Hyundai Livart starts operation of Asia’s first smart furniture plant

Hyundai Livart’s first smart furniture production plant and distribution center has begun operations, according to Hyundai Group’s furniture arm Hyundai Livart on Thursday. Located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, the 85,950-square-meter Smart Work Center hosts an automated furniture production plant and massive distribution facilities. It is the first smart furniture factory not only in Korea, but in all of Asia, the company said. The smart factory is controlled by an IT system t

Nov. 18, 2021

Samyang partners up with UAE retailer for Middle East expansion

Samyang Foods said Wednesday it had inked a partnership deal with United Arab Emirates retailer Sarya General Trading to accelerate Spicy Buldak Ramen sales in the Middle East. Under the 2.5 billion-won ($2.1 million) deal signed on Tuesday, Sarya will be Samyang’s exclusive distribution partner in the country. The two plan to increase export volume to 50 billion won by 2023, it said. UAE is the region’s biggest market for Samyang. Currently, some 71 percent of Korean instant no

Nov. 17, 2021

Chicken joints brewing beer to complete chimaek appeal

Fried chicken and beer -- known locally as “chimaek” -- is a food pair beloved by many Koreans.    In a new development in South Korean chimaek scene, major chicken brands are coming up with their own beer brands, in order to give this popular food combo a special appeal.  KFC confirmed Monday to The Korea Herald that it was preparing to launch its own craft beer.  The US fried chicken franchise has formed a partnership with independent brewery Kabrew, and

Nov. 15, 2021

[Feature] From bugs to delicacies, insect proteins find niche in pet food market

Edible insects like fly larvae, crickets, and mealworms are hailed as a healthy and more sustainable source of protein for the mankind. But not many people seem to find them appetizing enough, at least not yet, to include them in their regular diet. For dogs and cats, it’s a different story. “Our products are loved by pets as they taste nutty and also like cheese biscuits” Kim Tae-hoon, the CEO of Foody Worm, which sells insect-based pet food, told The Korea Herald. The

Nov. 15, 2021

[Weekender] Who needs staff, when there are robots and tech-savvy customers?

At this year’s annual Seoul International Cafe Show which took place earlier this month, automation and smart devices such as drip coffee-making robots enjoyed the spotlight. “From smart coffee roasters to drip coffee-making robots, there were various opportunities to get a taste of the ‘smart cafe’ experience,” one official at the event said. These are the latest sign of automation and a demographic shift in South Korea where cashier-free stores have increasingly

Nov. 14, 2021

Coupang kicks off massive sales for China’s Singles Day

South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang has launched a three-day “Singles Day Mega Sale” to celebrate China’s annual shopping bonanza. The massive sales, from Nov. 10 to 12, was inspired by the Chinese version of US’ Black Friday. During the event, Coupang plans to woo Chinese customers with daily special offers using its “Rocket Jikgu” overseas delivery service. The firm will hand out coupons for an additional 10,000 won off purchases of 60,000 won or more.

Nov. 11, 2021

Paris Baguette lands in Indonesia

SPC Group said Thursday it opened the nation’s first Paris Baguette bakery in the Ashta District 8 shopping mall of Indonesia capital Jakarta. The move comes after the South Korean food company set up a joint venture with its local partner, Erajaya Group, last month. With a population of 270 million, Indonesia is SPC’s seventh market. The 189-square-meter space is located in the city’s biggest commercial area, the Sudirman Central Business District, and boasts more than 50

Nov. 11, 2021

Retail sales in 15 provinces, cities rise in Q3

Retails sales in 15 provinces and major cities in South Korea increased in the third quarter as people increased outdoor activity amid the vaccine rollout and the economic recovery, data showed Thursday. Retail sales, a gauge of private spending, rose in nine provinces and six cities in the third quarter, except for the southeastern city of Ulsan, according to the data from Statistics Korea. "The vaccine rollout helped improve consumer sentiment, and the government's provision of emergenc

Nov. 11, 2021

Hollys Coffee CFO promoted CEO, hints at IPO

Hollys Coffee’s Chief Financial Officer Lee Jong-hyun has been named the new CEO of the coffee chain, its operator KG Hollys F&B announced Wednesday. Lee was named the brand’s CFO last year, when KG Group acquired the franchise to bring it under its food and beverages unit, which is now KG Hollys F&B. “Our goal is not to become the brand with the most stores, but a coffee franchise with a low closure rate. We will strengthen our dessert and deli menus, as well as f

Nov. 10, 2021

CU exports 10,000 dalgona to Mongolia and Malaysia

Convenience store chain CU is exporting 10,000 dalgona, the traditional Korean sugar candy from “Squid Game,” to Mongolia and Malaysia, said its operator BGF Retail. Dalgona, an old-fashioned Korean candy made using sugar and baking soda, has become an overnight sensation after the success of the Netflix show. A total of 10,000 dalgona will be shipped to Mongolia and Malaysia, 5,000 to each country, BGF said. The product will feature four different shapes -- umbrella, star, heart

Nov. 9, 2021

Starbucks to expand reusable cup program to Seoul

Starbucks Korea announced Thursday that a dozen of its locations in Seoul will get rid of single-use plastic cups as part of the chain’s ongoing efforts to reduce plastic waste. Starting Saturday, 12 Starbucks stores in Seoul will serve beverages only in mugs, tumblers or reusable cups. These include the City Hall Station, Seosomun-ro and Eulji-ro branches in the city center. Seoul is the second location where the coffee chain has decided to move away from single-use plastic cups, aft

Nov. 4, 2021

12-year-old boy injured from a metal screw found in a fried chicken wing

A boy was reportedly injured from biting into fried chicken that had a metal screw in it, sold from a local franchise. According to local media reports Wednesday, the boy, 12, had to have two teeth pulled out after a screw found inside a chicken wing became stuck in his gums.  The chicken was reportedly from a major Korean fried chicken franchise brand. Included in the media reports were a photo of the boy’s bloody gums and a doctor’s note showing the boy had two of his te

Nov. 3, 2021

Lotte commemorates 100th birthday of late founder

Lotte Group is commemorating what would have been the 100th birthday of its late founder Shin Kyuk-ho by publishing his memoirs, giving out scholarships and funding for startups, holding a concert, and opening a memorial hall in the Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul. On Monday, Lotte unveiled a bronze bust of Shin and a memorial hall displaying media and historical records of the conglomerate’s history, a replica of Shin’s office in the early days, his old shoes, reading glasses, p

Nov. 3, 2021

CJ Group vows to invest 10 trillion won with focus on culture and platforms

CJ Group said on Wednesday it would invest more than 10 trillion won over the next three years to cultivate four growth engines -- culture, platform, wellness and sustainability. In a video message addressed to employees, Chairman Lee Jay-hyun shared the mid-term business plan – the first time the leader of the conglomerate explained his vision to all employees since 2010, the group said. “With COVID-19 being unpredictable, the world is now going through a fundamental and rapid ch

Nov. 3, 2021

Instant tteokbokki selling like hotcakes

An instant tteokbokki from Dongwon F&B is on a path to break the 20 billion won ($16.9 million) mark in annual sales by the end of this year, backed by the global popularity of the spicy Korean street food. Sales of “God of Topokki” as of October surpassed 18.5 billion won, the company said. The 10-month figure is a 20 percent increase from total sales generated over all of 2020. A popular Korean snack made with rice cakes and red chili pepper, tteokbokki is often spelled diff

Nov. 3, 2021

[Feature] ‘Hoesik is back’: After-work dinners return as restaurant curfews end

As South Korea shifts gear toward “living with COVID-19,” after-work dinners, or hoesik, are among the first things to return.  After a nearly 1 1/2-year hiatus, the return of office dinners, which often involve binge drinking and are met with mixed reactions from workers, have been welcomed by the hospitality industry and small-business owners hit hard by the pandemic. At Korean barbeque restaurant Blue Roof Town in Seoul’s Mapo district, one of the more popular areas f

Nov. 2, 2021

Food maker Daesang gets new 65th anniversary logo

The South Korean food company Daesang has a new logo to mark its 65th anniversary. The new logo “reflects Daesang’s ambition to use the past 65 years as a steppingstone to leap into a global company continuing on for the next 100 years,” said Daesang Holdings CEO Choi Sung-soo. The group’s name now appears in lowercase letters that form a tree branching out into the sky. The changes signify the group’s commitment to sustainability and to the health of its custom

Nov. 1, 2021

All-out effort to revive spending as ‘living with COVID-19’ begins

As South Korea began “living with COVID-19” on Monday, lifting curfews on restaurants and cafes, major shopping events and discount coupon programs also kicked off in hopes of unleashing pent-up consumer demand. This year’s annual Korea Sale Festa, supported by the central government and 17 local governments, will involve over 2,000 companies -- the largest number since the first event in 2016, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Tech giants including Sa

Nov. 1, 2021

Largest-ever Korea Sale Festa kicks off amid pandemic

South Korea kicked off its annual nationwide shopping event Monday in the latest effort to boost private spending amid the prolonged pandemic. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said 2,053 companies will offer big bargains both online and in stores during the Korea Sale Festa -- the Korean equivalent of Black Friday -- that will run through Nov. 15. This year's run is the largest since the event was launched in 2016, according to the ministry. The central and 17 local governments also

Nov. 1, 2021

Gmarket’s largest sales event, Mega G Festival, kicks off Monday

South Korean e-commerce giant Gmarket is offering various Korean products at discount prices starting Monday, commencing its biggest sales event, the Mega G Festival. During the festival, which runs until Nov. 12, up to 70 percent discount is being offered on products ranging from cosmetics and food to K-pop merchandise.  Participating brands include cosmetics brands Amorepacific and Etude, food company CJ CheilJedang and K-pop merchandise store YG Select. Some brands are offering prod

Oct. 31, 2021