Most Popular
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
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[Graphic News] Number of coffee franchises in S. Korea rises 13%
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S. Korean children, teens grow taller, mature faster than before: study
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Some junior doctors are returning: Health Ministry
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Public backlash against division of Gyeonggi Province under 'corny' name
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[Robert J. Fouser] AI changes rationale for learning languages
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Army takes group action against Hybe for neglecting BTS
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SPC Samlip appoints Hwang Jong-hyeon as new CEO
SPC Samlip, a bakery and restaurant franchise giant, said Friday it has appointed Hwang Jong-hyeon as its new chief executive. SPC Group, the holding company, said it has also appointed Ahn Ji-yong as the new CEO to lead its subsidiary SPC GFS. Hwang served as the CEO of Samjin Eomuk, a fish cake maker, and previously worked for Dongwon F&B, the food division for Dongwon Group, for 30 years to lead numerous mergers and acquisitions and contributed to the growth of Dongwon’s dairy
March 27, 2020
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Lotte Shopping stresses profitability as utmost priority
Lotte Shopping said Friday it plans to undergo major restructuring, including shutting down money-losing stores and sluggish businesses, while taking measures to strengthen its e-commerce platform. Lotte Shopping operates the retail unit of Lotte Group, including the department store and mart. During its general shareholders meeting held in Seoul, Lotte Shopping CEO Kang Hee-tae announced improving profitability as the company’s utmost priority this year. “While we expect a dif
March 27, 2020
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Non face-to-face food ordering services popular amid social distancing trend
Baemin Order, an ordering and payment service for restaurants, accumulated over 2 million orders in five months since its launch in November, its operator Baedal Minjok said Friday. Baemin Order, which can be accessed through the Baedal Minjok delivery app, is a service in which users can order and pay for food in advance of a visit to a restaurant. This service allows users to either pick up the food or dine in at the restaurant without making contact with a server, Baedal Minjok explained.
March 27, 2020
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Duty-free sales halve in Feb. on COVID-19
Sales at South Korean duty-free stores nearly halved in February from a month earlier, hit hard by the spread of the new coronavirus, industry data showed Friday. Combined sales of local duty-free shops came to 1.1 trillion won ($910 million) last month, down 45.5 percent from January, according to the data from the Korea Duty Free Shops Association. The number of visitors plunged 54 percent on-month to 1.75 million in February, with foreigners accounting for 40 percent of the total. Sales of
March 27, 2020
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Koreans choose to drink at home during virus quarantine
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed daily life for many, driving society to endorse “social distancing” and putting people to work remotely, spending most of their time at home. For many in Korea, well known for its binge-drinking and hoesik (nighttime drinking gatherings) culture, things appear to have changed significantly, as the latest data shows more opting to drink at home. “(Because of COVID-19) I had many of my hangout plans canceled, and it was disappointing at firs
March 26, 2020
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Coupang to install ‘360-degree monitoring system’ in delivery cars
E-commerce giant Coupang said Wednesday it will install Automotive Around View Monitoring system in all its vehicles to aid its delivery staff. The monitoring system allows the driver to get a 360-degree exterior view on the screen, using four cameras mounted underneath the outside mirrors. According to the company, it will complete installing the system in all vehicles before July. It is the first company in the logistics industry to introduce the technology for delivery workers, the compan
March 25, 2020
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Pulmuone sells $30m of fresh noodles in US in 2019
Pulmuone said Tuesday that its annual sales of Asian noodles in the US reached $30 million in 2019, a sixfold increase in the last four years. The Korean fresh food company, which leads the US tofu market, entered the Asian noodle market in the US in 2015 with premium fresh noodle products, posting annual sales of $5 million in the first year. Led by the solid performance of Black Bean Sauce Noodles and Teriyaki Stir-fry Udon distributed in Costco stores, sales continued to rise, and in 2019
March 24, 2020
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McDonald’s Korea donates burgers, pies to support Guro
McDonald’s Korea said Monday it will provide free burgers and pies to volunteers and those vulnerable in Seoul’s Guro-gu, where a cluster infection of COVID-19 recently emerged from a call center. According to the burger chain, it will deliver 2,000 McChicken sandwiches and 2,000 pie products, including corn and apple pies, via the Community Chest of Korea to Guro. The food will be offered to the district disinfection volunteers and 44 community centers, including dwelling faciliti
March 23, 2020
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Shinsegae Department Store introduces 3 types of shopping carts
Shinsegae Department Store said Monday it is introducing three types of shopping carts from Tuesday. According to the retail giant, the three carts each have different features. One is designed for safekeeping bags. Another has a baby seat. The last type caters to small purchases. The cart with a space to store purses is covered with water-proof fabric to prevent shoppers’ designer bags from getting scratched, Shinsegae said. Shinsegae explained that customers had often held onto th
March 23, 2020
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Cleaning appliance sales increase as hygiene concerns rise
In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak across South Korea, more people appear to be buying cleaning appliances as hygiene concerns rise, according to the retail industry Sunday. According to figures released by the country’s largest retail chain E-mart, dryers and garment care appliances saw sales go up by 26.6 percent and 38.5 percent, respectively, from Jan. 20 to Thursday, compared to the year earlier. Jan. 20 is the day the first COVID-19 patient was confirmed in Korea. Fabric care
March 22, 2020
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Starbucks Korea extends coffee donation to hotline workers until end-March
Starbucks Korea said Monday it will expand its free coffee delivery it started in mid-February for workers at the disease control center hotline 1339 to the end of this month. According to the coffee chain, it has been providing 500 cups of coffee every day since Feb. 17 to three 1339 call centers, two operated by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul and Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, and one operated in cooperation by National Health Insurance Service. O
March 16, 2020
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[Feature] Ditching middlemen: brands strive to lure consumers directly
More individual brands have been turning to a direct-to-consumer strategy in South Korea, investing in their own online retail outlets and mobile applications to reduce dependence on giant middlemen, or e-commerce platforms. As the preference for online shopping continues to grow -- particularly amid the coronavirus-enforced self-isolation recently -- competition among online retailers has been intensifying to the point that the line separating different industries is slowly blurring. Indust
March 15, 2020
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Online sales for high-end retailers jump amid virus outbreak
As retail businesses are seeing a boost in their sales online amid the COVID-19 outbreak, high-end department stores and outlets have also hopped on the bandwagon, according to the industry on Wednesday. WeMakePrice, a South Korean e-commerce platform operator, said the combined sales of department stores and outlets it hosts spiked in the period from Feb. 1 to 28 by 316 percent from a year earlier. While department stores and premium outlets are widely seen to be more dependent on physical
March 11, 2020
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Starbucks shuts down stores in Daegu area
Starbucks Korea said Monday it will temporarily close 39 stores among the 74 in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province region, hit the hardest by the coronavirus outbreak. According to the coffee chain, 39 stores will be closed from Monday to March 22 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Nine will extend the closures since-February. Only 35 drive-thru stores in the region will operate normally and the company will conduct disinfection regularly, it added. The company plans to introduce social di
March 9, 2020
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[Monitor] Online sales of masks up, cosmetics down
The coronavirus spread has impacted online transactions since January, with the sales of masks surging while purchases of cosmetics dropped, data by Statistics Korea showed. Weather also played a part, with the warmer temperatures discouraging people from buying clothing. The shorter delivery days due to the Lunar New Year holiday also affecting the growth in online transactions. Upon the COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea as of Jan. 20, purchases of masks surged 57 percent from a year ago, and
March 5, 2020
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HiteJinro rehires singer-actor IU as Chamisul model
South Korean liquor maker HiteJinro said Wednesday that it had once again chosen singer-actor IU as its model for prominent soju brand Chamisul. IU previously modeled for Chamisul for four years, from 2014 to 2018. “IU is popular and has considerable stature as a singer and actor, and her unique ‘clean’ image (presented as a TV personality), goes along well with the brand,” HiteJinro said. The brand’s IU ads differed from the industry norm when she was first c
March 4, 2020
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McDonald’s Korea donates burger sets for firefighters in virus-hit Daegu
McDonald’s Korea said Tuesday it donated 4,200 burger sets to firefighters in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, as the region struggles in handling COVID-19. According to the company, it delivered 4,200 coupons that can trade for 1955 Burger set menu to Daegu Fire Department and Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters on Monday. With the number of patients increasing in the region that is hit hardest by the epidemic in South Korea, firefighters have been taking the role to transport the
March 3, 2020
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Department stores, malls shut down temporarily due to new coronavirus
With the COVID-19 virus spreading across the country, department stores and malls are temporarily shutting down branches that confirmed patients are found to have visited. On Friday, Shinsegae Department Store closed its Gangnam branch in Seoul, when one of the employees of its partner company was confirmed to be infected by the new coronavirus. According to the department store, the employee had been off duty for personal reasons since Monday, and then went into self-quarantine on Thursday
Feb. 28, 2020
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Smudge-proof makeup gains popularity amid virus outbreak
With the coronavirus outbreak prompting many to wear face masks, demand for smudge-proof makeup has soared, according to Lalavla on Friday. According to the health and beauty chain operated by GS Retail, sales of lip-stain products, face powder and makeup fixers rose 91 percent, 89 percent and 74 percent, respectively, in the period from Feb. 1 to Wednesday compared with the same period the previous year. Sales of products related to a healthy diet also went up 96 percent in the same period
Feb. 28, 2020
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Bidding for Incheon airport duty-free store licenses falls through
The license bidding for duty-free stores at Incheon International Airport fell through due to a lack of tenders, the airport operator said Thursday. The biddings to run a section for perfume and cosmetics and another for apparel in the airport's first passenger terminal failed, according to Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC). Located west of Seoul, the Incheon airport is South Korea's main gateway. IIAC opened the bidding for five sections at the airport, as the contracts of the c
Feb. 27, 2020