SEOUL, Jun. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – In a surprising turn of events, South Korea has become the latest battleground for global e-commerce giants, with YouTube making an unprecedented move to launch its first shopping-dedicated store feature in the country. On June 23, industry sources revealed that YouTube, in collaboration with Cafe24, a KOSDAQ-listed e-commerce solutions company, [...]
SEOUL, June 14 (Korea Bizwire) – Lotte Home Shopping, a major South Korean home shopping channel, has achieved remarkable sales through its innovative “300 Second Bargain” TV segment, marking a first for the industry. In a pioneering move, Lotte Home Shopping introduced the “short-form” format to its live TV broadcasts in March, offering daily essentials at [...]
SEOUL, Jun. 13 (Korea Bizwire) – In an unprecedented move, South Korea’s antitrust regulator, the Fair Trade Commission, has levied a record fine of 140 billion won against Coupang, the country’s largest e-commerce company, on allegations of unfairly favoring its own products over those of third-party sellers. The staggering penalty, the highest ever imposed [...]
SEOUL, Jun. 7 (Korea Bizwire) – Facing mounting losses due to the emergence of formidable “C-commerce” rivals like Alibaba’s AliExpress and Temu, South Korea’s major e-commerce players have embarked on aggressive cost-cutting measures. Industry experts predict that these efforts to bolster profitability, rather than pursue growth at any cost, will continue throughout the year as external [...]
SEOUL, Jun. 4 (Korea Bizwire) –CJ OnStyle, a South Korean home shopping channel, has revealed that its web drama series “Wake Up to a Latte” (unofficial translation) aimed at women in their 30s and 40s, has amassed over 10 million views, indicative of its growing popularity. “Wake Up to a Latte” debuted in September 2023, [...]
SEOUL, May 17 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea will prohibit direct overseas purchases of products without safety certifications for 80 items that could potentially affect public health and safety, the government announced on May 16. At a meeting of ministers handling state affairs at the Incheon Airport Customs headquarters, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo unveiled measures to [...]
SEOUL, May 13 (Korea Bizwire) – The South Korean antitrust regulator said Monday it signed agreements with the Chinese retail platforms AliExpress and Temu meant to strive to prevent their selling of harmful products and better protect consumers. The move came as the customs agency found that some of the products sold on AliExpress, owned [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – Choi Jang-hyuk, the vice chairperson of South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission, said on April 22 that he has made it clear to major Chinese internet companies operating in the domestic market, including Alibaba’s AliExpress and Temu, that they cannot be given a grace period to comply with the country’s [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 18 (Korea Bizwire) – The South Korean private information protection watchdog requested Chinese e-commerce giants Thursday to faithfully comply with the South Korean law on personal data protection, the agency said. Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) Vice Chairperson Choi Jang-hyuk made the request during a meeting in Beijing with officials from AliExpress, Temu [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 12 (Korea Bizwire) —South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang Inc. said Friday it will raise its monthly membership fee for paid users by 58 percent, in an apparent move to secure further capital amid growing challenges from Chinese rivals. Coupang plans to charge its paid WOW membership users 7,890 won (US$5.7) starting Saturday, [...]