Liquor prices are continuing to increase across South Korea, the latest being those from Lotte Liquor, industry sources said Saturday.Starting this month, prices of liquor from Lotte Chilsung Beverage’s distiller unit will increase by up to 10 percent.Soju brand Chum-Churum, Chungha rice wine and Kloud beer are among the tipples to see a change in price, Lotte Liquor said. The company explained that while they tried to reduce consumer burden by maintaining the price, an eventual increase w

SK Broadband, a subsidiary of SK Telecom, announced Thursday its IPTV service B tv will provide subscribers more program varieties.B tv will be rolling out children educational programs, health and fitness programs, as well as E-mart discount coupons, the company said.Of the programs dedicated to infants and toddlers, one is called “Playsongs Home,” a music service made by SK Broadband and music preschool Playsongs.Infants and toddlers under the age of three can watch music programs

South Korean steelmaker Hyundai Steel unveiled three steel sculptures featured in its H-Steel Atelier project on Tuesday at Suncheon Bay Ecology and Culture Education Center in South Jeolla Province. H-Steel Atelier is Hyundai Steel’s corporate social responsibility project that aims to convey a soft and friendly image of steel through arts and culture. It is also a chance for local young artists to create artworks. This year, a contest was open to the public to create artworks in line wit

BMW Korea revealed Tuesday the return of BMW 1-Series that it said will provide customers a smooth ride with ultimate efficiency.The local branch of the German luxury carmaker said it would showcase its third-generation BMW 1-Series at the #NextGen event, to be held in Munich BMW Welt on June 25-27.The premium compact hatchback has undergone a design upgrade as well as technological advances that will enhance user experience, it said.The interior will boast a driver-centered design with more spa

Samsung SDS announced Sunday its strategic investment in Vietnamese information technology services company CMC. The IT unit of South Korea’s major conglomerate group signed a principle agreement that allows it to make major decisions in CMC’s management.  CMC specializes in system integration, software development, cloud computing and IT infrastructure management. It has previously worked with Samsung SDS for smart factories and cybersecurity.Samsung SDS said it will be a strat

South Korean builder GS Engineering & Construction said Sunday it has completed the construction of Vam Cong Bridge in southern Vietnam. According to GS E&C, an opening ceremony for the bridge was held May 19, attended by officials from GS E&C, the Export-Import Bank of Korea and the Korean Embassy as well as the Vietnamese minister of transport. Vam Cong Bridge, which runs 2.97 kilometers along the Hau River in the Mekong Delta, cost around 240 billion won ($202 million) and took fi

The world’s largest shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries said Thursday it has obtained two additional orders to build liquefied natural gas carriers, bringing its total number of orders to five so far this year. HHI revealed that a deal had been made with an unnamed European shipping company for two LNG vessels valued at $390 million in total. The vessels will have 180,000 cubic meters in capacity and will be delivered by HHI’s Ulsan headquarters in 2022.The vessels will be equipped

South Korea’s largest steelmaker Posco will be upgrading its benefit sharing system, expanding opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises and increasing performance compensations, the company said Thursday.Pioneered by Posco in 2004, benefit sharing system is a joint cooperation between corporates and SMEs that provides a win-win scenario for both parties. Not only can SMEs utilize technologies of large corporates, but corporates can also improve its materials and secure a stable

What’s in a name? For the tragic heroine of “Romeo and Juliet,” names may not have been all that important. But for a company brand, a name holds great significance.It’s an important aspect of a brand’s identity, often reflecting the vision and philosophy behind the brand. Consumers often judge the quality of a product by the brand name alone, and names can influence brand loyalty. Some brand names are derived from the name of a founder -- take Baskin-Robbins for example. Others are more abstrac

Samsung SDI showcased its latest energy storage system at one of the biggest ESS events, Ees Europe 2019, in Munich from Wednesday to Friday.The battery affiliate of Samsung Electronics presented its latest ESS, the E3, which has enhanced energy density and can store 20 percent more energy than previous models, according to the company. The physical size of the battery cell in the E3 remains the same, but the design of the rack and module have been optimized, with the technology advanced to acco

GS Group Chairman Huh Chang-soo on Wednesday opened the GS Value Creation Forum with a speech celebrating the forum’s 10th edition. He also urged for the group’s continued growth in light of new technologies and business models.　“The GS Value Creation Forum has always been a platform for us to share our success stories, and GS Group is where it is today because we accept change and innovation as central forces for development,” the chairman said.Some 300 executives and staff of GS affiliates att

Korean confectionary firm Orion said Tuesday its Turtle Chips was given the Best Puffed Foods Award at the annual Food and Beverage Innovation Forum held in Hangzhou, China.The crispy snack with its distinctive four-layered plates was among 17 food items recognized with the Hello Foods Prize at FBIF -- one of the leading food and beverage industry conference in the Asia-Pacific region. The prize is given to innovative products selected by 17 judges in the FBIF committee. Chinese version of Turtl

South Korea will provide food aid to four countries in the Middle East and Africa currently reeling under famine, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced Friday.At a ceremonial event held at a port in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, Deputy Minister Kim Jong-hoon announced that a total of 50,000 tons of domestically grown rice will be distributed to Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. The shipments are expected to reach the countries by mid-May to June.Since Korea became a mem

LG Hausys, a South Korean manufacturer of housing materials, became the first domestic company to acquire certification by the Scientific and Technical Centre for Building (CSTB), the company said Thursday.CSTB is a French national organization that makes assessments of materials in the construction industry. LG Hausys’ HI-MACS, a solid acrylic surface that is widely used for both interiors and building exteriors, was recognized by the CSTB for its durability, the firm said.A villa located in Ca

South Korea’s leading tire manufacturer, Hankook Tire Group, has changed the name of its holding company and six major subsidiaries to an integrated branding system under Hankook, the company announced Wednesday.Holding group Hankook Tire Worldwide has changed its name to Hankook Technology Group, while its flagship company Hankook Tire changed to Hankook Tire & Technology. Five other subsidiaries also changed the name to include the word Hankook, such as AtlasBX, a storage battery manufacturer,

South Korea’s leading environmental exhibition, the International Exhibition on Environmental Technology & Green Energy, has received UFI certification, the Korea Environmental Preservation Association announced Tuesday.UFI is the French abbreviation for a global association that represents trade show organizers and exhibition center operators. As a UFI-approved international event, ENVEX is now recognized as a high-quality exhibition that provides a secure space for business interactions, KEPA

Philip Morris International announced Wednesday that the US Food and Drug Administration has officially approved the sale of its tobacco device Iqos.Iqos is a heat-not-burn tobacco device that has passed the premarket tobacco application submitted to the FDA, making it now legal for the company to market the product in the US. (Yonhap)Unlike e-cigarettes, which heat a nicotine-infused liquid, HNB devices such as Iqos are noncombustible devices that heat tobacco, generating a nicotine-infused aer

Free Wi-Fi services will be available on 4,200 public city buses nationwide, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced Wednesday.In an effort to improve information accessibility and reduce telecommunication costs, the ministry will provide 100 gigabytes of data per bus every month for public use. Buses with Wi-Fi services will have a ministry-issued sticker attached for easy recognition. Ministry-issued sticker (MSIP)Public Wi-Fi services are available at some 13,000 designated areas across the

 Royal azaleas are in full bloom at the Gunpo Cheoljjuk Festival, in Gunpo, Gyeonggi province. The azaleas, known as “cheoljjuk” in Korean, are native to Korea and go into full bloom at the end of April.  (Yonhap)

Homeplus has teamed up with P&G Korea to co-host the 2019 Play Cup Youth Futsal Festival, from April 6 until June 8, at HM Futsal Parks located in various branches of Homeplus, the company said Monday.This year’s edition, with some 1,200 youth futsal players from 120 teams participating at five Homeplus Futsal Parks, will be the biggest tournament to date. A youth futsal team holds up the championship cup after winning first place. (Homeplus)The event provides an opportunity for youths to foster