SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — When a popular YouTube commentator recently began selling a “990 won salt bread,” it was more than a marketing stunt. It was a pointed jab at what Koreans have come to call “breadflation,” a steep rise in bread prices that many believe has made the staple disproportionately expensive at home compared [...]
JEJU, South Korea, Sept. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — Jeju Island, already home to the nation’s first carbon-free “RE100 eggs,” has introduced another sustainability milestone: milk produced entirely with renewable energy. On Wednesday, Jeju Milk, an agricultural company based on the island, officially launched South Korea’s first RE100-certified milk, marking a significant step toward carbon neutrality in livestock [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s major discount store chain Homeplus Co. said Wednesday it will close 15 stores by December while cutting operating hours at others as part of belt-tightening efforts by the ailing retail company. Under the plan, Homeplus will shut five locations in mid-November and 10 others in December, the [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Once a niche Japanese tea, matcha has surged into the global mainstream, embraced by younger consumers seeking both flavor and wellness. From convenience-store desserts and cocktails to luxury fashion and beauty, the powdered green tea has become a cultural and commercial phenomenon. In South Korea, convenience chain CU announced on [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Kyochon Chicken, one of South Korea’s largest fried chicken chains, has begun allowing franchise owners to set their own menu prices on delivery apps, joining a move pioneered earlier this year by rival bhc. The shift, described as a “self-determined pricing system,” reflects mounting tensions between franchise headquarters and [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — Orion’s flagship K-snack, Turtle Chips, has secured shelf space in all 1,200 Carrefour stores across France, marking the first time a single Korean snack brand has been simultaneously stocked in every outlet of the French retail giant. The breakthrough comes after Carrefour’s buyers gave the four-layered snack high marks for [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea will establish a public-private task force this week to help commercialize Atlantic bluefin tuna, whose catch levels off the country’s east coast have soared in recent years due to warming seas, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on Tuesday. The council, set to launch Tuesday in [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Starbucks Korea said Friday its total number of outlets is “on track” to top 2,100 by year-end, underscoring the U.S. coffee chain’s continued growth in Asia’s fourth-largest economy. The Seattle-based coffee giant opened its first store near Ewha Womans University in Seoul in 1999 through a partnership with local [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — Nongshim, South Korea’s leading instant noodle maker, is teaming up with one of Netflix’s latest global sensations to give its iconic snacks a new look. The company announced Wednesday that its flagship Shin Ramyun and Shrimp Crackers will debut in limited-edition packaging later this month featuring characters from KPop [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Financially troubled discount store chain Homeplus Co. said Wednesday it will close 15 outlets as part of emergency management measures amid a worsening business environment. Homeplus has been under a court-led rehabilitation program since March, when two local credit rating agencies downgraded its corporate bonds from A3 to A3-, [...]