[Photo News] Brewing with solar energy

Oriental Brewery CEO Ben Verhaert (third from left) and other executive members pose for a picture to celebrate the completion of a solar power system at the company’s brewery in Gwangju, Tuesday. The company said the solar panels will help eliminate 1,709 metric tons of carbon emissions per year. With more plans to expand the solar power-based production system, the company aims to run all its production facilities on renewable energy only by 2025. (Oriental Brewery)

Aug. 29, 2023

[KH Explains] Mango bingsu prices continue to go up but why?

High-end Korean hotels have continued to raise prices this year of mango bingsu, a Korean shaved ice dessert popular in the summer, despite mango prices having stabilized. This year, Four Seasons Hotel Seoul sold its mango bingsu at 126,000 won ($94), 31.3 percent higher than last year. Shilla Seoul also raised the price of its progenitor luxury mango bingsu by 18.1 percent to 98,000 won, while Lotte Hotel increased the price by 4.5 percent to 92,000 won. The price rally drew particular attentio

Aug. 23, 2023

CJ CheilJedang launches new global campaign for Bibigo brand

South Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang said Wednesday it launched a new global marketing campaign for its Bibigo brand, dubbed “Live Delicious.” The campaign clip, featuring a TikTok-friendly dance and music, was distributed in Korea, the US, Europe, Japan, China, and Thailand via YouTube. “If the company’s past campaign for Bibigo aimed to build connections with customers by focusing on the integrity of our food products, the latest campaign focuses more on appealing to

Aug. 23, 2023

Korea’s fisheries worried about consumer fears

South Korea’s fisheries industry on Tuesday raised concerns over the business impact of Japan’s planned release of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean later this week. “Concerns are mounting among merchants here as the latest announcement will lead directly to decreases in the number of visitors to fish markets, as well as in the overall consumption of fish and seafood,” an official from the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperati

Aug. 22, 2023

Starbucks Korea opens 6th community store to support decendants of patriots, war veterans

Starbucks Korea said Friday that the company has launched its sixth community store nearby Dongnimmun Station in central Seoul, which will support descendants of Korea's national patriots. Starbucks Korea has been raising funds from its community stores by collecting 300 won ($0.22) for every product the company sells at its various community stores and delivering financial support to local communities since 2014. This sixth community store has been established near Dongnimmun Station and

Aug. 18, 2023

[From the Scene] McDonald's Korea retraces 35-year journey at special book talk

McDonald's Korea on Monday held a special book talk event in Jung-gu, Seoul, to delve into "McDonald's 35 Years of Brand Story in Korea," the two-volume series published last month for the fast food chain's 35th anniversary in Korea. During the event, author Kang Han-ki and McDonald's Korea's Senior Director of Corporate Relations Shim Nari, who spearheaded the development of the book, shed some light on the book's development. “Such a project usuall

Aug. 16, 2023

Binggrae Melona becomes hot seller overseas

Binggrae, the nation’s largest snack maker, said Wednesday that it posted record sales of 77.5 billion won ($57.9 million) in overseas markets in the first half of this year. The figure is a 27 percent jump from a year ago and has more than doubled over the past five years. Binggrae attributed the upbeat earnings to its ice cream brands, especially its bestselling fruit-flavored ice cream Melona. Of the total earnings, 60.1 percent, or 46.6 billion won, came from ice cream sales. Melona al

Aug. 16, 2023

[Photo News] New Narangd Cider

Employees of Dong-A Otsuka, the nation’s leading beverage maker, celebrate the launch of White Kombucha-flavored Narangd Cider at the company’s headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. Following pineapple and green apple, the new sweet and sour flavor is the latest addition to the company’s zero-calorie, zero-sugar carbonated beverage brand. (Dong-A Otsuka)

Aug. 13, 2023

Chinese group tourists lift hopes for Korean fashion, pharma firms

South Korean pharmaceutical firms and fashion brands are hoping that the Chinese government's recent decision to allow large groups to travel to Korea would bring a medical tourism boom and K-pop-inspired fashion windfall. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism said Thursday restrictions regarding group travel to Korea would be lifted for the first time since 2016, following its decision to abandon its “zero COVID” policy in January. According to Korea Tourism Organization

Aug. 11, 2023

Coupang on smooth ride for first profitable year

South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang posted record second-quarter earnings amid the thriving performance of its new business initiatives -- extending its dominant run for four consecutive quarters since turning a profit for the first time in 2022. During its earnings call Wednesday, the New York-listed company said it posted record quarterly sales for the April-June period at $5.8 billion, for on-year growth of 16 percent. Operating profits were tallied at $147.6 million, showing a 42 percent

Aug. 9, 2023

[Photo News] Waiting for samgyetang

People wait in a line to enter a restaurant for samgyetang, or South Korean ginseng chicken soup, in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, Wednesday, a day ahead of malbok. Malbok in Korea refers to the last of the three hottest days of the year, following chobok and jungbok, and is celebrated by eating samgyetang. Amid an increase in production costs such as the price of feed , the retail price of chicken per kilogram stood at 6,151 won ($4.61) as of Tuesday, showing an on-year increase of 8.1 percent from

Aug. 9, 2023

Abnormal weather sends fruit prices soaring

The prices of apples and pears are expected to rise due to decreased fruit yields caused by poor weather conditions, according to data released by government-funded research organization Korea Rural Economic Institute on Wednesday. The projection for the agricultural sector for August raises concerns because the two fruits are typically in high demand in September, as they are the most popular choices for gift sets for the upcoming Chuseok, or Korean Thanksgiving, holiday. The major national har

Aug. 9, 2023

[Contribution] Enjoy a safe, exciting summer at Korea’s beautiful beaches

By Cho Seung-hwan, minister of oceans and fisheries As summer arrives, the blazing sun glazes up the asphalt and the summer heat intensifies. Indeed, the season to embark on a well-deserved summer vacation has arrived. And yet, we inevitably mull over the specifics of somewhat vague but long-awaited vacations around this time of the year. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel priorities have shifted, focusing more on nature, outdoor activities, healing, relaxation and unique experiences.

Aug. 8, 2023

Food Ministry aims to double kimchi exports to $300m by 2027

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs set a goal to double the exports of kimchi to $300 million by 2027 via a comprehensive plan to bolster the nation's kimchi industry, the ministry announced Monday. The Food Ministry unveiled its five-year plan for 2023 to 2027 for the promotion of the domestic kimchi industry. The plan comes as the Kimchi Industry Promotion Act, which mandates the announcement of the nation's general plan to invigorate the indigenous kimchi industry e

Aug. 7, 2023

[Contribution] Koreans, be proud of your beers

By Ben Verhaert Oriental Brewery CEO Now is the best season for enjoying a refreshing beer, and Aug. 4 is International Beer Day and I would like to speak for beers today, especially for Korean beers. As one of the oldest human-produced drinks, the beer has many charm factors which have allowed humankind to enjoy it for so long as 8,000 years. First of all, beer is inclusive. Men and women across geographies and socioeconomic groups enjoy having a beer with friends. Beer has always been a great

Aug. 4, 2023

GS Retail posits GS25 as top convenience store in south Vietnam

GS Retail, the operator of Korea’s convenience store franchise GS25, holds the largest number of stores in the southern regions of Vietnam among its five foreign peers, the company said Thursday. According to self-reported data as of last month, a total of 211 GS25 outlets are spread across these regions, edging out the number of stores operated by foreign competitors such as Circle K and Family Mart in the same areas. The southern regions encompass Ho Chi Minh City and its surrounding p

Aug. 3, 2023

CJ divests Chinese subsidiary in bid to ramp up K-food push

South Korean food giant CJ CheilJedang said Monday it sold its entire stake in Jixiangju Food, one of its biggest Chinese subsidiaries that sold Chinese food in China, in a bid to focus on its global strategy to primarily sell Korean food products, centering on its Bibigo brand. According to CJ CheilJedang, the company sold its 60 percent stake in Jixiangju Food for 300 billion won ($235 million) to multiple Chinese institutional investors and the second-largest stakeholder of Jixiangju Food, wh

July 31, 2023

Milk companies mull price hikes

Korean milk companies said Friday they are reviewing plans to increase the prices of their products, following the Korea Dairy Committee's recent decision to raise the price of raw milk by the largest rate in ten years. "We are going over plans to raise the price of our fresh milk products, as the price of raw milk outweighs all other factors that help determine the price of the end product, including pasteurization, labor and distribution costs and such," said an official from a

July 28, 2023

Starbucks, Blackpink collaboration to hit 9 Asian countries

Starbucks is collaborating with the world's biggest girl group Blackpink this summer. Starbucks Korea on Thursday announced that the brand has teamed up with Blackpink to release limited edition merchandise, beverage and food items this summer. The latest collaboration project will be launched in the Asia-Pacific region, with the drinks and merchandise items available in nine regions in Asia, including South Korea and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, bakery menu items will only be sold in South Korea.

July 20, 2023

[Photo News] Jumbo size at Starbucks

A Starbucks employee hands a customer a Trenta-sized drink, with nearly a liter of beverage, at a Starbucks outlet in Seoul, Wednesday. Starbucks Korea said it will start sales of the jumbo-sized beverages on its popular summer menu from Thursday. The promotion, initiated in the Asian market for the first time in commemoration of Starbucks Korea's 24th anniversary, will be for takeout drinks only, through Sept. 30.

July 19, 2023