BAT Korea is teaming up with LS Electric to introduce solar power generation facilities at its Sacheon factory in South Gyeongsang Province, the tobacco company said Wednesday. As part of its environmental, social and governance strategy, the move will see solar power modules installed in six areas at the site, including at buildings and parking lots that occupy the space that totals 16,000 square meters. Construction work is set to begin in March next year. When completed, the factory is exp

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific published findings from a recent study on Wednesday showing that mask wearing can cause dry skin and redness. The researchers discovered that wearing a mask for between one and six hours can also bring significant change to skin temperature and sebum after conducting an experiment with 21 men and women. The perioral area – the area surrounding the mouth including both lips and the upper lip area under the nose – could be most affected afte

South Korea’s leading tire manufacturer Hankook Tire & Technology Co. will supply tires for General Motors‘ new pickup trucks, the company said on Monday. The Dynapro MT2, Hankook Tire’s most extreme off-road all-season brand, will be supplied for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty and GMC Sierra HD, two models that share a platform. Having won the Red Dot Design Award, the tire boasts additional off-road grip due to angled V-shape shoulder scallops, according to the

Home interior design platform Ohouse has raised 77 billion won ($70 million) in a new round of Series C funding from investors including technology investment firm Bond, the app’s operator, Bucketplace, said Monday. IMM Investment, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Mirae Asset Capital and Naver Corporation were among the existing investors that participated in this round, the company added. This raises the company’s total funding to 88 billion won ($80 million). Launched in 2014, th

Following reports of Korean Air’s possible acquisition of Asiana Airlines, the government is set to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the deal between South Korea’s flag carriers, according to financial industry sources on Sunday. During a ministerial meeting presided over by the country’s chief of economy and industries, ways to normalize Asiana’s business are expected to be discussed, including reported plans by Hanjin Group, which owns Korean Air, to buy out its tr

South Korean cosmetics giant Amorepacific announced the appointment of Kim Seung-Hwan as its new president on Thursday, in a major post-COVID-19 shakeup following lackluster sales this year. Kim, 51, previously served multiple roles including as head of the human resources unit. He will replace Bae Dong-hyun as the group’s president from next year. The age gap between Kim and Bae has been seen as a move to bring younger blood into power as the company struggles to fend off competition b

Kia Motors has overtaken Hyundai Mobis to stand as the 11th-largest company by market capitalization in South Korea on Thursday. According to the Korea Exchange, the carmaker’s market capitalization was 23.5 trillion won ($21.1 billion), up 6.61 percent from the day before when the market closed Wednesday. The recent bump in market capitalization leaves behind Hyundai Mobis as Kia Motors inches toward the ranks of the top 10 players in the country’s stock market. The last time the

E-commerce platform Cafe24 will host a joint webinar with Japanese online fashion store Shoplist on how South Korean fashion businesses can branch out into Japan’s online fashion market. The event, scheduled for Nov. 18, will see Kazuya Santo, head of global business at Shoplist, touch on K-fashion trends and how businesses can strategize to succeed. Jaesuk Lee, CEO of Cafe24, promised similar events in the future and said growing interest in K-fashion continues to fuel global demand.

South Korean energy producer Posco Energy said Wednesday it had begun operations of its new liquefied natural gas carrier business the same day, becoming the first private LNG terminal operator in the country to do so. An opening ceremony took place Wednesday at Gwangyang LNG Terminal in South Jeolla Province, nearly two months after the energy business arm of major steelmaker Posco received a business license from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in September. The company explained

US cosmetics giant Estee Lauder has apologized after unilaterally shipping a darker shade of foundation to Asian customers, but their decision to single out women in their apology is drawing yet another round of criticism. The company came under fire earlier this week after a viral online review revealed that a matte foundation product ordered online arrived in a different shade with a note explaining that Ivory Nude was the “best color for Asians” while Shell, which the customer h

South Korean businesses will need to keep an eye on US President-elect Joe Biden’s plans to invest in clean energy and on his softer approach to trade deals ultimately to take advantage of the incoming administration’s policies, the head of the Korea International Trade Association said Tuesday. “South Korean businesses should focus on how different the Biden administration will be from the Trump administration when it comes to economic and trade policy,” said KITA Chai

E-commerce giant Coupang has recently opened a counseling center for its female delivery staff members as part of efforts to create a healthy work environment, the company said. The center will conduct various activities designed to resolve obstacles at work and provide consultation which can be scheduled by phone or on its website. For those who find an in-person visit difficult, phone or text consultations are also available. As of November, Coupang had about 400 female delivery staffs and t

SK Telecom, South Korea‘s top mobile carrier, said on Monday it is ramping up its services for foreign language customers under the slogan “Like a Local” in an effort to help break language barriers in an increasingly multicultural era. In an industry first, the company said it will offer an English language service for its mobile app where users can check their data usage, get discounts and pay mobile bills upfront. The telecoms network will also offer customer service in mu

The prosecution said on Friday it has raided Kumho Asiana Group and Asiana Airlines’ offices to secure documents for its probe into alleged unfair internal transactions. The group, a large Korean chaebol known for its leisure and construction business, currently stands accused of conducting suspicious internal trading to support its subsidiary Kumho Buslines, of which the owner family has the highest stake.　 According to the authorities, Asiana Airlines signed a 30-year contract to sell

Budget airlines Jeju Air and T’way Air said on Friday they will be resuming flights between Incheon and Narita following the easing of travel restrictions between the two countries. From Nov. 21, Jeju Air will fly once a week on a Saturday from Incheon to Narita International Airport, nearly three months after the flight was suspended after a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. The Incheon-Osaka route, which had previously operated two times a day on weekdays, will also change to Frid

Liqueur brand Kahlua will roll out new coffee cocktails at nine cafes across Seoul on Monday as part of its new “Coffee Goes Cocktails” campaign. Cafes 1984 in Mapo and BNHR in Yongsan are among the establishments where a special Kahlua-based cocktail representing each of their baristas will be sold, Pernod Ricard Korea said Thursday. “With Kahlua expanding its presence as the leading coffee liquor brand, we launched the event to take the lead in spreading coffee cocktail cul

British American Tobacco Korea said on Thursday that results from scientific studies show its flagship heating product Glo may “significantly reduce” the risk of smoking-related disease. Data gathered by scientists from BAT’s research and development center for a period of three months saw exposure to harmful smoke toxicants reduced when smokers switched from smoking regular cigarettes to using Glo completely, the company said. These and other findings were presented during a

eBay Korea is adding a series of promotional events and special deals as part of its annual shopping event Big Smile Day -- including a cinema rental. From Thursday to Sunday, the promotional event dubbed “Smile Club Lounge” is going online to offline for members of Smile Club -- a premium membership service launched in 2017 that provides exclusive deals, discounts and specialized customer services that have helped the e-commerce giant secure a large number of loyal customers. Smi

Automaker SsangYong Motor unveiled its brand new mid-size SUV Rexton at a showcase event on Wednesday in Seoul. The event was attended by former national football team goalkeeper Kim Byung-ji (far left), presenter Lee Hye-sung (second from left), popular trot singer Lim Young-woong (second from right), who is the carmaker’s brand ambassador, and racecar driver Seo Ju-won. With a 2.2-liter diesel engine, the new SUV model boasts the horsepower of 202 and the maximum torque of 45 kilogram-m

South Korean cable maker LS Cable & Systems said on Tuesday that it is ready to begin the mass production of a new optical cable which can “block out hacking.” Using special fiber optics with enhanced coatings, the company explained the new cable is designed to prevent illegal leaks and disturbance. When an optical cable is bent in the shape of a circle, some of the light traveling along it escapes. Hackers then can steal information by connecting hacking devices and intercepti