Whiskey in South Korea is notoriously expensive. Prices may have fallen slightly over the decades, but whiskey is still considered to be pricey here. For example, the retail price of Jack Daniels Whiskey in a 750-milliliter bottle on Amazon in the US is $24.99, whereas the same whiskey is priced at 60,000 won, or around $47, on SSG.com, an e-commerce platform owned by retail giant Shinsegae Group. There could be many variables to decide the retail prices of distilled spirits. Price policies are

Industry Dec. 27, 2022

Celltrion announced Friday that it completed submission of a biologics license application for subcutaneous version of biosimilar to anti-inflammatory medicine Remicade the US drug regulator. CT-P13 SC, or Remsima SC, is Celltrion’s subcutaneous formulation of the company’s infliximab biosimilar referencing Johnson & Johnson’s rheumatoid arthritis treatment Remicade. CT-P13 SC is the world’s first SC formulation of biosimilar infliximab, which has earned sales approva

Technology Dec. 23, 2022

LegoChem Biosciences, a South Korean drug company, announced on Friday that the company signed a technology transfer agreement with US multinational biopharmaceutical company Amgen to transfer antibody-drug conjugate technology. The contract could potentially be worth 1.6 trillion won ($1.2 billion), the Korean firm stated in a public disclosure. ADC is a medicine that can deliver highly potent chemotherapy agents to kill cancer cells. Under the contract, LegoChem Biosciences will transfer an an

Technology Dec. 23, 2022

Samsung Bioepis and Chong Kun Dang are expected to launch their biosimilar versions of Lucentis, an age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, medicine sold by Novartis and Roche, according to industry sources as reported in local media on Thursday. AMD is an eye disease that can blur a patient's central vision. In terms of sales, the local market for AMD medicines is estimated to reach around 32 billion won ($25 million) as of last year, while the global market is estimated to be worth 4.4

Technology Dec. 22, 2022

Sales of over-the-counter medicines at convenience stores in South Korea have increased amid the latest resurgence of COVID-19 infections and outbreak of seasonal influenza. Since November 2012, the government has allowed convenience stores to sell several kinds of over-the-counter medicine. According to convenience store chain GS25, sales of cold medicines between Dec. 1 and 15 increased by 128.3 percent on-year. Sales of other over-the-counter medicines also went up 78.1 percent during the per

Industry Dec. 19, 2022

Top executives of South Korea’s largest businesses are embarking on a business charm offensive in a move to expand their global presence. Many executives are now expected to participate in upcoming global business events, such as the World Economic Forum and the Consumer Electronics Show next year in a move to get face-to-face contact with their industry peers. So far, only SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has confirmed his trip to the WEF in Davos, Switzerland. However, there are chances fo

Industry Dec. 18, 2022

Jungheung Group Vice Chairman Jung Won-ju has been selected as the new chairman of Korea Housing Builders Association. KHBA is one of the two largest housing associations in South Korea. The association has around 7,800 construction companies as its members. The association on Thursday held a general meeting where they elected Jung as its new leader. “I feel a great responsibility as business conditions for construction companies are becoming tougher amid recent interest hikes and real eco

People Dec. 18, 2022

Hyundai Steel on Thursday said the company has forged a new alliance to develop anti-flood measures that will protect its manufacturing facilities. On Wednesday, representatives from Hyundai Steel, Hyundai Engineering, Haejeon Industry and the Korean Society of Steel Construction signed a memorandum of understanding, according to the steelmaker. Choi Ju-tae and Park Chan-woo, senior managing directors at Hyundai Steel and Hyundai Engineering, joined the signing ceremony held in Hyundai Steel

Industry Dec. 8, 2022

The Ministry of Science and ICT on Wednesday announced its midterm plan to nurture the local biotechnology industry, aiming to pour about 400 billion won ($303 million) annually from next year into securing key technologies in the field. South Korea will “implement the country’s cutting-edge digital technologies into the bio industry to increase the overall efficiency within the industry and related research,” said Lee Jong-ho, minister of science and ICT. The minister added th

Technology Dec. 7, 2022

Coupang, the South Korean e-commerce giant, on Wednesday showcased the investments and innovations it made over the past decade at its Daegu fulfillment center, one of Asia's largest. The event was attended by US Ambassador Philip Goldberg and Korean government officials, including the deputy mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City and officials from the Science and ICT Ministry. Kang Han-seung, the representative director of Coupang, and its Chief Administrative Officer Harold Rogers also joined

Industry Dec. 7, 2022

A Seoul court on Tuesday ordered SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to pay 66.5 billion won ($50 million) in property division to Roh So-young, ending the couple’s marriage of 34 years. Chey will also have to pay 100 million won in alimony, the court added. The Seoul Family Court announced its ruling on the divorce suit that was filed by Roh in December 2019. The court dismissed a separate divorce suit filed by Chey, saying he is the person who is responsible for the divorce. The couple’

Industry Dec. 6, 2022

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that the company will collaborate with local internet giant Naver to develop next-generation semiconductor solutions for advanced artificial intelligence systems. The two companies will develop chip solutions that have greater capacity to process large-sized data, which existing computing systems have difficulties in dealing with, the firm said. The duo seeks to find new solutions that better address the bottlenecks in advancing AI systems and maximize efficiency

Technology Dec. 6, 2022

Around 8,000 people have won first prizes for South Korea’s most popular lottery Lotto 6/45 in its 20 years of history, with their combined jackpot totaling 16 trillion won ($12 billion), according to the lottery commission on Monday. According to the Korea Lottery Commission, an organization under the Finance Ministry, the number of first prize winners of the Lotto reached 7,803 as of Nov. 26 this year since its debut back in 2002. On average, 7.5 people won first prizes per draw, which i

Market Dec. 5, 2022

LG Chem, South Korea’s leading chemical firm, said Sunday that it will launch a new acrylonitrile butadiene styrene product using plant-based raw materials, with the first batch being supplied to US toy manufacturer Mattel. ABS is a rigid thermoplastic polymer that boasts higher resistance to heat and impact. LG Chem is the market leader in ABS products with an annual production capacity of 2.4 million tons. ABS products make up almost 20 percent of its overall petrochemicals business sale

Industry Dec. 4, 2022

Over one trillion won worth of financial damage has been caused by the ongoing unionized truckers' strike in the past week, affecting the cement, steel, oil and other industries, the South Korean government on Thursday. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said shipments delayed due to the walkout that started nationwide on Nov. 24 has amounted to some 1.6 trillion won ($1.23 billion). Amid concerns that transport disruptions could escalate further, the Trade Ministry is reviewing o

Industry Dec. 1, 2022