[Best Brand] AK Golf, No. 1 online golf retailer, seeks offline expansion

AK Golf, the pioneering company that initiated online golf distribution in South Korea, has succeeded in driving golf popularization through innovative online distribution and a groundbreaking pricing system. The domestic golf equipment market used to be dominated by expensive offline stores in each region, creating a closed market. However, AK Golf revolutionized the purchasing experience by offering an innovative way for consumers who opt for rational consumption. By transforming the tradition

June 28, 2023

[Best Brand] Starbucks Korea offers camping gear in seasonal giveaway

Starbucks Korea is putting forward a 2023 summer promotional event showcasing five gift items including side tables in three color options and two types of Starbucks-themed pans and plates until July 10 at its stores nationwide. The seasonal event, called the e-Frequency reward program, has been taking place biannually in South Korea since 2013, providing limited-edition goods to Starbucks members who purchase a total of 17 drinks, including three mission drinks. This year's theme, "Su

June 28, 2023

[Best Brand] Coway raises the bar for water purifiers

South Korean home appliance maker Coway is redefining the market with its innovative design and performance of its water purifiers. Its Icon Ice Water Purifier has gained attention with its comparably small size. With a width of 24 centimeters and a side length of 47.3 centimeters, the Icon water purifier can contribute to better kitchen space utilization. Available in ice white, pink, blue, and gray, the Icon Purifier boasts its ice-making speed, with each cycle taking only about 12 minutes and

June 28, 2023

Food ministry vows to double K-food exports by 2027

The South Korean government on Wednesday unveiled a plan to drastically ramp up Korea's food exports to combat stagnancy in the domestic food market and to capitalize on the K-food boom overseas. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced a plan that aims to nearly double Korea's agricultural exports from $8.82 billion in 2021 to $15 billion by 2027. With the new plan, the Food Ministry said it will vie for a 9 percent on-year growth on average and ultimately raise t

June 28, 2023

[Best Brand] Metamix aims to provide quality supplements through innovative development

The health supplement market has been seeing increasing demand as people prioritize their immunity and well-being, especially after the global COVID-19 pandemic. Mirae Wellcare aims to cater to those needs by providing affordable and healthy products to consumers. Accordingly, its health supplement brand, Metamix, offers a variety of health-boosting supplements while simultaneously contributing to a culture of sustainability. Metamix products, such as the 10 Billion Probiotics and Lutein Eye Car

June 28, 2023

Nongshim, Samyang succumb to pressure, cut prices of products

South Korea’s top ramen maker Nongshim said Tuesday it will cut prices of its flagship ramen and snack products, after it came under government pressure to lower costs of daily food products amid prolonged inflation woes. The company said it will cut the prices of Shin Ramyun and Shrimp Crackers by 4.5 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively, starting this Saturday. Based on their retail prices, the price of Shin Ramyun will be lowered from 1,000 won ($0.77) to 950 won on average, while the

June 27, 2023

Seoul mayor promotes K-beauty in Japan

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon vowed to support South Korean beauty firms making a foray into Japan, the third-biggest market for cosmetics in the world, during his official visit to the neighbor country, the city government said Tuesday. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Business Agency, an investment agency under the city government, and eBay Japan signed a memorandum of understanding to foster the online growth of small and medium-sized Korean cosmetics companies in the Japanese b

June 27, 2023

K-beauty sees surging growth in Vietnam

Vietnam is seeing exponential growth in demands for South Korean cosmetics, marking it as a potential replacement market for Korean beauty companies suffering from their recently spluttering performances in the major market of China, according to data Monday. According to the Korea Cosmetics Association's data, Korean cosmetics exports to Vietnam from January to May this year surged 43.4 percent compared to the same period a year earlier, logging $187.5 million in exports. Korea's cosm

June 26, 2023

[Photo News] Hanwha heir celebrates 1st Five Guys store opening

Kim Dong-sun, head of strategic management at Hanwha Galleria, speaks during a press conference held at the first Five Guys restaurant to open in South Korea in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, Thursday. With the first store becoming fully operational from Monday, operator FG Korea said it aims to open at least 14 more Five Guys locations by 2028. (Yonhap)

June 22, 2023

Bodyfriend launches massage chair with body composition analyzer

South Korea’s leading massage chair maker Bodyfriend on Thursday launched a new massage chair, called Davinci, which analyzes users’ body composition and offers more customized massage options. “It has been widely accepted that massage chairs are mostly used by older generations. But the newly launched massage chair featuring bioelectrical impedance analysis is expected to appeal to younger generations,” Bodyfriend Chief Marketing Officer Song Seung-ho said during the lau

June 22, 2023

Convenience store CU makes foray into Kazakhstan

BGF Retail, the operator of South Korean convenience store chain CU, announced Tuesday that the company will expand its convenience store business into Kazakhstan. The firm plans to open the first CU store in Kazakhstan during the first half of next year and establish around 500 branches in the country in the next five years. When opened, Kazakhstan will become the first Central Asian country to have CU stores. BGF Retail says it would also be the first foreign convenience stores in Kazakhstan.

June 20, 2023

Coupang, Naver dominate Korea's e-commerce market

South Korea's no. 1 e-commerce operator, Coupang, and its local archrival, Naver Shopping, are dominating the South Korean e-commerce industry, taking up some 65 percent of the local market, according to a survey Tuesday. According to the consumer data analysis platform Opensurvey's research on 2,500 respondents aged between 20 to 59, Coupang was the most frequently used e-commerce service for Koreans, making up for 37.7 percent of responses. Naver Shopping came in second, with 27.2 pe

June 20, 2023

Ramen firms under pressure to lower prices

South Koreans ramen makers said Monday that it is currently difficult to adjust the prices of their ramen products, in response to the South Korean government's recent call for them to cut prices amid the fall in raw material costs. "Milling companies were supplied with months' worth of raw materials when their costs were high. Even if the prices of wheat and other major materials needed for making ramen have fallen recently, it is difficult to adjust the price of ramen immediatel

June 19, 2023

Fukushima water fears stoke soaring salt demand

Online transactions of salt surged by more than 800 percent in a week as Korean consumers feared the release of wastewater from the defunct Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea could affect food safety, a recent analysis by an online tracking firm showed. The amount of online transactions of salt products increased by 817 percent between June 7-13, compared to the same period a week earlier, according to online price comparison service provider Danawa. Sales of salt at offline stores als

June 18, 2023

[Photo News] Handshake for expo

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin (right) shakes hands with Egypt's Ambassador to South Korea Khaled Abdelrahman Hassan Abdelrahman during an event promoting Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo held at the Signiel Busan in the port city on Monday. During the event organized by Asia Society Korea, a private diplomatic organization established by the Lotte chief to network with embassies in Korea, Shin inspected Busan North Port, the potential expo site together with ambassadors to

June 13, 2023

1st Five Guys store to open in Gangnam on June 26

Popular US burger chain Five Guys will be operating its South Korean business starting on June 26, its Korean retailer Hanwha Galleria announced Monday. FG Korea, a subsidiary under Hanwha Galleria in charge of importing the US burger chain into the country, said it will be opening the chain's first franchise store in the area between Gangnam and Nonhyeon Stations in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. According to FG Korea, the outlet, standing on 618 square meters of land, will consist of 150 sea

June 12, 2023

[Photo News] 'Milkflation' on the way

A shopper browses in the milk section at a supermarket in Yangjae, southern Seoul, on Sunday. Dairy farmers and retailers have started talks to adjust the price of raw milk. Discussions are set to increase the base price from the current 69 won ($0.05) to 104 won per liter. According to the Korea Diary Committee, more than 300 dairy farmers have shut down their businesses in the past two years following the sharp decline in net income amid soaring raw materials costs.

June 11, 2023

[Contribution] Not just K-crops on Korean dinner tables

By Stefan Schmitz Executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust Just as the colorful mosaic of banchan dishes enhances a dinner table, Korean – and global – food security is enhanced by crop diversity. Dishes such as kimchi, bibimbap and japchae all contain crops that originated in far-away countries and speak to how we are all interconnected in what we eat. In an interconnected world facing complex challenges, few things are certain. But we must all eat – and I thi

June 11, 2023

Oriental Brewery beers win 7 Superior Taste Awards in Belgium

South Korea’s top brewer, Oriental Brewery, announced Friday that it has proven its global quality standards by winning the "Superior Taste Award" in seven categories organized by the International Taste Institute this year. OB Beer's seven brands -- Cass Fresh, Hite, Cass Light, Cass 0.0, Cass White, OB Lager, and OMG -- received a total of 13 stars, with each brand being honored with an award. Cass Fresh and Cass Light have won the award for four consecutive years, while C

June 9, 2023

Shinsegae seeks to take on Coupang with new membership

Shinsegae Group’s new paid membership program, called Shinsegae Universe, was unveiled Thursday in an apparent move to lock in customer loyalty across all its shopping platforms and renew its competition with Coupang, the nation’s No. 1 e-commerce operator. "Shinsegae Group evolved into a multi-platform (retail system) that can meet the detailed shopping demands for diverse customers across online and offline (markets)," said Kang Heui-seok, CEO of E-mart, Shinsegae Group&#

June 8, 2023