Cigarette maker KT&G said Thursday that it had been awarded the labor minister’s award for workplace gender equality.Last year, the number of male employees using child care leave at KT&G saw a fourfold increase on-year. It also implemented an automatic child care leave system that allowed new mothers to take time off without complicated paperwork. Labor Minister Lee Ki-kwon (left) presents KT&G CEO Baek Bok-in with the minister’s award for workplace gender equality Wednesday. (KT&G)The company

HDC Shilla Duty Free, a joint venture between Hyundai Development Company and Hotel Shilla, has named Hotel Shilla Vice President Kim Chung-hwan as a new co-head, according to the company Thursday.Shareholders and the executive board of the company named Kim to lead the firm alongside co-CEO Yang Chang-hoon.  Kim Chung-hwan, the new co-CEO of HDC Shilla Duty FreeKim joined Samsung C&T in 1983, and served in various management positions both in Korea and abroad. He joined Hotel Shilla in 2011 whe

Duty-free stores that were newly licensed last year have asked the Korea Customs Service permission to push back their opening to next year, according to the Korea Duty Free Shops Association Thursday.Under current regulations, operators are required to open newly licensed duty-free outlets within one year, meaning that stores run by operators like Shinsegae and Hyundai Department Store would have had to open by this December.However, in the wake of the tension between Korea and China over the i

Retail group Shinsegae has decided to pull its chain of discount supermarkets from China, according to the group’s vice chairman Wednesday.At a job fair held by Shinsegae Group at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Shinsegae Group Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin told reporters that Shinsegae’s E-mart chain will be exiting the Chinese market.This was the first time that a Shinsgae official confirmed industry rumors that the chain would close down its Chinese operations.  Shinsegae Group Vice Chair

Korean Air said Wednesday that the airline’s B787-9 Dreamliners will begin servicing international flights Thursday, beginning with the Incheon-Toronto route.Until now, the new planes had been servicing domestic flights between Gimpo International Airport and Jeju International Airport. The Gimpo-Jeju route will now be flown with B777-300s.  Korean Air’s B787-9 (Korean Air)The airline is set to bring in three more B787-9s in July, with plans to use them in routes to Madrid and Beijing beginning

DJI revealed its latest mini-drone Spark on Tuesday, aiming to expand its consumer base beyond drone enthusiasts with a lightweight, easy-to-use model.“It‘s easy to use, so we are targeting people who are using drones for the first time,” Moon Tae-hyun, DJI Korea’s country manager, told reporters at a press conference at the DJI Arena in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. DJI Korea Country Manager Moon Tae-hyun holds the Spark at the DJI Arena in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province Tuesday. (DJI)Weighing in at ju

Kolmar Korea Chairman Yoon Dong-han was sentenced Monday to 2 1/2 years in prison, suspended for three years, for tax evasion.Yoon was indicted for failing to pay some 3.6 billion won ($3.2 million) worth of taxes while trading stocks of Kolmar Group subsidiaries under other names. The transactions of Kolmar Group’s affiliate stocks including those of Kolmar, Kolmar Holdings and HNG took place between 2012 and 2015. Yoon Dong-han, chairman of Kolmar Korea (Yonhap)The investigation into Yoon reve

Diageo Korea said Monday that it has released Bell’s blended Scotch Whisky in the Korean market.The 200-year-old British whisky brand is known for its soft, balanced flavor. In line with the effort to make whisky more accessible to younger drinkers, the 700-milliliter bottle is stylishly designed with the Union Jack, the company said. (Diageo Korea)Its low price also makes it optimal for those who wish to enjoy whisky at home, it added.“With its soft and rich taste, reasonable price, and nearly

Former Hyosung Chairman S.R. Cho’s international experience both in his education and in his business leadership shaped him into an expert in international ties, helping him to serve as a private-sector ambassador.Cho was a highly visible figure in international relations during his time at the helm of Hyosung, serving as the Federation of Korean Industries chairman from 2007 to 2010. During his term, he traveled extensively overseas, making 30 trips in just 130 days.In particular, Cho focused h

MANGOES FROM INDIA -- Models show mangoes imported from India at an E-mart branch in Seoul on Friday. The retail giant is the first to distribute Indian mangoes at its discount chain across the country. (Yonhap)

Kumho Asiana Chairman Park Sam-koo is under high pressure to negotiate terms for the use of the Kumho Tire name in an ongoing purchase deal with Chinese tiremaker Doublestar, as Kumho Tire creditors on Friday discussed extending the deadline on the company’s debt by three months.Kumho Tire is expected to pay back approximately 1.3 trillion won ($1.16 billion) of debt at the end of next month, but it is currently facing a liquidity crisis. Without an extension on the deadline, the company is like

FLYING PETS -- A Korean Air passenger requests the air carrier’s Skypets service, which provides frequent flyers with discounts for transporting pets. Each flight taken with a pet on Korean Air earns stamps that can be later traded for discounted or free transportation for a pet accompanying a passenger, the air carrier said. (Korean Air)

Luxury brand Louis Vuitton has begun taking reservations for tickets to its free brand exhibition “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez -- Louis Vuitton.”The exhibition will feature roughly 1,000 items collected by the design house from its establishment in 1854. The show is organized into 10 themes that illustrate the history of the brand, culminating in a space devoted to the artisanal spirit of Louis Vuitton. “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez -- Louis Vuitton,” a new exhibition from Louis Vuitton (Louis Vuitton)Thos

BEIJING -- China on Thursday accused the US of trespassing after an American warship sailed near a reef claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, the first such operation by President Donald Trump's administration in the disputed waterway.The row comes during a period of warming relations between the countries with Trump saying that Washington has dialed down pressure on Beijing over other issues in hopes of securing their cooperation on North Korea.The guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey entere

Two comedians and a K-pop group were named the latest honorary ambassadors for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, the local organizing committee said Thursday.The organizing committee for the country's first Winter Games said comedians Kim Byung-man and Jung Chan-woo, and girl group Girl's Day will take part in promotional activities for the Olympics and the Paralympics in 2018 as honorary ambassadors.The organizers said Kim will also serve as a leader for "Passion Crew," while Girl's Day will b

South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Thursday expressed hopes for enhanced economic and diplomatic cooperation with Indonesia during a phone call with President Joko Widodo, his office said.During his 15-minute talk, Moon also reiterated that his government will strengthen ties with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a crucial partner for Seoul due to its geopolitical value, growth potential and rich resources."I am pleased to note that South Korea and Indonesia have

Lotte Liquor said Wednesday that it would be releasing a new line of beer on June 1, in the hope of finding growth in a stagnant domestic beer market.“The beer market in Korea has been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 4.9 percent between 2014 and 2016, but much of that growth has been fueled by imported beers,” said Baek Seung-sun, head of marketing for the new Fitz Super Clear beer, at a press conference at Lotte Hotel World in southern Seoul Wednesday. Models pose with Fitz Super Cl

The inauguration of President Moon Jae-in in South Korea has raised hopes for thawing relations between Seoul and Beijing, but businesses say that it may take some time before sales rebound. In March, the Chinese government began taking unofficial measures against Korean businesses serving Chinese customers and tourists. These actions were interpreted as retaliation for the Korean government’s decision to install an American anti-missile system here. Special envoy Lee Hae-chan (left) shakes hand

The former vice chairman of Lotte is attempting to halt Lotte Chairman Shin Dong-bin‘s efforts to create a Korean holding company of the group, according to law firm Barun Law on Monday.The firm, which represents former Vice Chairman Shin Dong-joo’s SDJ Corporation, said that it had filed for an injunction with the Seoul Central District Court to prevent four Lotte companies from merging their investment entities to create a central holding company.  Chairman Shin Dong-bin (Lotte)According to Ch

HALLYU IN JAPAN -- Korean cosmetics are introduced at the K-Studio booth at the 2017 KCON Japan. The event included sales promotions and informational booths for Korean small and medium businesses, according to the Small and Medium Business Administration. (Small and Medium Business Administration)