At the outset, it looks like ordinary tteok. A bite into the Korean rice cake immediately brings a surprise, as where one might expect sweet red bean paste, you find a dizzyingly sweet filling of chocolate and almonds.It is just one of many variations that Good Rice Cake Corp., a fusion rice cake shop, offers in its selection of fusion rice cakes along with traditional ones.“Ang-beo tteok” and traditional tteok from Jung-ae-mat-dam (Kim Hye-soo / The Korea Herald)A market for rice cakes with inn

Industry Feb. 24, 2019

Industrial Bank of Korea now has a record-breaking film on its movie investment list, with “Extreme Job” having drawn over 12 million moviegoers as of Sunday.IBK invested some 800 million won ($711,000) in the movie, including indirect investment of 100 million won and 700 million won directly, accounting for about 12 percent of the total production cost of 6.5 billion won, according to industry sources. (CJ Entertainment)“Extreme Job” surpassed its breakeven point of 2 million viewers four days

Industry Feb. 11, 2019

The number of newly opened health-and-beauty shops in Korea increased 7.7 percent on-year in 2018, a much slower pace than that of recent years, according to data compiled by industry insiders. The number of newly opened drugstores in Korea had surged between 30 and 40 percent yearly from 2015 to 2017. However, last year’s single-digit growth appears to indicate that the market has reached saturation, industry insiders said.  (Yonhap)The number of Lalavla stores operated by GS Retail even decrea

Industry Feb. 8, 2019

Han Sung Motors will run a residual value guarantee program for Mercedes-AMG certified secondhand vehicles, according to the company on Friday. The program launched by the largest dealer of Mercedes-Benz in South Korea makes it the first company to offer such a program, according to company officials. (Han Sung Motors)Customers who buy an AMG-certified secondhand car from Han Sung Motors can have up to 90 percent of the purchase price guaranteed upon reselling after some six months of use, and 8

Mobility Feb. 8, 2019

Four in 10 married South Koreans said they would like to receive gifts related to fashion from their spouse to relieve holiday stress, a survey showed Thursday.According to the survey conducted by an online shopping site Auction, 71 percent of some 500 respondents said they wish to give a present for their spouse who worked hard over the holiday to prepare for family gatherings and traditional rituals. (Yonhap)Fashion gifts including clothing, bags and jewelry took up 39 percent, being the most

Industry Feb. 7, 2019

Apartment transactions in Seoul sank to a six-year low in January from a year earlier, according to data from the land administration department of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The number of apartments sold in the capital city plunged to 1,857 last month, down 81.8 percent from 10,198 in January 2018 and the lowest level for the month since 2013. Real estate experts noted that with increased supplies of new houses in the midst of fortified anti-speculative regulations, the lease

Economy Feb. 7, 2019

A 47-year-old man surnamed Kim was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Thursday for attacking a convenience store clerk with a hammer. The Supreme Court confirmed the original sentence of 15 years in jail and wearing an electronic anklet for 30 years for the attempted murder.The man had attacked a 21-year-old convenience store worker on Jan. 14, 2018, near Bupyeong station in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.  (Yonhap)“As I lacked money, I was sitting outside the convenience store hesitating whether to

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2019

A 20-year-old who set her house on fire last year was apprehended Thursday. According to Gwangju Bukbu Police on Thursday, the suspect, surnamed Baek, set fire to her home on Nov. 22 after breaking up with her boyfriend.  (Gwangju Bukbu Fire Department)The suspect is believed to have started the fire by turning on the gas stove with a plastic object on it. As the fire spread, Baek escaped into the bathroom and called her boyfriend. The suspect, then 19, was rescued by firefighters, while some 10

Social Affairs Jan. 31, 2019

The Ministry of National Defense’s website made for children’s educational purposes contain inappropriate contents, according to claims Wednesday. In a local media report on Wednesday, some categories -- including the cartoons, games and comments sections -- on the site were shown to contain inappropriate contents. (The Ministry of National Defense’s website for children)Cartoons on the site included a scene showing a man swearing after being caught having an affair at work, as well as a soldier

Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2019

A murder suspect wanted in connection with a death in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, died of self-inflicted wounds Tuesday when police tried to apprehend him.According to the Hwaseong Dongtan Police station, Kwak Sang-min, 42, cut and stabbed himself multiple times in a taxi in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province, Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. (Hwaseong Dongtan Police station)Kwak was reported to the police by a taxi driver, who recognized him from a police leaflet. The officers went to the scene after getti

Social Affairs Jan. 30, 2019

Governors will have the authority to recommend the temporary closure of educational facilities, including schools and kindergartens, when emergency measures to reduce fine dust are initiated. According to the Ministry of Environment, the Special Act on Fine Dust, which passed a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, takes effect on Feb. 15. (Yonhap)Under the law, governors will be able to recommend the temporary closure of educational facilities and flexible work arrangements to business owners if the level o

Social Affairs Jan. 29, 2019

A Chinese national who wanted to go to prison turned himself in after setting a house on fire and injuring a market employee with a knife. According to Yeongdeungpo Police on Monday, the man in his 50s set fire to his sibling’s home in Daerim-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on Sunday at 6:10 p.m. The man was reportedly staying with his sibling.  (Yeongdeungpo Police)According to an official from the fire department, the blaze was put out at 6:32 p.m. and two neighbors were transferred to the hospi

Social Affairs Jan. 28, 2019

Three teenagers were apprehended in connection with 28 robberies involving 20 million won ($17,900) worth of cash, cigarettes and other items.According to the Busan Jin Police station on Monday, a 16-year-old surnamed Park and two 17-year-olds surnamed Kim and Choi were booked without detention on suspicion of special larceny and intimidation.  (Busan Jin Police station)Park is accused of stealing cash and cigarettes worth some 20 million won on 28 occasions. Most of the alleged crimes took plac

Social Affairs Jan. 28, 2019

A taxi driver who kidnapped and attacked a female passenger was detained and his case submitted to the prosecutor’s office, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Thursday. The driver in his 40s drove from Hongdae to Seonyudo Park in Seoul as the female passenger in the back seat fell sleep. The driver tied the passenger’s hands using duct tape he had brought with him for the purpose. When the victim woke up and screamed, the suspect allegedly threatened her with a knife.  (Yonhap)

Social Affairs Jan. 25, 2019

A 57-year-old patient who injured a doctor and a citizen by wielding a deadly weapon has been caught and is being investigated, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said Thursday.“The patient has been accused of swinging a lethal weapon toward a 39-year-old psychiatrist, who was pregnant, at the hospital lobby on 4:10 p.m. on Thursday,” said the police.   (Yonhap)The daily news media KBS reported that the 57-year-old suspect had been hospitalized with auditory hallucinations and insomnia since Novem

Social Affairs Jan. 25, 2019