Fukushima water fears stoke soaring salt demand

Online transactions of salt surged by more than 800 percent in a week as Korean consumers feared the release of wastewater from the defunct Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea could affect food safety, a recent analysis by an online tracking firm showed. The amount of online transactions of salt products increased by 817 percent between June 7-13, compared to the same period a week earlier, according to online price comparison service provider Danawa. Sales of salt at offline stores als

June 18, 2023

[Photo News] Handshake for expo

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin (right) shakes hands with Egypt's Ambassador to South Korea Khaled Abdelrahman Hassan Abdelrahman during an event promoting Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo held at the Signiel Busan in the port city on Monday. During the event organized by Asia Society Korea, a private diplomatic organization established by the Lotte chief to network with embassies in Korea, Shin inspected Busan North Port, the potential expo site together with ambassadors to

June 13, 2023

1st Five Guys store to open in Gangnam on June 26

Popular US burger chain Five Guys will be operating its South Korean business starting on June 26, its Korean retailer Hanwha Galleria announced Monday. FG Korea, a subsidiary under Hanwha Galleria in charge of importing the US burger chain into the country, said it will be opening the chain's first franchise store in the area between Gangnam and Nonhyeon Stations in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. According to FG Korea, the outlet, standing on 618 square meters of land, will consist of 150 sea

June 12, 2023

[Photo News] 'Milkflation' on the way

A shopper browses in the milk section at a supermarket in Yangjae, southern Seoul, on Sunday. Dairy farmers and retailers have started talks to adjust the price of raw milk. Discussions are set to increase the base price from the current 69 won ($0.05) to 104 won per liter. According to the Korea Diary Committee, more than 300 dairy farmers have shut down their businesses in the past two years following the sharp decline in net income amid soaring raw materials costs.

June 11, 2023

[Contribution] Not just K-crops on Korean dinner tables

By Stefan Schmitz Executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust Just as the colorful mosaic of banchan dishes enhances a dinner table, Korean – and global – food security is enhanced by crop diversity. Dishes such as kimchi, bibimbap and japchae all contain crops that originated in far-away countries and speak to how we are all interconnected in what we eat. In an interconnected world facing complex challenges, few things are certain. But we must all eat – and I thi

June 11, 2023

Oriental Brewery beers win 7 Superior Taste Awards in Belgium

South Korea’s top brewer, Oriental Brewery, announced Friday that it has proven its global quality standards by winning the "Superior Taste Award" in seven categories organized by the International Taste Institute this year. OB Beer's seven brands -- Cass Fresh, Hite, Cass Light, Cass 0.0, Cass White, OB Lager, and OMG -- received a total of 13 stars, with each brand being honored with an award. Cass Fresh and Cass Light have won the award for four consecutive years, while C

June 9, 2023

Shinsegae seeks to take on Coupang with new membership

Shinsegae Group’s new paid membership program, called Shinsegae Universe, was unveiled Thursday in an apparent move to lock in customer loyalty across all its shopping platforms and renew its competition with Coupang, the nation’s No. 1 e-commerce operator. "Shinsegae Group evolved into a multi-platform (retail system) that can meet the detailed shopping demands for diverse customers across online and offline (markets)," said Kang Heui-seok, CEO of E-mart, Shinsegae Group&#

June 8, 2023

[Contribution] Uniting for safer food: enhancing global cooperation in food safety systems

By Tom Heilandt Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretary The demise of Alexander the Great, valiant conqueror of Persia and Egypt and monarch of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, is not one that history books typically associate with a foodborne illness. However, a recent review suggests that it was Salmonella typhimurium enteritis that ultimately brought him down. Similarly, there is one theory that the musical genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is thought to have succumbed to trichinosis, w

June 6, 2023

[Graphic News] Fast food: Runaway prices

Prices for hamburgers rose 10.3 percent in March and 17.1 percent in April, according to Statistics Korea. The increase marked the highest growth in 19 years. Such inflation in hamburgers came after major franchise companies raised their prices 4 to 5 percent in February and August of last year, and again in February this year. Pizza prices also set a record high in nearly 15 years with a near-12 percent increase in April. Chicken prices increased by 6.8 percent in the given period, which is low

June 2, 2023

[From the Scene] In-N-Out pop-up returns after 4 years

Under the searing sunlight, hundreds of customers lined up outside an In-N-Out pop-up store that exclusively opened up for just four hours in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, Wednesday. "People have been lining up since 1 a.m.," said a part-time worker at the In-N-Out pop-up store. "We sold out even before we opened -- all the 500 wristbands that are needed for an entry into the restaurant have been given out to the people standing in lines, before 11 a.m.," he added. In-N-Out, of

May 31, 2023

[Photo News] Nike's playground for all

Nike Korea said Tuesday it created a public sports space, called "Playground for All," jointly with Seoul Lifelong Education Institute and ChildFund Korea in Geumcheon-gu, southwestern Seoul, as part of its initiative to achieve carbon neutrality and practice social responsibility. Built on 1,613 square meters of land, the sports space consists of a running track, a basketball court, a futsal field and a play zone, with the floors and lockers made from recycled Nike sneakers and clot

May 30, 2023

Retail sales up 4 % in April on outdoor activities, shopping events

Retail sales in South Korea rose 4 percent on-year in April on the back of people's growing outdoor activities and various promotional events by major discount stores, the industry ministry said Tuesday. The combined sales of 25 major offline and online retailers came to 14.08 trillion won ($10.67 billion) last month, compared with 13.54 trillion won a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The on-year increase came as more people turned

May 30, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] Hangeul adds premium feel to Korean brands

On the heels of the ever-booming K-wave, Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, is being increasingly employed by both domestic and overseas companies as a unique marketing strategy to promote corporate values and raise brand awareness. Korean food companies seeking to foray into overseas markets are making full use of Hangeul to give themselves credibility and capitalize on the special currency the Korean alphabet holds in the global market. CJ CheilJedang, a Korean food giant whose global food sales ac

May 29, 2023

Korean food makers win legal fights against Chinese counterfeiters

Korean food makers have won in legal fights against Chinese counterfeiters in a series of lawsuits filed in China, according to the Korea Food Industry Association on Thursday. Of the total seven cases raised, the Chinese court recently ruled in favor of Korean firms in five cases at the first trial stage. Following the rulings, the Chinese companies in question are now required to pay compensation worth 250,000 yuan ($35,353) to CJ CheilJedang, 350,000 yuan to Samyang Food, and 200,000 yuan to

May 25, 2023

EU eases export rules on Korean ramen

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Wednesday the European Union has decided to ease import regulations for Korean ramen products, 18 months after a mishap with a carcinogen in ramen imports sent to Europe. According to the ministry, the EU will be easing the inspection of ethylene oxide in imported Korean ramen products starting in July. EO, which is majorly used as a fumigant and sterilizing agent, is classified by the World Health Organization as a potential carcinogen. The EU strengt

May 24, 2023

Outpaced by Coupang, E-mart faces gloomy outlook

The nation’s largest discount store chain E-mart, owned by retail giant Shinsegae Group, suffered dismal sales in the first quarter this year, outpaced by its smaller rival Coupang for the first time, with a gloomy outlook for the rest of the year, according to local brokerage firms Monday. In the first three months of the year, E-mart posted 13.7 billion won ($10.3 million) in operating profits, a 60.2 percent fall from a year ago. Net profit also plunged more than 90 percent to 2.7 billi

May 22, 2023

Dongsuh opens pop-up store for Oreo's 111th birthday

South Korean food and beverage manufacturer Dongsuh Foods announced Monday it will operate an Oreo pop-up store in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, until June 18 to mark Oreo Day on May 25. Commemorating Oreo’s 111th anniversary since its launch in 1912, the pop-up store is designed to give consumers a different experience of the brand, celebrating the achievement of becoming the world's No. 1 cookie. The pop-up store consists of a total of three spaces: the Welcome Zone, the Connect Zone and the

May 22, 2023

CJ completes world's largest pizza factory in US

South Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang said Monday that it recently completed the construction of the world's largest pizza production plant in the US state of Kansas, in a bid to ramp up its competitiveness in the all-important market. According to CJ CheilJedang, the company recently added 40,000 square meters to its frozen pizza production facility in Salina, Kansas. With the expansion, the plant now stands on 90,000 square meters of land, marking it the largest frozen pizza production p

May 22, 2023

[K-Food] Ourhome tests potential of Korean food catering services on global stage

Riding on a wave of momentum for the soaring popularity of South Korean food among global consumers, "K-food" institutional food service businesses are gaining traction at overseas cafeterias. Ourhome, a Korean food catering giant, says it has been steadily increasing the proportion of its global sales since starting its first overseas business on 2010 -- with its on-site food catering service performances in cafeterias abroad largely buoyed by its decision to organize nearly half of

May 18, 2023

Formna to launch BTS-themed sandals

The Formna, a South Korean online retailer, announced Thursday it is launching the 2023 BTS Permission to Dance Spring Sandals in July through an official licensing agreement with Hybe, the K-pop agency behind the global sensation. According to the Formna, the BTS-themed sandals, in both black and white versions, will be produced in collaboration with Noitavonni, a Korean shoemaker specializing in health care shoes. The company’s air cushion patents have gained approval from the US Food an

May 18, 2023