Korean food service enterprise Didim said Wednesday its Korean barbecue brand Mapo Galmaegi signed a franchise contract with a Pakistani company to start business there. Didim said it signed the contract with M Anwar Bro, a Pakistani importer that exclusively supplies Korean and Japanese automobile parts to the market there on Tuesday.  M Anwar Bro also owns construction- and computer-related subsidiaries. Recently, the Pakistani company sought to expand its businesses into food, and contac

Consumer Jan. 22, 2020

California-based coffee chain Blue Bottle Coffee will open its fifth store in South Korea near Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, according to industry on Wednesday. After making a hit in opening its first store in Seongsu, Seoul in May 2019, the coffee chain has since increased its outlets in three other spots in Seoul -- Samcheong, Apgujeong and Yeoksam.  Blue Bottle Coffee reportedly will open its fifth shop in on the first floor of Cheonggye Hankook Building, located in Jongno, next t

Consumer Jan. 22, 2020

McDonald’s Korea CEO Cho Ju-yeon resigned from her post last week due to “personal reasons.” Cho sent an email to all employees on Tuesday to announce her resignation, without elaborating on the reason, industry officials said. However, a McDonald’s Korea official said Cho was leaving due to personal reasons unrelated to the company. While McDonald’s Korea does not have a designated tenure for the CEO position, Cho’s resignation was a planned move, the officia

Consumer Jan. 21, 2020

GS Engineering and Construction said Tuesday it has taken over two European manufacturers of prefabricated houses, and is set to finish the acquisition process of an American company, aiming to expand its business in the global market. According to GS E&C, the company signed the takeover contract with Danwood, a Polish company specializing in wood prefab houses, in Bialystok, Poland, Tuesday. At the signing ceremony, GS E&C President of New Business Huh Yoon-hong, Enterprise Investor Pre

Industry Jan. 21, 2020

South Korean household and personal care product maker Aekyung Group said Tuesday it has purchased a site at Songdo, Incheon, for its envisioned research and development center.The company has signed a contract with Incheon Free Economic Zone to buy the 28,722-square-meter site inside the high-tech industry cluster Sector B in Songdo International City, for 34.5 billion won ($29.5 million).The group’s major subsidiaries, Aekyung Petrochemical and Aekyung, have invested in the site at a 60:

Industry Jan. 21, 2020

Online “dark nudge” services -- free trial subscriptions -- are rattling South Koreans who end up paying fees they do not anticipate, according to the consumer agency Monday.A number of online services, such as music and media streaming sites lure consumers by offering trial subscription and automatically charge the users for the service after the period is over. This small “nudge” of free trial periods are used by businesses targeting consumers who are not very careful a

Industry Jan. 20, 2020

South Korea’s business figures and political leaders joined relatives on Monday to mourn the death of Lotte Group founder and Honorary Chairman Shin Kyuk-ho, a first-generation founder of one of the country’s biggest conglomerates.Shin passed away at around 4:20 p.m. on Sunday, at the age of 97.At the funeral altar at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, influential figures from various circles came to pay their respects. On Monday, Shin’s second son, Shin Dong-bin, the chairman of Lo

Industry Jan. 20, 2020

Korean Air, the country’s biggest and national flag carrier, is trying to assuage customers ill at ease about a revised plan for the airline’s loyalty program, saying the latest changes reflect global standards, including reasonable benefits for customers in comparison to foreign carriers, according to the company on Friday. The airliner recently uploaded a notice to its homepage to clarify facts about the revision plan for the loyalty program amid strong backlash from customers, inc

Mobility Jan. 17, 2020

McDonald’s Korea said Friday that it will raise prices of eight items on its menu from Monday, including the brand’s signature Big Mac, by 1.36 percent overall. The items are four burgers, one side and one drink. The prices for the Cheese Burger and Big Mac will increase by 200 won (18 cents). Other items will see 100 won to 300 won increases.  The burger chain said it will also cut the prices of three burgers: the Hamburger by 200 won, and Double Bulgogi Burger and Double Chees

Consumer Jan. 17, 2020

Starbucks Korea will start a new campaign with K-pop boy band BTS and roll out new menu items and products, as part of a project supporting youth, the company said Thursday. According to the coffee chain, it will start a new campaign, dubbed “Be the Brightest Stars” from Jan. 21 to Feb. 6, to present limited edition menu items and goods themed around the color purple in collaboration with BTS. The campaign is designed to deliver to young people the message, “You shine like a st

Consumer Jan. 17, 2020

SK Engineering & Construction said Thursday that it had formed a joint venture with Bloom Energy, a US-based energy firm, to produce solid oxide fuel cells from this year, a first in South Korea. According to SK E&C, it inked a joint venture agreement with Bloom Energy in September last year, cementing their plans to distribute the fuel cells and build factories in Korea.  A manufacturing facility is under construction in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, and the companies will start

Industry Jan. 16, 2020

Woowa Youngmen, the operator of Baemin Riders -- a platform connecting restaurants and delivery drivers -- is facing opposition against its announcement to limit the weekly working hours of its delivery workers.Woowa Youngmens is a subsidiary of Woowa Brothers, the operator of Korea’s No. 1 food delivery application by market share. On Friday, it released a new work guideline, “2060 policy to prevent overworking,” to limit the workhours of drivers for Baemin Riders to 60 hours

Industry Jan. 15, 2020

Yuhan-Kimberly, a Korean manufacturer of hygiene products, donated more than 5 million sanitary pads over the past four years, the company said Wednesday.The company’s donation is part of its “Cheer Up, Daughters” campaign to promote the rights of teens and the importance of hygiene for health, started in 2016 in partnership with the Korea Foundation for Women, a civic women’s group. According to the company, it donated 1.53 million pads in the first year, followed by 1 m

Consumer Jan. 15, 2020

Following rising demand for air purifiers, household appliance company Woongjin Coway is seeking to continue its lead in the market with its special filters, the company said Tuesday.According to research institute Growth From Knowledge, annual sales of air purifiers in South Korea have more than doubled recently, from about 700,000 in 2016 to 1.8 million in 2018, amid the rising threat of worsening fine and ultrafine dust levels. Korea’s No. 1 rental company of air purifiers by sales, Cow

Consumer Jan. 14, 2020

Kia’s Telluride has been named the 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, the carmaker said Tuesday, marking the first time it has been chosen as a finalist. According to Kia Motors, the Telluride beat out prominent rivals, the Hyundai Palisades and Lincoln Aviator, in the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) awards. “The Telluride’s interior layout and design would meet luxury SUV standards, while its refined drivetrain, confident driving dynami

Mobility Jan. 14, 2020