Most Popular
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Ador CEO denies allegations, accuses Hybe of mistreating NewJeans
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Medical reform committee kicks off despite boycott from doctors
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10-man S. Korea lose to Indonesia to miss out on Paris Olympic football qualification
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DP leader says he will meet Yoon without conditions
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Over 9,000 hotline calls made by stalking victims in 2023
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[Hello India] Hyundai Motor vows to boost 'clean mobility' in India
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Monthly users on local streaming platforms outpace Netflix, Disney+
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US will take steps for three-way engagement on nuclear deterrence with S. Korea, Japan: Campbell
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NewJeans fans send protest truck against agency chief in conflict with Hybe
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Seoul to promote luxurious side of the city
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Retailers urged to cut ties with Japan beauty firm DHC over racism scandal
Retailers around the world including Target and Superdrug face pressure to cut ties with DHC as the Japanese cosmetics company refuses to apologize for its CEO’s racially discriminatory remarks against Koreans. Activists have launched a campaign to boycott DHC products after CEO Yoshiaki Yoshida’s use of the term “Chon” -- a racial slur for Koreans -- came to light earlier this month. “By selling DHC products, they are supporting the business of an openly racist c
Jan. 2, 2021
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Yuhan-Kimberly appoints Chin Jae-seung as new CEO
Yuhan-Kimberly will get a new chief executive on Friday -- Chin Jae-seung, the company’s vice president of marketing and innovation. He will replace Choe Kyoo-bok as CEO. The appointment of Chin was decided at a board meeting in December. According to Yuhan-Kimberly, Chin, 56, has served in several management roles since joining the company in 1989. After years in product research and development, the executive has since 2010 led business segments including baby and child care, fe
Dec. 31, 2020
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Coupang to be led by two directors instead of current four
Coupang will reorganize its top leadership so that it has two representative directors instead of the current four, the e-commerce platform said Wednesday. Two incumbent directors, Kang Han-seung and Park Dae-jun, will retain their posts, while the others will no longer hold the title. Kim Bom-seok, the company’s chief executive and one of its outgoing directors, will serve as the chair of its board and will focus on establishing its strategic direction, Coupang said. The other outgo
Dec. 30, 2020
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GS25 rolls out tteokbokki for vegans
Local convenience store chain GS25 is bringing instant vegan tteokbokki to its stores, the company said Monday. Tteokbokki is a popular Korean street food of rice cakes in chili sauces. The products, under the name Veggie Garden, are 100 percent meatless, and have been certified vegan by the Korea Agency of Vegan Certification and Services, a non-profit organization that has been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The company said the products have removed all possible conta
Dec. 28, 2020
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Why alcohol brand mascots are making a comeback
Two major alcohol companies in Korea have one thing in common lately -- a high-profile retro mascot that has become the face of the company. Oriental Brewery brought back its nostalgic bear character from the 1980s known as “Lala Bear,” while its rival HiteJinro released a blue bottled soju featuring its famous toad mascot last year, a character that dates to 1954. Their foray into soft power territory comes following a year dominated by “Pengsoo,” a beloved giant peng
Dec. 24, 2020
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Retail sales up in Nov. on nationwide sales event
Retail sales in South Korea moved up 6.3 percent in November from a year earlier on the back of the nationwide consumption-boosting events aimed at overcoming the economic jitters from the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Wednesday. The combined sales of 26 major offline and online retailers reached 12.41 trillion won ($11.2 billion) last month, up from 11.68 trillion won a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The annual Korea Sale FESTA kic
Dec. 23, 2020
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Bibigo frozen dumplings log W1tr sales in 2020
Sales of Bibigo frozen dumplings have exceeded 1 trillion won this year, the company behind the brand said Tuesday. Bibigo owner CJ CheilJedang said sales of Bibigo dumplings stood at 1.03 trillion won ($930 million) in 2020, with 65 percent of the revenue coming from overseas. Bibigo’s sales of dumplings have shown steady growth in Korea and in other countries, and this year’s sales were double from that of 2017, when the combined sales in domestic and overseas markets was 506 b
Dec. 22, 2020
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Thom Browne to launch perfume line in Korea
US fashion brand Thom Browne said on Tuesday it will launch its perfume line in Korea. A total of six perfumes will be released, including “09.27.65 Eau de Parfum,” also known as Vetyver Absolute, and “09.27.65.01 Eau de Parfum,” which is also called the Vetyver and Cucumber. The fragrances contain a high concentration of Haitian Vetyver oil and its vetyver blend serves as the base signature of the products. The names reference designer Thom Browne’s birthday of
Dec. 22, 2020
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Retailers cash in on Christmas shopping amid pandemic
Retailers are in a final push for last-minute Christmas shopping in a year marred by the coronavirus pandemic. As the country grapples with a third wave of virus outbreaks, gatherings of five or more people are banned until early January in Seoul and surrounding areas. Despite the dampened mood, retail companies are trying to make the most of the situation, encouraging gift-giving as a way to celebrate the season safe from the virus. Shinsegae Department Store said Tuesday it would offer free
Dec. 22, 2020
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‘Face masks are least wanted Christmas gift’
A new survey has revealed that face masks, hand sanitizers and other personal protective equipment against the coronavirus are among the least-wanted gifts during this year’s Christmas. While the pandemic-safe gifts failed to drum up enthusiasm, cash and gift cards were the most wanted gifts, found the survey conducted by job reccrutiing portal Incruit. Though antivirus items remain crucial amid the ongoing pandemic, people are not looking forward to receiving them as gifts for the hol
Dec. 21, 2020
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Nonalcoholic beers review: Cass, Hite and Tsingtao
Drinking is fun for a lot of people. And in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, some of us are guilty of finding solace in downing a few extra drinks at home. Even those who have a low tolerance for alcohol don’t have to feel left out, as major beer companies have released nonalcoholic or low-alcohol beers in recent years. They are as accessible as it gets. Nonalcoholic drinks are available on online shopping platforms, as their alcohol content by volume below 1 percent excludes them
Dec. 20, 2020
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Coupang holds customer experience story contest
Online retailer Coupang is holding a contest of consumer experience stories, with prize money of 25 million won ($23,000) in total. Coupang users with stories to share should submit their entry to its website or on its mobile platform by Dec. 27. The retailer is best known for its next-day Rocket Delivery service. “We prepared this event to communicate with and express our appreciation to the customers,” said the e-commerce giant in a statement. “While this is a tough tim
Dec. 18, 2020
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Ikea Korea workers to strike over ‘discriminatory’ treatment
Ikea Korea’s labor union plans to launch a three-day strike next week, accusing the Swedish furniture brand of discriminatory treatment toward local staff. About 800 of the workers at the company’s outlets in Gwangmyeong, Goyang and Yongin in Gyeonggi Province and its service call centers will join the walkout from Dec. 24-27, said the union affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions on Thursday. That constitutes one-third of Ikea Korea’s 2,500 employees. &
Dec. 17, 2020
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Electronic appliances and at-home spa products enjoy sales surge as pandemic worsens
Remote work and home entertainment devices have enjoyed a surge in sales in recent weeks as the coronavirus pandemic worsens, major online shopping platforms said on Thursday. According to Tmon, sales of work-from-home and entertainment electronic appliances saw a 270 percent year-on-year increase on average in the last two weeks. While sales of PCs were up 162 percent, desktop computers saw a 143 percent increase in sales. Laptops, webcams and graphic cards also enjoyed a sales bump as well a
Dec. 17, 2020
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With year-end parties canceled, alcohol industry targets home drinkers
Alcohol companies are eyeing home drinkers rather than bar goers during the first pandemic year-end season as a third wave of the COVID-19 outbreak threatens hospitality businesses across South Korea. In a more normal setting, restaurants and bars would be packed with group dinner reservations as the year draws to a close. But not this year, with venues being forced to close after 9 p.m. in Seoul and surrounding areas under strict social distancing rules. “As the hospitality sector has
Dec. 15, 2020
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Online gift-giving catches on amid COVID-19 woes
As giving gifts in person is harder to do this year amid calls to reduce human contact to stop the spread of the coronavirus, online gift-giving is enjoying a surge in popularity, industry sources indicated Sunday. SSG.com, retail giant Shinsegae Group’s online shopping platform, said sales generated from its gift service saw a 64.6 percent year-on-year increase between January and November this year, citing internal data. Among the brands available on the website, it was coffeehouse cha
Dec. 13, 2020
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CU rolls out drive-thru shopping service
Convenience store CU said Thursday it will roll out a drive-thru order pickup service sometime this month, in the latest in a series of moves by the retail industry to reduce human-to-human contact amid the pandemic. Using a mobile app, customers can browse through products and place their orders at the location they choose. As they drive to the store, staff will prepare the order then step out of the store to hand over the merchandise to shoppers in their vehicle. The move comes as retailers
Dec. 10, 2020
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[Herald Interview] LAKA: Gender-neutral makeup brand seeks to break boundaries
From facial masks to BB creams, Korean beauty products -- often dubbed K-Beauty -- have become one of South Korea’s biggest exports in recent years, riding the wave of the country’s rise in soft power typified by TV shows and K-pop. But one brand is making small waves in a way unprecedented by any others in the country before. Launched by a former advertising director in 2018, LAKA Cosmetics is South Korea’s first gender-neutral makeup brand. “Every product of ours do
Dec. 8, 2020
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Japan's Uniqlo to close main outlet in S. Korea amid pandemic
Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo will close its outlet in Seoul's popular shopping district next month, after a sharp fall in sales stemming from the new coronavirus outbreak and a trade dispute between Seoul and Tokyo. Uniqlo said on its website recently in Korean that its global flagship store in Myeongdong, central Seoul, will stop operating Jan. 31. The outlet is the second biggest in the world after one in New York. The closure came as online shopping has gained tra
Dec. 5, 2020
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Popeyes to pack up after 26 years
Popeyes, a US-based fried chicken franchise, said Friday that it would cease to operate in South Korea, 26 years after it opened its first outlet in 1994. The Korean operator, TS Food & System, said its franchise contract with the US headquarters is set to end at the end of this year. Popeyes, which at one time owned over 200 outlets here, has been struggling against poor sales. With the COVID-19 pandemic the business faced even more difficulties, and the number of stores was reduced t
Dec. 4, 2020