Most Popular
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Opposition head pleads for support in ‘fight against Yoon dictatorship’
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Koreans prefer cash in Chuseok gifting for parents
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Apple to launch iPhone15 series in S. Korea on Oct. 13
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S. Korea, US conduct underwater search operation for downed jet, Korean War remains
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[Well-curated] A weekend for fall-time festivities
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BTS' Suga begins military service
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[Jean Guerrero] What first-generation students need
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Surveillance cameras to be a must in hospital operating rooms
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Ministry uncovers 1,802 Youth Protection Act violations
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[Editorial] Kepco’s woes
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Food Ministry aims to double kimchi exports to $300m by 2027
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs set a goal to double the exports of kimchi to $300 million by 2027 via a comprehensive plan to bolster the nation's kimchi industry, the ministry announced Monday. The Food Ministry unveiled its five-year plan for 2023 to 2027 for the promotion of the domestic kimchi industry. The plan comes as the Kimchi Industry Promotion Act, which mandates the announcement of the nation's general plan to invigorate the indigenous kimchi industry e
Aug. 7, 2023
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[Contribution] Koreans, be proud of your beers
By Ben Verhaert Oriental Brewery CEO Now is the best season for enjoying a refreshing beer, and Aug. 4 is International Beer Day and I would like to speak for beers today, especially for Korean beers. As one of the oldest human-produced drinks, the beer has many charm factors which have allowed humankind to enjoy it for so long as 8,000 years. First of all, beer is inclusive. Men and women across geographies and socioeconomic groups enjoy having a beer with friends. Beer has always been a great
Aug. 4, 2023
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GS Retail posits GS25 as top convenience store in south Vietnam
GS Retail, the operator of Korea’s convenience store franchise GS25, holds the largest number of stores in the southern regions of Vietnam among its five foreign peers, the company said Thursday. According to self-reported data as of last month, a total of 211 GS25 outlets are spread across these regions, edging out the number of stores operated by foreign competitors such as Circle K and Family Mart in the same areas. The southern regions encompass Ho Chi Minh City and its surrounding p
Aug. 3, 2023
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CJ divests Chinese subsidiary in bid to ramp up K-food push
South Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang said Monday it sold its entire stake in Jixiangju Food, one of its biggest Chinese subsidiaries that sold Chinese food in China, in a bid to focus on its global strategy to primarily sell Korean food products, centering on its Bibigo brand. According to CJ CheilJedang, the company sold its 60 percent stake in Jixiangju Food for 300 billion won ($235 million) to multiple Chinese institutional investors and the second-largest stakeholder of Jixiangju Food, wh
July 31, 2023
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Milk companies mull price hikes
Korean milk companies said Friday they are reviewing plans to increase the prices of their products, following the Korea Dairy Committee's recent decision to raise the price of raw milk by the largest rate in ten years. "We are going over plans to raise the price of our fresh milk products, as the price of raw milk outweighs all other factors that help determine the price of the end product, including pasteurization, labor and distribution costs and such," said an official from a
July 28, 2023
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Starbucks, Blackpink collaboration to hit 9 Asian countries
Starbucks is collaborating with the world's biggest girl group Blackpink this summer. Starbucks Korea on Thursday announced that the brand has teamed up with Blackpink to release limited edition merchandise, beverage and food items this summer. The latest collaboration project will be launched in the Asia-Pacific region, with the drinks and merchandise items available in nine regions in Asia, including South Korea and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, bakery menu items will only be sold in South Korea.
July 20, 2023
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[Photo News] Jumbo size at Starbucks
A Starbucks employee hands a customer a Trenta-sized drink, with nearly a liter of beverage, at a Starbucks outlet in Seoul, Wednesday. Starbucks Korea said it will start sales of the jumbo-sized beverages on its popular summer menu from Thursday. The promotion, initiated in the Asian market for the first time in commemoration of Starbucks Korea's 24th anniversary, will be for takeout drinks only, through Sept. 30.
July 19, 2023
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Human-free retail is not risk-free
At first glance, South Korea appears to have the right mix for an unmanned retail revolution. The country is known for its swift embrace of technology, widespread adoption of cashless payments, well-developed urban centers and relatively low crime rate. But owners of unmanned shops here say that running an automated store is not as glamorous as it may seem. While the cost and hassle of hiring and retaining human staff are eliminated, new issues arise, ranging from littering and shoplifting, to d
July 18, 2023
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Monsoon rain ravages farms, kills livestock
Nearly 30,000 hectares of farmland across the country were damaged by the recent torrential rain, raising concerns that agricultural product prices -- which have recently soared due to a heat wave -- will consequently rise even more. Some 27,094 ha of farmland have been damaged between July 10 and Monday due to record rainfall, according to a report released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. By region, North Jeolla Province suffered the most damage, with 14,569 ha of land f
July 17, 2023
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Korea to stick to previous aspartame regulation, as WHO states limited carcinogenicity
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Friday it has decided to allow companies here to retain their existing internal standards for the use of aspartame in foods and beverages, despite the assessment of a WHO agency concluding that the artificial sweetener is "possibly carcinogenic to humans." The International Agency for Research on Cancer announced Friday it has determined aspartame should be reclassified as a Group 2B carcinogen on the basis of limited cancer in
July 14, 2023
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Hackers steal W8m from Starbucks app
The official Starbucks Korea mobile application was hacked on Monday, resulting in the theft of approximately 8 million won ($6,300) from the in-app cards of some 90 customers. A recent post from someone on an online forum alleged that unauthorized payments worth a total of 2.8 million won were made in one day via their Starbucks app in 11 separate transactions, both online and in-store. "A payment of 300,000 won was made online from my account linked to the Starbucks app, then an additiona
July 14, 2023
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Geraldine Guyot-Arnault, Lee Boo-jin spotted mingling at Seoul launch party
Hotel Shilla CEO Lee Boo-jin, the elder sister of Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, was spotted meeting with Geraldine Guyot-Arnault, co-founder of French fashion label Destree, in Seoul, Wednesday. Guyot-Arnault, the third daughter-in-law of Bernard Arnault, the CEO of luxury conglomerate LVMH Group, was photographed with Lee at her brand’s launch party. The party was held to celebrate a pop-up store at a Hyundai Department Store branch in southern Seoul, according to her Instagr
July 13, 2023
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Nongshim sets vision to achieve $1.5b in sales by 2030
In celebration of his second year in office, Shin Dong-won, chairperson of Korean food giant Nongshim, on Thursday unveiled a vision to post $1.5 billion in global sales by 2030 and become the No. 1 ramen seller in the US amid its soaring performance there. According to the company, Nongshim's plan, which is to triple its annual sales by 2030 from its current $490 million, mainly centers on scaling up its US business. For the achievement of its goal, Shin said Nongshim will review plans to
July 13, 2023
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Starbucks to roll out 'trenta' size drinks in Korea
Starbucks Korea will release a limited edition of three popular beverages in a size called "trenta" that is almost 1 liter starting from July 20 to Sept. 30, to commemorate its 24th anniversary of opening in the country. The trenta size will be available as to-go only at select locations, and offered as an option for three popular Starbucks beverages: Cold Brew, Iced Grapefruit Honey Black Tea, and Strawberry Acai Starbucks Refreshers Beverage. The trenta size is currently only availab
July 12, 2023
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Pressure mounts on milk producers to cut prices
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs recently met with South Korean dairy companies in a bid to increase the pressure on them to minimize price hikes for milk, according to Food Ministry Wednesday. According to a Food Ministry spokesperson, the Food Ministry asked Korean dairy companies during a closed-door meeting to minimize price hikes for milk that are expected to take place amid a forthcoming surge in the price of raw milk. Currently, Korea Dairy Committee, a private organiza
July 12, 2023
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Bacardi Korea teams up with Daytona Entertainment for summer campaign
Bacardi Korea, the leading rum brand in South Korea, will be launching its "Do What Moves You" (DWMY) campaign in collaboration with artists Toil and Skinny Brown from record label Daytona Entertainment. Marking the third DWMY campaign in Korea, this year’s campaign is targeted at the younger MZ audience -- an acronym for millennial and Generation Z -- who strive to express themselves confidently and unapologetically without being swayed by others' opinions. The campaign wil
July 12, 2023
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NHN Commerce acquires Italian luxury fashion retailer
NHN Commerce, the retail unit of South Korean information technology company NHN Corp., said Tuesday it acquired a controlling stake in Italian luxury fashion brand retailer Ikonic, in a bid to further extend its reach into the global stage. NHN Commerce now holds a 77.8 percent stake in Ikonic -- an Italian multi-brand fashion platform retailing over 250 brands in the global market. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Ikonic's annual sales stands at some 100 billion won ($77 million) in
July 11, 2023
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Bottled water prices hit 11-year high
South Korea's price growth rate for bottled water recorded its highest level in 11 years following a series of price hikes in the industry, according to data Monday. According to Statistics Korea, the consumer price index of bottled water stood at 112.09, a 10.8 percent on-month increase. The nation's growth in the CPI of bottled water recorded its highest rate since June 2012, when it rose by 11.6 percent. The price rise comes as the nation's biggest bottled water manufacturers h
July 10, 2023
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Jinro named 2023 Supreme Brand Champion by British spirits publication
Jinro, one of the most popular Korean soju brands, has been named this year's Supreme Brand Champion by a British magazine, Jinro's maker said Thursday. Jinro won the accolade in the annual report issued by The Spirits Business, according to HiteJinro Co. This is the first time Jinro has won the supreme title. Jinro was named the local spirits brand champion in 2018 and 2021. Jinro brand includes plain soju products -- Chamisul and Jinro -- as well as flavored soju products. HiteJinro
July 6, 2023
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Marking 35th birthday, McDonald's Korea unveils new menu, outlet expansion
McDonald's Korea on Wednesday unveiled its vision to operate a total of 500 McDonald's outlets in the country by 2030 and release an exclusive menu in the Korean market, in celebration of its 35th anniversary. "During the first half of this year, the (firm's) sales rose about 10 percent on-year to some 623 billion won ($479 million), logging its largest (semi-annual) sales since the brand's entry into Korea," McDonald's Korea CEO Kim Ki-won said during a press
July 5, 2023