In a company first, recreational vehicles accounted for more than half of Hyundai Motor and Kia Corp.’s annual sales so far this year, the automakers said Sunday. According to the latest sales data, Hyundai Motor sold 87,923 vehicles during the first two months of this year, of which 41,027 units were classified as recreational vehicles, accounting for 46.7 percent. Recreational vehicles by Korean classification are designed for recreational purposes such as camping and include the likes

South Korea’s economically active population used courier services once every four days on average last year, spending an average of 2,221 won ($2) per order, new government data revealed. The volume of parcels reached 3.37 billion, a 20.9 percent year-on-year increase, the National Logistics Information Center said on Sunday, citing data from the Korea Integrated Logistics Association. The country’s economically active population -- those aged 15 and over either in employment or s

Oriental Brewery Co. has released a series of new “high tech” beers in recent months to maintain its market lead. OB accounted for some 52 percent of Korea’s home beer market last year, according to Nielsen Korea, with its flagship beer Cass Fresh alone accounting for some 40 percent. In a statement, CEO Ben Verhaert said the company is seeking to continue to progress to accommodate changing consumer trends. All New Cass Hoping to continue its lead in the market, OB unveil

More cosmetics companies in South Korea are adopting eco-friendly packaging amid growing concerns and calls to reduce single-use plastic. Earlier this month, cosmetics conglomerate Amorepacific unveiled eco-friendly paper packaging which it said reduces the use of plastic by some 70 percent and can last up to 36 months. The paper tube container, which uses “nano thin film blocking” technology and will be adopted for its clean beauty brand Primera sometime in the first half of this

The race to acquire a controlling stake in eBay Korea is shaping up to be a four-way battle, with big-name players in retail all in for a deal valued at 5 trillion won ($4.42 billion). According to industry sources, Lotte Group, Emart Inc., SK Telecom Co. and private equity firm MBK Partners have been chosen as the preliminary bidders to buy the South Korean unit of the e-commerce giant, which operates some of the country’s major online shopping platforms including Gmarket, Auction and G

Pulmuone Foods, a subsidiary of fresh food company Pulmuone, said Monday it had named the ex-vice president of LG’s Global Marketing Center as its new CEO. Kim Jin-hong, the new CEO of Pulmuone Foods, boasts some 20 years of marketing experience under his belt at home and abroad. The 55-year-old took on multiple senior roles while at LG including President of LG Electronics France and was the president of Kellogg Company’s South Korean unit between 2013 and 2014. “As the co

Low cost carrier Jeju Air is under investigation by the Transport Ministry after it was found to have flown one of its planes with a damaged winglet last week. The airline’s 7C264 flight, which left Gimpo Airport on Wednesday morning, attempted landing on the runway at Gimhae International Airport in the afternoon. During the landing, the plane tilted to one side and the plane appears to have damaged its winglet during its second attempt at landing, sources close to the matter said on Mo

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering said Friday that it had signed orders worth 1.95 trillion won ($1.73 billion) to build 10 very large crude carriers, signaling an uptrend in the nation’s shipbuilding industry. The announcement comes nearly three months after a letter of intent was signed in December. The completed vessels will be delivered to buyers in Asia, Europe and the Americas by the second half of 2023. The dual-fueled VLCCs, which use both diesel and natural gas, joi

Coupang has been in the headlines ever since it filed for an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange last month, generating speculation over its value. When it is Thursday in the US, Coupang will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange at $35 per share, the company announced Thursday (Seoul time). It is the biggest IPO debut for any foreign company since Alibaba. At home it is the second-largest e-commerce platform, trailing only Naver, the country’s internet conglomerat

Founder of online grocery service Market Kurly Sophie Kim Seul-Ah and CEO of Viva Republica Lee Seung-gun, the company behind online bank Toss, have been named part of this year’s Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum. Kim and Lee are among the 112 Young Global Leaders, who received the prize in the business and banking and investments categories, respectively. Describing Kim as the South Korean entrepreneur and a former Goldman Sachs analyst, the WEF said Market Kurly has the

Amorepacific said Wednesday it has joined RE100, a global renewable power initiative, becoming the first South Korean cosmetics firm to do so. The company plans to supply electricity in the workplace entirely with renewable energy by 2030 in an effort to help tackle climate change. From production to logistics, energy sourced to run all of its facilities at home and abroad, including the headquarters and its research center, will be affected by the initiative. Launched in 2014 and led by the

E-commerce platform Interpark on Monday started offering air tickets which you can purchase now and fly after quarantine restrictions for international traveling are lifted. The “Early Go” tickets, which are for South Korean low cost carrier T’way Air flights, come with a one-year price freeze after self-quarantine is no longer required between Korea and the destination country, the platform said. Destinations include Cebu, Hanoi, Bangkok, Macau, Taipei and Hong Kong as well

Yanolja, the largest accommodation and leisure activity booking platform operator in South Korea, said Monday it would give out 10 million-won ($8,900) worth of stocks in their company to each of its 1,000 staff. The decision will see the stocks given to the company’s current employees and new staff, after CEO and co-founder Lee Su-jin and head of C&D Lim Sang-kyu donated a total of 600,000 stocks. Though the company has previously given stocks to some of its staff through its loya

Despite South Korea’s slow progress in breaking the glass ceiling, its tobacco industry has seen a leap forward in recent years. Last year, BAT Korea appointed its first female country manager. Philip Morris Korea has also made progress in building an inclusive work environment, with initiatives such as flexible working hours, remote working and half-day Fridays. In Korea, 33 percent of the company’s mid-level and senior management staff are women, with a goal of hitting 40 percent

From going out late at night to traveling abroad, the coronavirus pandemic has prevented us from doing many things we love -- except for cycling. On the weekend, serious cyclists with racing bicycles and more casual riders on Seoul Bikes mingle on the cycling lanes alongside the Han River in Seoul which cuts through the city and stretches nearly 500 kilometers. Kim Tae-gyun, a 37-year-old marketing director and a former PE teacher in Seoul, said cycling has become his go-to exercise as of lat

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday ordered an expanded, thorough investigation into allegations that staffers at the public housing development agency used internal information to make speculative property investments. “The comprehensive investigation will be conducted by the Prime Minister’s Office and sufficient manpower will be mobilized with the help of the transport ministry to investigate the allegations thoroughly, leaving no stone unturned,” said presidential secretary

The number of shoppers at duty free stores stood at 343,983 in January, the lowest since the coronavirus crisis began to affect the South Korean economy last March, according to the Korea Duty Free Shops Association. Some 280,000 South Korean nationals and 59,600 foreign nationals spent a 1.38 trillion won, the latest data from the association showed. The figure is down nearly 80,000 compared to December last year. Sales, however, are up 16.7 percent compared to the previous month. Compared t

Philip Morris Korea has won a legal battle worth billions of won against the country’s tax authority over trademark usage fees, according to legal sources. The Seoul Administrative Court on Monday ruled in favor of the South Korean unit of the international tobacco company, ordering a tax imposed by Seoul Main Customs worth 9.82 billion won ($8.7 million) to be canceled. The ruling comes four years after the Korea Customs Service ordered the company to pay some 3.4 billion won in customs

Women’s loungewear brand Badblood has been forced to apologize for darkening the skin of one of its models amid accusations of blackfishing. In a recent Instagram post, the brand offered its “sincere apologies” and asked for the “benefit of the doubt” after taking down the controversial post. “By increasing the contrast between our clothes and that of the model, we unfortunately thought our clothes would look even better,” the company said. The apolog

Pernod Ricard Korea has chosen the second recipient of the Aberlour Craftsmanship Award, an award named after the single malt Scotch whisky distillery of the same name, to recognize socially responsible talents, the company said Friday. Mun Seung-ji, a furniture designer and the founder of Team Virals, has been given the prize for creating zero waste eco-friendly furniture. “Through the Aberlour Craftsmanship Award, we seek to create a positive impact on consumers by recognizing those wi