Watch out for fake K-food products

Copycats of iconic Korean food products are being sold in China and elsewhere, with deceiving packaging Can you tell if this is real Buldak Spicy Chicken Ramen or a knockoff? It is a fake -- not genuine -- Samyang Foods product. The real one bears the Samyang Foods logo, while this one has a "Bingoone" logo instead. According to Seo Kyoung-duk, a liberal arts professor at Sungshin Women's University who is most known for campaigning to promote Korean culture overseas on Tuesday, this is just one

March 25, 2025

From fad to lifestyle: Slow-aging diet gains momentum among young Koreans

Food companies embrace new health trend with more nutritious offerings Ha Sang-hee, a woman in her 30s, regularly shares photos of her homemade meals on social media platform X. Her dishes consistently exclude white rice, processed foods and strongly flavored sauces— a choice she refers to as the "slow-aging diet." To fully enjoy meals without these ingredients, she experiments with recipes and shares her successful creations online. "(After eight months on the diet,) I feel my stamina and immun

March 22, 2025

More South Korean eggs headed for US

More South Korean eggs are poised to make their way into American kitchens as the United States prepares to ramp up imports to stabilize US egg prices, according to news reports on Friday. Speaking to reporters and industry leaders on Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said South Korea would join Turkey and Brazil in bolstering egg shipments to the US. The move comes as part of a broader initiative by the US government to mitigate soaring egg prices, which have reached record highs f

March 21, 2025

Nongshim’s Shin Ramyun Toomba debuts in Malaysia

Korea’s No. 1 ramyeon maker, Nongshim, said Monday that it has launched its new Shin Ramyun type, Shin Ramyun Toomba, in Malaysia by launching a brand shop on TikTok Shop, the leading online platform there. To boost brand awareness, Nongshim appointed top Malaysian singers, including Khai Bahar and Wany Hasrita, as ambassadors. They are promoting the product through the TikTok series “Snow Falling in Busan.” Additionally, the company is strengthening offline marketing by securing placements in m

March 17, 2025

AmCham, Homeplus partner to boost US food imports

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea and Homeplus signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to expand the import of US food products and strengthen trade cooperation between Korea and the US. The signing ceremony, held at Homeplus' headquarters in Seoul, was attended by AmCham Chairman and CEO James Kim, Homeplus CEO Jo Ju-yeon, and officials from the US Embassy’s Department of Agriculture. This marks the first official partnership under AmCham’s "Buy America" campaign. As part of th

March 13, 2025

Consumer prices rise at 2% level for 2nd month in Feb. on weak Korean won

South Korea's consumer prices rose at a 2 percent level for the second consecutive month in February, driven by a weaker local currency that pushed up import costs, data showed Thursday. Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, increased 2 percent from a year earlier last month, according to the data from Statistics Korea. This follows a 2.2 percent on-year rise in January, which marked the steepest on-year increase since July. South Korea's consumer inflation has remained below 3 percent sinc

March 6, 2025

Gim prices fall slightly after yearlong climb

After more than a year of steadily rising prices, gim, crispy dried seaweed, has finally seen a slight decline in cost. According to data released Tuesday by the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation, the average retail price for 10 sheets of dried gim stood at 1,400 won ($0.96) as of Feb. 28. That marks a decrease of 27 won from the previous week and 76 won from the prior month. Despite the drop, prices remain high — 25 percent above last year’s 1,119 won. For 12 consecutive months, gim

March 4, 2025

South Koreans consumed 30kg of pork per person in 2024

The average South Korean consumed an estimated 30 kilograms of pork last year, according to data released Monday. South Korea’s livestock cooperative designated March 3 as Samgyeopsal Day — the date referring to the three layers of fat that give the cut its name — to promote sales of pork belly, with local retailers often running special discounts. According to data from the Korea Rural Economic Institute, last year’s per capita pork consumption marked a 6.8 percent increase from the five-year a

March 3, 2025

Sweet success: Choco Pie tops 4b unit sales

Orion's iconic snack Choco Pie surpassed 4 billion units sold last year, marking the highest annual figure since its launch in 1974. Orion on Thursday unveiled key sales figures to celebrate the snack's 50th anniversary. According to the company, total sales since the product's launch have exceeded 50 billion units, with cumulative revenue surpassing 8 trillion won ($6 billion). In particular, 67 percent of sales, or 5.5 trillion won, came from overseas markets. Orion attributed its success to i

Feb. 27, 2025

Pulmuone, Orion see stellar 2024 earnings of over W3tr

Powered by upbeat overseas sales, Pulmuone, Orion see continued sales growth Korean food giants Pulmuone and Orion will join the list of food companies with over 3 trillion won ($2.09 billion) in sales for 2024, driven by the rising global popularity of Korean food. According to the market consensus issued by Korean securities companies in the December-January period, health-focused food company Pulmuone is expected to log 3.18 trillion won in sales last year, a 6.5 percent increase from a year

Jan. 26, 2025

Rice consumption hits record low, but use in alcohol production rises

Per capita rice consumption in South Korea reached an all-time low in 2024, continuing a decades-long decline, according to new government data. A report released by Statistics Korea shows that the average South Korean consumed 55.8 kilograms of rice last year, down 0.6 kilogram, or 1.1 percent, from the previous year. This marks a dramatic drop in the consumption of the country’s most essential staple food from 1994 when the per capita figure was 120.5 kilograms — more than double last year's.

Jan. 24, 2025

Brandy Melville: Does English fit all — even in Korea?

Fast-fashion brand Brandy Melville's Korea debut draws backlash — not for its sizing, but for speaking English Brandy Melville, the fast-fashion giant known for its “one-size-fits-most” clothes and laid-back California aesthetic, finally opened its doors in South Korea on Jan. 3. But despite the excitement expressed by some, the brand is facing backlash from others — and not for reasons you might think. It’s not the sizing that’s causing a stir. It’s the staff's use of English. The controversy k

Jan. 8, 2025

[From the Scene] K-beauty platform Yless opens flagship store in Bukchon

Aiming to redefine the global K-beauty experience, cosmetics platform Yless has launched its flagship store near Seoul’s Bukchon Hanok Village, blending traditional Korean charm with modern beauty innovation. Earlier on Tuesday, Yless' online platform was launched simultaneously in Korea and the US, anchoring its global ambitions. Yless was created by KoreaTech, the company behind the beauty brand Kahi, which spearheaded the multi-balm craze in 2020. Building on its success, with export revenues

Dec. 20, 2024

Samsung to present AI-driven appliances at CES 2025

Samsung Electronics announced Wednesday that it will unveil a new lineup of home appliances powered by artificial intelligence at CES, the world’s largest tech trade show taking place in Las Vegas from Jan. 7-10, 2025. The lineup includes AI-driven refrigerators, washing machines and dryers designed to streamline household tasks and enhance connectivity. Central to these devices is Samsung’s “AI Home” solution, which allows users to remotely monitor and control all compat

Dec. 18, 2024

Economy's biggest fear is uncertainty, says SK chief

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who also heads the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on Tuesday urged policymakers to ensure consistent economic policies to support businesses amid growing uncertainty following the National Assembly’s impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law decree. During a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, Chey relayed the business community’s concerns regarding stalled economic bills and the challenge of navigati

Dec. 17, 2024