Amorepacific said Wednesday it has joined RE100, a global renewable power initiative, becoming the first South Korean cosmetics firm to do so. The company plans to supply electricity in the workplace entirely with renewable energy by 2030 in an effort to help tackle climate change. From production to logistics, energy sourced to run all of its facilities at home and abroad, including the headquarters and its research center, will be affected by the initiative. Launched in 2014 and led by the

Consumer March 10, 2021

E-commerce platform Interpark on Monday started offering air tickets which you can purchase now and fly after quarantine restrictions for international traveling are lifted. The “Early Go” tickets, which are for South Korean low cost carrier T’way Air flights, come with a one-year price freeze after self-quarantine is no longer required between Korea and the destination country, the platform said. Destinations include Cebu, Hanoi, Bangkok, Macau, Taipei and Hong Kong as well

Mobility March 8, 2021

Yanolja, the largest accommodation and leisure activity booking platform operator in South Korea, said Monday it would give out 10 million-won ($8,900) worth of stocks in their company to each of its 1,000 staff. The decision will see the stocks given to the company’s current employees and new staff, after CEO and co-founder Lee Su-jin and head of C&D Lim Sang-kyu donated a total of 600,000 stocks. Though the company has previously given stocks to some of its staff through its loya

Consumer March 8, 2021

Despite South Korea’s slow progress in breaking the glass ceiling, its tobacco industry has seen a leap forward in recent years. Last year, BAT Korea appointed its first female country manager. Philip Morris Korea has also made progress in building an inclusive work environment, with initiatives such as flexible working hours, remote working and half-day Fridays. In Korea, 33 percent of the company’s mid-level and senior management staff are women, with a goal of hitting 40 percent

Consumer March 7, 2021

From going out late at night to traveling abroad, the coronavirus pandemic has prevented us from doing many things we love -- except for cycling. On the weekend, serious cyclists with racing bicycles and more casual riders on Seoul Bikes mingle on the cycling lanes alongside the Han River in Seoul which cuts through the city and stretches nearly 500 kilometers. Kim Tae-gyun, a 37-year-old marketing director and a former PE teacher in Seoul, said cycling has become his go-to exercise as of lat

Consumer March 6, 2021

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday ordered an expanded, thorough investigation into allegations that staffers at the public housing development agency used internal information to make speculative property investments. “The comprehensive investigation will be conducted by the Prime Minister’s Office and sufficient manpower will be mobilized with the help of the transport ministry to investigate the allegations thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned,” said presidential secretary

Industry March 3, 2021

The number of shoppers at duty free stores stood at 343,983 in January, the lowest since the coronavirus crisis began to affect the South Korean economy last March, according to the Korea Duty Free Shops Association. Some 280,000 South Korean nationals and 59,600 foreign nationals spent a 1.38 trillion won, the latest data from the association showed. The figure is down nearly 80,000 compared to December last year. Sales, however, are up 16.7 percent compared to the previous month. Compared t

Consumer March 2, 2021

Philip Morris Korea has won a legal battle worth billions of won against the country’s tax authority over trademark usage fees, according to legal sources. The Seoul Administrative Court on Monday ruled in favor of the South Korean unit of the international tobacco company, ordering a tax imposed by Seoul Main Customs worth 9.82 billion won ($8.7 million) to be canceled. The ruling comes four years after the Korea Customs Service ordered the company to pay some 3.4 billion won in customs

Consumer March 1, 2021

Women’s loungewear brand Badblood has been forced to apologize for darkening the skin of one of its models amid accusations of blackfishing. In a recent Instagram post, the brand offered its “sincere apologies” and asked for the “benefit of the doubt” after taking down the controversial post. “By increasing the contrast between our clothes and that of the model, we unfortunately thought our clothes would look even better,” the company said. The apolog

Consumer Feb. 28, 2021

Pernod Ricard Korea has chosen the second recipient of the Aberlour Craftsmanship Award, an award named after the single malt Scotch whisky distillery of the same name, to recognize socially responsible talents, the company said Friday. Mun Seung-ji, a furniture designer and the founder of Team Virals, has been given the prize for creating zero waste eco-friendly furniture. “Through the Aberlour Craftsmanship Award, we seek to create a positive impact on consumers by recognizing those wi

Consumer Feb. 26, 2021

SUV brand Jeep said on Thursday it will launch a drive-thru event next month to celebrate the company’s 80th anniversary. The American carmaker, founded in 1941, will kick off the event on March 3 along with a limited-edition release of six of its models to mark the occasion. The brand’s signature vehicles will also be put on display for 10 days in the Seongsu-dong neighborhood in Seoul. During the event, customers will have a chance to enjoy consultation services as well as partic

Mobility Feb. 25, 2021

South Korea’s trade minister said on Thursday that the government is poised to cooperate with Eastern European countries in green business, including the development of low carbon energy. Speaking at the KOREA-V4 Economic Cooperation Forum, Minister for Trade Yoo Myung-hee said the government is ready for economic cooperation with V4 countries -- Poland, Hungry, the Czech Republic and Slovakia -- who are “shifting to renewable energy.” “Eastern European countries are m

Industry Feb. 25, 2021

SK Holdings said on Thursday that it is teaming up with US hydrogen company Plug Power to branch out into the hydrogen market in Asia. The partnership comes after the South Korean conglomerate invested 1.85 trillion won and acquired some 10 percent of shares in Plug Power, becoming the largest shareholder of the hydrogen giant. An online deal closing ceremony was held Thursday and was attended by executives of both companies including CEO of SK Holdings Jang Dong-hyun, Vice Chairman of SK E&a

Industry Feb. 25, 2021

Oriental Brewery unveiled its new beer “Hanmac” late last month, boasting it as “Korea’s representative lager project.” As the label suggests, the company, famous for its pale lager Cass, set the bar high for itself. ”Some lagers are more than just beers and represent their regions as they do in Germany, Belgium, and the Czech Republic. We hope that ‘Hanmac’ will captivate consumers with its refreshing flavor of Korean rice and become a true &ls

Consumer Feb. 25, 2021

South Korean conglomerate GS Group said Wednesday it had launched an environmental council consisting of its chief governance officers in an effort to strengthen the group’s ESG approach. The council will serve as the group’s top decision maker on matters such as pursuing new environmentally friendly business projects and anything ESG -- investments that prioritize environmental, social and governance issues. The decision to form the council comes as taking an ESG approach is being

Industry Feb. 24, 2021