Starbucks Korea delays free gift event after toxic bag debacle

Starbucks Korea is putting off its summer promotional event for 2023 in order to carry out tougher product inspection in the aftermath of the massive recall of a promotional product that contained toxic, carcinogenic chemicals last year. The seasonal promotional event, called the “e-frequency” reward program, has been taking place biannually in South Korea, offering limited-edition goods to its loyal customers since 2013. The coffee chain typically announces the launch of the summer

May 11, 2023

Coupang extends winning streak with record earnings

South Korea’s e-commerce giant Coupang said Wednesday it clocked in record quarterly earnings despite a general slowdown in the retail market, continuing its winning streak for three consecutive quarters since turning to black for the first time in 2022. In its first-quarter earnings call, the US-listed company said it logged record quarterly sales of $5.8 billion in the first three months of this year, seeing on-year growth of 13 percent. Operating profits and net income were tallied at $

May 10, 2023

[Photo News] Burger-making Hanwha heir

Kim Dong-seon, head of strategic management at Hanwha Galleria and the third son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, participates in an on-site cooking training session held at a Five Guys store in Hong Kong. Under the leadership of the Hanwha heir, Hanwha Galleria, the retail arm of the nation’s seventh-largest conglomerate, is launching the first Five Guys outlet next month in Gangnam, southern Seoul.

May 9, 2023

Amorepacific, LG H&H face contrasting outlooks for Q2

Amid the generally sluggish business results of the Korean beauty industry during the first quarter, market analysts provided contrasting second quarter expectations for leading beauty giants LG Household & Health Care and Amorepacific. While the former's prospects appear dim, the latter is expected to rebound with the company's aggressive expansion of sales of its flagship brand Sulwhasoo, said stock market observers Monday. According to financial market tracker FN Guide, LG H&

May 8, 2023

Hamburger prices jump 17% in April

Consumer prices for hamburgers rose at the fastest clip in nearly 20 years, according to Statistics Korea data released on Thursday, after major franchise companies raised their prices on the back of increasing expenses on raw materials. Hamburger prices rose 17.1 percent on-year last month, the highest jump since July 2004 when they increased by 19 percent. In Korea, the inflation rate of hamburgers has been rising fast this year. Consumer prices for hamburgers in February rose by 7.1 percent a

May 4, 2023

[Herald Interview] Fila looks to long-term growth through ESG efforts

The century-old Italian-South Korean sportswear brand Fila is vying for long-term growth by establishing global consistency in its businesses, chiefly by incorporating ESG values into its operations across the world, according to the firm's chairman. Gene Yoon, chairman of Fila Holdings & Acushnet Holdings, said during an online interview Thursday that Fila will be putting in all efforts to prepare a solid foundation for the company's long-term growth by undertaking more concrete E

May 4, 2023

Posco International unveils growth strategy for food business

Posco International said Thursday it has set a detailed growth strategy for further developing its food business and accelerating its transition into an eco-friendly comprehensive company. Posco International first entered the food business in 2015, where it rapidly grew into one of the largest food companies in Korea. Its latest plan aims even higher – becoming one of the top 10 food companies in the world. “We will tackle the challenge of becoming a major global food company by pro

May 4, 2023

[KH Explains] Global fast food franchises fail to find local buyers

Korean people love burgers, but potential buyers hesitate to snap up deals tied to global burger franchises like McDonald's due to rigorous headquarter policies that often spark conflict and hinder growth. McDonald's Korea has been struggling to find a buyer since it has been put up for sale in June last year despite double-digit growth of Korea's hamburger market in recent years. According to market research firm Euromonitor, the hamburger market here was valued at 4 trillion won ($2.9 billion)

May 3, 2023

S. Korea's consumer prices growth slows to 3.7 percent in April on falling oil prices

South Korea's consumer prices grew at the slowest pace in more than a year in April on falling global oil prices, data showed Tuesday, in the latest signal that inflation has receded. Consumer prices, a key gauge of inflation, rose 3.7 percent last month from a year earlier, compared with a 4.2 percent on-year rise in March, according to the report from Statistics Korea. It is the first time in 14 months that the on-year inflation growth fell below 4 percent. The figure rose to over the 4 p

May 2, 2023

'Family month' of May faces inflation woes

May, also known as "family month," is when Korean consumers dine out in celebration of a string of family-oriented holidays such as Children's Day, Parent's Day and Teacher's Day. However, with the country seeing an exponential growth in consumer prices lately -- mainly those of agricultural products and livestock -- concerns are rising that dining out is increasingly becoming less affordable for most Koreans. Kim, a white-collar worker in his 20s, told The Korea Herald

May 1, 2023

[Graphic News] Jajangmyeon price soars 60 times over 5 decades

The price for a bowl of jajangmyeon, or noodles in black bean sauce, has soared more than 60 times to 6,361 won ($5) over the past five decades, according to market tracker Korea Price Information. A bowl of jajangmyeon was 100 won in 1970 when the KPI began its first survey, but it had risen to around 2,500 won in 2000. Over the last five years alone, the price has jumped 26.9 percent largely due to growing ingredient prices. The prices of flour, cooking oil, onions and cucumbers used in jajang

May 1, 2023

Hanmac gets global recognition

Top brewer Oriental Brewery's Hanmac, a rice-based lager beer, has returned with an upgraded design and fresh quality. Hanmac was launched in 2021 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the nation’s beer history as part of the brewer's ambitious project to become “Korea’s most representative lager." The new version of Hanmac boasts a new, softer mouthfeel and a head with a longer-lasting taste by using a four-step microfiltration process. In addition, the company

April 30, 2023

HD Hyundai CEO honors family of Korean War veteran

HD Hyundai CEO Chung Ki-sun recently visited several US subsidiaries to personally meet with and extend gratitude towards employees whose family members are Korean War veterans, according to the shipbuilding giant Sunday. As a member of an economic delegation accompanying President Yoon Suk Yeol on his state visit to the US, Chung visited HD Hyundai’s local operations in Alabama and Georgia. In particular, he met with six employees working at a HD Hyundai power transformer plant in Alabama

April 30, 2023

[Photo News] Bringing Korean chicken to India

Genesis BBQ Group Chairman Yoon Hong-geun (right) and Rajendra Jagdale, the director general of Science and Technology Park in India, pose after their meeting in Seoul last Wednesday. The two discussed ways for the Korean chicken franchise to enter the Indian market and share its business know-how with local partners.

April 30, 2023

[Weekender] Korea in midst of golf wear craze

Kim Min-young, a white-collar office worker in her 30s, said that in light of the start of golf season -- which customarily runs from April to September -- she recently spent some 700,000 won ($523) on clothes from the newly released spring and summer collection launched by her favorite golf wear brand. "When my friends and I go to golf courses for a game, there's definitely that tension of scanning who is using what and who is wearing what -- and what brands the products are from,&q

April 29, 2023

Gucci to hold fashion show at Seoul royal palace next month

Italian luxury brand Gucci will hold a fashion show at a royal palace in Seoul next month, about six months after the event was canceled due to the Itaewon crowd crush, the company said Friday. Gucci plans to showcase its 2024 cruise collection in front of Geunjeongjeon, the main hall of Gyeongbok Palace, in central Seoul on May 16. Geunjeongjeon was used to host major royal ceremonies and receive foreign envoys during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Gucci's CEO Marco Bizzarri said in a sta

April 28, 2023

Coupang couriers launch labor union, claiming decline in working conditions

Delivery workers of e-commerce giant Coupang's subcontractors have set up a labor union, calling for better working conditions amid the company’s rapid growth in recent years. According to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the major umbrella confederations of unions here, the new labor union held a launching ceremony at the company’s logistics center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday. This labor union primarily includes delivery workers at subcontracted comp

April 24, 2023

Colombian avocados found to have excessive level of pesticides

More than 200 times the amount of pesticides permitted on avocados had been detected in those shipped from Colombia to South Korea, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. In 22,080 kilograms of Colombian avocados imported by a Korean agricultural product trade platform operator Tridge, 2.03 milligrams per kilogram of thiabendazole had been detected. This is much higher than the standard of 0.01 milligram per kilogram set by the Korean regulator. Thiabendazole, a fungicide and pestici

April 21, 2023

[K-Food] Harim at forefront of exporting Korean superfood samgyetang

This article is the seventh installment in a series of interviews with global business chiefs of South Korean food companies that are expanding aggressively in overseas markets. -- Ed. Amid the rising demand for healthy foods, South Korea has increasingly exported its traditional superfood samgyetang, or ginseng chicken soup, to overseas markets in recent years. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp., exports of samgyetang have jumped by 64 percent from $11 million in 2017 to

April 20, 2023

Genesis BBQ opens new restaurant in California

South Korean fried chicken franchise Genesis BBQ said Wednesday it recently opened a new restaurant in California in an effort to further penetrate the American market. Labeled under the franchise’s brand name “bb.q Chicken,” it is its 35th outlet in California. The restaurant is located in a bustling business center called Callens Corner in the Orange County city of Fountain Valley. With schools, hospitals, churches and other public facilities in the area, Callens Corner is a

April 19, 2023