Articles by Kim Da-sol
Kim Da-sol
ddd@heraldcorp.com-
Homeplus to grant 600 contract workers permanent status
South Korean discount chain operator Homeplus will grant full-time and permanent employment status to some 600 contract workers at its stores, starting from Saturday. The move comes five months after the company converted the status of some 430 contract workers to regular positions. Homeplus cashiers (Homeplus)This year, a total of 1,200 Homeplus workers would have been converted to full-time and permanent positions, including 600 contract workers and security guards whose contracts end this yea
Industry Nov. 28, 2018
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Mobile shoppers used Coupang most in October: data
South Korean mobile shoppers used e-commerce platform Coupang the most in October, which saw about a 23 percent increase in the number of its monthly active users, industry data showed Tuesday.According to mobile application analysis company Wise App’s survey conducted on 23 million Android phone users here, at least 8.18 million of them had used Coupang for mobile shopping last month.It was followed by 11st with some 5.95 million monthly active users (MAUs) and WeMakePrice with 4.36 million use
Industry Nov. 27, 2018
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[Video] KT&G unveils liquid cartridge-type HNB tobacco Lil Hybrid
South Korean tobacco manufacturer KT&G on Monday unveiled its new heat-not-burn tobacco device Lil Hybrid, the first HNB device that works by heating a liquid cartridge. “Our previous HNB tobacco devices -- Lil Mini and Lil Plus -- had received consumer feedback that the taste needs to be improved. That’s why we came up with our exclusive and new platform called Lil Hybrid,” said Lim Wang-seob, chief of the company’s product innovation division. According to KT&G, Lil Hybrid works by hea
Industry Nov. 26, 2018
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Air Busan to go public on Kospi in Dec.
South Korean low-cost carrier Air Busan said Friday that it will go public on the country’s main Kospi bourse next month.Air Busan said it will submit an application for the listing of its stock to the Financial Supervisory Service and decide the final stock price by mid-December. Air Busan is one of two budget affiliates of full-service carrier Asiana Airlines. The other is Air Seoul.According to the company, with the IPO it aims to raise 18.7 billion won ($16 million) to 20.8 billion won at 3,
Industry Nov. 23, 2018
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Lotte Home Shopping seeks to emerge as world-leading media commerce firm
South Korean retail giant Lotte Group’s home shopping operator Lotte Home Shopping unveiled on Friday its plans to step up as a world-leading media commerce company by 2025. Lotte Home Shopping employees participate in a ceremony in Seoul to celebrate the company’s vision for the future. (Lotte Home Shopping)According to Lotte Home Shopping, it will strengthen its business fundamentals by developing its mobile shopping platform and will offer consumers an advanced shopping experience by introdu
Industry Nov. 23, 2018
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Yuhan-Kimberly assists reforestation in Mongolia
Yuhan-Kimberly, a South Korean manufacturer of sanitary products, said it was joining forces with the Mongolian government to restore a forest and open an observatory tower there. According to the company, the work to restore deforested areas of Mongolia’s Tujin Nars forest began in 2003. The forest had sustained severe damage after two fires before the local government formally asked Yuhan-Kimberly to take part in the project in 2001.Since that time, over 10 million trees have been planted. An
Industry Nov. 22, 2018
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[Weekender] Prenatal care market becomes blue ocean for retailers, hotels
South Korea’s birthrate has been in free fall in the past several years, but either despite or because of this, the interest in prenatal care among mothers-to-be is on the rise. The result has been increased consumer demand for baby products and prenatal care services.The industries that are benefiting from the prenatal care market boom are retailers and hotels, with a rising number of customers looking for premium baby products or staycation products in line with the popular “babymoon” trips.Lo
Industry Nov. 22, 2018
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Coupang secures $2b investment from SoftBank
South Korean e-commerce company Coupang said Wednesday that it has secured a $2 billion investment from SoftBank’s Vision Fund, which will be injected into consumer-first technology including its logistics network.SoftBank’s latest investment is the largest investment amount ever received by a South Korean online retailer, according to Coupang. It comes three years after SoftBank invested $1 billion in Coupang in 2015. Coupang CEO Kim Bom (right) poses with SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi So
Industry Nov. 21, 2018
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Lotte, Shinsegae to vie for full acquisition of Ministop Korea
South Korean retail giants Lotte and Shinsegae are likely to vie for acquiring 100 percent of Ministop Korea, the fourth-largest convenience store chain here in terms of the number of locations. According to Japan’s Aeon Group, the largest shareholder of Ministop Korea, it had received bid proposals from Lotte, Shinsegae and Seoul-based Glenwood Private Equity as of Tuesday. Ministop Korea (Yonhap)A preferred bidder is to be decided in a week, according to Nomura Securities, which was chosen as
Industry Nov. 20, 2018
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Nationwide survey opens for new license plates
The Transport Ministry said Monday it has begun a nationwide survey on the preferred format for new vehicle license plates. The one selected would be applied from September next year. Transport Ministry officials show five different designs for new vehicle license plates for the nationwide survey, during a press briefing last week. (Yonhap)In July, the ministry decided to adopt a new license plate with seven digits, adding one to the current six. Such a change would allow for 210 million new ca
Industry Nov. 19, 2018
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LG Innotek begins production of compact refrigerators with thermoelectric modules
South Korean parts manufacturer LG Innotek has mass-produced compact refrigerators with thermoelectric modules, the firm said Monday. According to LG Innotek, the recently launched table-sized refrigerator LG Objet has been incorporated with thermoelectric modules. These modules are combined with the components of thermoelements, radiator panels and radiating fans, to replace the cooling compressor system.LG Innotek's thermoelectric modules (LG Innotek)By using thermoelectric semiconductor techn
Industry Nov. 19, 2018
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E-mart to launch first overseas No Brand’s store in Philippines
South Korean retailer E-mart said Monday that its No Brand private-label products will enter the Philippines market via the brand’s first overseas store set to open in 2020. According to E-mart, the company signed a franchise contract for exports with the Philippines’ leading retailer Robinsons Retail on Friday. Under the deal, the company aims to open 25 No Brand stores and 25 Scentence beauty stores at major shopping malls and department stores in the Philippines by 2020. A No Brand store in G
Industry Nov. 19, 2018
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[Feature] Poor preparation or clickbait? Korean Black Friday draws criticism
For Kim Yo-han, a 32-year-old office worker in Seoul, November has always been the month to shop for products with big discounts offered on e-commerce websites. From high-tech gadgets to designer clothes from luxury brands, Korean e-commerce companies run up to 80 percent discount promotions this month, mimicking Black Friday in US and Singles Day in China. Limited price flash deals usually lead to a huge increase in sales and traffic, creating buzz among online shoppers. Korean e-commerce giant
Industry Nov. 18, 2018
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Bodyfriend’s Lamborghini massage chair wins CES award
South Korean health care group Bodyfriend’s Lamborghini-themed massage chair won an innovation award at the International Consumer Electronics Show 2019, the firm said Thursday. It is the first time a massage chair has won an award in the home appliances category at CES. Bodyfriend’s Lamborghini-themed massage chair LBF-750 (Bodyfriend)The company said its premium massage chair won high points in terms of technical skills, design, consumer values, competitiveness and uniqueness. Bodyfriend laun
Industry Nov. 15, 2018
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Lotte Duty Free’s overseas sales jump 65 percent
South Korean retail giant Lotte’s duty-free operator Lotte Duty Free posted a rapid hike in overseas sales in its quarterly performance report, the firm said Thursday. Lotte Duty Free store in Vietnam (Lotte Duty Free)According to the company, sales for the third quarter this year hit a record-high 4.1 trillion won ($3.6 billion), a 25 percent on-year increase. The sales from its downtown city stores and its overseas stores amounted to 3.8 trillion won and 164 billion won, respectively. Lotte D
Industry Nov. 15, 2018
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