Upon receiving an affogato order, the three-jointed arm of barista robot Porty readies the portafilter and locks it into the coffee grinder. After extracting a fresh shot from the espresso machine, Porty pours it over a cup of ice cream, prepared by fellow robot, Mixie. When there are no visitors, the duo reportedly spend their time dancing to the cafe's background music. Mixie and Porty are the only servers at Better Than Yours, a fully automated cafe in Seongsu, eastern Seoul. Together,

Industry Oct. 25, 2024

Daewoo Engineering & Construction Chairman Jung Won-ju met with former Indonesian President Joko Widodo to explore new business ventures in the country, the company said Tuesday. The meeting took place at the presidential palace, Istana Merdeka, in Jakarta on Friday -- the last day of Widodo's term. During the meeting, Jung expressed appreciation for Widodo’s presidency which has enabled Indonesia to achieve steady economic growth through development policies related to social i

Companies Oct. 22, 2024

Hanjin Logistics, an affiliate of South Korean airline-to-logistics conglomerate Hanjin Group, said Monday that it is strengthening its logistics business in Eurasia, with a particular focus on Uzbekistan. According to the company, Hanjin Logistics CEO Noh Sam-sug and President and Chief Marketing Officer Emily Cho visited Uzbekistan from Oct. 13 to Tuesday as part of their overseas management initiative. This time, the visit aimed to assess logistics conditions and strengthen relationships with

Companies Oct. 21, 2024

South Korean builder Daewoo Engineering & Construction has been selected as the winning bidder for a mineral fertilizer plant project in Turkmenistan, valued at approximately 1 trillion won ($730 million), according to the company Monday. The project involves the construction of a mineral fertilizer plant in Turkmenabat, 450 kilometers east of the capital Ashgabat. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 350,000 tons of phosphate fertilizer and 100,000 tons of ammonium sulfate,

Companies Oct. 21, 2024

On the second floor of a modest building in Seoul’s Songpa-gu, a hidden gem of a Chinese restaurant awaits: Jokwang 201. Previously known among food lovers for its bold dishes like marasyanggwo, maratang and soy sauce-braised pork belly, also known as dongpayuk, the restaurant has recently attracted broader attention after its owner, Jo Kwang-ho, appeared on Netflix’s "Culinary Class Wars" as a chef on the black team, referred to in Korea as "the black spoons." Th

weekender Oct. 19, 2024

Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi on Monday, seeking government support for the chemical, textile and construction conglomerate’s new business ventures in Vietnam. The meeting focused on Hyosung’s ongoing investments and potential expansion into environmentally friendly and high-tech sectors, the group said Tuesday. Hyosung executives, including Vice Chairman Lee Sang-woon, and senior Vietnamese officials were also in a

Companies Oct. 15, 2024

Samsung Biologics announced Monday that it has launched S-HiCon, a new platform specializing in high-concentration formulation development, designed to meet rising demand for high-concentration biopharmaceuticals. The company officially introduced the platform at Bio Japan 2024, a biotechnology expo held from Wednesday to Friday in Yokohama, Japan. A webinar explaining the platform was also released via the company's official website Monday. S-HiCon is designed to meet increasing market dem

Companies Oct. 14, 2024

Kurly, the South Korean e-commerce company, is ramping up efforts to expand its beauty platform Beauty Kurly as a key pillar of its business alongside its flagship overnight grocery delivery service. As part of this initiative, Kurly hosted the Beauty Kurly Festa 2024, which ran from Thursday to Sunday and drew over 20,000 visitors. The event featured over 90 beauty brands, including luxury names like Lancome and Sisley, alongside mid-range brands. Attendees enjoyed promotions, raffles, product

Industry Oct. 14, 2024

South Korean writer Han Kang's books are enjoying soaring popularity across various sales channels, from bookstores and e-commerce platforms to department stores, following her Nobel Prize in literature win last week. Kyobo Book Center reported Friday that around 103,000 copies of Han’s works had sold through its online and offline stores just one day after the Nobel announcement. Competitors Yes24 and Aladin sold more than 132,000 and 70,000 of her books, respectively, over the sam

Industry Oct. 13, 2024

South Korea's forest agency announced Thursday that it has established a cooperative organization with Laos to enhance joint efforts in combating deforestation and promoting sustainable forest management. The organization, the REDD+ Cooperation Center, focuses on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. It is based on the REDD+ Act, a framework adopted in February under the UN for implementing, monitoring and managing programs aimed at conserving forests and reducing ca

Industry Oct. 10, 2024

Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, alongside executives from the group's Korean and Japanese subsidiaries, visited Ghana to support the sustainable sourcing of cacao, a key ingredient in their signature chocolate product. As part of the Sustainable Cocoa Bean Project, a joint initiative by Lotte's Korean and Japanese branches, the visit included Lee Young-gu, head of Lotte's food division; Lee Chang-yeop, CEO of Lotte Wellfood; and Genichi Tamatsuka, CEO of Lotte Holdings. Lotte

Companies Oct. 10, 2024

AliExpress Korea CEO Ray Zhang expressed the company’s commitment to enhancing product safety during a parliamentary audit, where he faced criticism from South Korean lawmakers for the platform’s failure to stop the sale of hazardous products despite previous pledges to do so. The audit, led by the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee on Monday, was convened to address growing concerns about unsafe products circulating on Chinese e-commerce platforms. These platforms,

Companies Oct. 8, 2024

A diverse range of institutions -- from medical experts and ESG-focused companies to art students and pet care providers -- engaged visitors through interactive booths at Wellness Seoul 2024, offering a blend of health, creativity and eco-friendly initiatives aimed at inspiring a higher quality of life for all. Among the most popular booths was that of the Seoul Korean Medicine Association, a community of Korean medicine doctors based in Seoul. The doctors provided on-site consultations and offe

Industry Oct. 7, 2024

Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Banpo Bridge’s fountains cascading over the Han River, Wellness Seoul 2024 concluded on Sunday evening with performances by an orchestra, popera singers and a guitarist -- all delivering a message of embracing a quality, healthy life through the appreciation of music in everyday life. The highlight of the evening event -- the namesake Wellness Seoul Concert -- was British popera singer Paul Potts, who performed pieces including “Impossible Dr

Performance Oct. 7, 2024

South Korea's forest agency said Thursday that a research project submitted by its affiliate, the Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute, aimed at addressing the climate-driven food crisis through crop wild relatives, has been selected for a part of an R&D program promoting cooperation with the European Union. Crop wild relatives, also known as CWRs, are recognized for their ability to adapt to extreme environments and their high genetic diversity, making them crucial for improving future

Industry Oct. 3, 2024