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A box full of K-cuteness: Artbox takes on the world

Korea’s most coveted souvenirs may be pocket-size tokens of cuteness, and more tourists now save suitcase space for plush toys, character key chains and stickers alongside their K-beauty and K-food hauls. Prominent on their itineraries sits Artbox, a four-decade-old stationery chain whose quirky lifestyle goods and trinkets — a far cry from the school supplies of its early days — have put it in the same league as Olive Young, Musinsa and Daiso. The swelling foreign traffic did not end with vacat
Coex expands Vietnam trade shows with 147 exhibitors

South Korean convention and exhibition organizer Coex opened two international trade shows in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Thursday, bringing together 147 companies from 10 countries to explore business opportunities in the country's franchise and coffee markets. The Vietnam International Franchise Show 2026 and Coffee Expo Vietnam 2026 are being held simultaneously through Saturday at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center, featuring a combined 430 booths. The franchise exhibition brings to
A trip to the Rockies via Tim Hortons’ first global flagship

A red canoe rests by a lake, a wooden bridge leads to the door and cabin booths fill the wood-paneled interior. What appears to be a Rocky Mountain resort is, in fact, Tim Hortons’ first international flagship, in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong. Banff Town Seongsu, slated to open Tuesday, recreates its namesake, a mountain resort town long beloved by Korean travelers, to make the brand’s presence in Korea more Canadian than ever, down to the props shipped from Canada. "We've opened many stores to meet cus
Amazon doubles down on K-beauty’s next leap in US

Amazon has become the front door for Korean beauty companies in the US, and the e-commerce giant now plans to welcome more and open new rooms for those already inside. Amazon Global Selling Korea, the local arm of Amazon’s cross-border selling business, unveiled new initiatives Tuesday at Amazon Beauty in Seoul 2026 to build on Korean beauty’s presence in the US. "Amazon Global Selling Korea will carry out four core projects in 2027 with K-beauty sellers to secure leadership in the global market
Musinsa bets on China as fashion flows both ways

In China, Musinsa's overseas aspirations take their most vivid form. Not only does Korea’s leading fashion platform run more stores there than anywhere abroad, but it also brings Chinese designers home to Korean shoppers. Through Musinsa Empty, its high-end select shop with three outlets in Seoul, Musinsa introduces Chinese designers to Korean shoppers. Its latest guest, footwear label Daphne.Lab, is holding its first Korean pop-up at the Seongsu branch, Musinsa announced Monday. Earlier, Musins
As Koreans eat less rice, CJ looks overseas to grow Hetbahn

JINCHEON, North Chungcheong Province — For three decades, CJ CheilJedang has honed a seemingly simple recipe for instant rice under its Hetbahn brand, which more often than not stands in for microwavable rice itself in Korea. The nation's first aseptic-packaged cooked rice, debuted in 1996, now holds about 65 percent of the domestic market and has grown into a lineup of multigrain bowls, pot-cooked rice, porridge, cup meals and even rice-studded gelato. Innovation continues at CJ’s smart factory
AmCham, Cisco urge Korean firms to tackle aging IT security risks

The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea and US networking giant Cisco called for greater attention to cybersecurity risks posed by aging IT infrastructure, urging Korean businesses to modernize outdated systems as artificial intelligence reshapes the threat landscape. The two organizations held a closed-door roundtable Thursday at Cisco Korea's office in Seoul, bringing together business executives and cybersecurity experts to discuss the risks of end-of-life, or EOL, technology — equipment an
Coupang spends $3.6m lobbying Washington as midterms approach

E-commerce giant Coupang spent about $3.6 million lobbying Washington in the first nine months of this year, while its political action committee steered more donations toward Democrats ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, federal filings showed Thursday. Coupang reported $3.62 million in lobbying expenses through September in its filings under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, more than double the $1.69 million a year earlier. Its reports target the Executive Office of the President, the State and
K-beauty stocks stumble as strong won squeezes profits

While K-beauty’s overseas sales have never been stronger, markets seem hesitant to reward its soaring figures, fearing a surging won will eat into its earnings. Cosmetics exports reached $11.1 billion in the first nine months of the year, up 31.1 percent and a record for the period, according to Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, though shares of major K-beauty companies have lagged behind, weighed down by an earnings risk analysts say is already priced in. APR, the sector’s bellwether wi
What’s brewing behind Mega Coffee’s deal rush?

In Korea’s food and beverage deal market these days, the most persistent bidder sells cheap coffee. Mega MGC Coffee, the country’s largest coffee chain with 4,500 bright-yellow storefronts, no longer seems content merely selling Americanos. It now harbors an appetite for a larger share of the retail landscape. "With a nationwide franchise logistics network and strong cash generation, Mega Coffee has emerged as a key strategic investor in F&B deals," one industry official said. The hunt began in
K-food chiefs lead European charge at SIAL Paris

Korea’s top food executives are out in force this week at SIAL Paris 2026 — Europe’s leading food and beverage trade fair — showcasing their flagship brands alongside the new products set to drive growth in what has become one of K-food’s fastest-growing markets. The five-day fair, running through Wednesday, draws about 8,000 exhibitors from over 130 countries, among them 11 Korean food firms, such as Samyang Foods, Nongshim, Ourhome, Samlip, Binggrae and Lotte Wellfood. Samyang Foods said Tuesd
Gentle Monster vs. Blue Elephant: Behind K-eyewear's global boom, a bitter battle over imitation

Gentle Monster’s global standing is hardly in doubt. Its recent campaigns feature Tilda Swinton, Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi and Stray Kids’ Felix. It has released collaborations with Prada and Maison Margiela, to name a few, and crossed into wearables with Google and Samsung Electronics. With its success came a Korean eyewear boom and a wave of challengers. Rising fastest is Blue Elephant, with similarly trendy frames for much lower prices and gallery-like stores to match. Those parallels
Korean Air posts record quarterly revenue in Q3

Korean Air posted record quarterly revenue for the July-September period on surging inbound and steady cargo demand, despite persistently high fuel costs, the national flag carrier said Thursday. According to preliminary earnings data, third-quarter revenue reached 5.04 trillion won ($3.8 billion), the highest of any quarter in the company’s history, up more than 1 trillion won, or 26 percent, from a year earlier. Operating profit climbed 12 percent to 421.2 billion won. Net income soared more t
K-beauty’s new race runs on 30-minute delivery apps

K-beauty’s newest battlefield is delivery speed, and food delivery services now set the pace. Korea’s leading food delivery apps — Baemin and Coupang Eats — have linked their rider networks and customer bases to nearby discount beauty stores. They now deliver to customers’ doorsteps in about 30 minutes and outpace CJ Olive Young on speed. Last week, Baemin, set to come under Uber through its parent company, added warehouse-style outlet Off Beauty to its platform. The chain delivers about 4,000 p
HiteJinro starts brewing Kirin beer in Korea

HiteJinro said Monday it has begun producing one of Japanese brewer Kirin's best-known lagers in Korea, becoming the first independent importer in Asia to brew the beer under license. Kirin Brewery supplies HiteJinro with its core brewing technique and proprietary yeast under a technical partnership signed in July to produce the premium beer, Kirin Ichiban Shibori. Japanese engineers helped set up HiteJinro’s plant in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, over more than a year to meet Kirin’s quality s