South Korean businesses will need to keep an eye on US President-elect Joe Biden’s plans to invest in clean energy and on his softer approach to trade deals ultimately to take advantage of the incoming administration’s policies, the head of the Korea International Trade Association said Tuesday. “South Korean businesses should focus on how different the Biden administration will be from the Trump administration when it comes to economic and trade policy,” said KITA Chai

Industry Nov. 10, 2020

E-commerce giant Coupang has recently opened a counseling center for its female delivery staff members as part of efforts to create a healthy work environment, the company said. The center will conduct various activities designed to resolve obstacles at work and provide consultation which can be scheduled by phone or on its website. For those who find an in-person visit difficult, phone or text consultations are also available. As of November, Coupang had about 400 female delivery staffs and t

Consumer Nov. 9, 2020

SK Telecom, South Korea‘s top mobile carrier, said on Monday it is ramping up its services for foreign language customers under the slogan “Like a Local” in an effort to help break language barriers in an increasingly multicultural era. In an industry first, the company said it will offer an English language service for its mobile app where users can check their data usage, get discounts and pay mobile bills upfront. The telecoms network will also offer customer service in mu

Technology Nov. 9, 2020

The prosecution said on Friday it has raided Kumho Asiana Group and Asiana Airlines’ offices to secure documents for its probe into alleged unfair internal transactions. The group, a large Korean chaebol known for its leisure and construction business, currently stands accused of conducting suspicious internal trading to support its subsidiary Kumho Buslines, of which the owner family has the highest stake.　 According to the authorities, Asiana Airlines signed a 30-year contract to sell

Industry Nov. 6, 2020

Budget airlines Jeju Air and T’way Air said on Friday they will be resuming flights between Incheon and Narita following the easing of travel restrictions between the two countries. From Nov. 21, Jeju Air will fly once a week on a Saturday from Incheon to Narita International Airport, nearly three months after the flight was suspended after a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. The Incheon-Osaka route, which had previously operated two times a day on weekdays, will also change to Frid

Mobility Nov. 6, 2020

Liqueur brand Kahlua will roll out new coffee cocktails at nine cafes across Seoul on Monday as part of its new “Coffee Goes Cocktails” campaign. Cafes 1984 in Mapo and BNHR in Yongsan are among the establishments where a special Kahlua-based cocktail representing each of their baristas will be sold, Pernod Ricard Korea said Thursday. “With Kahlua expanding its presence as the leading coffee liquor brand, we launched the event to take the lead in spreading coffee cocktail cul

Consumer Nov. 5, 2020

British American Tobacco Korea said on Thursday that results from scientific studies show its flagship heating product Glo may “significantly reduce” the risk of smoking-related disease. Data gathered by scientists from BAT’s research and development center for a period of three months saw exposure to harmful smoke toxicants reduced when smokers switched from smoking regular cigarettes to using Glo completely, the company said. These and other findings were presented during a

Industry Nov. 5, 2020

eBay Korea is adding a series of promotional events and special deals as part of its annual shopping event Big Smile Day -- including a cinema rental. From Thursday to Sunday, the promotional event dubbed “Smile Club Lounge” is going online to offline for members of Smile Club -- a premium membership service launched in 2017 that provides exclusive deals, discounts and specialized customer services that have helped the e-commerce giant secure a large number of loyal customers. Smi

Consumer Nov. 5, 2020

Automaker SsangYong Motor unveiled its brand new mid-size SUV Rexton at a showcase event on Wednesday in Seoul. The event was attended by former national football team goalkeeper Kim Byung-ji (far left), presenter Lee Hye-sung (second from left), popular trot singer Lim Young-woong (second from right), who is the carmaker’s brand ambassador, and racecar driver Seo Ju-won. With a 2.2-liter diesel engine, the new SUV model boasts the horsepower of 202 and the maximum torque of 45 kilogram-m

Industry Nov. 4, 2020

South Korean cable maker LS Cable & Systems said on Tuesday that it is ready to begin the mass production of a new optical cable which can “block out hacking.” Using special fiber optics with enhanced coatings, the company explained the new cable is designed to prevent illegal leaks and disturbance. When an optical cable is bent in the shape of a circle, some of the light traveling along it escapes. Hackers then can steal information by connecting hacking devices and intercepti

Technology Nov. 3, 2020

Budget airline Jin Air said Monday that it has begun flying cargo to the United States as part of efforts to survive the COVID-19 pandemic. Though major South Korean airlines have resorted to cargo services to offset the impact of the virus in recent months, the sister airline of Korean Air is the first low-cost carrier in the country to deliver cargo to the US. On Sunday, Jin Air flew its B777-200ER passenger jet from Incheon to Los Angeles, carrying 23 tons of displays and other electronic

Mobility Nov. 2, 2020

South Korea’s annual nationwide shopping festival Korea Sale FESTA kicked off Sunday with over 1,600 companies, the largest scale to date. The two-week festival takes place until Nov. 15 this year with the support of the central governments and the 17 metropolitan and provincial authorities, though many parts of the event will go online. During an online opening ceremony on Saturday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said this year’s event would “contribute greatly to the recover

Consumer Nov. 1, 2020

South Korean liquor maker HiteJinro has released a new low-alcohol sour candy-flavored soju. The latest addition is a collaboration with Korean confectionery company Orion’s popular sour candy Aisher. Similar to the snack, the flavor has been described as “super sour.” The Aisher soju marks the fourth in the liquor maker’s fruity flavored soju series, following grapefruit, green grape and plum favors. The company said the new flavor reflects a recent trend among young

Consumer Nov. 1, 2020

On a Saturday morning in October, an Asiana Airlines flight carrying 250 passengers took off at Incheon Airport in the midst of a pandemic. The destination? Nowhere, although it flew over Gangneung, Pohang, Gimhae and Jeju Island during the nearly two-hour flight. As odd as it may sound to those who dread the idea of going to the airport, the destination-less flights, or “flights to nowhere” have become a hit of some sort with avid flyers in 2020 -- a year when commercial flying ha

Mobility Nov. 1, 2020

E-commerce retailer eBay Korea‘s online Korean goods shopping site Gmarket Global store will launch a sales campaign for a wide range of South Korean products including Korean food, Korean cosmetics and K-pop items starting Sunday, according to the firm. The campaign will continue until Oct. 12 in connection with eBay Korea’s Big Smile Day shopping event, which will see the prices of some of South Korean products on the platform slashed by up to 70 percent. Some of the latest album

Consumer Oct. 29, 2020