[THE INVESTOR] Korean cosmetics firm TonyMoly will ride on the back of Pikachu, the popular chubby rodent Pokemon, with a collaboration for beauty products.The brand announced on Aug. 8 that it has signed a license agreement for the 20-year-old Japanese animation characters that are being enjoyed with a renewed fervor thanks to Nintendo’s mobile augmented reality game Pokemon Go that is sweeping across the world since it became available a month ago. Slated to be launched in September, the line

[THE INVESTOR] Four firms have turned in letters of intent in the preliminary bidding for apparel maker YK038 as of Aug. 7, according to industry sources. Samra Midas, a midsized group that owns more than 30 affiliates including TK Chemical and Korea Lines Corp., is the most likely to take over the company estimated to be worth 10 billion won (US$8.97 million), the sources forecast.  YK038's wear lines HUM / Naver ShoppingEstablished in 1997, the company in the past boasted over 100 billion won

[THE INVESTOR] Local strategic investors SK Networks and Unid are joining the race to take over home appliance manufacturer Tongyang Magic, heating up the preliminary bid scheduled for Aug. 11. The SK Group affiliate is seeking to expand its rental business while the chemical company is looking to venture into a new business, and has already appointed financial advisors, according to the industry and media reports on Aug. 8.  Tongyang’s Super water purifier.Tongyang Magic has been put on sale by

[THE INVESTOR] Asiana Airline’s second low-cost carrier Air Seoul launched its international services Aug. 8, starting ticket sales on the website and by phone. Beginning with the route between Incheon and Takamatsu, Japan, that will start operations on Oct. 7, the newly launched budget carrier will fly to six destinations in Japan -- Shizuoka, Toyama, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Yonago -- and three in Southeast Asia -- Siem Reap, Kota Kinabalu and Macau.Air Seoul.It will add flights to Ube, Japan, by

[THE INVESTOR] Lotte Homeshopping has filed a lawsuit against the ICT Ministry seeking an injunction on the order to suspend its prime-time broadcasting for six months, it said Aug. 5. Following the court’s dismissal of an arrest warrant for its CEO Kang Hyun-gu, the Lotte affiliate filed the suit after getting approval at an extraordinary shareholders meeting in June.Lotte Homeshopping headquarters in Seoul. The InvestorThe ministry has suspended the major shopping channel from airing programs

[THE INVESTOR] China’s opposition to South Korea’s deployment of THAAD appears to be on the verge of spilling over into local culture and entertainment sectors that account for a large part of exports.“Talks on collaboration for any kind of content-making with China have come to a full stop,” an industry source said on the condition of anonymity. On Aug. 2, China’s state-owned CCTV reported that the Chinese State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television has requested majo

[THE INVESTOR] International hotels and resort chain Starwood will open four more hotels in South Korea by 2019 including one in Jejudo, said Nichlas Maratos, vice president of sales for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific at Starwood Expo 2016 held in Seoul on Aug. 4. The chain is already operating five of its hotel brands -- W, Sheraton, Westin, Aloft and Four Points -- here and will introduce new brands to Seoul, he said.  W Singapore Sentosa Cove, a Starwood hotel member.Aloft Myeongdong,

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean duty-free stores may be the first to be hit by the backlash from Korea’s decision to deploy an advanced US anti-missile system. Although Beijing has not yet made any official move -- having expressed its opposition to the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system -- the signs are not very positive. Shinsegae Duty Free Store in downtown Seoul. The Investor / Lee Sang-subThe number of Chinese tourists who have booked their trips through tour agencies that