Sulwhasoo Men, the premium skin care brand for men by AmorePacific, launched its Refreshing Cleansing Foam and Age Defying Cream. The cream made with ginseng seed oil moisturizes the skin and boosts revitalization, the company said. It can be applied after using the already-released Bonyoon Essence and fluids. The cleansing foam contains natural powder substances that function as daily scrub material, removing old tissue and dirt. The Refreshing Cleansing Foam is around 30,000 won ($25.50) and t

Burberry flagship store in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul. Burberry KoreaBritish luxury brand Burberry opened its flagship store in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, on Thursday.The building will work as the showroom of not only Burberry products but also its state-of-the-art information technology, and work as the epicenter of the company’s omni-channel marketing -- the integration of brick-and-mortar stores and the digital world. “The building sells the largest Burberry product assortment for me

Business conglomerates have reignited their competition to win a license to run three urban duty-free stores in Seoul and another in Busan. Having witnessed the jaw-dropping success of duty-free stores thanks to the recent Chinese tourists’ influx, business tycoons are vowing to win the license allowing the semi-exclusive operation for the next five years. The application process wrapped up on Sept. 25, and the result is due to be announced in November. “Because of the expensive rent inside airp

The feud between management and truck drivers at Pulmuone, South Korea’s mid-weight food maker, has worsened over the Chuseok holiday as the four-week strike has turned into a legal battle. According to Pulmuone, the company is seeking damage compensation from about 40 truckers who have allegedly inflicted about 1 billion won ($835,000) worth of damage in the course of protests in front of the company’s logistics center in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, since Sept. 4. The company also cla

Starbucks Coffee Korea employees attend a promotional campaign to provide free coffees to soldiers. Starbucks Coffee KoreaStarbucks Coffee Korea on Tuesday said it will reward all military soldiers with free coffee as a token of appreciation for their patriotism. “Anyone who identifies themselves as military soldiers along with a coupon distributed at the military camp will be given a cup of tall-size ‘Today’s Coffee’ at any Starbucks outlet in the country,” the company said. The coupon is valid

German carmakers have enjoyed ample success in South Korea over the past decade but are now beset by scandals that could hurt their reputation and sales. With BMW facing a massive recall order and Mercedes-Benz struggling to quell controversy over its aftersales service, Volkswagen’s latest emissions-fixing scandal has brought a new low to the three giants -- who together account for more than half of the local foreign car market.According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Associa

 Coffee shop franchise operator Caffe Bene on Wednesday appointed Choi Seung-woo as the company’s new CEO. Choi, who graduated from Seoul National University and has served as CEO of Woongjin Food, has been commissioned to put Caffe Bene on the global map. Founder and chairman Kim Sun-kwon, who had worked as the CEO, will now focus on projecting the overall direction and vision to open 10,000 outlets around the world by 2020. “In order to bring up Caffe Bene to the level of global franchise corp

With the influx of Chinese tourists and their spending at duty-free stores snowballing, Lotte Group and Samsung Group have locked horns in the services and retail industries, striving to win the favor of Chinese consumers.Their affiliates -- Hotel Shilla, with Samsung Group, and Hotel Lotte as well as Lotte Duty Free -- have been placed at the forefront to win the hearts of Chinese tourists, who have been known to spend an average of $2,094 during their stay, according to data from the Korea Tou

From Oct. 1-14, about 200 of the country’s most powerful retailers will give out discounts of up to 70 percent for both global and domestic shoppers. Dubbed “Korea’s Black Friday” after the popular massive sales promotion on the last Friday of November in the U.S., the two-week sales promotion is designed to boost the retail industry, the Industry Ministry said Tuesday. Participants include Lotte, Shinsegae, Hyundai Department Store, Galleria and AK, as well as their online retail outlets, along

CJ Foodville, the restaurant and cafe operator under CJ Group, on Tuesday announced that the company aims to become one of the world’s top 10 diner operators with more than 3,600 outlets in 15 overseas countries by 2020.Aggressive merger and acquisitions will become the main tool for the company to grade up with global giants such as McDonald’s, Starbucks or Yum. CJ currently operates 230 overseas outlets in 10 countries, and the proposed increase will account for 44 percent of the company’s rev

  Bank of Korea Gov. Lee Ju-yeol speaks during a press conference for the August rate-setting meeting at the BOK head office in Seoul. YonhapExpectations of another cut in the benchmark interest rate in October are running high as the central bank chief hinted at efforts to boost exports and revitalize economic activities. In the aftermath of the recent U.S. Federal Reserve’s key interest rate freeze and China’s financial uncertainties lurking in the background, speculations are rising about wha

Hyundai Motor Group’s announcement Monday to embrace all of its subcontractors has become the talk of the town. Pundits are watching whether other companies suffering similar problems will follow suit. The world’s fifth-largest automaker announced that the labor union and management of Hyundai Motor have agreed to gradually hire outsourced workers at its manufacturing plants as regular staff.The number of such employees has been pegged at 2,000 by 2017, which will consistently increase so that a

A driving shot of the new BMW 7 Series sedan 　Oliver Zipse, member of the management board of BMW responsible for productionPORTO, Portugal -- German luxury carmaker BMW is ready to hit the start button to win back customers from its rivals, including Mercedes-Benz, in the competitive luxury sedan market, facing the global debut of its sixth generation of the 7 Series sedan at the 66th International Motor Show in Frankfurt, which will kick off on Sept. 15. The carmaker will start sales of its la

Rolls-Royce DawnBritish luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce on Tuesday unveiled its new model, the Dawn, the “sexiest Rolls-Royce ever built.”  Media outlets worldwide live-streamed the pre-filmed showcase on Rolls-Royce’s website and then threw questions to Torsten Muller-Otvos, the company’s CEO. “Our new Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date, and begins a new age of open-top, super-luxury motoring,” Muller-Otvos said. “It will be the most social o

Kumho Tire’s self-sealing tires Kumho TireKumho Tire announced Monday that it will participate in the 2015 IAA conference this month in Frankfurt, Germany.The IAA, which expects around 1 million visitors and 1,100 carmakers and manufacturers from Sept. 17-27, is one of the world’s four largest motor shows focused on auto products and technology.Kumho Tire officials said they plan to display 12 products and increase their brand recognition in Europe during the IAA.One of the products is its new u

 Volkswagen Korea opened its first Direct Express Service Center in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, where people can get their vehicles repaired without reservation. The center has three work bays and is capable of repairing up to 10 vehicles a day. The company plans to open six more centers by the end of the year.　

Volvo Car Korea launched the Cross Country, which mixed the wagon‘s practicality and the drivability of SUV. The four-wheeled car’s gasoline engine marks maximum 254 horsepower with the highest torque of 36.7 kg.m and its diesel engine flaunts a maximum of 190 horsepower and the highest torque of 42.8 kg.m. Its price starts from 52.2 million won. 　　

Bentley Motors will unveil its first SUV, the Bentayga, at the Frankfurt motor show, aiming at dynamic sports-loving customers. The car has inherited the rather solemn design philosophy but has infused the dynamic, state-of-the-art and lean flanks to meet up with the younger generation. The car flaunts a maximum of 608 horsepower and the maximum torque of 91.8 kg.m with its 12 cylinder, 6.0 liter powertrain. 　　

Porsche will hold the world premiere of the new 911 Carrera at the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt. The new generation of one of the world’s best-selling sports cars will debut with biturbo flat engines, an advanced chassis and new Porsche Communication Management. The 911 Carrera has a power output of 370 horsepower and the 911 Carrera S marks 420 horsepower.　　　

Ikea will hold the HejHOME Together event at Kunsthalle in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, through Sept. 25, displaying home-furnishing solutions for families with kids. A variety of furniture and home furnishing solutions will be showcased under the themes of “doing everything together,” “doing nothing together,” “creating things together,” “rest and recharge together” and “growing a garden together.” Visitors will be encouraged to paint a picture and make flowerpots with their children. By Bae