Articles by Jo He-rim
Jo He-rim
herim@heraldcorp.com-
Binggrae takes over Haitai Icecream
Korean food and beverage giant Binggrae said Wednesday it has acquired Haitai Icecream, a subsidiary of Haitai Confectionery & Food, for 140 billion won ($115 million). The exact date of the acquisition will be fixed after details are sorted out. Haitai Confectionery & Food began its ice cream business in 1970 by rolling out Bravo Cone. In January, it was spun off as a separate entity. Following the acquisition, Binggrae is likely to become No. 1 in the confectionery industry, with
Consumer April 1, 2020
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COVID-19 crisis shakes up brand value ranking
Brand value rankings of companies in South Korea are facing an upheaval as the COVID-19 crisis is greatly influencing the consumption patterns, a local poll showed Tuesday. According to the BrandStock Top Index of Brandstock, e-commerce platform operators are seeing a boost in their value, reflecting the increased amount of time people are spending at home, due to social distancing and remote working. Leading e-commerce platform Coupang witnessed its rank jump from No. 54 at the end last ye
Industry March 31, 2020
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Government lifts sanctions against Jin Air amid pandemic crisis
The South Korean government lifted its sanction on budget airline Jin Air on Tuesday, after having prohibited the company from expanding new flight routes and adding new planes for 20 months. The Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport said it would remove the sanction against the budget carrier, a move that is seen to reflect the company’s recent efforts for improved management, but also comes in time when the airline industry is into a desperate situation in the wake of the COVI
Mobility March 31, 2020
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Woowa Brothers to sue scammers posting fake food reviews
Woowa Brothers, operator of the country’s leading food delivery app Baedal Minjok, said Monday it will file police complaints against businesses that posted fake food reviews on its app, after being paid. According to the company, the firms received about 5,000 won ($4) to 10,000 won for posting positive reviews registered on Baedal Minjok. For instance, they would be paid about 23,000 won to order one fried chicken that cost 18,000 won on the app, write a positive review, and gain 5,000
Consumer March 30, 2020
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BAT’s 2020 vision touts ‘less risky’ products
British American Tobacco announced Monday a new corporate strategy for 2020 to present less risky products for customers, while setting a new environment goal, according to BAT Korea. Under the new corporate aim dubbed, “Building a better tomorrow,” the company said it will target establishing 50 million non-combustible product consumers by 2030, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 and bring forward its existing 2030 environment targets to 2025. BAT Chief Executive Jack Bowles p
Industry March 30, 2020
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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
Consumer 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
Consumer 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.
Consumer 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
Consumer 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
Consumer March 25, 2020
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Discount promotions to support farmers as virus delays school openings
The COVID-19 outbreak is dealing a blow to farms and fisheries, particularly straining their supply plans for school feeding. In efforts to support the agro-fishery industry, the country’s major retailers stepped up to embark on various promotions to clear out stock on Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on Monday, the recent government decision to postpone the opening of schools for two more weeks until April 6 would lead to damages to about 40
Industry March 25, 2020
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Posco donates W5b, actively participates in virus relief efforts
South Korea’s largest steelmaker Posco is actively participating in relief efforts for regions affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, the company said Wednesday. Posco, which has its main headquarters and a number of factories in one of the hard-hit region of North Gyeongsang Province, has donated 5 billion won ($4.06 million) for support on Feb. 27, about a month after it delivered relief goods worth 1 billion won to China. According to the company, Posco group delivered 4 billion won, wh
Industry March 25, 2020
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German business community donates over W1b for coronavirus relief
The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry said Tuesday that donations amounting to 1.06 billion won ($84,300) have been made by 14 German companies and eight individual members to support those affected by the COVID-19 outbreak here. According to KGCCI, the proceeds have been donated directly or via the Korea Red Cross, Hope Bridge Korea Disaster and Community Chest of Korea to provide hospitals, disaster response facilities as well as self-isolated people and vulnerable low-income f
Industry March 24, 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
Consumer 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
Consumer March 23, 2020
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