SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — The antitrust regulator said Thursday it has decided to fine Papa John’s Korea 1.48 billion won (US$1.07 million) for unfair business practices against franchise shops. The pizza restaurant chain had allegedly designated 15 kinds of cleaning products, including hand soaps, as must-buy items from the headquarters and forced franchise [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s main gateway, Incheon International Airport, will begin allowing celebrities to use separate entrances in an effort to manage crowd control and improve safety for all travelers. The Incheon International Airport Corporation announced on October 23 that it had sent official notices to entertainment agencies regarding new procedures for artist [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – A recent survey has revealed that 60% of South Korean adults support stabilizing the national pension system to ensure future generations can receive benefits at least equal to their contributions. The poll also showed that young people, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, harbor deep skepticism about the sustainability [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – The U.N. cultural agency has established a South Korea-proposed award to recognize efforts in nurturing education on global issues, such as human rights, sustainability and diversity, the foreign ministry said Wednesday. The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization made the decision during its executive board meeting in Paris on [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — The Seoul city government will deploy patrol forces and implement traffic controls in the city’s 15 most crowded districts during the upcoming Halloween week to prevent overcrowding, officials said Wednesday. The city has designated a “concentrated Halloween safety management period” from Friday to Nov. 3 to enhance patrols and [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea plans to launch its third military reconnaissance satellite in December, the state arms procurement agency said Wednesday, as part of efforts to bolster its surveillance capabilities on North Korea. A SpaceX rocket carrying the satellite is scheduled to lift off in the third or fourth week of [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of babies born in South Korea increased on-year for the second consecutive month in August, data showed Wednesday, amid lingering demographic challenges caused by the ultra-low birth rate and rapid aging. A total of 20,098 babies were born in August, up 5.9 percent from a year earlier, [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – The CEO of Adidas Korea, Peter Kwak, faced harsh criticism from lawmakers on October 21 for what they deemed an uncooperative attitude during a parliamentary audit, particularly his insistence on speaking English despite demonstrating Korean language ability. Kwak appeared as a witness before the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee to [...]
JEJU, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – The number of foreign visitors overstaying their permitted duration on Jeju Island, South Korea’s popular tourist destination with visa-free entry, reached 11,191 as of June of this year, according to Ministry of Justice data released on October 22. The figure represents a 3.4% increase from last year’s 10,826 illegal residents, [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Korea Bizwire) – In a parliamentary audit on October 21, Ham Yoon-sik, vice president of Woowa Brothers, defended his company’s controversial fee increases by pointing to similar moves by competitor Coupang Eats, highlighting growing tensions in South Korea’s competitive food delivery market. During the National Assembly’s political affairs committee audit of the Fair [...]