Office space in South Korea’s tallest building, the Lotte World Tower, has been fully leased for the first time since it opened four years ago. Lotte Property and Development, the property developing arm of Lotte Group, said Wednesday that office space reached 100 percent occupancy at Lotte World Tower. Woowa Brothers, the operator of food delivery app Baedal Minjok, moved into the building in July, filling up the last vacancy. In total, 17 companies have nested in the “Prime Off

Industry Aug. 11, 2021

Confectionary maker Samyang Foods is revamping its flagship instant noodle product Samyang Ramen to celebrate the firm’s 60th anniversary. According to the company Wednesday, various recipe changes were made to Samyang’s signature ramen to enhance flavor and texture. It increased vegetable contents by 30 percent in the seasoning powder, added beef flakes to enhance the product’s signature flavor, as well as renewed the dried noodles for a chewier texture. The spicier versio

Consumer Aug. 11, 2021

LX International, formerly LG International, said Tuesday that its official homepage was among the winners of this year’s Red Dot Award in the brand and communication design category. The trading arm of LX Group said it had been recognized for the excellent user experience on its corporate homepage, which seeks to embody three concepts: trendy, interactive and innovative. The company conducted a survey of businesses partners, shareholders and job seekers before coming up with its user

Industry Aug. 10, 2021

Shinsegae Department Store will open a second branch in Daejeon on Aug. 27.  At 284,224 square meters, it is to be the brand’s third-largest store in South Korea. The new location, called Shinsegae Art & Science, will consist of a department store and the 193-story Shinsegae Expo Tower, furnished with an aquarium, science exhibition spaces, a multiplex cinema and an indoor sports theme park. The tower will also feature a five-star hotel called “Onoma.” It is to be

Consumer Aug. 10, 2021

Labor and management at Samsung Electronics are to sign a collective agreement Thursday, the first in the company’s history. The IT firm officially abandoned its controversial “no union” policy in 2019. According to the two sides, representatives of management and labor agreed on a 95-clause pact dealing with compensation for occupational injuries, human resources management and the protection of union activities. A signing event will take place Thursday, with the location y

Technology Aug. 8, 2021

It was Kim Hwang-su’s father who built Dongnam Construction Chemical from scratch and grew it into a leader in the local concrete admixture market. Now, the second-generation chief, 38, aims to take on the conservative industry with technological innovations. “I think my father had faith in the local constructions market,” said Kim, who took over as CEO in 2018, as he recalled memories of his father. “He believed there would come a time when our country also starts bui

Industry Aug. 8, 2021

Vaccinations for people aged 17 to 49 will start Monday, as South Korea struggles to clamp down a fourth wave of the coronavirus. The upcoming vaccine roll out will be crucial in the country’s plan to reach herd immunity by November, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said, as it covers over 16 million people considered the most socially active among all age groups. Eligible are those born after Jan. 1, 1972, and before Dec. 31, 2003, a group that includes some 17-year-old

Technology Aug. 8, 2021

Two Neo QLED TVs from Samsung Electronics were carbon footprint certified by the Carbon Trust, a UK-based global climate change consultancy, the company announced Tuesday. The models -- the 75-inch Neo QLED 8K and 65-inch Neo QLED 4K -- are the first TV products with resolutions higher than 4K to receive recognition from the British organization. The Carbon Trust certificate is awarded to products that reduce carbon footprint over the product’s entire life cycle.  Samsung said it

Technology Aug. 3, 2021

South Korea’s top tobacco maker KT&G is expanding its social outreach to Indonesia, offering vocational training and programs on Korean culture and language in the Southeast Asian country. The company said Monday that it’s accepting applications to join the second round of job training at KT&G’s vocational training center at the Universitas Kristen Cipta Wacana in Malang city. Since opening its first session in March, the center offers a three-month professional se

Industry Aug. 2, 2021

  Kim Seon-young has never owned anything by Hermes or Dior. But, instead of bags or shoes, she has eaten food and drunk beverages from the luxury brands. Her first taste of luxury was at the Hermes cafe, which she found through Instagram. She then went to the Cafe Dior in February and had a scoop of ice cream and drank iced coffee with her boyfriend. Kim paid 70,000 won ($60) at Cafe Dior, but said it was definitely worth the price. “I wanted to experience something special a

Consumer Aug. 2, 2021

Kia Corp. on Monday released its first all-electric sedan EV6 in the domestic market ahead of its global launch set for later this year. The model has logged 30,000 preorders since March, 21,016 of which were on the first day of the offer. It was the South Korean automaker’s best-ever presale record. EV6, built on the company’s new EV platform E-GMP, has also seen strong demand in Europe, where it will be released later this year, and the US is set for a 2022 release, the company

Mobility Aug. 2, 2021

French tire maker Michelin appointed Jerome Vincon as the new head of its South Korean unit, the company announced Thursday. Starting from Aug. 1, Jerome will replace former Managing Director of Michelin Korea Lee Ju-heang who will be moving to the firm’s Asia Pacific Office. Vincon joined the Michelin Group in 2003 and worked with car manufacturers at the firm’s APAC headquarters, serving divisions in sales, marketing and business operations. He was also appointed as marketin

Industry July 29, 2021

iPhones could be made available for purchase at LG Best Shops across South Korea as early as next month, after LG Electronics cleared a key hurdle – opposition from small phone distributors. The Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership, a private consensus-based body promoting shared growth between big and small businesses, said Wednesday that LG Electronics has reached a new agreement with the Korea Mobile Distribution Association, representing the phone distributors, regarding its i

Technology July 28, 2021

South Korea’s archery team won three golds at the Tokyo Olympic games. It’s an astonishing result of the blood, sweat and tears of the athletes but also a huge feat for Hyundai Motor Group which has been supporting the team with state of the art technologies. The conglomerate said Tuesday it has applied five fields of technology -- including artificial intelligence, biometric information, big data and 3D printing -- to enhance accuracy and provide customized strategies for the nat

Industry July 27, 2021

Hydrogen fuel-cell trucks from Hyundai Motor will hit the roads in California by 2023, said the South Korean automaker Tuesday, after it won a bid to provide clean-fuel vehicles for two clean-air projects in California. This will be Hyundai’s largest deployment of hydrogen vehicles in the United States. A consortium led by Hyundai and California’s Center for Transport and Environment, a government organization that promotes eco-friendly transportation projects, will roll out 30

Mobility July 27, 2021