Samdasoo, a mineral water brand that hails from Jejudo, has been the undisputed No. 1 in Korea’s bottled water market for almost 20 years. It rides on the reputation of South Korea’s biggest island, which over the years has transformed into a resort area attracting more than 16 million tourists each year. Its pristine environment and scenic views has also turned it into a destination where throngs of tired urbanites relocate in search of peace. As Jejudo’s popularity grew,

Industry Oct. 16, 2016

Smartphone accessory manufacturer LG Innotek has unveiled a 15-watt wireless charging pad for commercial use, the company said Wednesday. The 15-watt wireless charging transmitter pad can charge a completely depleted battery to the level of 50 percent within 30 minutes, as fast as a wired one, according to the company. It is also three times faster than most wireless charging modules in the market with 5-watt charging capability. An employee of LG Innotek displays the firm’s 15-watt wireless cha

Companies Oct. 12, 2016

For more than 40 years, humanity’s demands have exceeded what our planet can regenerate. This year, people are using natural resources equivalent to 1.6 times that found on Earth. And for Koreans, the amount is 3.3 times that found on the planet. This is according to the ecological balance sheet, known as the Global Ecological Footprint Report, released by the World Wild Fund for Nature, Korea (WWF-Korea) and the Global Footprint Network.  The report shows that there is a signific

Oct. 10, 2016

Rep. Moon Jae-in, a former leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea and presidential aspirant, called on the government Sunday to temporarily suspend ongoing procedures to deploy a US anti-missile system to the Korean Peninsula, demanding diplomatic efforts resume to denuclearize North Korea. In his Facebook post, Moon also pointed out that the agreement between Seoul and Washington to deploy a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to the peninsula by end-2017 needs parli

Politics Oct. 9, 2016

South Korean Jang Ha-na earned her third LPGA victory of the season in Taiwan on Sunday, holding off a charging rival from China in the rainy final round. Jang captured the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship at 17-under 271 to beat Feng Shanshan of China by one stroke.Jang Ha-na of South Korea reacts after winning the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship in New Taipei city, Taiwan, 09 October 2016. (Yonhap/EPA) Jang shot a final round of 71 at par-72 Miramar Golf Country Club in Taipei with three birdies

Golf Oct. 9, 2016

 The standoff over the Busan film festival's "artistic freedom" may appear to have ended with the opening of this year's festival but what lies beneath is film groups' fiercer fight for the freedom, film critics and directors said Sunday. The 21st edition of the festival kicked off in Busan on Thursday featuring 299 films from 69 countries around the world, a scale that is not conspicuously smaller than past events. It, however, became a lackluster festival without the presence of stellar Korean

Performance Oct. 9, 2016

Walking up to the second floor of one of the biggest branches of a leading health and cosmetics chain, Olive Young, what catches your eye is the hair products section. The size of the section -- with products ranging from dozens of shampoo brands to anti-aging hair products and small gadgets like hair irons -- reflects the importance of hair products in the beauty industry. Hair care products accounted for more than 13 percent of the total production by Korean cosmetics companies in 2015, to

Industry Oct. 7, 2016

South Korean companies lag behind their Chinese counterparts in industries identified as new growth engines for the economy, a study found Thursday. The Korean Economic Research Institute, a private think tank, identified the top 100 global companies in each of the three main industries, including health care, software and sensor networks, which have been defined as future engines for economic growth. The main industries were divided into nine subcategories. It said South Korean companies in

Industry Oct. 6, 2016

Consumer prices in South Korea climbed 1.2 percent on-year last month, marking the biggest jump in seven months after remaining stagnant or declining amid growing deflation concerns, data from Statistics Korea showed Wednesday.　The on-month increase of 0.6 percent in overall consumer price level was the highest since January 2013. The upward change in consumer prices was backed by soaring prices for agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits and fish, which saw an average increase of 15.4

Oct. 5, 2016

On Monday, a government employee surnamed Kang working at a ministry in the center of Seoul met a college friend for lunch. At the end of lunch, Kang and her friend, a journalist, stood in front of the cashier, each holding a credit card to pay for their portion of the meal. There was no tug-of-war over the bill, which is -- or was -- considered proper etiquette in Korea.  Behind the change was the implementation of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Law which went into force Sept. 28.

Industry Oct. 4, 2016

South Korea’s industrial output in August shrank for the first time in four months, dragged down by a double-digit drop in production of automobiles due mainly to an ongoing labor strike, government data showed Friday. Auto production declined 17.7 percent month-on-month and 12.1 percent year-on-year, according to data from Statistics Korea. 　 Drawn-out labor strife at Hyundai Motor, the nation’s biggest carmaker, and other carmakers is estimated to have reduced monthly output by

Industry Sept. 30, 2016

Strikes by railway and subway workers as well as Hyundai Motor workers are taking a further toll on the nation‘s economy, already suffering from continued low growth in the wake of weak consumption and exports.As the strikes have continued for several days, damage has begun to snowball due to the partial paralysis of car production and logistics networks, industry watchers said Thursday.Financial damages from the strikes by unionized workers of Hyundai Motor, the country’s biggest carmaker, have

Sept. 29, 2016

A group of foreign multinationals convened Wednesday to seek ways to enhance corporate social responsibility in South Korea that has been facing growing public disappointment over a series of corporate scandals involving foreign companies here.“A slew of big sandals happened simultaneously and foreign companies are concerned with the animosity toward them,” Jeffrey Kim, head of the Foreign Investment Ombudsman said. “However, there are more than 17,000 foreign companies here contributing 20 perc

Industry Sept. 28, 2016

Hyundai Glovis Co, a South Korean logistics company, has launched an education program for children, the company said Tuesday.Starting Tuesday, the logistics company will visit 120 elementary schools around the country to carry out a safety-themed puppet show, the company said. This will help teach kids the importance of safety in case of disasters and is part of the company’s larger corporate social responsibility program called “Safety Empathy.” Officials at Hyundai Glovis distribute anti-drow

Industry Sept. 27, 2016