The local unit of France-based Pernod Ricard, known for its Ballentine’s and Imperial whisky brands, came under fire Monday for doing business during its three-day suspension of operations.Pernod Ricard Korea's Imperial whiskey (Yonhap)The company had been slapped with the business suspension after a 8-millimeter piece of broken glass was discovered in one of its signature Imperial whiskey bottles, which was imported and sold here in March, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.Based

Kim Sang-ji picks up on the latest fashion trends and finds out about new cosmetics by scrolling through posts on Instagram. The 28-year-old says more than half of the people she follows on Instagram are not her friends or acquaintances, but celebrities or social media superstars. “It is just enjoyable to look at their picture-perfect lifestyles on social media. Their photos are glamorous, and the trendy fashion items they introduce are fun to watch,” said Kim, who spends less time flipping thro

Sales of South Korean duty-free stores have fallen for three consecutive months since April, industry data showed, partly due to the Chinese government’s strengthened crackdown on Chinese shuttle traders or “daigongs.”According to the Korea Duty Free Association, combined sales at 48 local duty-free shops came to $1.41 billion (1.6 trillion won) in June, an about 5.17 percent drop from the previous month.  (Yonhap)Despite a sharp decrease in the number of foreign tourists following a diplomatic

An artificial intelligence expert at SK Telecom has been tapped to head SK Planet’s e-commerce platform 11 Street from September, SK Planet said Thursday.Lee Sang-ho, SK Telecom’s service platform division head, will become the new CEO of the company, which is set to be spun off on Sept. 1. Lee Sang-ho, SK Telecom’s service platform division head (Yonhap)Lee developed search and voice recognition technology at companies like LG Electronics, NHN and Kakao, before joining SK Planet as chief techno

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific’s cosmetics brand Innisfree has opened a new concept store in Hangzhou, China, in collaboration with Alibaba’s Tmall, the company said Thursday.According to Innisfree, its new concept store features a technology-based shopping experience, backed by Tmall’s new retail technology. Innisfree’s new concept store in Hangzhou, China (Innisfree)Tmall is China's largest B2C platform for brands and retailers, in terms of GMV.At the store, customers can test makeu

Lotte Liquor, a unit of Lotte Chilsung Beverage, said Wednesday that over 41,000 bottles of Kloud beers were sold in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, just five months after its launch there.Models pose in front of a van wrapped with Kloud beer advertising in Cambodia. (Lotte Liquor)As part of the company’s move to expand its sales to Southeast Asia, Kloud beer entered the Cambodian market in February. According to Korea International Trade Association, over 41,000 boxes of 330 milliliter bottles were sold

G-Smatt Global, a South Korean company that manufactures and distributes complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensors, said Wednesday that it signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding with Kolon Global and Dubai-based BMAR Investment LLC to establish a local joint corporation.The establishment of the joint corporation is aimed at exclusive sales and distribution of G-Glass in the Middle East, the company said. G-Glass is the world’s first and only construction material and display

South Korea’s e-commerce company Coupang said Tuesday it has launched an online affiliate marketing service called Coupang Partners.  (Coupang)Coupang Partners aims to help content creators and social media influencers to monetize their online presence by promoting Coupang products and earn commissions, the company said. Coupang said a wide range of online channels can be used to promote its products, from blogs to social networking services like Facebook to corporate websites and mobile applica

SK Group, South Korea’s third-largest conglomerate by assets, denied that it had plans to acquire Asiana Airlines, in response to the Korea Exchange’s inquiry following media reports.  (Sk Group) (Asiana Airlines)Local online news outlet News Tomato reported Tuesday that SK Group is considering the takeover, quoting a senior official of the group. It reported that the matter was discussed during a meeting of the SUPEX Council, the decision-making body of the group. The group’s appointment of for

More office workers prefer quick takeout food from convenience stores or coffee chains for their lunch hour, amid changes introduced in the country’s work culture with shortened hours, industry data showed Monday.  (Yonhap)Convenience store chain operator CU said that at its 44 stores located in Seoul’s business districts Jung-gu, Jongno and Gangnam, sales of grab-and-go food went up by 30 percent from July 2 to 11, compared to the same period of the previous month. During this period, sales of

South Korean discount chain operator E-Mart said its cosmetics brand Scentence will enter the Saudi Arabian market next week, opening the brand’s first store outside Korea. E-mart’s Scentence store at Al Nakheel Mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (E-mart)The 66-square-meter store will open inside Al Nakheel Mall, which is operated by Saudi Arabian retail giant Fawaz Alhokair in the capital city of Riyadh.The store will have beauty products including facial serums, cleansers, hair and body care product

They have been rivals for decades, but unionized workers from South Korea’s two largest airlines, Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines, found themselves seeking the same goal over the weekend -- seeing their chairmen resign.Chanting a slogan against the power abuse of Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho and Asiana Airlines Chairman Park Sam-koo, employees of the two airlines held a joint rally in front of Cheong Wa Dae on Saturday evening.Employees of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines stage a protest i

Gmarket, a leading online shopping site operated by eBay Korea, said Wednesday that it has strengthened shopping benefits for foreign users with diverse promotions in July. With the foreign population increasing here, eBay Korea said its global shopping platform Gmarket Global Shop has seen on-year sales growth of at least 33 percent in the health food section in the second quarter of this year. Sales of fresh food such as seasonal fruits, vegetables and rice also saw a 12 percent increase over

While millennials in their late 20s and early 30s have been the key purchasers on e-commerce, an industry survey found Thursday that consumers in their 50s and 60s are rising as a new major consumer group, as they have become more familiar with shopping online. (Yonhap)According to e-commerce platform Auction, consumers in their 50s and 60s recorded a 135 percent increase in their purchase amounts in the past five years. They made up 27 percent of consumers ranging from teenagers to those in the

Korea Gas Corp. is expanding its dominance as a global liquefied natural gas provider, with increased overseas business volume as well as active participation in building natural gas infrastructure in emerging countries.  Workers are seen at Mexico’s Manzanillo LNG terminal. (KGC)Since its establishment in 1983 under the South Korean government, KGC has been operating a total of 72 11.4 million-kilometer-long storage facilities around the world. It has built and is operating over 4,790-kilometer