Starbucks Korea has decided to postpone its annual marketing event following backlash from staff against overwork. The “e-frequency” reward program has taken place each winter. Customers who have collected enough stickers can redeem them for items such as diaries or free drinks. But this year’s event was pushed back by two weeks, essentially cutting the promotion period short. The move comes after Starbucks baristas and other employees mobilized two trucks to express their f

Consumer Oct. 8, 2021

The Conrad Seoul apologized Thursday amid an investigation after the five-star hotel’s buffet restaurant accidentally served detergent to a guest instead of syrup. The luxury hotel, part of Hilton’s international high-end brand Conrad Hotels & Resorts, said it “sincerely apologizes” to the customer for the “major inconvenience” and vowed to maintain health and safety rules. “We are actively cooperating with the authorities on the investigation,&rdq

Industry Oct. 7, 2021

Korean Air’s plan to acquire financially-troubled rival Asiana Airlines is facing a bumpy road as the deadline for the 1.8 trillion won ($1.6 billion) deal has been pushed to the end of this year. The takeover plan was first announced in November last year, making headlines that the two South Korean full service carriers would merge, giving birth to one of the world’s ten biggest airlines. In recent months, however, slow progress for the deal -- which was initially set to be compl

Mobility Oct. 6, 2021

South Korean total energy company GS Caltex said Tuesday it has teamed up with home furnishing retail company Ikea Korea to launch a pickup service at one of its gas stations in Seoul’s Gangnam district, with plans to expand it across the country later this year. The move will cut the delivery fees to 19,000 won. Ikea delivery fees are relatively high because of the size and weight of the furniture products it sells. The new move comes as the number of online shoppers who use

Consumer Oct. 5, 2021

South Korean entertainment mogul Lee Soo-man, who founded S.M. Entertainment, has been named in a major offshore financial data leak known as the “Pandora Papers.” Local media outlet Newstapa, which is part of a global investigation team into the files leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, reported Sunday that a “pile of evidence” has been found for paper companies set up in connection to Lee in Hong Kong. S.M. Entertainment, home to some

Industry Oct. 4, 2021

Hyundai Glovis, the logistics arm of Hyundai Group, said Monday it will launch “Ecoh,” a new environmentally friendly business brand which will focus on hydrogen distribution and recycling of electric vehicle batteries. The company also said it would expand its hydrogen distribution and infrastructure operations to nine hydrogen shipping centers by 2030 and supply hydrogen to a total of more than 360 charging stations nationwide. The move comes as part of its plan to expand its eco

Mobility Oct. 4, 2021

South Korea’s new cashback scheme, designed to encourage private spending, has rather unusual criteria for coverage. Money spent at Emart Every Everyday stores is eligible for rewards, but not at Emart outlets. Businesses covered by the scheme include Ikea, Starbucks, small supermarket chains, hotels, movie theaters, restaurants as well as delivery apps. But purchases made at big supermarket chains such as Emart, Costco and Homeplus as well as department stores and duty-free stores do n

Consumer Sept. 30, 2021

Gamers are fast becoming the latest demographic target for the retail industry as companies rush to take advantage of a recent surge in video gaming. Last week, Swedish furniture giant Ikea unveiled a lineup of furniture designed for gamers as a collaboration project with Republic of Gamers -- a gaming-focused brand by a Taiwanese computer manufacturer. Hitting the shelves next month, the company said the new range including gaming desks, chairs as well as accessories is aimed at “democr

Consumer Sept. 30, 2021

Urban air mobility, which has been described as ‘flying taxis,’ is on course to become a reality in Korea in 2025 as the Transport Ministry outlined the timeline in a white paper released on Tuesday. According to the paper, an air corridor will be built for drone taxis to fly between Seoul and the outskirts of the city, including Incheon International Airport, during the early stages of the project. The UAM aircraft will be allowed to fly at an altitude of 450 meters with a margin

Mobility Sept. 28, 2021

BAT Rothmans on Monday launched the new tobacco heating product Glo Pro Slim in South Korea in an online media conference. Glo Pro Slim marks the latest edition of the Glo series, following the launch of Glo Pro early last year. The company said the new product adds to its growing list of Glo products and will appeal to consumers seeking potentially reduced-risk products. “BAT Rothmans will lead the market transformation through product portfolio expansion and innovation in tobacco heati

Consumer Sept. 27, 2021

A growing number of South Korean companies are turning to the metaverse to offer new services, promote their products and train their staff, ushering in what has been described as the “future of the internet.” BGF Retail, the firm behind convenience store chain CU, opened the second store on Zepeto recently -- a 3D avatar metaverse platform run by South Korea’s largest web portal operator Naver. Following the opening of the “world’s first” virtual store in A

Consumer Sept. 25, 2021

The secondhand smartphone market is enjoying a bump from recent releases of flagship models from Samsung and Apple. According to Bungaejangter on Friday, a South Korean mobile secondhand marketplace, the volume of transactions for used smartphones has reached some 100 billion won as consumers switched to new phones. Used phone transactions have become the most traded category on the platform during the first half of this year so far. The company said the “secondhand market has been energ

Consumer Sept. 24, 2021

A growing number of people in South Korea are planning to travel to Saipan via a travel bubble amid rising vaccination rates and extended benefits offered for travelers. According to Asiana Airlines on Thursday, over 1,000 bookings have been made for flights to Saipan scheduled throughout the rest of the year. An Asiana flight to Sapian last Saturday, just ahead of the Chuseok holiday, had 150 passengers on board, accounting for 85 percent of bookings. With more than 9 in 10 people on board

Mobility Sept. 23, 2021

Baedal Minjok, widely known as Baemin, has enjoyed a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the use of delivery apps exploded, the volume of transactions on Baemin jumped 78.4 percent to 15.7 trillion won ($13.27 billion) last year. But as efforts to solidify its position continue, design continues to play a crucial role. “One of the things we consider when we design the app is not to convey information in a dry way. What makes Baemin is the hidden wit and fun here and ther

Industry Sept. 22, 2021

Shinsegae Group plans to turn gas stations into commercial complexes that combine retail and mobility, the retail-focused group said Wednesday. Its property development arm, Shinsegae Property, has signed a business partnership with Koramco Energy Plus REITs for the project. 　 The plan is to transform gas stations owned by the real estate investment trust into what it described as “new distribution bases in urban areas that incorporate commercial facilities with distribution.” The

Consumer Sept. 15, 2021