Most Popular
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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Woman gets suspended term for injuring boyfriend with knife
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[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games
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Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue
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NewJeans pops out ‘Bubble Gum’ video amid troubles at agency
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Busan bar’s ‘No Professor Zone’ poster goes viral
A bar in Busan has declared itself a “No Professor Zone” to create a friendlier environment for student customers. When someone took a picture of the announcement and shared it in a tweet, it went viral. “We profusely apologize. For other customers to enjoy themselves with ease, we are asking full-time professors to refrain from entering our place,” the poster reads. The message appears to target scholars at Pusan National University, which is located near the venue.
Dec. 8, 2021
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Unionized Chanel cosmetics workers threaten strike
Cosmetic store workers of Chanel Korea said Tuesday they would walk off from their jobs for an indefinite period from Dec. 17 if the French luxury brand fails to pay overdue wages and take steps to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Union members representing 390 store workers at 85 cosmetics boutiques of Chanel held a press conference Tuesday in front of the firm’s office in Jung-gu, central Seoul. The members are part of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions, a
Dec. 7, 2021
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Got oat milk? New dairy alternative takes hold in Korea
Coffee chains, food companies and the milk industry are seeing oat milk as a new alternative to dairy, as the industry tries to appeal to a growing number of health-conscious consumers and the budding vegan trend in South Korea. While oat milk is considered a common alternative to typical dairy milk in countries like the United States and Europe, the drink is relatively new here in Korea. Leading the local oat milk trend here is, ironically, the milk industry. In a country where
Dec. 6, 2021
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Food, Beverages price grow 5% in Q3, marking 5th-steepest among OECD
Prices of groceries and nonalcoholic beverages in Korea rose 5 percent on-year in the July-September period, marking the fifth-largest increase among OECD nations, data showed Sunday. According to data from Statistics Korea and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, prices of food and beverages grew even higher last month on-year at 6.1 percent on the back of strong price increases of agricultural and processed products. The quarterly price growth of food and beverages w
Dec. 5, 2021
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Rider shortage driving up cost of your order
Food delivery apps saw their users decline after South Korea entered the first phase of the “living with COVID-19” scheme last month. But amid growing competition and a push by delivery apps for “one order per trip” to promise a speedy service, a delivery rider shortage is likely behind the rising cost of your order, industry sources said. According to IGAWorks’ mobile index, Android phone users who used delivery apps Baemin and Yogiyo dropped by 8.9 and 7.5 perc
Dec. 5, 2021
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Daesang bags 2 prizes at Korea Advertising Awards
An advertisement campaign from Daesang took home two honors at the Korea Advertising Awards this year, according to the food company on Sunday. Founded in 1994, the Korea Advertising Awards are considered the most prestigious awards in the industry here. Some 2,000 advertisements are submitted for consideration each year, the organizers said. An advertisement series of Daesang’s “Anjuya” products -- ready-made side dishes to be paired with alcohol -- received two nominatio
Dec. 5, 2021
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Retail sales up 14.4% in October on sales events, cold weather
Retail sales in South Korea surged 14.4 percent in October from a year earlier as more consumers opened their wallets amid various promotional events and cold weather, the industry ministry said Monday. The combined sales of 25 major offline and online retailers reached 13.6 trillion won ($11.41 billion) last month, compared with 12.01 trillion won a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Sales from offline stores rose 10 percent on-year in
Nov. 29, 2021
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Burger King apologizes for plastic wrapper in burger
Burger King issued an apology Friday, after a plastic wrapper was found inside a burger sold at one of its stores in Sejong. “Burger King would like to sincerely apologize to the customer for the inconvenience,“ the US burger chain said in a statement. ”We are currenly investigating how the substance got into the food. Burger King will increase efforts to improve the quality of our products and services.“ On Thursday, a male customer told local media he found a she
Nov. 26, 2021
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Lotte Group hires outsiders to lead key businesses
Lotte Group has hired Kim Sang-hyun, former vice president of market rival Homeplus, to lead Lotte Shopping, which controls all the group’s retail business, officials said Thursday. The group’s hotel department will be led by Ahn Se-jin, former CEO of the Korean restaurant chain Nolboo. Kim Gyo-hyun, former head of Lotte Chemical, was promoted to vice president in recognition of his achievements in restoring the fortunes of the group’s chemical business to pre-pandemic
Nov. 25, 2021
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480,000 Seoulites to pay comprehensive real estate tax this year
Comprehensive real estate taxes have been levied on nearly half a million homeowners in Seoul this year, up more than 20 percent from last year, as housing prices and tax rates surged. Seoul homeowners collectively faced 2.8 trillion won ($2.35 billion) in comprehensive real estate taxes, 2.3 times the amount levied last year. The sharp increase in the property holding tax could affect the market as some homeowners may choose to sell their homes to reduce the tax burden, thereby bringing down
Nov. 23, 2021
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CJ CheilJedang spins off health supplement biz
In a move to expand its footprint in the health care sector, CJ CheilJedang will spin off its health and wellness business, the Korean food maker said Tuesday. Set to be launched on Jan. 1, the new subsidiary CJ Wellcare will be entirely controlled by CJ CheilJedang. The move comes after CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun in early November pledged to invest 10 trillion won ($8.41 billion) over the next three years to boost four growth engines -- one of which is the health and wellness sector.
Nov. 23, 2021
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Food prices rise from pandemic, set to hit lower earners hard
Prices are rising for ramyeon, milk, and other everyday foods and drinks, as the pandemic has disrupted supply chains and pushed up the prices of agricultural goods. According to data from the Bank of Korea released Monday, consumer prices in the third quarter rose 2.6 percent from the same period last year. It was the steepest on-year increase in nine years, the institution said. First to feel the impact was South Korea’s No. 1 fried chicken franchise, Kyochon F&B. The company on
Nov. 22, 2021
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Coway launches premium built-in water purifier
Coway, a South Korean home appliance maker, said Monday that it has launched a premium built-in water purifier that replaces the previous high-end model it introduced 10 years ago, with the aim of leading the trend toward built-in appliances. Coway’s Noble built-in water purifier features an under-sink filtration system, which is more commonly used abroad than in Korea, according to the company. For domestic customers who aren’t familiar with built-in water purifiers, Coway develop
Nov. 22, 2021
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Hyundai Livart starts operation of Asia’s first smart furniture plant
Hyundai Livart’s first smart furniture production plant and distribution center has begun operations, according to Hyundai Group’s furniture arm Hyundai Livart on Thursday. Located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, the 85,950-square-meter Smart Work Center hosts an automated furniture production plant and massive distribution facilities. It is the first smart furniture factory not only in Korea, but in all of Asia, the company said. The smart factory is controlled by an IT system t
Nov. 18, 2021
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Samyang partners up with UAE retailer for Middle East expansion
Samyang Foods said Wednesday it had inked a partnership deal with United Arab Emirates retailer Sarya General Trading to accelerate Spicy Buldak Ramen sales in the Middle East. Under the 2.5 billion-won ($2.1 million) deal signed on Tuesday, Sarya will be Samyang’s exclusive distribution partner in the country. The two plan to increase export volume to 50 billion won by 2023, it said. UAE is the region’s biggest market for Samyang. Currently, some 71 percent of Korean instant no
Nov. 17, 2021
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Chicken joints brewing beer to complete chimaek appeal
Fried chicken and beer -- known locally as “chimaek” -- is a food pair beloved by many Koreans. In a new development in South Korean chimaek scene, major chicken brands are coming up with their own beer brands, in order to give this popular food combo a special appeal. KFC confirmed Monday to The Korea Herald that it was preparing to launch its own craft beer. The US fried chicken franchise has formed a partnership with independent brewery Kabrew, and
Nov. 15, 2021
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[Feature] From bugs to delicacies, insect proteins find niche in pet food market
Edible insects like fly larvae, crickets, and mealworms are hailed as a healthy and more sustainable source of protein for the mankind. But not many people seem to find them appetizing enough, at least not yet, to include them in their regular diet. For dogs and cats, it’s a different story. “Our products are loved by pets as they taste nutty and also like cheese biscuits” Kim Tae-hoon, the CEO of Foody Worm, which sells insect-based pet food, told The Korea Herald. The
Nov. 15, 2021
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[Weekender] Who needs staff, when there are robots and tech-savvy customers?
At this year’s annual Seoul International Cafe Show which took place earlier this month, automation and smart devices such as drip coffee-making robots enjoyed the spotlight. “From smart coffee roasters to drip coffee-making robots, there were various opportunities to get a taste of the ‘smart cafe’ experience,” one official at the event said. These are the latest sign of automation and a demographic shift in South Korea where cashier-free stores have increasingly
Nov. 14, 2021
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Coupang kicks off massive sales for China’s Singles Day
South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang has launched a three-day “Singles Day Mega Sale” to celebrate China’s annual shopping bonanza. The massive sales, from Nov. 10 to 12, was inspired by the Chinese version of US’ Black Friday. During the event, Coupang plans to woo Chinese customers with daily special offers using its “Rocket Jikgu” overseas delivery service. The firm will hand out coupons for an additional 10,000 won off purchases of 60,000 won or more.
Nov. 11, 2021
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Paris Baguette lands in Indonesia
SPC Group said Thursday it opened the nation’s first Paris Baguette bakery in the Ashta District 8 shopping mall of Indonesia capital Jakarta. The move comes after the South Korean food company set up a joint venture with its local partner, Erajaya Group, last month. With a population of 270 million, Indonesia is SPC’s seventh market. The 189-square-meter space is located in the city’s biggest commercial area, the Sudirman Central Business District, and boasts more than 50
Nov. 11, 2021