Hyundai Livart’s first smart furniture production plant and distribution center has begun operations, according to Hyundai Group’s furniture arm Hyundai Livart on Thursday. Located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, the 85,950-square-meter Smart Work Center hosts an automated furniture production plant and massive distribution facilities. It is the first smart furniture factory not only in Korea, bu...

Samyang Foods said Wednesday it had inked a partnership deal with United Arab Emirates retailer Sarya General Trading to accelerate Spicy Buldak Ramen sales in the Middle East. Under the 2.5 billion-won ($2.1 million) deal signed on Tuesday, Sarya will be Samyang’s exclusive distribution partner in the country. The two plan to increase export volume to 50 billion won by 2023, it said. UAE is th...

Chicken franchises expanding into the beer industry follows a craft beer boom under the COVID-19 pandemic, says analysts. With more time spent at home, Korean consumers have ventured into exploring different flavors, tastes and styles of beer from small brewers, instead of binge-drinking on mass-produced bestsellers like Hite and Cass, they said. According to data from the Korea Craft Brewers A...

Studies have shown that insect-based food can quell dietary allergies in dogs and cats, reduce cholesterol, and boost immunity, among other things, the expert explained. Kim’s team has found mealworms to be effective in improving skin conditions such as dryness and itchiness. “We also discovered that fly larvae-based proteins can reduce blood cholesterol concentrations by 10 percent when consum...

From ready-meals to ice cream, unstaffed stores are fast spreading in the tech-savvy country

South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang has launched a three-day “Singles Day Mega Sale” to celebrate China’s annual shopping bonanza. The massive sales, from Nov. 10 to 12, was inspired by the Chinese version of US’ Black Friday. During the event, Coupang plans to woo Chinese customers with daily special offers using its “Rocket Jikgu” overseas delivery service. The firm will hand out coupons fo...

SPC Group said Thursday it opened the nation’s first Paris Baguette bakery in the Ashta District 8 shopping mall of Indonesia capital Jakarta. The move comes after the South Korean food company set up a joint venture with its local partner, Erajaya Group, last month. With a population of 270 million, Indonesia is SPC’s seventh market. The 189-square-meter space is located in the city’s biggest ...

Retails sales in 15 provinces and major cities in South Korea increased in the third quarter as people increased outdoor activity amid the vaccine rollout and the economic recovery, data showed Thursday. Retail sales, a gauge of private spending, rose in nine provinces and six cities in the third quarter, except for the southeastern city of Ulsan, according to the data from Statistics Korea. "T...

Hollys Coffee’s Chief Financial Officer Lee Jong-hyun has been named the new CEO of the coffee chain, its operator KG Hollys F&B announced Wednesday. Lee was named the brand’s CFO last year, when KG Group acquired the franchise to bring it under its food and beverages unit, which is now KG Hollys F&B. “Our goal is not to become the brand with the most stores, but a coffee franchise with a low c...

Convenience store chain CU is exporting 10,000 dalgona, the traditional Korean sugar candy from “Squid Game,” to Mongolia and Malaysia, said its operator BGF Retail. Dalgona, an old-fashioned Korean candy made using sugar and baking soda, has become an overnight sensation after the success of the Netflix show. A total of 10,000 dalgona will be shipped to Mongolia and Malaysia, 5,000 to each cou...

Starbucks Korea announced Thursday that a dozen of its locations in Seoul will get rid of single-use plastic cups as part of the chain’s ongoing efforts to reduce plastic waste. Starting Saturday, 12 Starbucks stores in Seoul will serve beverages only in mugs, tumblers or reusable cups. These include the City Hall Station, Seosomun-ro and Eulji-ro branches in the city center. Seoul is the secon...

A boy was reportedly injured from biting into fried chicken that had a metal screw in it, sold from a local franchise. According to local media reports Wednesday, the boy, 12, had to have two teeth pulled out after a screw found inside a chicken wing became stuck in his gums. The chicken was reportedly from a major Korean fried chicken franchise brand. Included in the media reports were a phot...

Lotte Group is commemorating what would have been the 100th birthday of its late founder Shin Kyuk-ho by publishing his memoirs, giving out scholarships and funding for startups, holding a concert, and opening a memorial hall in the Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul. On Monday, Lotte unveiled a bronze bust of Shin and a memorial hall displaying media and historical records of the conglomerate’s...

Korean cuisine brand Bibigo and entertainment arm CJ ENM’s genre-specific studios to lead foray into global markets

An instant tteokbokki from Dongwon F&B is on a path to break the 20 billion won ($16.9 million) mark in annual sales by the end of this year, backed by the global popularity of the spicy Korean street food. Sales of “God of Topokki” as of October surpassed 18.5 billion won, the company said. The 10-month figure is a 20 percent increase from total sales generated over all of 2020. A popular Kore...