Most Popular
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Acting minister, US defense chief reaffirm 'ironclad' alliance regardless of politics
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Ruling, opposition parties butt heads over acting president's authority
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Medical student sentenced to 26 yrs in prison for murdering his girlfriend
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After Disney+ adaptation, 'Light Shop' webtoon sees explosive popularity
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[Editorial] Bracing for Trump
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Vincent van Gogh's exhibition in Seoul explores his decade-long career
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National Assembly’s impeachment committee readies for 1st hearing next week
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[Lee Byung-jong] The perils of political leadership
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Actor Kim Tae-ri to showcase hanbok on Times Square billboard on Christmas Eve
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Heavy snow, cold wave expected this weekend
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Coupang launches luxury beauty shopping service Rocket Luxury
South Korea's top e-commerce retailer Coupang said Monday it has launched a new service allowing customers to buy luxury beauty brands' products at its platform. At Rocket Luxury, customers will be able to purchase products of 16 high-end beauty brands from home and abroad, including Estee Lauder, MAC, Bobby Brown and Hera, directly bought by Coupang. The products will be delivered through the "rocket delivery" service, which offers delivery service within 24 hours upon order
July 3, 2023
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[KH explains] Pressured into price cuts at home, ramen makers in export predicament
South Korean ramen manufacturers are in a rush to cut prices of their flagship ramen and snack products, following the government’s pressure to lower prices of daily necessities. But Samyang Foods, the nation’s second-largest ramen maker, cannot lower the price of Spicy Buldak Ramen, a bestselling product that now sells better overseas than at home. In the January-March period this year, the instant noodle made 163 billion won ($124 million), or 66 percent of the company’s quar
July 3, 2023
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Shinsegae premium outlet aims to become tourism hub
Shinsegae Simon, a premium outlet operator under South Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group, said Thursday it will ramp up its reach to tourists by turning its outlets into a local tourist destination. Starting Saturday, an exclusive express bus route will take patrons from Seoul Express Bus Terminal located in southern Seoul, to Shinsegae Simon Yeoju Premium Outlets in Gyeonggi Province, according to Shinsegae Simon, a 50:50 joint venture between Shinsegae and US-based real estate developer Simo
June 29, 2023
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Gordon Ramsay Burger to open 2nd South Korean location in Busan
Michelin-star chef Gordon Ramsay will open his second burger restaurant in South Korea in the southern city of Busan this week, officials said Wednesday. The newest Gordon Ramsay Burger will open in Shinsegae Centum City Department Store in Busan on Thursday. It will be the gourmet burger chain's second location in South Korea, joining the Seoul restaurant that opened last year, according to the company. Various types of burgers, fries and drinks will be on the menu, and some 100 seats will
June 28, 2023
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[Best Brand] AK Golf, No. 1 online golf retailer, seeks offline expansion
AK Golf, the pioneering company that initiated online golf distribution in South Korea, has succeeded in driving golf popularization through innovative online distribution and a groundbreaking pricing system. The domestic golf equipment market used to be dominated by expensive offline stores in each region, creating a closed market. However, AK Golf revolutionized the purchasing experience by offering an innovative way for consumers who opt for rational consumption. By transforming the tradition
June 28, 2023
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[Best Brand] Starbucks Korea offers camping gear in seasonal giveaway
Starbucks Korea is putting forward a 2023 summer promotional event showcasing five gift items including side tables in three color options and two types of Starbucks-themed pans and plates until July 10 at its stores nationwide. The seasonal event, called the e-Frequency reward program, has been taking place biannually in South Korea since 2013, providing limited-edition goods to Starbucks members who purchase a total of 17 drinks, including three mission drinks. This year's theme, "Su
June 28, 2023
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[Best Brand] Coway raises the bar for water purifiers
South Korean home appliance maker Coway is redefining the market with its innovative design and performance of its water purifiers. Its Icon Ice Water Purifier has gained attention with its comparably small size. With a width of 24 centimeters and a side length of 47.3 centimeters, the Icon water purifier can contribute to better kitchen space utilization. Available in ice white, pink, blue, and gray, the Icon Purifier boasts its ice-making speed, with each cycle taking only about 12 minutes and
June 28, 2023
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Food ministry vows to double K-food exports by 2027
The South Korean government on Wednesday unveiled a plan to drastically ramp up Korea's food exports to combat stagnancy in the domestic food market and to capitalize on the K-food boom overseas. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced a plan that aims to nearly double Korea's agricultural exports from $8.82 billion in 2021 to $15 billion by 2027. With the new plan, the Food Ministry said it will vie for a 9 percent on-year growth on average and ultimately raise t
June 28, 2023
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[Best Brand] Metamix aims to provide quality supplements through innovative development
The health supplement market has been seeing increasing demand as people prioritize their immunity and well-being, especially after the global COVID-19 pandemic. Mirae Wellcare aims to cater to those needs by providing affordable and healthy products to consumers. Accordingly, its health supplement brand, Metamix, offers a variety of health-boosting supplements while simultaneously contributing to a culture of sustainability. Metamix products, such as the 10 Billion Probiotics and Lutein Eye Car
June 28, 2023
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Nongshim, Samyang succumb to pressure, cut prices of products
South Korea’s top ramen maker Nongshim said Tuesday it will cut prices of its flagship ramen and snack products, after it came under government pressure to lower costs of daily food products amid prolonged inflation woes. The company said it will cut the prices of Shin Ramyun and Shrimp Crackers by 4.5 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively, starting this Saturday. Based on their retail prices, the price of Shin Ramyun will be lowered from 1,000 won ($0.77) to 950 won on average, while the
June 27, 2023
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Seoul mayor promotes K-beauty in Japan
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon vowed to support South Korean beauty firms making a foray into Japan, the third-biggest market for cosmetics in the world, during his official visit to the neighbor country, the city government said Tuesday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Business Agency, an investment agency under the city government, and eBay Japan signed a memorandum of understanding to foster the online growth of small and medium-sized Korean cosmetics companies in the Japanese b
June 27, 2023
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K-beauty sees surging growth in Vietnam
Vietnam is seeing exponential growth in demands for South Korean cosmetics, marking it as a potential replacement market for Korean beauty companies suffering from their recently spluttering performances in the major market of China, according to data Monday. According to the Korea Cosmetics Association's data, Korean cosmetics exports to Vietnam from January to May this year surged 43.4 percent compared to the same period a year earlier, logging $187.5 million in exports. Korea's cosm
June 26, 2023
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[Photo News] Hanwha heir celebrates 1st Five Guys store opening
Kim Dong-sun, head of strategic management at Hanwha Galleria, speaks during a press conference held at the first Five Guys restaurant to open in South Korea in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, Thursday. With the first store becoming fully operational from Monday, operator FG Korea said it aims to open at least 14 more Five Guys locations by 2028. (Yonhap)
June 22, 2023
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Bodyfriend launches massage chair with body composition analyzer
South Korea’s leading massage chair maker Bodyfriend on Thursday launched a new massage chair, called Davinci, which analyzes users’ body composition and offers more customized massage options. “It has been widely accepted that massage chairs are mostly used by older generations. But the newly launched massage chair featuring bioelectrical impedance analysis is expected to appeal to younger generations,” Bodyfriend Chief Marketing Officer Song Seung-ho said during the lau
June 22, 2023
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Convenience store CU makes foray into Kazakhstan
BGF Retail, the operator of South Korean convenience store chain CU, announced Tuesday that the company will expand its convenience store business into Kazakhstan. The firm plans to open the first CU store in Kazakhstan during the first half of next year and establish around 500 branches in the country in the next five years. When opened, Kazakhstan will become the first Central Asian country to have CU stores. BGF Retail says it would also be the first foreign convenience stores in Kazakhstan.
June 20, 2023
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Coupang, Naver dominate Korea's e-commerce market
South Korea's no. 1 e-commerce operator, Coupang, and its local archrival, Naver Shopping, are dominating the South Korean e-commerce industry, taking up some 65 percent of the local market, according to a survey Tuesday. According to the consumer data analysis platform Opensurvey's research on 2,500 respondents aged between 20 to 59, Coupang was the most frequently used e-commerce service for Koreans, making up for 37.7 percent of responses. Naver Shopping came in second, with 27.2 pe
June 20, 2023
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Ramen firms under pressure to lower prices
South Koreans ramen makers said Monday that it is currently difficult to adjust the prices of their ramen products, in response to the South Korean government's recent call for them to cut prices amid the fall in raw material costs. "Milling companies were supplied with months' worth of raw materials when their costs were high. Even if the prices of wheat and other major materials needed for making ramen have fallen recently, it is difficult to adjust the price of ramen immediatel
June 19, 2023
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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
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[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
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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