The government eased a key anti-corruption law’s limits on the value of certain gifts Wednesday, saying it hoped the change would bolster agricultural sales.“The effectuation of the revision to the enforcement ordinance of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act is expected to bring great and positive change to agricultural and fishery industries, especially with the New Year’s holiday less than a month away,” said Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Kim Young-rok during a press brie

About 64 percent of part-time staffers at eateries in Korea were in favor of banning customers accompanied by children from the premises, a recent survey showed. (The Korea Herald)According to the survey conducted by Albamon, a part-timer recruiting website, about 64 percent of 1,268 part-timers at eateries supported a “no-kids policy.”More than 84 percent of the respondents said they had experienced inconvenience due to children.South Korea has seen a growing number of child-free venues in rece

When the mercury falls below zero in one of the coldest regions in Korea -- cold enough to freeze the river -- it is then that the place gets ready to begin the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival.This year’s Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, now in its 15th year, kicked off on Jan. 6. At least 380,000 local and foreign guests visited Hwacheon County in Gangwon Province during the first three days of the three-week festival. Ice fishing is just one of the highlights of the festival, which includes

For an increasing number of Koreans, rice and noodles are no longer the foundation of their meals. A growing appetite for sandwiches and baked goods like cakes, pastries and doughnuts have made bakeries ubiquitous across Korea.Wheat consumption has continued to grow in a country where traditionally a meal without rice was no meal at all. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the average South Korean ate 33.2 kilograms of wheat flour in 2016.(123RF)Meanwhile, rice cons

　2016년 7월 한국에 상륙해 폭염 속에서도 버거를 사기 위해 하루 종일 줄이 늘어서는 진풍경을 연출했던 ‘쉑쉑버거’(쉐이크쉑)이 인천공항 제 2터미널(T2)에 들어오는 신매장에는 무인주문 시스템인 ‘키오스크(Kiosk)’ 설치를 고려하고 있다고 밝혔다. 　　쉐이크쉑은 2016년 개점 초 최소 한 시간 이상 줄을 서야 주문할 수 있었다. 폭염 속에서 기다리는 소비자들에게 닥칠 혹시 모를 건강상 위험을 대비해 SPC 측에서 부채와 생수는 물론, 간호사까지 준비시킬 정도였다. 　  인천공항 제2터미널(T2)에 입점 예정인 인기 햄버거 매장 쉐이크 쉑(Shake Shack) 6호점 (사진=인천공항공사 제공)하지만 이번 달 18일 인천공항 제 2터미널에 개장하는 쉑쉑버거 국내 6호점에서는 길게 선 줄을 대신할 수 있는 주문과 결제가 한번에 가능한 키오스크가 선보일 가능성이 높다. 　　쉐이크쉑을 국내에 들여온 SPC그룹 관계자는 10일 “인천공항 제 2터미널의 전반적인 무인 키오스크 컨셉에

LG Hausys, a South Korean construction material supplier, has been striving to penetrate the North American market through active marketing and localization, with the aim of becoming the top acrylic scagliola maker in the United States. Attendees of the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Orlando look at LG Hausys’ acrylic scagliola and engineered stone products. LG HausysAs part of its efforts, the company participated in one of the largest local exhibitions, The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, which

Starbucks Korea’s “2018 lucky bags” are set to go on sale Thursday, offering a random selection of goodies and special edition items.  Starbucks Korea’s 2018 lucky bags. Starbucks KoreaThis year, the coffee chain will release 14,000 bags containing six items, such as tumblers, water bottles, mugs, muddlers, coasters and three free beverage coupons, at 1,000 stores nationwide. There will also be two new special edition items: a color-changing tumbler and Yunnori, a Korean traditional board game.

Korea’s largest tobacco maker KT&G said it will increase the price of Fiit, a tobacco product exclusively designed for its heat-not-burn device Lil, from next week.  KT&GFiit, a tobacco-filled stick that works with Lil, was released at 4,300 won ($4) in November. The company said the price of Fiit will go up to 4,500 won, reflecting a recent increase in the individual consumption tax imposed on HNB products and other levies such as a health promotion fee. The company has worked to minimize the p

LG Household & Health Care’s royal-themed cosmetics brand Whoo achieved sales of 1.42 trillion won ($1.3 billion) last year, following its continued popularity in China and Southeast Asia.  Chinese consumers shop for LG Household & Health Care’s Whoo products at a department store in Shanghai, China. LG Household & HealthcareSince its launch in 2003, Whoo has seen 40 percent growth each year, according to the company. It posted 100 billion won in sales in 2009. Riding a wave of rapid growth, its

With the ascension of a tech-savvy and mobile-first generation of consumers, or “Generation Z,” retailers and brands need to prepare ways to reach and appeal to them, a recent report showed. According to the report released by Hyundai Research Institute, Generation Z, referring to those born between 1996 and 2010 and the first consumers to have grown up in the digital era, will be the most pivotal generation to the future of retail, with their lifestyles centered around the smartphone.The report

Sales of cosmetics for teenagers continued to rise in 2017, with 29 percent growth on-year, data from a South Korean e-commerce firm showed Friday. According to SK Planet, which operates an e-commerce platform 11st, sales of color cosmetics such as lipsticks and manicures soared by 549 percent and 233 percent, respectively. Teenagers’ makeup kits and makeup tables were also popular, with sales growing by 101 percent and 182 percent, respectively.The sales of cosmetics targeting young customers h

With growing popularity of home meal replacements, or ready-to-eat meals that require little preparation, South Korean food processing companies are in a race to develop better and more efficient microwavable packaging.  NongshimIndustry insiders said packaging technology will emerge as an important factor in the competitiveness of products, while busy lifestyles and easy preparation are also boosting the microwavable food market.According to global market research firm Smithers Pira, the South

Gwanghwamun in central Seoul was ranked first among the country’s business districts in terms of yearly sales and sales volume per person. YonhapSK Telecom’s big data analysis service Geovision analyzed 20 major business districts across the country from November 2016 to October 2017. Geovision provides an analysis of business districts by tracking statistics of location, population, sales, category of business and consumer’s consumption tendency, combined with information on a map.SK Telecom sa

South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries has axed 30 percent of its executives as part of the struggling firm’s latest efforts to prepare for a decline in its business due to a further drop in orders. Samsung HeavyFollowing a reshuffle conducted last week, the firm now has a total of 50 board members, down from 72. It also streamlined the organization from 89 to 67 departments or teams by converging its management. In addition, the company decided to increase its capital by 1.5 trillion

Local biopharmaceutical company Green Cross Corp. has been rebranded as GC, the company said Tuesday. GC stands for the English initials of the company’s original name Green Cross, but it also represents the company’s motto of “Great Commitment, Great Challenge, Great Company,” the firm said. GCThe company’s new name and logo will apply to all of its subsidiary and affiliated companies, as well as the holding company Green Cross Holdings. “Rebranding the business is intended to reaffirm the comp

AIA Korea, local subsidiary of Asia’s largest life insurance AIA Group, officially inaugurated as a Korean corporation, the company said Tuesday. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of its launch, AIA Korea said its transition into a corporation will increase the company’s financial transparency and strengthen competitiveness. The company first entered the domestic market in 1987 as an insurer branch.“Establishment as a Korean corporation is an important milestone for the company, which will help u

The father of a 5-year-old girl found dead on a hillside in North Jeolla Province admitted Monday to having assaulted his daughter, according to police.YonhapOfficials from the North Jeolla Provincial Police Agency said Ko Jun-hee’s father, 37, told the investigators that he had beaten his daughter with his hands and feet in April at his house in Wanju, North Jeolla Province. He, however, refused to elaborate why and where he hit her, police said. Ko’s girlfriend, only identified by her surname

South Korean police on Friday began investigating a major blaze in an eight-story building in the southern city of Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, which claimed at least 29 lives.The North Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency said it is conducting a forensic examination of the scene with officials from the National Forensics Service and fire authorities. Officials from the National Forensics Service and fire authorities conduct a forensic examination of the scene of a major blaze that broke

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Wednesday that it will extend the operating hours of major bus routes from Dec. 18 to Dec. 31. Eighty-nine buses passing through 11 major high-traffic areas such as Gangnam, Seoul Station, Myeong-dong, Sinchon, Yeongdeungpo and Hongik University, will extend their hours of operation to 1 a.m. YonhapOn New Year’s Eve, 15 buses passing through Jongno will run until 2 a.m. the following day for the convenience of those attending the New Year’s bell-ringing cer

Early investigations point to hospital-acquired infections as the possible cause of the mysterious deaths of four newborns at a local hospital in the span of just 80 minutes last week. A DNA analysis conducted by Ewha Womans University Medical Center, where the babies died on Saturday evening while being treated at the neonatal intensive care unit, found an identical type of Citrobacter freundii in three of the four victims. The hospital suspected contamination of injection tools or IV fluid. 　M