The first Malaysian outlet of CU, the South Korean convenience store chain, has seen more than 11,000 customers in just 10 days since opening, the company said Tuesday. According to BGF Retail, the firm behind the CU chain, an average of 1,000 people have visited the store in Kuala Lumpur daily since it opened on April 1. That is about three times the average number of visitors of CU stores in South Korea, the company added. A typical CU store here is open for 24 hours. But the Malaysian st

Ginseng can help boost the effectiveness of flu vaccines used on mice, and is also helpful in protecting respiratory organs, Korea Ginseng Corp.’s research institute said Monday. According to a study by KGC’s Korea Ginseng Research Institute, ginseng intake increases the protective effect of vaccines compared to when the vaccine is used alone. The Korean ginseng company also cited research dubbed, “Protective Effect of Korean Red Ginseng Extract on the Infections by H1N1 a

Market Kurly’s best price guarantee policy in direct challenge to Coupang and E-mart

Kakao, the South Korean tech giant behind popular messaging app KakaoTalk, is taking steps to acquire mobile shopping app Zigzag, according to local reports Friday. The reported deal could see Kakao buy a controlling stake in the operator of the shopping app -- estimated to be worth about $1 billion -- and create a new subsidiary for a merger. Kakao, however, has not yet confirmed the move, saying it is taking into account “a range of options.”　 The reports came after Kakao, once

Innisfree, a cosmetic brand under Amorepacific, has been forced to clarify its eco-friendly “paper bottle” packaging after a customer’s complaint about plastic usage and a “misleading” label went viral online. In a post on a Facebook group called “No Plastic Shopping,” a customer shared photos of what is inside the package for the brand’s face serum product after cutting the bottle in half. Despite the label reading “Hello, I‘m Paper

French luxury fashion house Christian Dior racked up 104.7 billion won ($93.2 million) in operating profit last year despite the coronavirus pandemic, according to data from the Financial Supervisory Service. Christian Dior Couture Korea, the operator of the brand’s South Korean unit which produces clothes, bags and makeup products, also saw its revenue rise 75.8 percent to 328.5 billion won, while its net profit jumped by 250 percent to 77.7 billion won. The figures buck the trend seen

Starbucks Korea has vowed to stop the use of disposable cups by 2025. As part of its long-term sustainability “Better Together” project, the coffeehouse chain said Tuesday it will roll out reusable cups at all stores across the country and replace single-use cups completely in the next four years. The new eco-friendly cups will be rolled out first at a select few shops during the second half of this year. The reusable cups come with a deposit that will be returned to customers when

Department stores enjoy sales recovery in February, while smaller stores lag behind

Reevaluated of its potential, frozen mandu grows into a W545b market

A bubbly spin on Korea’s rice wine could modernize tradition and help farmers, says CEO

CU has opened its first outlet in Malaysia as part of its overseas push, the operator of South Korea's top convenience store chain said Thursday. The 165-square-meter outlet started operations at a shopping mall in a middle-class neighborhood in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, according to BGF Retail Co. South Korean goods account for 60 percent of all products it carries. The store also sells CU's popular private-label products and such "Korean street foods" as "tteokbok

Coway, a South Korean home appliances rental firm, has been honored at this year’s Business Integrity Society summit for its continuous commitment to a framework for environmental, social and governance, or ESG, standards as well as corporate transparency, the company said Tuesday. It was chosen as an “Excellent Anti-Corruption Company” at the BIS Summit 2021 Anti-Corruption Awards held last week by the UN Global Compact and the Korea Social Responsible Investment Forum. &l

Major shoe brand refuses to chime in on ongoing human rights issue involving its supply chain

Founder of instant noodle giant Nongshim Group dies at age 92

Shinsegae Department Store’s fruit subscription service is enjoying a surge in popularity as the number of subscribers jumped threefold in 10 months. The service, which began at the retailer‘s Gangnam branch, will be extended to its main store in Myeongdong, the department store said. Those subscribing to the service for a monthly fee of 220,000 won ($194) can have a selection of seasonal fruits worth 260,000 won delivered to their doorstep on a weekly basis. Tips on how to pick,