SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — Kakao Corp.’s biggest revamp of its flagship KakaoTalk messenger in 15 years has sparked a wave of criticism from users, rattling confidence in the app that dominates South Korea’s mobile communications. The update, rolled out last week, is part of Kakao’s push to reposition KakaoTalk from a basic messenger [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — As South Korea prepares for the Chuseok harvest holiday, when household waste typically spikes, local governments and businesses are stepping up efforts to promote greener practices — from reusable wrapping to bans on artificial flowers at cemeteries. Officials in North Chungcheong Province estimate that nearly 20,000 tons of waste [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — For middle-aged and older South Koreans seeking a second career, technical licenses are proving to be a reliable path into steady employment and higher wages. A government survey released Sunday by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training found that [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — A government-backed consumer coupon program has driven a notable increase in sales at South Korea’s smallest merchants while also lifting household spending among shop owners, Shinhan Card said Thursday. An analysis by the company’s Big Data Research Center found that after the rollout of the “livelihood recovery consumer coupons,” [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — A growing number of South Koreans in their 40s and 50s are turning to individual Treasury bonds as a preferred tool for retirement planning, according to new data from Mirae Asset Securities, the sole distributor of the instruments. Figures show that 39.3 percent of investors in such bonds over [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — A string of attempted child abductions in recent weeks has triggered a surge in demand for self-defense products among South Korean parents, with online marketplaces reporting sharp increases in sales. According to e-commerce platform 11st, purchases of key personal safety items between September 2 and 11 jumped 2.5 times compared [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — When Netflix’s animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters premiered earlier this year, few predicted that a fictional boy band would ignite a cultural wave stretching from Seoul to New York. Yet the Saja Boys — a group of grim-reaper–inspired idols who appear in the film — have quickly leapt from [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Some of the fashion labels that once defined the wardrobes of South Korea’s Y2K generation are staging a comeback, blending heritage with contemporary appeal to reach both nostalgic older shoppers and trend-conscious younger consumers. Reebok has reintroduced its classic “Club C 85” sneakers in a limited-edition model marking the [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — The sun had just dipped behind the skyline of Gwanghwamun when demonstrators began to gather, clutching banners, candles, and hastily printed placards. By nightfall, the streets outside the U.S. Embassy had become a stage for simmering outrage. Hundreds marched through central Seoul on Saturday evening, their chants ricocheting off the [...]
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 [...]