Problems in Myeong-dong predate COVID-19, but outbreaks, strict border control were nail in the coffin

Grocery delivery firm Market Kurly has won an award for its insulation packaging from the World Packaging Organization, the company said on Friday. The WorldStar Global Packaging Award was given to 194 recipients this year, including Market Kurly, which won the prize in the transit category for its eco-friendly insulated corrugated box. The recyclable, corrugated packaging mimics the insulation effect of a cooler with a pad attached to the insides of the box, allowing a layer of air to form b

A month into its operation, Starbucks Coffee Korea’s first store committed to making a better workplace for workers with disabilities is showing early success, the coffee chain said Thursday. In early December, Starbucks Korea opened a new store inside Seoul National University Dental Hospital, filling half of its 12 staff positions with people with disabilities. From the initial design stage, the US-based coffee chain took in opinions to make the outlet a disability-friendly space fo

As people looked for ways to enhance their immune system amid the coronavirus pandemic, red ginseng is enjoying a surge in popularity both in Korea and elsewhere, according to Korea‘s leading red ginseng brand CheongKwanJang. “Since the coronavirus outbreak, consumption of red ginseng in Korea has risen for its immune-boosting and other health benefits,” one official at Korea Ginseng Corp. said on Wednesday. “Korean Red Ginseng Concentrated Extract, made of 100 percent

A majority of South Korean retailers expect their business conditions to worsen slightly in the first quarter of 2021 than three months earlier amid the coronavirus pandemic, a poll showed Wednesday. The Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry said its retail business survey index (RBSI) stood at 84 for the January-March period of the year, down from 85 three months earlier. The figure is based on a poll of some 1,000 retail businesses across the nation. A reading below 100 means that pessimis

Responding to heightened public interest in environmental protection, Nongshim will aggressively promote its vegan food brand Veggie Garden this year, the South Korean food company said Tuesday. Veggie Garden is a convenience food brand developed by the Nongshim R&D Center and the group’s affiliate Taekyung Nongsan, using a manufacturing technology for plant-based meat alternatives. “After we came up with our test products in 2017, we worked with famous vegan chefs in Seoul t

Korean food overtook fried chicken as the second-most-popular delivery food last year, according to on-demand delivery platform Vroong on Monday. While burgers remained the most popular food ordered via Vroong in 2020 and fried chicken was pushed to third place, desserts swapped places with “bunsik” -- a category that includes popular street food items such as gimbap, tteokbokki and fish cakes. Mesh Korea, the company behind the food delivery app, attributed the greater popularit

Coway has nominated Seo Jang-won, the current chief financial officer and an expert in strategic planning, as the new co-chief executive officer to strengthen its overseas businesses, the company said Sunday. The electronic home furnishing rental firm said Seo’s promotion has been decided in the latest senior executive reshuffle, and the official appointment will be in a board meeting slated in February. With the reshuffle, the company will be led by two chiefs, the incumbent CEO Lee Ha

First female CEO in hypermarket industry stepping down for personal reasons

Starbucks Coffee Korea on Thursday launched a set of limited edition Playmobil toy figurines, hoping to re-create the successes of their previous merchandise collections. Customers can get one of six tall-size beverages with an accompanying Playmobil figure for 12,000 won. In collaboration with the famed German toymaker, the coffee chain will release a total of eight different Playmobil figurines this month, while the drink and toy combo -- named the Buddy set -- will end on Feb. 3. The fir

South Koreans’ spending on drinks and cigarettes reached a record high during the third quarter of last year, the Bank of Korea said Tuesday. Households spent 4.3 trillion won ($3.96 billion) on liquor and cigarettes between July and September – a 6.2 percent increase from the same period a year prior, data from the country’s central bank revealed. The figure marks the highest quarterly figure since records began at the central bank in 1970. The year-on-year jump is also th

With icy cold weather hitting regions across the country, concerns are rising about increased car accidents on black ice. To be prepared for emergencies, Victorinox presented its Rescue Tool, a continuation of its flagship Swiss Army Knife series that boasts 15 tools useful in such situations. According to the knife manufacturer and luxury watchmaker on Tuesday, among the tools are a one-handed serrated locking blade for precise cutting, a seatbelt cutter in case the user becomes entangled and

Online shopping in South Korea hit a record high in November as more people bought products via e-commerce platforms amid the new coronavirus pandemic, data showed Tuesday. The value of online transactions stood at 15.1 trillion won ($13.8 billion) in November, up 17.2 percent from the previous year, according to the data from Statistics Korea. The use of online shopping increased amid the protracted pandemic as people refrained from visiting offline stores on concerns about infection risks.

Wine defies doom and gloom in pandemic, while beer and whiskey imports plunge

Pressure mounts on businesses to take action against Japanese cosmetics firm after CEO’s racially charged remarks