying a bump from recent releases of flagship models from Samsung and Apple. According to Bungaejangter on Friday, a South Korean mobile secondhand marketplace, the volume of transactions for used smartphones has reached some 100 billion won as consumers switched to new phones. Used phone transactions have become the most traded category on the platform during the first half of this year so far. The company said the “secondhand market has been energ
Sept. 24, 2021
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Lotte Department Store offers first-ever voluntary retirement
Lotte Department Store is offering its first-ever voluntary retirement since first opening 42 years ago. The operator of the department store chain, Lotte Shopping, said Friday it told employees that it will be “accepting voluntary retirement applications for the next two weeks” in an internal announcement Thursday. The restructuring program is particularly for staff members who have worked for the firm for more than 20 years. Around 2,000 employees meet this qualification, the
Sept. 24, 2021
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CJ’s Bibigo sponsors LA Lakers
NBA superstar LeBron James will be playing in a Bibigo-branded jersey for the upcoming season, as CJ’s frozen dumpling and sauce brand signed a partnership deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. The basketball team announced on its social media Tuesday, local time, that it signed a marketing partnership with Bibigo’s US branch. Attached with the announcement was a photo of LeBron James wearing a Bibigo-embroidered uniform. ”We’re proud to introduce our new patch part
Sept. 22, 2021
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[Feature] Will cosmetic refills take off in Korea?
Beauty products often come in extravagant packaging -- only to later end up in a landfill after a single use. Statistics show only 10 percent of cosmetics packaging is recyclable, due to the complex designs, colors and multilayer structures. Faced with growing criticism for its contribution to the global waste problem and in a bid to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers, cosmetics companies are turning to refilling stations where consumers can bring empty bottles and buy what they
Sept. 17, 2021
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Gmarket‘s global shop sales jump during Chuseok promotion
Gmarket said on Thursday its global shop sales during this year’s Chuseok promotion, which ended on Tuesday, increased compared to last year’s thanks to a wider selection of items on sale and more discount coupons. Gmarket’s global shop, which sells to about 80 countries through its English and Chinese websites, said its sales of household items jumped 110 percent from the previous Mega G-Festival, and sales of books and records climbed more than 30 percent. Sales of beauty p
Sept. 17, 2021
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Shinsegae to turn gas stations into commercial complexes
Shinsegae Group plans to turn gas stations into commercial complexes that combine retail and mobility, the retail-focused group said Wednesday. Its property development arm, Shinsegae Property, has signed a business partnership with Koramco Energy Plus REITs for the project. The plan is to transform gas stations owned by the real estate investment trust into what it described as “new distribution bases in urban areas that incorporate commercial facilities with distribution.” The
Sept. 15, 2021
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Pernod Ricard Korea to inaugurate new CEO
Pernod Ricard Korea said Tuesday that Frantz Hotton has been inaugurated as the new CEO of the Korean subsidiary of global wine and spirits company Pernod Ricard Group. Hotton, who is the current CEO of Pernod Ricard Hong Kong & Macao, was appointed to lead the South Korean unit in July. He joined the company as a marketing manager in 1995 and rose to be a professional C-level executive within the group, having served in various marketing and sales-related roles. Under his leadership, the
Sept. 14, 2021
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Chicken burger chain Mom’s Touch to open 100 stores in US by 2025
South Korean chicken burger chain Mom’s Touch said Tuesday it plans to open 100 stores in the United Sates in the next four years. Though the fast food chain opened a test store in the US in 2017, it struck a master franchise agreement with a local business partner and opened its first location in California earlier this year. Following the success of the first store, the company plans to open a drive-thru store sometime this year in the Long Beach area. The first location in California
Sept. 14, 2021
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Lotte Confectionery to release special BTS edition for Xylitol chewing gum
Lotte Confectionery said Friday that it will release a special BTS edition of its popular Xylitol chewing gum next month. The new edition will come in 10 packaging options -- seven representing each member of the septet and the other three featuring the group in its entirety. The gum has two flavors, Apple Mint and Purple Mix, which is a mixture of grapefruit and blueberries. With the volume of the package double the regular size, the company said the new special edition will make them more
Sept. 10, 2021