Homeplus has introduced Italian quality wines at its local branches as a part of the company’s campaign promoting premium wines sold at reasonable prices in the Korean market, the company said Tuesday.Last year, Homeplus launched its Superstar project, bringing in quality wines from outside the country and offering them at lower prices to expand the nation’s wine market base. Italy’s Tuscany-based Banfi wines are displayed at a Homeplus branch in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. (Homeplus)This year,

Hyundai Oilbank, one of the top refiners in Korea, said Wednesday that the company would conduct maintenance activities at Hyundai Oilbank Daesan Plant, starting Tuesday. A week ahead of the scheduled project, Hyundai Oilbank CEO Moon Jong-bak held an event to encourage field workers that will be responsible for the refinery maintenance. “Safety is the most important value at a refinery site,” Moon said.  Hyundai Oilbank CEO Moon Jong-bak (left) helps a worker put on safety boots during an event

South Korea’s leading cosmetics firm Amorepacific aims to beef up its presence in the global market through wider investment in research, the firm said Monday.Between 1997 and 2016, the firm increased its research and development spending from 17.9 billion won ($15.7 million) to 119 billion won.“The R&D spending of the company is expected to increase again in 2017 as it did in previous years,” Amorepacific’s spokesperson said.Amorepacific was the first cosmetics firm to open a R&D office here in

Booyoung Group Chairman Lee Joong-keun was inaugurated as the 17th chairman of the Korean Senior Citizens Association. On Wednesday, the KSCA held an event in Seoul to celebrate the designation, with around 400 participants in attendance, including government officials and lawmakers.  Booyoung Group Chairman Lee Joong-keun delivers his speech at an inauguration ceremony held in Seoul on Wednesday. (Shim Woo-hyun/The Korea Herald)Upon his inauguration, Lee pledged to speak for the 7 million senio

The Korea Gas Corporation said Thursday that the company conducted safety inspections at its two local liquefied natural gas facilities from July 11-12. The safety checks were conducted as a part of the government’s summer electricity supply plan, it added.  A Kogas gas supply facility in Busan (Kogas)With Kogas Senior Executive Vice President Kim Young-do in charge, the nation’s largest gas buyer checked the storage and supply equipment at its facilities.“With thorough safety inspections, Kogas

Korea’s leading discount retailer Homeplus on Thursday signed an agreement with the Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled to promote and expand the employment of people with disabilities.Homeplus CEO Kim Sang-hyun and KEAD President Park Seung-Kyu met Wednesday at Homeplus headquarters in Seoul, where they agreed to work together to create more quality jobs for people with disabilities and offer them job arrangement services.  Homeplus CEO Kim Sang-hyun (left) and KEAD President Park Seung-Ky

ACN, a US-based network marketing company, has marked fast growth, providing telecommunications, energy, security, payment and lifestyle services through networks of individual business owners. ACN has been introduced to 25 countries worldwide and has a total asset value of 29 trillion won ($23.1 billion). The company now aims to expand its market footing in Asia after its success in European markets, according to the firm. Members of ACN Korea (ACN Korea)In September 2010, ACN first landed in A

The state-led C1 Gas Refinery R&D Center hosted an international symposium last month in Seoul to discuss latest biotechnologies used in gas conversion, officials said Monday.The event was held in Sogang University on June 30 and invited Lanzatech, a biofuel company equipped with advanced technology to turn industrial waste gases into low-carbon fuels, along with local companies. Researchers of C1 Gas Refinery R&D Center pose for a photo. (CGRC)Among discussions at the symposium were global mark

Kumho Tire will sponsor the 2017 Kumho Tire Women’s Open at Weihai Point Hotel and Golf Resort in Shandong, China, from Friday to Sunday, the company said Wednesday. Kumho Tire has been holding Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association tournaments since 2013. This is the fifth time the company will be holding the event.  (Kumho Tire)A total of 123 Korean and Chinese golfers will compete in the golf event, including Korean pro golfer Jang Ha-na and China’s Peng Shanshan, both of whom the company

VORNADO Korea, a domestic marketing company that has imported air circulators from US-based VORNADO since 2007, has found its footing in the South Korean market.VORNADO, which started its business in the mid-1940 in Kansas, is a US-based company that manufactures household fans and appliances related to air circulation. It prides itself on its signature energy efficient Vortex Technology, which allows all the air in a room to circulate by using a special airflow. A VORNADO VFAN Vintage Air Circu

Samsung Electronics Co. gained the No. 2 spot in the global wearable market in the first quarter of this year by overtaking Fitbit for the first time, on the back of the success of its Gear S3 smartwatch, data showed Sunday. According to the data compiled by Strategy Analytics, Samsung captured 12.8 percent of the global market share in terms of sales during the January-March period, overtaking Fitbit with 12.2 percent. Apple maintained its No. 1 status with a commanding 53-percent market share.

GS Caltex Chairman Huh Jin-soo hosted a musical concert in Seoul on Monday to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary with its longtime clients and business partners, the firm said Wednesday.“GS Caltex has grown along with customers for the past 50 years,” he said at the concert, which featured soprano Shin Young-ok and samulnori -- Korean traditional percussion -- musician Jang Sa-ik.GS Caltex Chairman Huh Jin-soo (GS Caltex)“(The company) will provide stable and sustainable value and will rem

A VERY SPECIAL DAY -- Participants pose for a photo during an event on Saturday organized by Singapore Airlines and also joined by Singapore Airlines General Manager for the Korean branch Seah Chee Chian (standing, center), offering an opportunity for children with visual impairment and their families to cook in-flight meals with Chef Yim Jung-sik of Michelin-starred restaurant Jungsik. The event is part of the airline’s corporate social responsibility program and has been held since 2012. (Sing

The state-run Korea Electric Power Corporation, the nation’s sole electricity provider, has maintained its strong presence in the Forbes Global 2000, the business magazine’s annual list of the biggest 2,000 public companies in the world, Kepco said Sunday.In this year’s list, Kepco ranked 138th, while placing second in the electric utilities sector. Kepco has also topped all other Asian electricity providers for the third consecutive year. (Yonhap)In 2016, Kepco was listed 97th for 2016 in an an

General Electric has joined a next-generation power supply development project named Energy Valley Project led by Korea Electric Power Corp. in Naju, South Jeolla Province.The two firms held a launch event Thursday for the GE “Bitgaram” office that will provide GE legal and technical support.Kepco CEO Cho Hwan-eik and GE Energy Connections CEO Russell Stokes participated in the event to discuss details of the future investment for the Energy Valley Project. Some 70 representatives from the Natio