South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and the telecommunications company KT have partnered to inform citizens via text message when their passports approach expiration, the company said Monday. An employee introduces a new service in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry to inform citizens six months in advance of their passports’ expiration dates. (KT)Under the service, which will be launched next Monday, citizens whose passports are due to expire within six months will receive alerts in advance to al

Industry Oct. 8, 2018

EBay Korea, which operates South Korea’s leading online retailers G-market, Auction and G9, has delivered specially designed vests for firefighters in North Jeolla Province, the firm said Monday.  A firefighter holds a special vest delivered by eBay Korea. (eBay Korea)According to eBay Korea, the delivery was part of the company’s “Here Hero” corporate outreach campaign that began last year to provide products needed by firefighters in regions with low fiscal independence. Up to 1 billion won ($

Industry Oct. 8, 2018

South Korea’s leading energy and petrochemical company SK Innovation said it has seen a rise in institutional and foreign buying, on the back of a shift in its profit model and business structure.Institutional investors remained net purchasers from Sept. 3 to Oct. 2, except for two trading days, trading some 689,663 units of stocks during the period, according to the firm. (SK Innovation)The percentage of foreign buying also recovered to the 40 percent range on Oct. 2. As of Oct. 7, the amount p

Industry Oct. 7, 2018

For the past couple of decades, the South Korean government has made efforts to promote Korean food or Hansik around the globe, with kimchi, bulgogi and bibimbap appealing to a growing number of non-Koreans. The globalization efforts kicked off in 2009 under the former Lee Myung-bak government as a project led by then-first lady Kim Yoon-ok. Although the government has spent over millions of won to promote the country’s cuisine, people in the US and Europe became interested in Korean food only r

Industry Oct. 4, 2018

For beauty-trend followers around the world, “glass skin” has become a buzzword in recent years, as Korean skin care and makeup trends took social media by storm.Glass skin, a term used to describe crystal-clear, flawless, almost transparent skin has been a sought-after beauty ideal in Korea and fans of Korean tyle trends.Korean makeup is having its moment in the sun. What began as a skin care sheet mask has now expanded into a 10 step Korean beauty regimen, commonly known as the “glass skin rou

Industry Oct. 4, 2018

South Korea’s leading cigarette maker KT&G said Monday it will open Lil Minimalium on Wednesday, a flagship store dedicated to its heat-not-burn cigarette Lil. Located near subway Line No. 9 Sinnonhyeon Station in the bustling Gangnam district, the store will operate as a place for customers to not only experience and purchase the device, but also to try different accessories for Lil such as cases and pouches, KT&G said.  KT&G’s Lil Minimalium flagship store is dedicated to its heat-not-burn e-c

Industry Oct. 1, 2018

Dongwon F&B, Dongwon Group’s food division, said Monday that it has launched pet food for dogs, in a first for the company. According to the company, Nutriplan pet food for dogs comes in two varieties: one features tuna and ginseng powder and the other contains tuna and krill shrimp.  (Dongwon F&B)Both products contain tuna, the main product of Dongwon F&B, which is a good source of protein and omega-3 for dogs, the company said. All the ingredients, including ginseng powder and krill, were made

Industry Oct. 1, 2018

Olive Young, CJ Group’s health and beauty drugstore brand, said Monday that its flagship store in Gangnam has attracted 5 million visitors since it opened last year.Its Gangnam store opened in September 2017 at a four-story building located near subway Line No. 2 Gangnam Station. Its third-quarter sales this year increased by 39 percent on-year, the company said, posting the second greatest sales among its stores.  Olive Young Gangnam store (Olive Young)While the Olive Young Myeong-dong store re

Industry Oct. 1, 2018

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific opened total beauty solution store Aritaum Live Gangnam on Friday.  Aritaum Live Gangnam (Amorepacific)Located near subway Line No. 2’s Gangnam Station, the company said the store will attract customers with a variety of premium brands including Laneige, Iope, Mammonde and Hanyul and daily beauty brands such as Happy Bath and Plesia, and discover differentiated beauty experience events. Customers can also find non-Amorepacific cosmetics brand products, a

Industry Sept. 28, 2018

Retail giant Shinsegae Group’s discount chain operator E-Mart said Friday that it has signed a lease in Los Angeles and will open its premium “grocerant” store-restaurant PK Market there in the second half of 2019. Building in LA where PK Market will enter (E-Mart)According to the company, it has signed a 10-year lease for a 4,803-square-meter space occupying three floors of a six-story building at 712 South Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles. The site was originally built in 1917 as home to t

Industry Sept. 28, 2018

The South Korean government on Thursday gave the green light to the long-debated opening of duty-free shops at airport arrival areas, starting with a six month-trial at Incheon Airport.According to the Finance Ministry, the decision was made during a meeting of economy-related ministers on Thursday. The deregulation measure intends to reduce discomfort experienced by tourists and boost the competitiveness of domestic airports, it added.Since 2003, the introduction of duty-free shops in areas whe

Industry Sept. 27, 2018

South Korea’s duty-free shops run by family-controlled conglomerates such as Lotte and Shilla posted some 10 trillion won ($8.95 billion) in combined sales last year, nearly 99 percent of total sales, data showed Wednesday.  (Yonhap)According to Korea Customs Service data quoted by Rep. Park Young-sun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, sales of chaebol duty-free stores -- Lotte, Shilla, SK Walkerhill, Shinsegae, Doota, HDC Shilla and Galleria -- came to 10.6 trillion won in the last year,

Industry Sept. 26, 2018

Illnesses arising from poorly stored or cooked food frequently make headlines worldwide, despite repeated calls for higher sanitation standards.That is why designing and managing traceability systems are critical for producers of not only food but other categories of consumable products, according to Sam Kilgore, Nutrilite quality engineering manager.Sam Kilgore, Nutrilite quality engineering manager, speaks during an interview with The Korea Herald. (Amway Korea)“For dietary supplement products

Industry Sept. 26, 2018

Choi Yoon-jung, chairwoman of the Paradise Culture Foundation under the resort complex operator Paradise Group, was given Montblanc’s Arts Patronage Award on Tuesday.  From left: Montblanc Cultural Foundation Chairman Sam Bardaouil, Paradise Culture Foundation Chairwoman Choi Yoon-jung, Montblanc Korea Managing Director Eric Edder and Montblanc Cultural Foundation Chairman Till Fellrath pose during Montblanc’s Arts Patronage Award ceremony at Paradise City, Incheon, Tuesday. (Paradise City)The a

Industry Sept. 19, 2018

McDonald’s Korea said Tuesday that 200 million cars had used its drive-through service, McDrive, over the past 11 years.The first McDrive opened at Busan’s Haeundae store in 1992, becoming the first drive-through service in Korea and allowing customers to order and pick up food without leaving their cars. A McDonald’s Korea employee hands food to a McDrive user. (McDonald’s Korea)McDonald’s Korea currently operates the drive-through service at 250 stores across the nation, about 60 percent of it

Industry Sept. 18, 2018