Fake meat, or meat analogues are becoming more familiar in the South Korea’s food scene, with fast food franchises rolling out items that use plant-based meat alternatives. It was just February last year when Lotte GRS’ burger chain Lotteria became the first fast food franchise to roll out a meat analogue option. The Miracle Burger uses a specially developed patty made of wheat and beans. Since then, more fast food franchises have added options with meat alternatives to their menu

Consumer May 16, 2021

Major conglomerates in South Korea are introducing paid leave of 1-3 days for workers who get COVID-19 vaccine shots, following the government’s recommendation. CJ Group was the latest to announce it would introduce the system, allowing its employees to take two days off work -- the day of the vaccination and the day after. Those who suffer from side effects of the vaccine can take one more day off paid, without a doctor’s note, the company said. The vaccination leave is also g

Industry May 16, 2021

After Porsche unveiled its first electrified sports car, the Taycan, in 2019, the automaker faced questions from car enthusiasts. What makes a sports car a sports car? Could a battery-powered car really ever offer the same thrilling ride as a high-performance conventional sports car? But after taking the Porsche Taycan 4S for a 350-kilometer trip in a mountainous region of Gangwon Province, this reporter was impressed. The car not only proved as capable as any sports car that runs on gasoline

Mobility May 13, 2021

Leaders of South Korea’s major conglomerates will accompany President Moon Jae-in on his trip to the United States for his first summit with US President Joe Biden, industry sources said Thursday. Unlike previous presidential visits, this one will not include an official business delegation due to safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, the government has reportedly asked select companies in the fields of semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals and batteries to join Moon, as wel

Industry May 13, 2021

The so-called “boss car” Mercedes-Benz S-Class has returned in seven years with a complete makeover, boasting what a luxury saloon can offer for a car ride. Since the launch of its previous model in 2013, the S-Class has maintained its reputation as a prestigious sedan and often the choice of business entrepreneurs for its luxurious image. The car also appeals to older drivers, not only for the high price range, but also for its classic design that has remained unchanged for sev

Mobility May 9, 2021

The Malaysian government has decided to reverse its preliminary decision to impose anti-dumping tariffs on Korean polyethylene terephthalate products, according to industry officials on Sunday. After an investigation, Malaysia’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry recently concluded that PET products imported from Korea will not damage the country’s oil and chemical industries, and decided to lift the temporary anti-dumping tariffs, according to industry sources here. Acc

Industry May 9, 2021

As competition is escalating among hydrogen automakers, Toyota Motor topped global fuel cell electric vehicle sales in the first quarter this year, beating Hyundai Motor, which had led the global FCEV market in 2020, research revealed Wednesday. According to SNE Research, global sales of FCEVs jumped 89.2 percent on-year, hitting nearly 4,000 units in the first quarter this year. Toyota, which took 15.1 percent of the FCEV market share in 2020, witnessed a surge in its FCEV sales by nearly

Mobility May 5, 2021

Zigzag, a fashion e-commerce platform that mainly targets customers in their 20s and early 30s, has recently hired Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung, who is 73 years old, as a model. In Zigzag’s advertisement revealed online, Youn asks, “There are a lot of people who are younger and prettier, but then, I got the role (for the advertisement). Did you guys make a mistake?” The hire came as a “fresh” idea, attempting to break the norm that young figures are hired as model

Consumer May 5, 2021

Namyang Dairy Products Chairman Hong Won-sik offered his resignation Tuesday, after the company came under fire for the claim that its yogurt drink Bulgaris can help protect from COVID-19. Hong, who took over the company from his father, the late founder Hong Doo-young, also said he will not hand over management rights of the company to his children. “We have received much love from the public as the oldest private dairy company. But I failed to fulfill the expectations of the consumer

Consumer May 4, 2021

Lotte Foods will replace all of its company cars used for sales activities with electric vehicles in a bid to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the company said on Monday. The South Korean food manufacturing firm will distribute about 380 units of Chevrolet’s Bolt EV for all of its sales employees, who drive over 20,000 kilometers on average per year, the company explained. Lotte Foods said it will be distributing the cars in May and June. Prior to the change, the company installed 90

Consumer May 3, 2021

Starbucks Coffee Korea is introducing a reservation system for this year’s seasonal loyalty reward program, so that customers do not have to wait in line for its limited-edition merchandise, the coffee chain said Thursday. Starbucks said it is starting the summer event May 11, where customers can collect stamps by buying Starbucks drinks and can then exchange 17 stamps for seasonal merchandise. This year’s merchandise consists of the Starbucks Summer Day Cooler and Starbucks Nig

Consumer April 29, 2021

Imported car brands including Tesla Korea, Mercedes-Benz Korea and BMW Korea will recall 13,797 vehicles to fix faulty components, the Transport Ministry said Thursday. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Tesla Korea will recall 561 units of the Model S it imported and sold here, which are installed with a flash memory device with tight capacity. It has been found that the lack of flash memory capacity can cause a malfunction in the touch-screen dashboard, rear ca

Mobility April 29, 2021

Amid growing competition over “smart” technologies in the automotive industry, Jaguar Land Rover Korea has presented its latest Range Rover Evoque equipped with the newest features to meet the expectations of tech-savvy Korean customers. The Korean unit of the British automaker rolled out the revamped model of the Range Rover Evoque, a compact sport utility vehicle, earlier this month. The new Range Rover Evoque implements Pivi Pro, which is an award-winning infotainment system

Mobility April 28, 2021

Mercedes-Benz Korea premiered the new 7th generation S-Class here on Wednesday, presenting the model’s first complete makeover in seven years. “More than 130-year-long heritage of craftsmanship and innovative technologies are the quintessence of the new S-Class,” said Thomas Klein, the president and the chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz Korea, said during the car’s local launch at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. The model was first unveiled globally in a dig

Mobility April 28, 2021

The Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) will conduct a second round of safety inspections of an extension for Subway Line 7 before it begins operations, the transportation agency said Wednesday. The extension scheme, involving the Incheon Transit Corporation and the subway line operator Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation, involves an addition of three more stations to Subway Line 7 -- Bupyeong-gu Office Station, Sangok Station and Seoknam Station. The three stations are all l

Industry April 28, 2021