The long-awaited market debut of Kurly, operator of South Korean e-commerce platform Market Kurly, is expected to be decided soon as the nation’s bourse operator is scheduled to hold a final review session next week, according to industry sources on Tuesday. If the company gets a green light from the Korea Exchange during the session, it is ready to go public. Following a book building process, ...

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin reiterated his plan for investment in biotech and hydrogen energy after his pardon was announced by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday. “We sincerely thank the government’s and people’s decision to grant a pardon. Chairman Shin Dong-bin and Lotte workers will contribute to overcoming the global crisis by boosting domestic industries and economy,” Lo...

Goobne Chicken, one of the leading South Korean chicken franchises, said Friday that it has opened its first US branch in LA. The store, located at Korean supermarket Hannam Chain Del Amo in Torrance, LA, will bring various Korean-style chicken flavors to cater to the growing interest in K-food in the US, it added. According to Goobne Chicken CEO Chung Tae-yong, the company also plans a second ...

Starbucks Korea said Thursday it will voluntarily recall some 1.8 million giveaway “summer carry bags” after drawing public ire for handing out items containing cancer-causing chemicals. After consulting with the state-run Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, the company decided to recall over 1 million bags that were given away and 16,200 bags sold online starting from Aug. 11 to Oct. 11...

South Korean confectionery company SPC Samlip said Wednesday that it has posted an all-time high sales record of over 800 billion won ($611.4 million) in the second quarter, driven by the popularity of its Pokemon Bread, of which the company sold 70 million packs for the last six months. The company’s second quarter sales surged on-year by 14 percent to 814.9 billion won in sales, while its net ...

Science ministry, civic group divided over safety of wearable fans

Golf apparel trend moving towards pricey items with T-shirts priced between 200,000-900,000 won

Shinsegae Food said Thursday that it plans to enter the global alternative meat market with its newly launched plant-based canned ham. “Hormel Foods’ Spam has dominated the global canned ham market since 1926. But in almost 100 years, we have become the first to make a vegan canned ham that has almost the same taste and texture,” said Song Hyun-suk, Shinsegae Food CEO, during a press conference....

Retail sales in South Korea rose 9.3 percent on-year in the first half of this year amid eased COVID-19 curbs and the growth in people's outdoor activities, the industry ministry said Thursday. The combined sales of 25 major offline and online retailers reached 82 trillion won ($65.2 billion) in the January-June period, up from 75 trillion won a year earlier, according to the data compiled by th...

Despite the pandemic-triggered e-commerce boom, some South Korean retailers have begun shutting down early-morning deliveries, saying that the cutthroat competition for early bird customers has led to increased operating costs. GS Fresh Mall, an online shopping mall under GS Retail Group, said Wednesday it plans to suspend its early-morning delivery service starting July 31. The company said it...

Facing criticism over toxic chemicals claimed to have been found in Starbucks Korea giveaway “summer carry bags,” the company said Tuesday that it might consider additional compensation to appease angry customers. “Depending on the internal investigation result of a formaldehyde level test of the bags, the company might decide whether it will provide compensation other than giving free drink cou...

Sundays are often a day for family shopping, but supermarkets in South Korea don’t operate every second and fourth Sunday of each month. Under the mandatory shutdown rules, designated to protect mom-and-pop stores nearby from losing sales to discount store chains, supermarkets have closed twice a month for the last 10 years. But the ability to shop every Sunday may become possible again with te...

Rice price falls to all-time low, as younger people increasingly opt for healthier alternatives

South Korean cosmetics brand Barenbliss said Friday that it has been working with top researchers to launch its new product line, “Meta Glow Series,” last month. Barenbliss has been operating its own research center, Barenbliss Skinlab, which has the necessary analytical facilities to test product safety and efficacy, the company said. The lab is headed by Yoon Myeong-seok, a professor of chemi...

Kim Ji-yeon, a 29-year-old elementary school teacher, stopped eating out during weekdays and started to eat lunch at a school canteen. Instead of going to cafes after lunch, Kim drinks instant coffee in her office. It has been two weeks since she has not spent any money during weekdays. “I first heard about the ‘no-spend challenge’ on Instagram, and thought it was a good way to save money. I was...