Qatar called for investments from South Korea companies amid expanding economic ties between the nations, vowing diverse incentives that include 100 percent foreign ownership of listed firms and drastic tax cuts, at an investment forum hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Embassy of Qatar to Korea in Seoul, Wednesday. "Qatar has grown as the key pillar of the Gulf Cooperation Council economy through the means of diversifying its carbon-dependent economic structure, s

Industry June 15, 2023

In the region's first attempt to initiate a global economic diplomacy, Governor of South Gyeongsang Province Park Wan-soo will make his first overseas business trip to Spain and France in a bid to support local companies' foray into the European markets and attract investments for Korea's aerospace industries, said Gyeongsang Province's investment agency on Wednesday. The trip, which will start in Spain, will see the Korean delegation meet with the Ambassador of Spain to Kore

Industry June 14, 2023

South Korea's biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion said Tuesday it aims to have five additional biosimilars approved by the end of this year in a bid to dominate the global market worth 100 trillion won ($78.5 billion), along with its existing six products. According to Celltrion, the firm plans to obtain approval for the global licenses of five of its biosimilar products by the end of 2023 to hit the market by 2025. The company has six of its biosimilar drugs currently being sold abroad. The b

Industry June 13, 2023

Amid dwindling sales in China, South Korean beauty companies are pivoting away from the lucrative market and decamping for greener pastures in the US. Industry watchers say the strategic shift in K-beauty companies comes due to a slew of reasons -- the rising demand for K-beauty products in the US, growth in China’s own cosmetics industry and increasingly nationalist consumers in China. But they also agree China is still “too big to ditch.” Stellar growth in US Korea is one

Industry June 12, 2023

Popular US burger chain Five Guys will be operating its South Korean business starting on June 26, its Korean retailer Hanwha Galleria announced Monday. FG Korea, a subsidiary under Hanwha Galleria in charge of importing the US burger chain into the country, said it will be opening the chain's first franchise store in the area between Gangnam and Nonhyeon Stations in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul. According to FG Korea, the outlet, standing on 618 square meters of land, will consist of 150 sea

Consumer June 12, 2023

By Stefan Schmitz Executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust Just as the colorful mosaic of banchan dishes enhances a dinner table, Korean – and global – food security is enhanced by crop diversity. Dishes such as kimchi, bibimbap and japchae all contain crops that originated in far-away countries and speak to how we are all interconnected in what we eat. In an interconnected world facing complex challenges, few things are certain. But we must all eat – and I thi

Consumer June 11, 2023

Shinsegae Group’s new paid membership program, called Shinsegae Universe, was unveiled Thursday in an apparent move to lock in customer loyalty across all its shopping platforms and renew its competition with Coupang, the nation’s No. 1 e-commerce operator. "Shinsegae Group evolved into a multi-platform (retail system) that can meet the detailed shopping demands for diverse customers across online and offline (markets)," said Kang Heui-seok, CEO of E-mart, Shinsegae Group&#

Consumer June 8, 2023

South Korean cable maker LS Cable & System said Wednesday it won an order worth some 100 billion won ($76 million) to build the country's largest offshore wind farm in joint cooperation with Hanwha Corporation Engineering & Construction. According to the company, LS Cable & System has been selected as supplier of submarine communication cables for Hanwha Corp. E&C's Shinan Ui offshore wind power project. The project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2026, aims to c

Industry June 7, 2023

By Tom Heilandt Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretary The demise of Alexander the Great, valiant conqueror of Persia and Egypt and monarch of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, is not one that history books typically associate with a foodborne illness. However, a recent review suggests that it was Salmonella typhimurium enteritis that ultimately brought him down. Similarly, there is one theory that the musical genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is thought to have succumbed to trichinosis, w

Consumer June 6, 2023

Despite the recent incident during which a passenger opened the emergency exit door of an Asiana Airlines aircraft before landing, most South Koreans think an airplane's emergency exit should not be difficult to open, a survey found Tuesday. According to a survey of 21,000 respondents by online poll platform Thepol, 44.8 percent (9,500 people) of the respondents said "An airplane's emergency exit door should be able to open quickly and easily during an emergency." Meanwhile,

Mobility June 6, 2023

A large-scale construction project is underway for the establishment of an evacuation shelter in Seoul's Gangnam district amid growing interest for such facilities following the warning alarm sent out earlier in the week, according to industry sources Tuesday. According to Hyundai Engineering & Construction, a South Korean builder in charge of reconstructing Banpo Jugong apartment complex 1 in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, an extensive underground evacuation shelter is planned to be constr

Industry June 6, 2023

Lotte Group, the nation’s fifth-largest conglomerate, said Monday it has recently set up a future growth task force at its Korean and Japanese headquarters in an apparent move to accelerate the retail giant’s “One Lotte” strategy. The team, consisting of four members, aims to shape Lotte’s long-term strategy and nurture future growth drivers as well as seek business synergies with Lotte Japan. The team is also expected to function as a communication channel between

Industry June 5, 2023

The Korea Herald, South Korea’s largest English daily, on Thursday held a charity golf tournament to celebrate its 70th anniversary and renew its commitment to boosting the global potential of Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. About 250 participants, consisting of CEOs across industries, celebrities and sports stars, joined the event held at Serenity Golf Club in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. “Based on your support and affection today, The Korea Herald will ramp up efforts for Ha

Industry June 4, 2023

South Korean handbag maker JS Corp. said Friday it recently lent 100 billion won ($76 million) to its affiliate JS 747, in its effort to gain a controlling stake in Grand Hyatt Seoul, a historic five-star hotel located in central Seoul. In a regulatory filing, JS Corp. reported it decided to lend a total of 100 billion won, which amounts to 39.14 percent of the firm's total equity, to its subsidiary JS 747. JS 747 is a special purpose company, jointly established by JS Corp. and a local ass

Industry June 2, 2023

Under the searing sunlight, hundreds of customers lined up outside an In-N-Out pop-up store that exclusively opened up for just four hours in Gangnam-gu, southern Seoul, Wednesday. "People have been lining up since 1 a.m.," said a part-time worker at the In-N-Out pop-up store. "We sold out even before we opened -- all the 500 wristbands that are needed for an entry into the restaurant have been given out to the people standing in lines, before 11 a.m.," he added. In-N-Out, of

Consumer May 31, 2023