Korean Air said Wednesday it would resume flights to Hawaii starting Nov. 3 while Hawaiian Airlines announced plans to expand flights on the route to four times a week. Korean Air’s operation on the route was suspended in April last year due to COVID-19. The Incheon-Honolulu KE053 flight will operate three days a week, departing from Incheon International Airport every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday night. The KE054 flight departing from Honolulu for Incheon will also operate on the same

South Korean low-cost carriers are preparing for a spike in international travel amid growing signs of travel confidence. Air Seoul, one of two budget airlines owned by Asiana Airlines, announced Tuesday it would resume flights between Incheon and Guam after a suspension of some 660 days. Flying twice a week starting late December, the airline said it marks the first air travel route to be resumed for tourists since the COVID-19 pandemic. The last flight to the US island territory by the airl

Rising fuel prices and a weak local currency are dampening the mood for South Korea’s aviation industry, which has pinned hopes for recovery on travel bubbles and the easing of social distancing rules. The jet fuel price stood at $94.60 per barrel, as of Oct. 8, up 5.8 percent compared to the previous week, according to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association. Averaging $73.90 per barrel this year, the price as of early this month was also up 17.5 percent compar

Travel and leisure platform operator Yanolja said on Thursday that it will acquire a 70 percent stake in Interpark, one of South Korea’s first e-commerce platforms, for 294 billion won ($248 million). Following the announcement of the deal, Yanolja said it would enter the global tourism market with the new “growth engine.” “The international tourism market has been dominated by foreign platforms. The acquisition will see Yanolja enter the market as a South Korea company

Hyundai Engineering said on Thursday it has launched a new project to build e-learning infrastructure in the city of Balikpapan in Indonesia. The three-year Hello E-Dream Project will see the company team up with the Indonesian government and non-government organization Good Neighbors to improve the educational environment in the city. Marking the 11th project from Hyundai Engineering’s series of social contribution activities known as New Hope School, the latest move will focus on build

Foreign-invested firms say technical regulations along with fair trade and labor laws are some of the biggest management challenges, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Wednesday. Nearly 1 in 2 foreign-invested firms based in South Korea said technical regulations such as certification, tests and inspection were the biggest challenge facing their business, according to a survey conducted by the KCCI with 252 foreign-invested companies. Technical regulations refer to administrati

Franchise stores grew in numbers during the coronavirus pandemic last year though sales remained nearly unchanged, a new report from corporate tracker CEO Score showed Wednesday. The number of franchise brand stores in 2020 increased by 4,559, up 4.5 percent compared to 2019, according to the report which drew data from the Fair Trade Commission. With a total of 105,837 stores operated by top franchise brands last year, the figure was a 11.1 percent jump compared to 2018 when the number stood

JTI Korea has released a new cigarette from its global tobacco brand MEVIUS, as part of efforts to expand its product lineup and provide more options for consumers. The new MEVIUS Sky Blue Longs has the same thickness as the existing MEVIUS Sky Blue, but comes with a 15-millimeter increase in length. The new product is designed for consumers who want a longer experience with MEVIUS‘ “unique soft taste” and “high product quality,” the company said Tuesday. The mov

Retail giant Shinsegae Group is in breach of the constitution over its workplace policy that prohibits employees from partaking in political activities, lawmaker Song OK-joo’s office said on Tuesday. Supermarket chain Emart has a workplace policy banning staff from distributing handouts or putting up banners and posters as well as staging a protest without permission from the company, a review of the company’s internal rules found. Rep. Song’s office found that a similar work

South Korea‘s top tobacco maker KT&G plans to build a forest as part of their efforts to help tackle the global climate crisis. The opening ceremony for the project took place last Wednesday with officials from KT&G, Eastern Province Forest Service and social enterprise Tree Planet. The new project is designed to contribute to carbon neutrality with trees planted to pull in carbon dioxide and fine dust, helping reducing greenhouse gas. Once the forest has been built, the plan wi

Starbucks Korea has decided to postpone its annual marketing event following backlash from staff against overwork. The “e-frequency” reward program has taken place each winter. Customers who have collected enough stickers can redeem them for items such as diaries or free drinks. But this year’s event was pushed back by two weeks, essentially cutting the promotion period short. The move comes after Starbucks baristas and other employees mobilized two trucks to express their f

The Conrad Seoul apologized Thursday amid an investigation after the five-star hotel’s buffet restaurant accidentally served detergent to a guest instead of syrup. The luxury hotel, part of Hilton’s international high-end brand Conrad Hotels & Resorts, said it “sincerely apologizes” to the customer for the “major inconvenience” and vowed to maintain health and safety rules. “We are actively cooperating with the authorities on the investigation,&rdq

Korean Air’s plan to acquire financially-troubled rival Asiana Airlines is facing a bumpy road as the deadline for the 1.8 trillion won ($1.6 billion) deal has been pushed to the end of this year. The takeover plan was first announced in November last year, making headlines that the two South Korean full service carriers would merge, giving birth to one of the world’s ten biggest airlines. In recent months, however, slow progress for the deal -- which was initially set to be compl

South Korean total energy company GS Caltex said Tuesday it has teamed up with home furnishing retail company Ikea Korea to launch a pickup service at one of its gas stations in Seoul’s Gangnam district, with plans to expand it across the country later this year. The move will cut the delivery fees to 19,000 won. Ikea delivery fees are relatively high because of the size and weight of the furniture products it sells. The new move comes as the number of online shoppers who use

South Korean entertainment mogul Lee Soo-man, who founded S.M. Entertainment, has been named in a major offshore financial data leak known as the “Pandora Papers.” Local media outlet Newstapa, which is part of a global investigation team into the files leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, reported Sunday that a “pile of evidence” has been found for paper companies set up in connection to Lee in Hong Kong. S.M. Entertainment, home to some

Hyundai Glovis, the logistics arm of Hyundai Group, said Monday it will launch “Ecoh,” a new environmentally friendly business brand which will focus on hydrogen distribution and recycling of electric vehicle batteries. The company also said it would expand its hydrogen distribution and infrastructure operations to nine hydrogen shipping centers by 2030 and supply hydrogen to a total of more than 360 charging stations nationwide. The move comes as part of its plan to expand its eco

South Korea’s new cashback scheme, designed to encourage private spending, has rather unusual criteria for coverage. Money spent at Emart Every Everyday stores is eligible for rewards, but not at Emart outlets. Businesses covered by the scheme include Ikea, Starbucks, small supermarket chains, hotels, movie theaters, restaurants as well as delivery apps. But purchases made at big supermarket chains such as Emart, Costco and Homeplus as well as department stores and duty-free stores do n

Gamers are fast becoming the latest demographic target for the retail industry as companies rush to take advantage of a recent surge in video gaming. Last week, Swedish furniture giant Ikea unveiled a lineup of furniture designed for gamers as a collaboration project with Republic of Gamers -- a gaming-focused brand by a Taiwanese computer manufacturer. Hitting the shelves next month, the company said the new range including gaming desks, chairs as well as accessories is aimed at “democr

Urban air mobility, which has been described as ‘flying taxis,’ is on course to become a reality in Korea in 2025 as the Transport Ministry outlined the timeline in a white paper released on Tuesday. According to the paper, an air corridor will be built for drone taxis to fly between Seoul and the outskirts of the city, including Incheon International Airport, during the early stages of the project. The UAM aircraft will be allowed to fly at an altitude of 450 meters with a margin

BAT Rothmans on Monday launched the new tobacco heating product Glo Pro Slim in South Korea in an online media conference. Glo Pro Slim marks the latest edition of the Glo series, following the launch of Glo Pro early last year. The company said the new product adds to its growing list of Glo products and will appeal to consumers seeking potentially reduced-risk products. “BAT Rothmans will lead the market transformation through product portfolio expansion and innovation in tobacco heati