Z-POP Dream, a global entertainment platform headquartered in South Korea, said Friday it would make use of blockchain technology to discover the next K-pop superstar and build infrastructure in the pop music scene. Z-POP Dream, set up by veteran music industry expert Jun Kang, is the first platform of its kind that seeks to establish a global entertainment ecosystem to better discover hidden pop music talent, according to the firm.The company said the use of blockchain technology will accelerat

Paris Baguette, a bakery chain operated by Korean food giant SPC Group, will begin mobile delivery service from Saturday, the firm said Friday. Customers can order on SPC Group’s own Happy App or food delivery app Yogiyo, in addition to e-commerce channels G-Market or Auction.  Paris Baguette launches its delivery service. (SPC)Products ranging from cakes to bread and sandwiches can be delivered from 1,100 stores across the country, the firm said. It plans to eventually roll out the service for

South Korean dairy manufacturer Namyang Dairy’s products have hit the shelves of Chinese wholesale market Herma Shenzu, part of Alibaba Group, the company said Friday. Herma Shenzu, established in 2016, is a new distribution channel operated by the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group. The markets quickly gained attention by integrating online and offline logistics for fresh foods: When a customer places an order online, an employee from the closest store delivers the product to the customer’s doorste

Retail giant Shinsegae Group’s duty-free operator Shinsegae Duty Free said Thursday that it has partnered with UnionPay to attract more Chinese travelers and provide an easier payment option. UnionPay, a Chinese financial services company established in 2002, is a major bank card service provider in mainland China. As of last year, up to 16,000 trillion won ($14 trillion) of transactions were made through UnionPay. The UnionPay app, which allows users to pay via QR codes, currently has an accumu

South Korean air carrier Asiana Airlines has renovated a school in Uzbekistan capital Tashkent and supplied classroom equipment for local students, according to a firm Wednesday.  Asiana Airlines officials, Uzbekistani authorities and students pose for a photo after a reopening ceremony for a renovated school in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Tuesday. (Asiana Airlines)It was part of the airline’s “Beautiful Classroom” project, a corporate outreach campaign the company began in 2012 to improve the educati

Ikea Korea said Wednesday that it will begin online sales on its website and nationwide delivery from Saturday, in a move to attract online shoppers.The official e-commerce channel will expand shopping options for customers, Ikea Korea CEO Andre Schmidtgall said during a press conference Wednesday. Ikea Korea, the local branch of the Swedish furniture giant, currently runs two stores here -- one in Gwangmyeong that opened in 2014 and one in Ilsan that opened last year -- operated by some 1,700 e

Major South Korean discount chain Homeplus has been speeding up its move to open more big-box and retail hybrid stores here, to strengthen its sales and enhance competitiveness. Homeplus said Tuesday that it has seen outstanding sales growth from its Homeplus Special stores, which sell products in bulk and also offer individually packaged food and other goods like those found in grocery stores.The company has been converting its outlets into Homeplus Special stores since opening its first store

South Korean retail giant Shinsegae’s discount store chain E-mart said Monday that it will test-run its advanced robot concierge service from Wednesday, as well as adopt electronic shelf labels.  E-Mart's robot concierge Pepper (E-Mart)The robot concierge, dubbed Pepper, will help customers at the imported food section of the E-mart Seongsu store. Pepper has been upgraded with an automated-driving mode and an artificial intelligence-based chatbot function since its first round of test runs in Ma

Local branch of the French luxury giant, Chanel Korea has come under fire for allegedly selling a used bag to a Korean customer, raising concerns over its inventory control and management policy.According to local media outlet News One, a Korean customer purchased a Chanel 2.55 flap bag at a department store for 7 million won ($6,280) in April. She later found someone else’s bankbook and credit card inside the bag.The bankbook and credit card had been issued in March, a month before the bag owne

South Korean steelmaker Hyundai Steel’s labor union conducted outreach activities to help underprivileged families and support children from those families to experience a variety of cultural activities.  Members of Hyundai Steel’s labor union who work at the Incheon production line pose for a photo after conducting outreach for underprivileged families in March. (Hyundai Steel)According to the company, the labor union visited Gyeongju Bird Park with 18 children from underprivileged and multicul

South Korea’s leading cosmetics company Amorepacific is holding an outdoor public exhibition on Jeju Island until Oct. 14, featuring natural aspects of Jeju, like its volcanic topography. The poster for “apmap 2018 jeju -- volcanic island” hosted by Amorepacific (Amorepacific)Titled “apmap 2018 jeju -- volcanic island,” the exhibition is part of the company’s “amorepacific museum of art project (apmap),” which portrays the natural vitality of Jeju through contemporary artworks. A total of 15 you

Many questioned the safety of personal mobility devices when the millionaire owner of the Segway company, Jimi Heselden, died after losing control of his Segway on a cliff in 2010. Despite the benefits of using devices like Segway -- a two-wheeled, battery-powered personal transportation device – hoverboards and electric scooters, allowing personal mobility devices, or PMDs, in public areas is being heatedly discussed here, with the related law pending. Segway's personal mobility device Ninebot 

Ask any South Korean and they will be able to tell you about the corporate scandal that left the nation aghast in the summer of 2016, when toxic disinfectants claimed more than 100 lives.In 2010, Oxy -- the Korean subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser -- had started selling household humidifier disinfectants that included dangerous chemicals such as PHMG. The products were sold without proper warnings, and the public was outraged.Although Oxy was one of 20 manufacturers implicated in the damage, South

South Korean cosmetics-to-health care conglomerate Aekyung Group said Tuesday that it has opened new headquarters in northwestern Seoul. Aekyung Tower (Aekyung Group)Named Aekyung Tower, the new headquarters building houses offices of its five affiliates including household care product maker Aekyung Industrial and its holding company AK Holdings. Its air carrier company Jeju Air’s international sales team will also move into the new headquarters. Built on 53,949 square meters of land, the new m

South Korean airliner Asiana Airlines said Friday that it would reduce the number of flights destined for certain European and US cities beginning in October, in response to instructions from the Transport Ministry to address the problem of delayed flights. The country’s No. 2 full-service carrier said it would operate only 75 flights per week to six cities in the US and six cities in Europe as of October. The current number of flights to each city is 82. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and