In an online auction early this month, Scotch whisky brand Royal Salute sold artworks inspired by the brand with the help of Seoul Auction. Bidders scrambled until the last minute to get hold of the items that ended up selling at prices higher than the company had expected. “It was really impressive to see these brand-inspired artworks sold out at such high prices,” said Florent Leroi, marketing director at the South Korean unit of global liquor company Pernod Ricard, during an int

Consumer April 27, 2021

South Korean construction company SK E&C is speeding up the process to secure certified emission reduction credits in Korea and Vietnam, paving the way for potential renewable business opportunities in the future, the firm said Monday. The Seoul-based builder has so far committed to two Programs of Activities, one that is a modality of project development under the Clean Development Mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the other organized by the Enviro

Industry April 26, 2021

Since 2017, education services firm Vine Group has been running a social contribution project named “We Can Do” -- a free program designed to help teenagers with building confidence, leadership and communication skills. The company’s youth self-improvement program began in 2017, offering free learning materials to participants as part of the company’s wider corporate social responsibility efforts. The program launched an online program last year due to the COVID-19 pan

Industry April 26, 2021

BTS’ success in the music industry is fast spilling over into the advertising business as more companies seek a promotional boost from the group and their fans’ social media omnipresence. Last Monday, McDonald’s announced it would team up with South Korean pop group BTS for a new celebrity meal named The BTS Meal. A few days later, French fashion house Louis Vuitton named the pop icons as its new House Ambassadors. The two companies’ posts on Twitter were soon met with

Consumer April 25, 2021

South Korean firms that are heavily reliant on exports should come up with diverse ways to cut down on their logistics costs amid a prolonged surge in ocean freight charges, a report suggested Friday. Ocean freight rates are rising and could continue for a long time against the backdrop of unstable supply and demand for empty containers and a rise in demand due to revenge consumption, the Institute for International Trade warned in its report. To achieve a competitive price edge, exporters ca

Industry April 23, 2021

South Korea’s largest brewer, Oriental Brewery, has tapped veteran actress Youn Yuh-jung as the new brand ambassador for its flagship beer brand Cass, the company said Friday. In a commercial, Youn, the first Korean woman to be nominated for an Academy Award and a strong contender for best supporting actress, discusses opening herself up to form relationships with people as she promotes the beer. The company said Youn, “who is not afraid to speak her mind,” is an inspiration

Consumer April 23, 2021

Low-cost carrier Jeju Air said on Thursday it will resume the flights between Incheon and Saipan late next month. The decision to fly again to the western Pacific island from May 28 comes after a hiatus of over one year. Around March last year, airlines including Jeju Air suspended flights to multiple destinations across the world including Saipan as the number of coronavirus cases began to increase. Though the move will help Korean nationals living in Saipan as well as travelers, a mandatory

Mobility April 22, 2021

Low-cost carrier T’way Air said Tuesday it has signed a deal to lease three midsized aircrafts A330-300 with plans to roll them out early next year. The plan will see the airline introduce a new fleet of aircrafts gradually between February and May in 2022. With the jetliner boasting a wide body, the airline will offer business and economy seats and a wider range of in-flight amenities. The airline said the move following the signing of a letter of intent in December will bolster its bu

Mobility April 20, 2021

Fast food restaurant chain McDonald’s has announced that it is teaming up with popular Korean group BTS for a new celebrity meal which will hit the stores next month globally. The BTS Meal consists of a 10 Chicken McNuggets, medium fries, a medium Coke as well as Sweet Chili and Cajun dipping sauces inspired by popular recipes from the South Korean unit of McDonald’s, which will be available for the first time in the US. The new collaboration, which follows the company’s prev

Consumer April 20, 2021

South Korea’s largest brewer, Oriental Brewery, has begun the sale of its newly revamped flagship beer All New Cass nationwide. Following a ceremony at its Cheongju plant on Sunday, the beer -- bottled in clear glass -- will hit the shelves at convenience stores, supermarkets, restaurants and entertainment venues sometime late this month, the company said. In March, OB unveiled the new Cass, ditching the brand’s famous brown bottle in a dramatic change of appearance, hoping to cont

Consumer April 19, 2021

A new analysis has suggested that over 70,000 manufacturing jobs in South Korea moved abroad last year, which accounted for 0.3 percentage point of the country’s unemployment rate. The loss of 72,000 manufacturing jobs came against the backdrop of a tough job market that exacerbated the employment situation, the Korea Economic Research Institute, an organization under the Federation of Korean Industries, said on Monday. “If the 72,000 manufacturing jobs were prevented from moving a

Industry April 19, 2021

South Korean home appliance maker Coway has said its new advertisements featuring K-pop group BTS have racked up over 10 million views on YouTube. In yet another sign of the group’s commercial success in the advertisement industry, the septet’s commercials promoting the company’s products, including a water purifier and a mattress, were met with millions of views and over 25,000 comments within 17 days, Coway said. The ads, which are available on the company’s official

Consumer April 18, 2021

South Korean food delivery apps are rushing to offer speedier delivery services by making riders deliver just one order at a time, rather than multiple orders, to ensure the freshness of the food – a move borne out of growing competition in the industry. WeMakePrice O, food delivery app operated by e-commerce platform WeMakePrice, became the latest to adopt the “one order per trip” system this week, as it announced a memorandum of understanding with LK ICT, a company that

Consumer April 18, 2021

South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang is hiring a small number of employees for senior positions in Singapore, a move that has been seen as part of steps to branch out into the Southeast Asian market. The company recently posted several job openings on global recruiting site Linkedin for its office in Singapore including head of retail, head of logistics and head of operations. It is also hiring a senior front-end engineer for its video streaming platform Coupang Play. A Coupang representati

Consumer April 13, 2021

Major e-commerce giants in South Korea are offering the cheapest prices and free delivery to keep an edge over their rivals, as competition grows amid the pandemic-fueled online shopping boom. E-commerce grocer Market Kurly was the latest to ramp up competition on Monday as it announced its “Every Day Low Price” -- a lowest-price guarantee program for some 60 food products. The new measure will see the platform offer products such as rice, instant noodles, fresh vegetables and fru

Consumer April 12, 2021