Asiana Airlines, the nation’s second-largest air carrier, has reached a $3.45 million settlement with San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors for damages caused during a crash in 2013 that killed three and injured nearly 200 others, according to reports on Wednesday.According to the agreement, which was approved unanimously by the city council members, $1.6 million from the settlement will go toward airport damages while $1.2 million will be used for the city’s legal fees. Asiana Airlines will also

Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho has stepped down as the president of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics’ Organizing Committee, to save his debt-ridden shipping unit, the group said Tuesday.“Chairman Cho has offered to resign from the (PyeongChang) post to resolve pending issues within the group including Hanjin Shipping,” Hanjin Group said in a statement. Hanjin’s shipping unit applied for restructuring by creditors last week after Cho gave up management rights to the company.  Hanjin Group chair

The number of domestic and international flight passengers in Korea reached over 24 million in the first quarter this year, continuing a steady increases since 2013, data showed Tuesday.According to the Transport Ministry, international and domestic flyers grew by 13.2 percent and 10.4 percent, respectively. Korea saw 17.6 million international passengers in the first quarter. Incheon Interntional Airport (Yonhap)The ministry attributed this growth to the growth of low-cost carriers and fuel sur

Discount retail giant E-mart’s electronics store Electro Mart is set to open its first stand-alone outlet, according to the company Monday.Electro Mart’s fourth store in Pangyo is located on the first floor of Alpharium Tower in Pangyo Techno Valley in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. It is E-mart’s first specialized store outside of existing E-mart and Shinsegae branches, and will open Tuesday. The new Electro Mart in Pangyo (E-mart)Designed to be an experience-focused store, the branch includes va

A mosquito that is known to be capable of carrying the Zika virus has been found in Korea for the first time this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.The Aedes albopictus mosquito, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, was spotted in three of the 39 inspection sites monitored by the CDC since March. While Aedes aegypti is the species most commonly associated with Zika, Aedes albopictus has also been linked to outbreaks.(Yonhap)The three areas include Seogwipo on Je

The chief executive of British American Tobacco Korea has some pretty firm beliefs on what should and should not be done. And one of the things that he believes should never be done is working on a weekend.“From Monday to Friday, I have an agreement with my wife that I can dedicate any amount of time to my work, as long as I’m there for breakfast and see the children,” said Erik Stoel in an interview with The Korea Herald on Wednesday.“When I’m in the office, I’m focused on what I need to do at

Beer usually dominates the alcoholic beverage market in summer, but other alcoholic beverage manufacturers are hitting back this year with a slew of fruity, light, sparkling alternatives. The most visible trend is in carbonated alcoholic drinks.Lotte Chilsung Liquor, which set off a boom of fruit-flavored, soju-like liqueurs with its brand Soonhari Chum Churum, expanded into the carbonated category this year to make up for the declining sales of its Soonhari lineup.  Soonhari Soda Tok Apple (Lot

WATER FOR CHINA -- Ahn Byeong-seog (third from right), president of Asiana Airlines’ China Regional Headquarters, Ren Jinyang (fourth from right), director of the Women’s Federation of Shanxi province, and other participants pose in Nangaohongkou, Shanxi province, on Tuesday. Asiana Airlines donated five water cellars, pipelines, and drinking water fountains for the arid village through the Chinese Water Cellar for Mothers Project. (Asiana Airlines)

Korean Air has received the green light to resume its route between Gimpo Airport in Seoul and Pohang Airport, the Transport Ministry said Wednesday.The route will run twice a day in the morning and afternoon starting May 3, pending the results of additional safety checks.Pohang Airport has been temporarily closed since July 2014 for construction to improve safety on its runways. It is scheduled to reopen in May, after 22 months.Tickets for the route will be priced from 69,000 won to 89,000 won,

Bean Pole Outdoor has created shirts using all-natural traditional Korean paper known as hanji, the company said Tuesday.The T-shirts, named “Fresh Hanji T-shirts,” are created with a blend of polyester and hanji woven from paper mulberry tree fibers.  The Fresh Hanji T-shirt from Bean Pole Outdoor (Bean Pole)The all-natural odor-resistant fibers make the shirts absorbent and light, keeping them cool in the summer but warm in winter. The shirts are also a good choice for people with sensitive sk

Incheon International Airport held a topping-out ceremony on Tuesday for its second terminal, set to open next year, the airport announced.A topping-out ceremony commemorates the completion of the framework of a new building by fitting the last piece of the structure on top. The last piece of the framework structure at Incheon International Airport’s second terminal is hoisted to the top on Tuesday. (Incheon International Airport)The terminal, however, will not be open to the public until the en

Hallyu star Lee Min-ho has signed a one-year contract to become the new face of local health food brand Good Base, according to the company on Monday.“Lee Min-ho’s clean, healthy image is well-suited for the natural purity emphasized by Good Base,” said Lee Kang-don, an official of Good Base, in a statement.                                   Lee Min-ho for Good Base (Korea Ginseng Corporation)Lee Min-ho is an actor best known for his role in hit dramas such as “Boys Over Flowers” and “The Heirs.

Starbucks presents Cold Brew to KoreaStarbucks Korea launched its Cold Brew at 100 stores in Korea on Tuesday.Cold Brew is an iced coffee that uses a roast of a special blend of African and Latin American beans, with only a small limited amount of espresso created each day.The ground beans are steeped in cold water for fourteen hours, maximizing its sweet chocolate flavor and silky texture. The original flavor of the beans is preserved by not exposing them to any heat.The special Cold Brew will

GOLD COAST, Australia -- Incheon International Airport was named the best airport in the world by the international airport council for the 11th consecutive year at an awards ceremony in Gold Coast, Australia, Tuesday.The honor comes as Korea’s largest international airport, led by newly appointed CEO Chung Il-young, works on improvements and expansions including a second terminal to be completed next year.Incheon International Airport won a total of three honors from the Airports Council Intern

Local tobacco-makers and farmers on Thursday questioned the Defense Ministry’s approval of foreign cigarettes on Korean military bases, saying it hurts national pride.A welfare committee of the ministry approved the sale of foreign tobacco brands for the first time. They include Marlboro Gold Original by U.S.-based Philip Morris, and Mevius LSS Wind Blue by Japanese maker JTI, according to Defense Ministry sources.This will be the first time that foreign cigarettes are being sold at post exchang

Whiskey consumption in Korea has always been tied to a very specific culture: drink-till-you-drop parties among businessmen who enjoy coupling the expensive drink with women in smoky underground bars.As that culture waned, so did whiskey sales. Its consumption in Korea has been falling by roughly three percent each year for the past five years, according to industry statistics.   Golden Blue regional sales director Kim Ji-yeon speaks to The Korea Herald at the Golden Blue headquarters in Seoul.

Asiana Airlines, the nation’s second-largest air carrier, was named the top airline of 2015 by Incheon International Airport on Thursday, the airport said.Asiana Airlines took top honors in the over 5-million-passenger category for Airline of the Year. T’way Airlines and Eastar Jet were named best for the 500,000-passenger group.In smaller categories, AirAsia X, Emirates, Delta Airlines, Lao Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines were named Airline of the Year.At the awards ce

Foreign cigarette brands will soon be sold in post exchange stores on Korean military bases for the first time.Among the four new cigarette lines that were approved for sale in PX stores next year, two were foreign brands. They are Marlboro Gold Original by the American company Philip Morris, and Mevius LSS Wind Blue by Japanese maker JTI, according to sources at the Defense Ministry. “We welcome the decision,” a spokeswoman for Philip Morris told The Korea Herald. “We believe that this will giv

An artwork displayed by French luxury house Dior at its flagship store in Seoul has sparked public outrage, fueled by claims that it portrays Korean women as materialistic and morally loose.The controversial piece -- artist Lee Wan’s “Korean Woman” -- depicts a young woman with a pink Lady Dior bag standing in a backstreet of an unidentified adult entertainment district filled with signs advertising “room salons,” or hostess bars.The contrasting image of the Korean woman with Dior’s signature ba

The tobacco industry is raising questions about fairness as new graphic warning labels have to be affixed on cigarette packs by year-end.According to industry officials, it is unfair to force such graphic labels on cigarettes but not onto other harmful products such as alcohol. Warning images for cigarette packs released by the Health Ministry on March 31 (Yonhap)“We have no choice but to follow the law once it’s implemented, but the images are overly graphic, beyond the point where they can be