AREX offers transit pass for international arrivials online

The Airport Railroad Express Train said Sunday that it has started online sales of a transit pass for public transportation to enhance the convenience of transfers at Seoul Station for international arrivals. Previously, passengers on the train operator’s airport express train -- which runs nonstop from Incheon International Airport Terminals 1 and 2 to Seoul Station -- had to disembark, leave the platform and purchase a transit card to use buses or subway trains. The online sale initiativ

Feb. 4, 2024

SPC Chairman Hur cleared of tax evasion charges

The Seoul Central District Court on Friday acquitted Hur Young-in, chairman of South Korea's largest bakery chain, SPC Group, of charges related to gift tax evasion through undervalued share transactions. Hur was accused of selling shares of Mildawon, the family-owned grain company, at below-market rates in December 2012 to avoid gift taxes. The shares sold for 255 won each, markedly lower than their 2011 appraised value of 1,180 won and their 2008 purchase price of 3,038 won. Prosecutors c

Feb. 2, 2024

SPC Group's W64.7b antitrust fines cancelled

South Korean food and bakery giant SPC Group has been spared from a fine of 64.7 billion won ($48.6 million) as Seoul’s high court ruled in favor of the company in its lawsuit filed against the nation’s antitrust watchdog. In 2020, the Korea Fair Trade Commission imposed fines, together with a corrective order, alleging that SPC affiliates, including Paris Croissant, SPL, BR Korea, and Shany, unfairly supported SPC Samlip, the group’s only listed firm, to raise its stock price

Feb. 1, 2024

Samyang Foods posts record sales of W1tr in 2023

South Korean food manufacturer Samyang Foods said Wednesday it posted 1.19 trillion won ($893 million) in sales and 146.8 billion won in operating profit last year -- the highest figures in the company's history. According to the company, its sales and operating profit rose by 31 percent and 62 percent, respectively, while its net profit increased by 56 percent to 124.9 billion won. Samyang Foods attributed the upbeat sales to its bestselling Buldak Spicy Chicken Ramen series in overseas ma

Jan. 31, 2024

LX Pantos, EWP team up to expand solar power production

LX Pantos, the logistics arm of LX Holdings, said Tuesday that it has signed a partnership with Korea East-West Power Corp., an affiliate of the state-run Korea Electric Power Corp., to ramp up production of eco-friendly solar power as part of its efforts to cut emissions. Under the agreement, LX Pantos will provide some 18,000 square meters of roof space at its logistics center in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, to build the Kepco affiliate’s 2.5-megawatt solar power station. The energy firm

Jan. 30, 2024

Lotte Duty Free, Modetour seek to capitalize on Vietnam's tourism boom

Lotte Duty Free said Friday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with the South Korean travel agency Modetour on Thursday to strengthen joint marketing efforts toward Korean tourists to Vietnam. Under the agreement, Lotte Duty Free and Modetour will work together to develop new product packages combining duty-free shopping and tourism in Vietnam. Lotte Duty Free has been grappling with the decline of Chinese tourists to South Korea due to an economic slowdown. As an alternative, the comp

Jan. 26, 2024

Orion promotes locally-source food in Vietnam

Orion, a South Korean confectionery manufacturer, said Friday that it has teamed up with Vietnam National University of Agriculture in a bid to secure quality raw materials for its snack production in Vietnam. Orion Food Vina, the confectioner’s Vietnamese unit, and the Institute of Argo-Biology under the VNUA signed a strategic partnership agreement on Thursday in Hanoi, stipulating their cooperation in production, development, supply and quality control of seed and raw potatoes over the

Jan. 26, 2024

Kurly turns profit for first time

Kurly, the operator of e-commerce platform Market Kurly, said Tuesday that it posted a profit in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, in December last year – its first since its establishment in 2015. The company said that EBITDA for December increased by more than 10 billion won ($7.5 million) compared to the previous year. The specific amount of the earnings was not immediately disclosed due to confidentiality issues. The company stressed that the fi

Jan. 23, 2024

JungKwanJang opens first drugstore

JungKwanJang, South Korea’s leading red ginseng brand under Korea Ginseng Corp., said Monday that it has opened its first drugstore, Jung Mall Euljiro Store, in central Seoul. The new store sells not only JungKwanJang's own products, but more than 90 different products from other companies as well, the company said. JungKwanJang's physical stores previously dealt in only the company's own ginseng extract products. The products available at the Jung Mall Euljiro Store include

Jan. 22, 2024

Hanlim partners with NBBJ to support Seoul’s urban innovation

Hanlim Architectural Group, an end-to-end real estate service company from South Korea, has partnered with American architectural firm NBBJ to foster international growth and support Seoul's urban innovation initiatives. The partnership was formalized at NBBJ's Los Angeles office on Jan. 15, amid the presence of Hanlim Architectural Group Chairman Park Jin-sun, NBBJ CEO Robert Mankin, Design Leader Pascal Suh and Real Estate Strategist Rick Pauios. Representing the global design initia

Jan. 19, 2024

Posco International to supply EV parts to Hyundai Mobis

Posco International said Thursday that it will supply 1.03 million motor cores for Hyundai Motor Group electric vehicles produced in Europe. The parts are to be supplied to Hyundai Mobis’ EV factory in Slovakia from 2025 to 2034. Of the total, 550,000 units are to be sent to Hyundai Motor’s Turkey plant, while 480,000 units will go to Kia’s Slovakia plant. The company said the new deal gives a big boost to its upcoming production site in Poland. In June, Posco International est

Jan. 18, 2024

[Graphic News] Number of newly launched businesses falls

The number of newly established companies in South Korea fell for the second consecutive year in 2022 amid an economic slowdown, data showed. Some 997,000 businesses were newly established in 2022, down 3.5 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea. In 2021, the figure decreased 3.4 percent, or 35,000 firms, on-year to come to 1.02 million amid the COVID-19 pandemic. By industry, the number of newcomers in the real estate sector fell by the largest 32,000 entiti

Jan. 17, 2024

Pernod Ricard Korea promotes sustainability in bar industry

Pernod Ricard Korea, the local subsidiary of global wine and spirits company Pernod Ricard Group, said Tuesday that it held a special lecture on Monday to promote a sustainable culture in the bar industry. As part of the company's professional training program called "Bar World of Tomorrow," Pernod Ricard Korea has been conducting special lecture series since 2022, inviting influential figures in the bar industry as speakers. "In order to establish a culture of sustainability

Jan. 16, 2024

LG Chem CEO named business council member of Davos forum

LG Chem Vice Chairman and CEO Shin Hak-cheol has been named a member of the International Business Council, part of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the Korean chemicals firm said Monday. The WEF, also known as the Davos Forum, kicked off in Switzerland on Monday and goes through Friday. It brings together thousands of leaders from business, government and various other sectors. LG Chem said that WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab invited Shin to be a member of the I

Jan. 15, 2024

Coupang resumes partnership with LG H&H

South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang said Friday it will resume delivery service of LG Household & Health Care products, reinstating their partnership which has been severed for nearly five years due to a feud between the two companies. LG H&H's household brands including Elastin, Perioe and CNP, as well as its cosmetic line-ups such as O Hui and Sum 37º, will be available on Coupang's delivery service starting mid-January, the e-commerce firm said. A specific date was

Jan. 12, 2024

Shinsegae’s Better Foods secures funding from Cleveland Avenue

Better Foods, Shinsegae Food's subsidiary specializing in plant-based products, said Thursday that it has secured investment from the US venture capital investment company, Cleveland Avenue. The exact amount of the deal was not disclosed immediately. Shinsegae Food established Better Foods in the US in 2022 in a bid to strengthen its global competitiveness in plant-based products, one of the retail giant's growth drivers. Cleveland Avenue is a venture capital firm established in 2015 b

Jan. 11, 2024

P&G Korea showcases brand new diaper 'Pampers Baby-Dry Pants'

P&G Korea, the local subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, said Wednesday it has launched the newest addition to its product lineup -- Pampers Baby-Dry Pants -- a baby diaper designed to provide improved absorbency. The company said that the Pampers Baby-Dry Pants diapers stand out for superior absorption capacity, ensuring a moisture-free and comfortable wear for babies throughout the day. A key feature of the diaper product is the "Pee-Lock Technology,” which incorporates dual lea

Jan. 10, 2024

Orion, nurse team up to provide snacks to kid patients

Orion, a South Korean confectionery manufacturer, has restarted production for a snack item that was no longer on the market, out of consideration for pediatric patients craving the product. On Dec. 15, the snack company donated its snack products to the young patients at Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital in South Gyeongsang Province. Among the child patients was a 3-year-old boy who had expressed a sincere desire to eat Orion's snack products after three days of fasting in prepa

Jan. 9, 2024

Fila Holdings names first global brand president

South Korean-owned sportswear brand Fila Holdings said Monday it has named Todd Klein, head of the company’s North American subsidiary, for a new position in charge of the global marketing strategy. Appointed as the global brand president, Klein will join the board of Fila Luxembourg, the subsidiary of Fila Holdings that oversees the company’s global businesses. Klein will also continue to report to Fila Holdings and keep his previous responsibilities. Klein joined Fila in January 20

Jan. 8, 2024

LG Chem to transfer obesity drug rights to Boston-based Rhythm in $305m deal

LG Chem said Friday it has signed an agreement with Boston-based Rhythm Pharmaceuticals to transfer the development and sales rights of a new anti-obesity drug candidate named LB54640. The deal amounts to $305 million, which includes upfront payments worth $100 million and milestone payments worth $205 million for the development and commercialization of the drug. Under the agreement, LG Chem will receive royalties depending on product sales from Rhythm Pharmaceuticals each year. Rare forms of o

Jan. 5, 2024