Consumption of alcohol at home has been growing amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. According to Statistics Korea earlier this week, households spent an average 19,651 won ($17.75) a month on alcoholic beverages, the highest figure since the agency began collecting relevant data. With that, the demand for better convenience in drinking has also surged, further accelerating the growth of ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages since before the pandemic. The ready-to-drink market in the US, for inst

Consumer Nov. 26, 2020

South Korean general foods company Daesang said Thursday that it is branching out into the Middle Eastern market, which serves a population of about 4 billion, with popular food products such as halal-certified kimchi and tofu. Daesang said it has teamed up with 21 stores in Qatar, including Carrefour, Lulu and Spar. In Iraq its products are being distributed through Carrefour and Majidi Mall, with plans underway to expand its presence in the region to countries including Saudi Arabia and Israe

Consumer Nov. 26, 2020

Posco International, a South Korean general trading company, celebrated the achievements of its corporate social responsibility project known as “pro bono volunteers” Thursday. The volunteer team -- made up of employees skilled in the fields of marketing, human resources and finance -- worked with social enterprises for the last six months, offering them mentoring. Some of the beneficiaries included Dodohan Collabo, a media content platform focusing on youth policy; Eunhasoo Art Mu

Industry Nov. 26, 2020

The International Air Transport Association’s regional vice president said on Wednesday that the aviation industry could see more consolidation between airlines from the same country in the wake of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines acquisition deal. “We’ve had a number of airlines who’ve tried to set up regional operations but they’ve tended to be challenged by the ownership and control rules that apply in different countries with respect to air operator certificates,

Mobility Nov. 25, 2020

The Transport Ministry and Incheon International Airport Corp. said Wednesday that IIAC has been chosen as the strategic advisory consulting partner for Poland’s new airport project known as the Solidarity Transport Hub.  With the 5.6 billion-won ($5.06 million) deal set to be signed later this year, IIAC will take on multiple responsibilities, including reviewing the master plan and writing a white paper for the development and operation of the new airport that is set to replace War

Industry Nov. 25, 2020

BAT Korea is teaming up with LS Electric to introduce solar power generation facilities at its Sacheon factory in South Gyeongsang Province, the tobacco company said Wednesday. As part of its environmental, social and governance strategy, the move will see solar power modules installed in six areas at the site, including at buildings and parking lots that occupy the space that totals 16,000 square meters. Construction work is set to begin in March next year. When completed, the factory is exp

Industry Nov. 25, 2020

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific published findings from a recent study on Wednesday showing that mask wearing can cause dry skin and redness. The researchers discovered that wearing a mask for between one and six hours can also bring significant change to skin temperature and sebum after conducting an experiment with 21 men and women. The perioral area – the area surrounding the mouth including both lips and the upper lip area under the nose – could be most affected afte

Consumer Nov. 25, 2020

South Korea’s leading tire manufacturer Hankook Tire & Technology Co. will supply tires for General Motors‘ new pickup trucks, the company said on Monday. The Dynapro MT2, Hankook Tire’s most extreme off-road all-season brand, will be supplied for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty and GMC Sierra HD, two models that share a platform. Having won the Red Dot Design Award, the tire boasts additional off-road grip due to angled V-shape shoulder scallops, according to the

Mobility Nov. 23, 2020

Home interior design platform Ohouse has raised 77 billion won ($70 million) in a new round of Series C funding from investors including technology investment firm Bond, the app’s operator, Bucketplace, said Monday. IMM Investment, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Mirae Asset Capital and Naver Corporation were among the existing investors that participated in this round, the company added. This raises the company’s total funding to 88 billion won ($80 million). Launched in 2014, th

Consumer Nov. 23, 2020

Following reports of Korean Air’s possible acquisition of Asiana Airlines, the government is set to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the deal between South Korea’s flag carriers, according to financial industry sources on Sunday. During a ministerial meeting presided over by the country’s chief of economy and industries, ways to normalize Asiana’s business are expected to be discussed, including reported plans by Hanjin Group, which owns Korean Air, to buy out its tr

Mobility Nov. 15, 2020

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific announced the appointment of Kim Seung-Hwan as its new president on Thursday, in a major post-COVID-19 shakeup following lackluster sales this year. Kim, 51, previously served multiple roles including as head of the human resources unit. He will replace Bae Dong-hyun as the group’s president from next year. The age gap between Kim and Bae has been seen as a move to bring younger blood into power as the company struggles to fend off competition b

Consumer Nov. 12, 2020

Kia Motors has overtaken Hyundai Mobis to stand as the 11th-largest company by market capitalization in South Korea on Thursday. According to the Korea Exchange, the carmaker’s market capitalization was 23.5 trillion won ($21.1 billion), up 6.61 percent from the day before when the market closed Wednesday. The recent bump in market capitalization leaves behind Hyundai Mobis as Kia Motors inches toward the ranks of the top 10 players in the country’s stock market. The last time the

Mobility Nov. 12, 2020

E-commerce platform Cafe24 will host a joint webinar with Japanese online fashion store Shoplist on how South Korean fashion businesses can branch out into Japan’s online fashion market. The event, scheduled for Nov. 18, will see Kazuya Santo, head of global business at Shoplist, touch on K-fashion trends and how businesses can strategize to succeed. Jaesuk Lee, CEO of Cafe24, promised similar events in the future and said growing interest in K-fashion continues to fuel global demand.

Consumer Nov. 12, 2020

South Korean energy producer Posco Energy said Wednesday it had begun operations of its new liquefied natural gas carrier business the same day, becoming the first private LNG terminal operator in the country to do so. An opening ceremony took place Wednesday at Gwangyang LNG Terminal in South Jeolla Province, nearly two months after the energy business arm of major steelmaker Posco received a business license from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in September. The company explained

Industry Nov. 11, 2020

US cosmetics giant Estee Lauder has apologized after unilaterally shipping a darker shade of foundation to Asian customers, but their decision to single out women in their apology is drawing yet another round of criticism. The company came under fire earlier this week after a viral online review revealed that a matte foundation product ordered online arrived in a different shade with a note explaining that Ivory Nude was the “best color for Asians” while Shell, which the customer h

Consumer Nov. 11, 2020