Most Popular
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S. Korea to consent to Japan's Sado mines gaining World Heritage status: official
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Actor’s excessive airport security sparks probe into human rights violations
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Actor Yoo Ah-in accused of sexual attack
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Over 100 heat-related illness cases reported in 3 days: govt.
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Pet daycare, English kindergarten more costly than private four-year colleges: report
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[Robert Fouser] President Kamala Harris?
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'Games Wide Open': 33rd Summer Olympic Games kick off in Paris
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Man found dead in reservoir, day after drunk driving accident
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Assembly defers Supreme Court judge appointment amid nepotism accusations
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Seoul Summer Beach invites people to splash in Seoul’s center
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Amid deepening apple crisis, S. Korea eyes long-term measures
This year’s spikes in apple prices have prompted South Korean officials to explore long-term strategies to stabilize fruit harvests. While the latest price trends are influenced by various factors, including short-term weather events, officials are concerned about a troubling underlying trend: Declining harvests due to shrinking cultivation areas in the country attributed to climate change, a decreasing and aging farming population, among other reasons. Data released Thursday by the Korea
April 11, 2024
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7 in 10 Korean retailers feel threat from Chinese e-commerce rush
Seven out of 10 retailers in Korea say they feel threatened by the rapid expansion of Chinese e-commerce platforms, especially the big three -- AliExpress, Temu and Shein -- an industry-wide survey found Monday. Of the 500 retailers surveyed by the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the nation’s largest business lobby, 69.4 percent said their businesses are under threat by the Chinese rush, while 74.4 percent expected heightened competition in the market. Almost 60 percent of online
April 8, 2024
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Food delivery platforms compete with free delivery
The competition among Korea’s three largest food delivery platform operators is intensifying as each of them has recently launched free delivery services to increase their share of the market. On Friday, Yogiyo, the third-largest food delivery app provider, announced that the company would begin free delivery for users with Yogiyo membership. Yogiyo’s decision came after the other two companies, Baedal Minjok (Baemin) and Coupang Eats, rolled out membership-based free delivery servic
April 5, 2024
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S. Korea's beauty exports hit all-time high of $2.3b in Q1
South Korea’s exports of cosmetics jumped around 22 percent on-year to hit an all-time high in the first quarter of this year, amid the growing international popularity of Korean culture, government data showed Tuesday. According to the Korea Customs Service, the country’s exports of cosmetic products came to $2.3 billion in the January-March period, up 21.7 percent on-year from the same three-month period last year. The export figure is the highest ever for the first quarter. South
April 3, 2024
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More S. Koreans voice dissatisfaction with overseas e-commerce platforms in 2023
More South Korean consumers expressed dissatisfaction with their experiences shopping directly via online platform services based overseas last year, partly attributed to Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress tapping deeper into the Korean market as well as greater demand for overseas travel among Koreans using online travel agency services based in Singapore, according to the Korea Consumer Agency. According to the KCA on Friday, the total number of requests for advice and reports of disputes
March 29, 2024
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Consumer sentiment snaps 3-month rise in March amid rising prices, slumping spending
South Korea's consumer sentiment snapped an improvement for the third consecutive month in March amid soaring prices of farm goods and a slump in private spending, a central bank poll showed Tuesday. The composite consumer sentiment index stood at 100.7 this month, down from 101.9 the previous month, according to the survey conducted by the Bank of Korea. A reading above 100 means optimists outnumber pessimists. The central bank said consumer sentiment declined amid a rise in prices of agri
March 26, 2024
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Nongshim earns over 50% of its profit from overseas on K-food hype
The sales and operating profit of South Korea's top ramyeon maker Nongshim hit all-time highs last year thanks to the popularity of ramyeon products in foreign markets, the company said Friday. The company’s operating profit in 2023 jumped by 89.1 percent from a year earlier to reach 212 billion won ($159 million), while its annual sales came to 3.4 trillion won, up 9 percent on-year. "As global inflation stubbornly remains high, ramyeon products have appealed to foreign consumer
March 15, 2024
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[From the Scene] The Hyundai Seoul turns Yeouido into young shoppers' mecca
Just a few years ago, the streets of Yeouido, Seoul's main finance and investment banking district normally full of white-collar workers during weekdays, were quiet during weekends. But now, the high-profile opening of The Hyundai Seoul, the largest retail mall in Korea's capital, has reinvigorated the area, making it a shopping mecca for those in their 20s and 30s in only three years. “I can see more people, particularly younger people, coming to this office district in Yeouido
March 5, 2024
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Tequila may be next big thing in Korean liquor market
South Korea's alcoholic beverage industry has been embracing quickly changing trend cycles -- from wine to whiskey cocktails and cognac -- with rising demand from young consumers to try new types of drinks. The next type of alcohol that is expected to boom here is tequila, according to industry sources. According to Samjeong KPMG’s report, South Korea’s wine consumption decreased significantly last year. The value of wine imports dropped 9.6 percent from $560 million in 2021 to
March 3, 2024
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S. Korea's meat consumption exceeds rice intakes for 2nd year
South Koreans' meat consumption exceeded rice intakes for a second consecutive year, a report showed Saturday. According to the report by the state-run Korea Rural Economic Institute, the country's per-capita meat consumption was estimated at 60.6 kilograms last year, up 1.3 percent from the previous year's 59.8 kg. Last year's meat consumption was higher than per-capita rice intake of 56.4 kg, according to the report. The report said the meat consumption will rise to 61.4 kg
March 2, 2024
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KGC debuts vegan skincare brand Lab 1899 in US
Korea Ginseng Corp., the country’s leading ginseng product manufacturer, said on Thursday it has made a foray into the US market by unveiling its vegan skincare brand, Lab 1899. As the global leader in vegan product consumption, the US market commands a 35 percent share of the worldwide vegan population. The popularity of vegan products has been extending from dedicated vegans to non-vegan consumers as well. In response to this surging demand, Lab 1899 has introduced the Red Ginseng Peptid
Feb. 29, 2024
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Samgyeopsal Day heats up with stricter fat guidelines
March 3, also known as "Samgyeopsal Day" in Korea, is approaching, with anticipation building for promotional events planned by local supermarkets. Most supermarkets and e-commerce platforms will offer discounts ranging from 40 to 50 percent on pork belly from Feb. 29 to March 3. But there is a complication: This year is the first Samgyeopsal Day following the implementation of government guidelines on excessive fat content in pork belly. Last year, criticism arose over local stores&
Feb. 28, 2024
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Starbucks Korea supports over 400 employees in pursuing higher education
Starbucks Korea on Tuesday said more than 400 employees have successfully attained their bachelor's degrees through a tuition assistance program in collaboration with Hanyang Cyber University. In the fall of 2016, Starbucks Korea signed a partnership with Hanyang Cyber University, under which the specialty coffee chain pledged to cover the tuition fees for employees pursuing their first bachelor's degree. Employees are given the freedom to choose their majors independent of their work
Feb. 20, 2024
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Nongshim repeats 'meoktae' success with new products
Nongshim, the nation’s leading food maker, said Monday that its new meoktae-flavored products are becoming big sellers, building on the huge success of Meoktaekkang launched last year. Meoktae is an Alaska pollack that has been processed through freezing and drying and it is favored as a side dish for beer or soju here. Nongshim first launched the fish-flavored salty snack, Meoktaekkang, which became an immediate success selling 15 million bags since its debut in June last year. Buoyed by
Feb. 19, 2024
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Inexpensive whiskey brands target Korean budget sippers
South Korean whiskey providers are searching for new import markets like those in Taiwan, India, Spain and Australia, as consumers here crave new varieties at reasonable prices. “Local demands for affordable whiskey products are increasing with the surge of people consuming highball cocktails. Yet, whiskey products from major whiskey producers such as the UK, the US and Japan are expensive and less available to local consumers,” an industry source said. “Whiskey products from A
Feb. 11, 2024
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Untamed food prices eclipse Seollal
A better-than-expected inflation report for January bolstered hopes that price hikes is near its end -- but consumers are still wary as the cost for some food items for Lunar New Year ceremonies continues to soar. “I have visited two different discount stores and searched online shopping platforms to compare prices and buy cheaper fruits and other food items that I need for family gatherings during the Lunar New Year holiday,” Lee, 63, a woman living in Gyeonggi Province said. Among
Feb. 9, 2024
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Korean dietary supplements makers eye Chinese market
South Korean dietary supplements manufacturers are accelerating their entries into the growing Chinese market as the number of elderly people continues to increase in the country, according to industry sources on Sunday. On the back of an aging population, the Chinese dietary supplements market grew 3 percent on-year to reach around 73 trillion won ($54.5 billion) in 2022, according to a report released by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. Among Korean companies, Korea Ginseng Corp.,
Feb. 4, 2024
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Goodbye to ‘mayak gimbap’? Mixed reaction to limits on 'drug' marketing
Gwangjang Market, a traditional market in central Seoul, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the capital, offering a wide range of local foods and snacks. If you google the market, almost nine out of 10 reviews are about a petite-sized gimbap, or seaweed rice roll, with the intriguing name, “mayak gimbap.” "Mayak" means “narcotics” in Korean. Of course, nothing advertised as "mayak gimbap" actually contains any restricted drugs. The name
Jan. 30, 2024
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CJ Olive Young, Kolmar team up on skin care
South Korean health and beauty retailer CJ Olive Young’s derma skin care brand Bioheal Boh and cosmetics and health care goods manufacturer Kolmar Korea have signed a business agreement to collaborate on microbiome skin care products. Under the recent agreement, the two companies will establish a new research lab, dubbed Probio Lab, to accelerate research and development of microbiome-based skin care products. “The latest business agreement is to combine Bioheal Boh’s specialti
Jan. 25, 2024
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Beer sees steepest price hikes since 1998 financial crisis
Beer prices at restaurants saw the steepest price hikes last year since the 1998 financial crisis, according to the Korean Statistical Information Service on Tuesday. The consumer price index for beer products at restaurants increased to 114.66 points last year, up 6.9 percent from a year ago. The growth rate was the highest since the 1998 financial crisis when the CPI for beer soared by 9.7 percent. In the meantime, the prices of beer products sold at discount or convenience stores saw 2.9 perc
Jan. 23, 2024