In 2020, 65 percent of the 1.03 trillion won in Bibigo Mandu sales were from overseas markets, CJ said. The US was the biggest market for Bibigo Mandu, which raked in 420 billion won, followed by China at 160 billion won and Japan, at 65 billion won. To cater to the palate of overseas consumers while maintaining its authentic taste, CJ had to make tweaks in their ingredient list. Instead of usi...

With Korea now better known around the world, there is less demand for introductory books on Korea and a higher interest for fictions by notable authors like Han Kang in English, compilations of Korean traditional stories and books about K-pop, among others. For those interested in finding and reading Korean literature in English, the best odds of finding them lies here. By Lim Jang-won ( ljw@...

Kim Young-il, business strategy team leader of Danal Fintech, believes that the digital currency payment market has the potential to grab some portion of South Korea’s 3,000 trillion won in annual transactions in credit cards and cash. Danal’s efforts are the latest attempt to use cryptocurrencies as a means of exchange for goods and services in the physical world. Such efforts have continued f...

“Last year I needed some relief, some mental health outlet, so I bought a bike. I actually started because I was taking the Ttareungyi bikes. Then I craved a little bit more,” Maloney said. “I’ve lived in Seoul for eight years but I’m experiencing it in a totally new way because I’m not stuck on a train or a bus. I can sort of have agency about where I go. Anywhere my bike can go, I can go.” Fr...

Park Ji-hyun still remembers the feeling when she first arrived in the UK in 2008. Having fled repression and poverty in North Korea and human trafficking in China, she was glad to find a refuge, but also nervous to start a new life thousands of kilometers away from home. “Many people welcomed me when I got here,” Park told The Korea Herald in a recent interview via Zoom. “Back then, I couldn...

While major plastic surgery clinics in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul -- the mecca of plastic surgery in Korea -- have lost foreign clients that accounted for approximately 30 percent of total customers, the number of Korean clients has stayed consistent, according to multiple large plastic surgery clinics in the area. “Our major clients are those in their 50s to 70s. In fact, it seems the pandemic ...

According to the latest survey of 1,043 customers by e-commerce platform TMon, around 33 percent of them chose to buy products through the platform and use delivery services for gift-giving, while 32 percent of those polled said they would exchange cash. The figures were up by 8 percentage points each from data collected ahead of the last year’s Chuseok. Between family members, exchanging cash a...

Increased interest in interior design has also given rise to new home interior services such as OHouse. The home interior information and shopping app attracted 77 billion won from investors, including technology investment firm Bond, in November. Kang Sung-joo, head of operations at the app’s operator, Bucketplace, said that the app’s appeal is the content that makes users visit the app time a...

Earlier, the Royal Culture Festival organizers had also opened a server to educate young people about Korean history and culture in October. The server provided kids with an opportunity to experience the different streets of Hanyang, or today’s Seoul, during the Joseon era. Players could also visit Gyeongbokgung Palace and try out the “gwageo” test, the highest-level state exam to hire ranking of...

The startup develops a four-legged robot that moves like a dog, multi-axis force sensors and robotic arms that can sense and dodge objects or humans on their own. The company’s quadruped robot, also named Aidin, uses torque sensors in its joints to cope with uneven ground and surfaces. “Enabling robots to move with four legs on the uneven ground in a stable manner requires a higher level of rob...

South Korea currently requires retailers to keep the refrigerator temperature below 10 degrees Celsius. But the association and food industry officials say the legal standard should be lowered to below 5 degrees Celsius, and a more effective monitoring system should be introduced. The food ministry said it was aware of the matters pointed out, and that it found most of retailers in the country a...

Cosmetics conglomerates began to join the zero-waste movement this year. Amoerpacific group, which operates more than 30 beauty and health brands, opened a refill station in October in Gwanggyo, Gyeonggi Province, becoming the first cosmetics conglomerate in Korea to initiate the move. The company’s refill station offers 15 kinds of body wash or shampoo, and customers can measure liquid to purcha...

In a year that has witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt lives and devastate economies around the world, Korea has sought innovations to meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The following is the second article of a four-part series on how Korea is creating a new normal during the pandemic, produced in partnership with The Korea Foundation -- Ed. When asked about his diet during...

According to a report by HS Ad, there has been rising demand for “speakeasy bars” in Korea in recent months. Speakeasy bars were originally illicit establishments that served alcohol during the prohibition era (1920-1933) in the US. While definitely not illegal in 21st-century Korea, these new types of restaurants here rely on word-of-mouth rather than full-fledged promotion, and often operate ...

The growing popularity of strength training among women can be seen in sales figures. According to e-commerce site Gmarket, sales of fitness equipment preferred by women -- such as kettle bells and dumbbells -- have increased by 36 percent this year as of Oct. 27, compared to a year earlier. A survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on participation in everyday sports showed an ...