Retailers called off a series of Halloween-themed marketing events following an overnight crowd surge that killed at least 153 people, among some 100,000 who turned up for Halloween festivities in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in central Seoul, late Saturday. Many retail companies here had planned to use Halloween to promote their products catering to young consumers, but events have qui...

South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang said Wednesday it has launched a cross-border online shopping service in the burgeoning Taiwanese market, saying it would help small and medium-sized Korean companies expand their businesses overseas. Through the Taiwanese version of Coupang's mobile app, consumers in Taiwan can use the company’s ultrafast Rocket Delivery service. Customers can order million...

Philip Morris Korea on Tuesday launched Iqos Iluma, its new flagship heated tobacco product that requires no cleaning process, saying it hopes to enhance customer experience. “Our new heat-not-burn cigarette uses smart core induction technology that doesn’t require heating blades like previous models. Since the tobacco sticks are not inserted into the blades, you don’t have to clean the ashes ca...

In a country of soju and beer, young drinkers show greater appetite for wines: Pernod Ricard Korea CEO

Heo Young-in, CEO of South Korean bakery giant SPC Group, bowed deep in apology Friday over a young factory worker killed in an accident at one of the company's bread-making factories last week. “I feel strongly responsible for this accident and accept criticism from the public without any excuses. I also send my deepest apology for not caring for the grief and shock of the employees who worked ...

Japanese models pose for a photo after wearing fashion items from South Korean street fashion brand Nerdy at Rakuten GirlsAward 2022 in Tokyo, one of the three largest fashion events in the city. Nerdy was invited as a special brand for the show’s finale.

Use of plastic bags at convenience stores will be banned from Nov. 24, two years after they were removed from hypermarkets as part of eco-friendly efforts. Like in the large supermarkets, customers will have the option of purchasing standard user-pay trash bags or paper bags at convenience stores to carry what they bought. If a store is found to have used regular plastic bags, it will be slappe...

An advertising campaign video for kimchi, co-produced by South Korea's leading kimchi maker Daesang and Seo Kyung-duk, an expert in promoting Korea overseas, plays in New York's Times Square on Monday. Under the slogan, "Taste the original," the campaign aims to promote Korea as the originator of kimchi as well as customer awareness worldwide.

A study has found that heated tobacco product Glo contained less toxicants than traditional cigarettes, and could help reduce potential harm of smoking-related diseases, the Seoul branch of its manufacturer BAT Group said Tuesday. “Our recent one-year clinical trial found that our flagship heated tobacco product Glo showed 90-95 percent less toxicants contained in aerosol compared to cigarette s...

With the Korean won falling sharply against the US dollar, cross-border shopping on US platforms has become less attractive to Korean shoppers in a peak season that includes Black Friday in the US, sources said Monday. According to Statistics Korea data, transaction volume of cross-border shopping from the country to the US increased on-year by a mere 6.4 percent to 512.3 billion won ($358.9 mil...

Duty-free shops eye Southeast Asia, use Hallyu marketing to attract broader consumer base

A day before announcement, Hanwha chairman's youngest son posts the plan on his Instagram

Hyundai Department Store said Wednesday it would compensate staff and partner companies suffering from a business void at Daejeon Hyundai Premium Outlet that caught fire last week that left seven deaths. The company will give 2.5 million won-3.5 million won ($1,760-$2,470) to around 1,000 managers and salespeople whose work has been suspended due to the post-fire shutdown. Refusing to disclose ...

Nongshim's Shinramyeon still No. 1; sales of bibimmyeon wane in summer due to heavy rain

SPC Group has opened three more Paris Baguette stores in Paris this year to expand its business in the European market, the South Korean food and beverage giant said Tuesday. The latest Paris Baguette store is set to open in Montparnasse, a major commercial district in the southern part of Paris on Tuesday, local time. The opening of Paris Baguette Montparnasse branch follows two branch opening...