Former opposition presidential candidate Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo on Monday announced his plan to form a new party by early February and pledged to build a robust opposition bloc to eventually form the next administration.　　“I have so far failed to meet the people’s expectations to change politics and the nation,” said Ahn in a televised press conference. “I owe it to the people and my supporters. The only way to repay the debt is to achieve a change of government and practice new politics that transf

SONGDO, Incheon -- Samsung BioLogics broke ground on its third production plant in Songdo, Incheon, Monday, drawing closer toward its stated goal of becoming the world’s No. 1 contract manufacturer of biologic drugs by 2020.　The new plant, to be constructed with an investment of 850 billion won ($740 million) will boast a production capacity of 180,000 liters to become the single largest biologics manufacturing facility in the world upon its completion in 2018.　Combined with its two existing pla

Hotel Lotte is reportedly set to file its application for listing on the nation’s main stock bourse early next week, according to sources Friday.　They noted that the hotel unit of South Korean retail giant Lotte Group will submit its application to the Korea Exchange on Monday for a preliminary regulatory review of its initial public offering, which will mark the company’s debut on the stock market as early as March.Hotel Lotte in Seoul (Yonhap)　The move was expected as Lotte Group chairman Shin

Kim Jung-hoon, a 32-year-old office worker, reserved a SM5 vehicle parked near his home in Seoul for 30 minutes last weekend via a car sharing service -- a form of short-term vehicle rental in which users pay by the minute and distance traveled.　All he had to do was search for a desired vehicle near his house, select a rental time period, which can be extended every 10 minutes, and digitally access the car via a smartphone app run by SoCar, a leading car sharing service operator.　“It’s such an e

Pressed for time and short on money amid an economic downturn, South Koreans today tend to seek sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of daily life at home -- a place of comfort where one can unwind and rest freely.　As Koreans increasingly feel busy, anxious and short of money to spare, many are likely to spend more time at home next year, according to the 2016 Korea Trend Report by market researcher Macromill Embrain.　“Home” is thus a key concept that will shape and drive consumption patterns ne

  SAMSUNG RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN -- Samsung Electronics said Wednesday its high-end SUHD TV 82S9W lineup has won the highest presidential award at the Good Design Selection 2015, a design award in Korea. The tech firm’s eight other products got awards, including the Chef Collection fridge RV8000, and the smart UX apps and widgets for the Galaxy S6 Edge Avengers Special Edition. (Samsung)

Mobile messenger Kakao has made strides in its taxi-hailing business as the number of requests for KakaoTaxi crossed 50 million as of Sunday, the firm said Wednesday. 　Demand for the taxi-hailing app has boomed since its launch in March, seeing 1 million ride requests in less than two months. 　The number of taxis registered for the KakaoTaxi service has also been on the rise, with more than 190,000, or around 70 percent of all taxis nationwide, now partnering with Kakao.(KakaoTaxi)　“Even though

Doosan Group chairman Park Yong-maan has ordered Doosan Infracore, the industrial conglomerate’s second-largest affiliate, to exclude junior employees from the company-wide voluntary retirement scheme that has been drawing public criticism.　“I have ordered the affiliate to set up a protective mechanism for new employees (with 1-2 year work experience),” Park told reporters in Seoul on Wednesday. “Though (Doosan Infracore) is facing severe financial strains, new employees will not be subject to t

Lee Tae-hoon, a 33-year-old office worker who lives in eastern Seoul, keeps hearing news that global oil prices have reached record lows. 　Lee, who drives his car to and from his office every day, had hoped that the major cooldown in global crude oil prices would be reflected in local gasoline prices.　Yet, Lee says regular gasoline prices near his home in Jamsil have stood at around 1,450 won ($1.23) per liter now, which “seems to reflect only a minor drop in prices compared to other countries l

Last year, Lee Min-ji (not her real name) decided to undergo fat grafting to her forehead and cheeks at a cosmetic surgery hospital in Seoul.　Two months later, she began to feel palpable bumps in the areas where she had received surgery. The cause was calcification -- a hardening of the skin tissue that sometimes occurs when high amounts of fat are concentrated in one area.　As she was neither informed about the details of the surgical procedure nor its potential side effects prior to her surgery

Foreign car brands have received about twice as many consumer complaints as their domestic counterparts over the past six years, with Volkswagen and Audi at the top of the list, according to analysis by the Korea Consumer Agency on Sunday.　For every 10,000 cars sold, the five top-selling imported automakers -- Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota -- saw an average of 10.9 cases of consumer dissatisfaction from January 2010 to November 2015, according to a KCA report submitted to Rep.

　Rabitos Royale chocolate-stuffed figs -- Spain’s flagship chocolate brand -- will be officially launched in South Korea next Wednesday on Dec. 16.　The chocolate will debut via the “Spain Gourmet” fair taking place inside the Hyundai Department Store’s Pangyo branch in Gyeonggi Province, according to its local importer PM Elpise.　Rabitos Royale chocolates are made by stuffing a fig with brandy-infused chocolate truffle and later smothered once again in dark chocolate. It enjoys international pop

Paris-based cosmetics brand Bourjois has launched a limited-edition holiday collection dubbed “Nights in Paris,” inspired by France’s capital city, in South Korea.　Bourjois’ best-selling Java Rice Loose Powder, priced at 36,000 won ($31), has been specially infused with sparkling glitter for a shimmering look for the holiday collection.　Two new types of Smoky Story eyeshadow palettes, priced at 24,000 won, and a special shade of its flagship lipstick Rouge Edition Velvet (28,000 won) have been l

CNP Cosmetics, a leading cosmetics brand under South Korea’s LG Household and Health Care, has transformed its two best-selling ampule products into facial mists.　CNP’s flagship Propolis Energy Ampoule is made with propolis extracted from beehives and immediately delivers moisture and nutrients to the skin.　The Laboratory Mugener Ampoule is based on glycosaminoglycans and madecassoside, substances that offer protection for sensitive skin.　These two ampules are now available in mist bottle form,

　Jamba Juice, a smoothie brand operated by South Korea’s SPC Group, has launched two new flavors to its “Hot Juice” menu for the winter season.　These warm juices -- made with freshly squeezed raw fruits without added water - are now available in grapefruit-apple and lemon-apple flavors, in addition to six existing flavors including orange, grapefruit and Jejudo Island’s satsuma orange.　“Jamba Juice added the new flavors to its hot juice lineup, a popular seasonal menu during the winter, to offer