The Korean subsidiary of U.S.-based health care giant Johnson & Johnson will pay fines of 1.86 billion won ($1.6 million) for violating local fair trade regulations in selling its popular Acuvue soft contact lenses in the domestic market, company officials said Thursday.　The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled in favor of the Fair Trade Commission, concluding a dispute that began when J&J Korea filed a lawsuit to nullify the antitrust watchdog’s claims that it took part in unfair business practices a

Last year, a group of South Korean college students got the media spotlight for completing a 1.3-kilometer journey across the Hangang River on a self-built raft, attracting more than 200 spectators.　What was so special about this raft? It was built by tying together 160 unopened bags of potato chips, to protest against snack-makers that made consumers feel as if they “bought nitrogen gas packets that came with a couple of free snacks,” as one of the paddlers put it at the time.A group of Korean

Nivea, a brand established under German skin care giant Beiersdorf, is holding an event to put personal photos into the caps of its tin-stored creams through mid-January of next year as part of its brand marketing campaign.　The event, taking place at select E-Mart branches and drugstores on set dates, has seen more than 100 daily participants and delivered 1,000 personalized Nivea tin creams to consumers since kicking off in October, according to the firm.　Nivea’s branding event will take place

Uniqlo will launch a new Star Wars clothing lineup featuring characters from the beloved classic film series next Monday to celebrate the release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”　Fashion items for both men and women -- including hoodies, Heattech wear, sweatshirts, umbrellas and tote bags -- will be printed with Star Wars characters including Darth Vader and Stormtroopers as part of the collaboration.　Starting Nov. 27, the Japanese apparel maker will hand out tickets to the new Star Wars film

Bershka, a clothing brand established under Spain’s Inditex, the owner of brands Zara and Massimo Dutti, has unveiled a new design concept for its stores dubbed the “Stage.” It will also open a new store in Hongdae under the new design scheme.　Inspired by music, concerts and the backstage culture, the brand’s “Stage” interior was designed to reaffirm the brand’s position as a leader of the latest trends in fashion and music as well as top-notch technologies.　The new design concept is high-tech a

Innisfree, a skin care brand owned by South Korea’s cosmetics giant AmorePacific, is introducing limited-edition versions of 13 of its products as well as selling candles and diffusers in celebration of the Christmas season.　The brand’s flagship Green Tea Seed Cream, Eco Nail Polish collection, perfumed hand creams, ampule-intense cushion and tinted lip balm, among others, are available in Christmas-inspired packaging.　The special candles and diffusers are available in three scents -- Sweet Holi

Kolon FnC, the fashion unit of South Korea’s materials manufacturer Kolon Industries, has rolled out a new bomber jacket dubbed “the bomber parka” under its men’s casual fashion brand Series. 　Inspired by classic aviator jackets, Kolon’s new bomber jacket is filled with goose down, offering extra warmth and comfort for those seeking outdoor activities in cold weather. 　The stylish waist-length jacket is fitted with a hood for a more casual look, is available in two colors -- camouflage and khaki

Global outdoor clothing brand Columbia has released a new bomber jacket, dubbed the Cloudcap Cove Down Jacket, in line with the growing popularity of aviator or pilot jackets.　Inspired by winter jackets worn by pilots and navy sailors that are shorter in length, the bomber jacket allows for easier movement of the upper body. 　Columbia’s new aviator jacket is also padded with faux fur, increasing warmth and offering heightened protection against strong winds in the winter. The jacket was styled t

Philips Korea, the local branch of leading Dutch health care company Philips, has launched a new automatic hair curling iron in South Korea.　Philips ProCare Auto Curler HPS940 heats up in less than 30 seconds and automatically rolls, heats and curls hair. Users can select from three heat settings -- 170, 190 and 210 degrees Celsius -- and three time settings -- 8, 10 and 12 seconds -- depending on the desired curling effect.　The device also comes with a “professional brushless motor” that enable

POSCO ICT, a subsidiary of South Korea’s leading steelmaker POSCO, said Tuesday it will begin efforts to export its baggage handling system to countries like China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, where many new airports are being built.　The company’s self-developed system enables the automatic transfer of travelers’ luggage from the airport terminal to planes using readable tags attached to the bags. POSCO ICT`s baggage handling system at work inside Incheon International Airport in South Korea (POSCO I

Philips Korea, the local branch of leading Dutch health care and lighting company Philips, has appointed Peter Kwak, former country manager of Nike Korea, as general manager of its personal health division.　　Kwak, who worked at the footwear firm for 12 years and as CEO of its Korea arm since 2009, is a seasoned businessman in the fast-moving consumer goods industry, having led Nike Korea to double its revenue under his leadership, Philips noted. He previously worked at McKinsey & Company in Chic

Korean retailers will kick off the second annual K-Sale Day event offering major discounts on goods starting Friday, ahead of the U.S. Black Friday sales scheduled for Nov. 27.　Aiming to record a sharp increase in sales, retail giants including Lotte, Hyundai and Shinsegae department stores as well as large supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, electronics stores and clothing brands will hold various sales events as part of K-Sale Day, which will run through Dec. 15. Shoppers shift thro

SONGDO, Incheon -- At the Samsung BioLogics headquarters based in Songdo, Incheon, a set of conference rooms have taken on a rather unconventional naming scheme.　The first room begins with Songdo, continuing on to South Korea and Asia, and out to the world’s five oceans and six continents. What follows? The highest peaks located on each continent such as Mount Everest in Asia and North America’s Mount McKinley.　“It reflects the company’s aim to expand globally and to leave a noteworthy footprint

Encouraged by the record-breaking success of Korean manufacturers and retailers in China’s Singles Day event on Nov. 11, Korea is once again reviving its Korea’s Black Friday event in its efforts to boost domestic consumption. 　This time, retailers are striving to lure global shoppers hopping around sales promotions around the world ranging from Singles’ Day to the U.S.’ Black Friday Event and then to the K-Sale Day, which is slated for Nov. 20-Dec. 15 in Korea. The logo of the K-Sale event, sch

　The landscape of Seoul’s lucrative duty-free market, dominated by Lotte and Shilla as of now, is set for a major change following the bid for the expiring business licenses of three duty-free stores in the capital city.　According to market data from the Korea Duty Free Association, sales at the nation’s duty free shops reached 8.3 trillion won ($8 billion) last year, with urban tax-free outlets taking 70 percent of the total revenue.  Three sites have been chosen to run duty-free shops in Seoul

　Lexus, Toyota’s premium vehicle brand, ran a collaboration project with the Korean music scene to promote sales of its newly launched IS200t, a compact sports sedan, targeting local car lovers in their 20s and 30s. 　The company held a hip-hop concert-type launching event in Seoul last Wednesday, inviting around 300 potential customers and media officials to celebrate and showcase the new vehicle equipped with a new turbocharged engine and an enhanced automatic transmission system for a more dyn

South Korean retail giant Shinsegae and Doosan Group, a leading industrial conglomerate, were the biggest winners in a highly contested bid for three expiring business licenses for duty-free stores in Seoul.　Four conglomerates -- Shinsegae, Doosan, Lotte and SK -- had been engaged in a fierce competition over the rights to run the capital city’s duty-free outlets. Four sites have been chosen to run duty-free shops in Seoul and Busan over the next five years. Clockwise from From left: Lotte Depar

　Lotte Group renewed the operating license for one of its two duty-free stores in downtown Seoul, while retail giant Shinsegae and heavy industries-focused conglomerate Doosan won the rights to open new stores in the capital, the Korea Customs Service said Saturday.　Lotte, the nation‘s top duty-free operator and the world’s third-largest, was able to keep one store in Myeongdong, a major shopping district in the capital, while losing the other at Lotte World Tower in the affluent Gangnam region

LG UNVEILS G4 WHITE GOLD EDITION -- LG Electronics released a new variant of its high-end G4 smartphone, dubbed the G4 White Gold, Wednesday. The new G4 in white with a gold-colored frame rolled out through Korean mobile carriers starting with LG Uplus. (LGE)　

“The world is about people, not objects,” according to industrial design expert Arik Levy. That philosophy fuels his belief that design should focus on improving people’s everyday lives in new ways.“In the end, it’s only people that will help people,” said Levy, who opened a “Premium Talk” session held as part of the fifth Herald Design Forum in Seoul on Tuesday.Industrial designer Arik Levy (center) discusses the essence of good design with contemporary dancer Kim Seol-jin(right) during the Her