The stock price of New York-listed e-commerce giant Coupang surpassed $20 a share on Friday for the first time in 18 months, following the company's announcement it would raise membership fees by nearly 60 percent. Coupang's stock price closed trading at $21.25 on Friday, marking an 11.49 percent increase from the previous day's closing price of $19.06. Its market capitalization recorded $38.1 billion. The surge in the stock price coincided with the company's announcement ear

Companies April 14, 2024

South Korea's leading ramyeon manufacturer Nongshim plans to prioritize the promotion of Chapagetti, its black bean-flavored ramyeon product, to diversify its overseas marketing appeal. Following Shin Ramyun, its top-selling instant noodle product, the company will now focus on promoting its 40-year-old Chapagetti as the next major brand targeting the global market, a Nongshim official said during a press conference held in eastern Seoul on Friday. "We have previously concentrated on a

Companies April 14, 2024

Chinese e-commerce platforms, including the big three AliExpress, Temu and Shein, saw their Korean sales more than double over the past six months, while their Korean rivals suffered lukewarm sales performance during the same period, according to payment transaction data released Wednesday. According to an analysis report by BC Card, the nation’s largest payment processing company, payments made on Chinese e-commerce platforms soared more than 130 percent from October last year to March th

Industry April 10, 2024

LG Electronics, the South Korean home appliance giant, said Wednesday it donated $100,000 to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, a US-based organization overseeing intercollegiate athletics. The contribution aims to support the NCAA's program dedicated to promoting mental health within collegiate athletics. “We hope this contribution fosters the mental well-being of young athletes, enabling them to pursue successful careers," said Jung Kyu-hwang (center), head of LG Ele

Companies April 10, 2024

Cities with large populations of older residents show greater vulnerability to climate change due to inadequate investment in green infrastructure and spaces such as parks and forests, according to a study conducted by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology on Tuesday. A research team led by Kim Seung-kyum, professor at the Moon Soul Graduate School of Future Strategy at Daejeon-based KAIST, discovered the correlation between an aging population and its impact on vulnerability to

Industry April 9, 2024

BAT Rothmans, the Korean unit of British American Tobacco, said Tuesday it unveiled a special McLaren livery design inspired by its e-cigarette products for the 2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix. According to BAT, the unveiling of the livery is part of the "Driven by Change" project, a collaboration campaign between the tobacco company and the McLaren Formula 1 Team. Launched in 2021, this collaborative initiative aims to provide emerging talents worldwide with the opportunity to design li

Companies April 9, 2024

The announcement from Burger King's South Korean operator that it would stop selling its popular Whopper lineup has stirred up controversy and mixed opinions over whether it is merely a marketing stunt or not. Early Monday morning, Burger King informed customers through its website and mobile messenger KakaoTalk about the end of Whopper sales. "Whopper sales will end after 40 years," the announcement read. "We thank everyone who has loved the Whopper all this time." Acco

Companies April 8, 2024

CJ Foodville, the operator of the South Korean bakery chain Tous Les Jours, said Monday it plans to establish a training center in the US aimed at enhancing the service and operational expertise of its local franchisees there. This initiative comes as CJ Foodville has recently experienced an increasing number of inquiries from Americans interested in operating Tous Les Jours franchise outlets in the US, the company added. According to CJ Foodville, contracts for new franchise openings have alrea

Companies April 8, 2024

South Korea has tentatively chosen some of the top universities and institutions worldwide for technology partnerships, aiming to acquire advanced technologies that can assist domestic companies. The Ministry of Trade Industry and Energy announced six institutes as preferred bidders out of 30 universities and institutes from nine countries that applied for the partnership, on Friday. The six bidders include five US-based institutes and universities -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale

Industry April 5, 2024

Hanwha Aerospace, the defense arm of South Korea’s seventh-largest conglomerate Hanwha Group, said Friday it will segregate its non-military businesses into a newly established corporation, aiming to focus on its defense business operations. According to Hanwha Aerospace’s announcement Friday, Hanwha Aerospace will spin off a new entity, tentatively named Hanwha Industrial Solutions. This new corporation will take over Hanwha Vision, specializing in artificial intelligence solution

Industry April 5, 2024

The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. on Thursday said it has been recognized by the US-based New York Festivals Advertising Awards for its environmental, social and governance efforts, marking the first time a Korean government agency has won in the ESG category. The Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp., also known as aT, is a government agency entrusted with promoting the trade, export and marketing of Korean foods and beverages worldwide. The agency said it won the ESG manage

Industry April 4, 2024

Hyosung TNC, the fiber production unit of South Korean industrial giant Hyosung Group, said Wednesday it will invest 1 trillion won ($740 million) in Vietnam to establish a new spandex material plant. Hyosung TNC secured approval for the investment from the Vietnamese government during a city development conference for Ba Ria-Vung Tau, a local province of the Southeast Asian country, held Saturday. With the approval, the company will commence construction of a facility in Ba Ria-Vung Tau capable

Companies April 3, 2024

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific said Tuesday that its premium skincare brand Sulwhasoo has released its 2023 Sustainability Report, detailing the brand's sustainability initiatives and achievements. Sulwhasoo published the first standalone sustainability report by a brand under Amorepacific. The report comprises three chapters: ginseng, the environment and culture. The first chapter explores Sulwhasoo's journey with ginseng, transitioning from its use in food to beauty produc

Companies April 2, 2024

South Korean liquor giant HiteJinro said Tuesday that its beer brand Kelly had exceeded 360 million bottles in sales as of March 26, a significant milestone within one year of its launch in April 2023. This achievement is equivalent to selling 11.5 bottles every second, the company said. Kelly's performance has propelled HiteJinro's sales growth. Last year, the liquor manufacturer posted 823.3 billion won ($607.6 million) in beer sales, marking a 5 percent increase from the previous ye

Companies April 2, 2024

Korea Ginseng Corp., the country's leading ginseng manufacturer, said Monday that it has appointed An Bin, the company's former global business chief, as its new CEO. “In order to transition into a global top-tier comprehensive health company, we must adopt a 'Global One Market' approach that combines both domestic and overseas markets," An, 51, said in his inauguration remarks. “We will aim to maximize profits in overseas markets while at home we will take a

Companies April 1, 2024