LG Hausys, a South Korean construction material supplier, has been striving to penetrate the North American market through active marketing and localization, with the aim of becoming the top acrylic scagliola maker in the United States. Attendees of the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Orlando look at LG Hausys’ acrylic scagliola and engineered stone products. LG HausysAs part of its efforts, the company participated in one of the largest local exhibitions, The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, which

Industry Jan. 10, 2018

Starbucks Korea’s “2018 lucky bags” are set to go on sale Thursday, offering a random selection of goodies and special edition items.  Starbucks Korea’s 2018 lucky bags. Starbucks KoreaThis year, the coffee chain will release 14,000 bags containing six items, such as tumblers, water bottles, mugs, muddlers, coasters and three free beverage coupons, at 1,000 stores nationwide. There will also be two new special edition items: a color-changing tumbler and Yunnori, a Korean traditional board game.

Industry Jan. 10, 2018

Korea’s largest tobacco maker KT&G said it will increase the price of Fiit, a tobacco product exclusively designed for its heat-not-burn device Lil, from next week.  KT&GFiit, a tobacco-filled stick that works with Lil, was released at 4,300 won ($4) in November. The company said the price of Fiit will go up to 4,500 won, reflecting a recent increase in the individual consumption tax imposed on HNB products and other levies such as a health promotion fee. The company has worked to minimize the p

Industry Jan. 9, 2018

LG Household & Health Care’s royal-themed cosmetics brand Whoo achieved sales of 1.42 trillion won ($1.3 billion) last year, following its continued popularity in China and Southeast Asia.  Chinese consumers shop for LG Household & Health Care’s Whoo products at a department store in Shanghai, China. LG Household & HealthcareSince its launch in 2003, Whoo has seen 40 percent growth each year, according to the company. It posted 100 billion won in sales in 2009. Riding a wave of rapid growth, its

Industry Jan. 8, 2018

With the ascension of a tech-savvy and mobile-first generation of consumers, or “Generation Z,” retailers and brands need to prepare ways to reach and appeal to them, a recent report showed. According to the report released by Hyundai Research Institute, Generation Z, referring to those born between 1996 and 2010 and the first consumers to have grown up in the digital era, will be the most pivotal generation to the future of retail, with their lifestyles centered around the smartphone.The report

Industry Jan. 8, 2018

Sales of cosmetics for teenagers continued to rise in 2017, with 29 percent growth on-year, data from a South Korean e-commerce firm showed Friday. According to SK Planet, which operates an e-commerce platform 11st, sales of color cosmetics such as lipsticks and manicures soared by 549 percent and 233 percent, respectively. Teenagers’ makeup kits and makeup tables were also popular, with sales growing by 101 percent and 182 percent, respectively.The sales of cosmetics targeting young customers h

Industry Jan. 5, 2018

With growing popularity of home meal replacements, or ready-to-eat meals that require little preparation, South Korean food processing companies are in a race to develop better and more efficient microwavable packaging.  NongshimIndustry insiders said packaging technology will emerge as an important factor in the competitiveness of products, while busy lifestyles and easy preparation are also boosting the microwavable food market.According to global market research firm Smithers Pira, the South

Industry Jan. 4, 2018

Gwanghwamun in central Seoul was ranked first among the country’s business districts in terms of yearly sales and sales volume per person. YonhapSK Telecom’s big data analysis service Geovision analyzed 20 major business districts across the country from November 2016 to October 2017. Geovision provides an analysis of business districts by tracking statistics of location, population, sales, category of business and consumer’s consumption tendency, combined with information on a map.SK Telecom sa

Industry Jan. 3, 2018

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries has axed 30 percent of its executives as part of the struggling firm’s latest efforts to prepare for a decline in its business due to a further drop in orders. Samsung HeavyFollowing a reshuffle conducted last week, the firm now has a total of 50 board members, down from 72. It also streamlined the organization from 89 to 67 departments or teams by converging its management. In addition, the company decided to increase its capital by 1.5 trillion

Industry Jan. 3, 2018

Local biopharmaceutical company Green Cross Corp. has been rebranded as GC, the company said Tuesday. GC stands for the English initials of the company’s original name Green Cross, but it also represents the company’s motto of “Great Commitment, Great Challenge, Great Company,” the firm said. GCThe company’s new name and logo will apply to all of its subsidiary and affiliated companies, as well as the holding company Green Cross Holdings. “Rebranding the business is intended to reaffirm the comp

Industry Jan. 2, 2018

AIA Korea, local subsidiary of Asia’s largest life insurance AIA Group, officially inaugurated as a Korean corporation, the company said Tuesday. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of its launch, AIA Korea said its transition into a corporation will increase the company’s financial transparency and strengthen competitiveness. The company first entered the domestic market in 1987 as an insurer branch.“Establishment as a Korean corporation is an important milestone for the company, which will help u

Industry Jan. 2, 2018

The father of a 5-year-old girl found dead on a hillside in North Jeolla Province admitted Monday to having assaulted his daughter, according to police.YonhapOfficials from the North Jeolla Provincial Police Agency said Ko Jun-hee’s father, 37, told the investigators that he had beaten his daughter with his hands and feet in April at his house in Wanju, North Jeolla Province. He, however, refused to elaborate why and where he hit her, police said. Ko’s girlfriend, only identified by her surname

Social Affairs Jan. 1, 2018

South Korean police on Friday began investigating a major blaze in an eight-story building in the southern city of Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, which claimed at least 29 lives.The North Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency said it is conducting a forensic examination of the scene with officials from the National Forensics Service and fire authorities. Officials from the National Forensics Service and fire authorities conduct a forensic examination of the scene of a major blaze that broke

Social Affairs Dec. 22, 2017

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that it will extend the operating hours of major bus routes from Dec. 18 to Dec. 31. Eighty-nine buses passing through 11 major high-traffic areas such as Gangnam, Seoul Station, Myeong-dong, Sinchon, Yeongdeungpo and Hongik University, will extend their hours of operation to 1 a.m. YonhapOn New Year’s Eve, 15 buses passing through Jongno will run until 2 a.m. the following day for the convenience of those attending the New Year’s bell-ringing cer

Social Affairs Dec. 20, 2017

Early investigations point to hospital-acquired infections as the possible cause of the mysterious deaths of four newborns at a local hospital in the span of just 80 minutes last week. A DNA analysis conducted by Ewha Womans University Medical Center, where the babies died on Saturday evening while being treated at the neonatal intensive care unit, found an identical type of Citrobacter freundii in three of the four victims. The hospital suspected contamination of injection tools or IV fluid. 　M

Social Affairs Dec. 20, 2017