SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea is witnessing the rapid spread of so-called “warehouse-style pharmacies,” large outlets that display and sell medicines and health supplements in bulk, fueling a heated debate over public health and market fairness. The trend began earlier this year in Seongnam, south of Seoul, and has since spread to [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s oil refiners are ramping up investment in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as the government prepares to mandate blended fueling for all international flights starting in 2027. Industry leaders warn, however, that the high upfront costs and uncertain global demand mean state support will be critical. SK Energy [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Kakao Corp.’s simplified advertising platform for small businesses has surpassed 5,000 active accounts just two and a half months after its launch, the company said Sunday. Rolled out in June, the “Easy Ads” platform allows merchants to promote their shops on Kakao Map and KakaoTalk’s Biz Board with daily [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Naver’s artificial intelligence search service “AI Briefing” is gaining traction in image recognition, underscoring the company’s push to differentiate itself from global rivals like Google. Since late July, the Korean tech giant has integrated its Smart Lens feature with AI Briefing, allowing users to upload photos of restaurants, menus, or [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — Genesis, Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury marque, is stepping up its push into Central Asia, opening a flagship showroom in Kazakhstan as part of a broader global expansion drive. On September 9, the company inaugurated the Almaty Genesis Showcase, a three-story dealership operated by Kazakhstan’s largest auto firm, Astana Motors. [...]
GANGNEUNG, Sept. 22 (Korea Bizwire) — In Gangneung, where South Korea declared its first-ever “state of disaster” caused by drought, a group of local young people has organized under the unlikely name “Toilet Demon Hunters.” Their mission is both urgent and practical: teaching citizens how small changes in daily habits can conserve vast amounts of water. The [...]
GOYANG, South Korea, Sept. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — A South Korean court has ruled that members of a virtual idol group are entitled to damages over defamatory online comments, marking a significant precedent in how the law treats avatars in the digital age. On May 17, the Uijeongbu District Court’s Goyang branch ordered an individual, [...]
UIJEONGBU, South Korea, Sept. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – Migrant workers in South Korea without bank accounts will now be able to receive workplace injury compensation in cash, following a policy shift by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The ministry adopted the change earlier this month after a recommendation from Gyeonggi Province, officials said Thursday. [...]
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean civic groups have accused two leading food delivery platforms of unfair and misleading practices tied to their popular “one-person meal” promotions, filing complaints with the Fair Trade Commission (FTC). On Thursday, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun), and the Korea Consumer Federation [...]
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,” [...]