SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — Imports of golf equipment increased more than 10 percent last year, customs data showed Thursday, bucking initial expectations that the popularity of the costly sport would be dampened by a new anti-corruption law. Trade figures obtained by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism from the customs agency said [...]
SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s beer imports in the first nine months of this year soared 50.1 percent from the same period in 2016 amid changes in the country’s drinking culture, data showed Tuesday. Beer imports from January through September came to US$201.68 million, according to the data from the Korea International [...]
SEOUL, Oct. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Imports of electronic cigarettes more than doubled after the government raised taxes on conventional tobacco in 2015 to discourage smoking, government data showed Tuesday. Industry sources attribute the sharp rise to smokers switching to e-cigarettes which are exempted from higher taxes. The government increased taxes on cigarettes by 2,000 [...]
SEJONG, Feb. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s seafood imports rose for the third straight year in 2016 on rising demand for healthier food and ingredients, government data showed Thursday. The total value of imported seafood reached US$4.79 billion in 2016, up 5.2 percent from a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – The import of Norwegian seafood in South Korea surged last year due largely to increased demand for mackerel, a report said Wednesday. The inbound shipments of seafood from Norway reached 292.8 billion won (US$256.6 million) in 2016, up 73 percent from the previous year, according to the Norwegian Seafood [...]
SEJONG, Sept. 9 (Korea Bizwire) – About 30 percent of manufactured goods consumed by South Koreans in their daily lives were imported from abroad in this year’s second quarter on rising demand for foreign electronic devices and pharmaceuticals, latest data showed Friday. Out of the total domestic manufacturing supply, including intermediate and consumer goods, foreign-made [...]
SEOUL, July 6 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s kimchi consumption is falling, despite the country being the originator of the pickled side dish, and even those being served on dining tables are often imports from China, research results showed Wednesday. According to an industry analysis by the World Institute of Kimchi in Seoul, South Koreans on [...]
SEOUL, June 27 (Korea Bizwire) – Imports of American cars in South Korea more than tripled in four years, industry data showed Monday, a rise that could be attributable to the free trade deal between Seoul and Washington. The free trade deal went into effect in 2012, providing a competitive edge to U.S. carmakers. South [...]
SEJONG, May 11 (Korea Bizwire) – The Korea Customs Service (KCS) is reinforcing its crackdown on directly imported goods, with unsanitary food as its main target. The practice of purchasing foreign products (also known as overseas direct purchasing) through e-commerce websites such as Amazon has become commonplace among Koreans over the past few years. The KCS [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s imports of chocolate edged up on-year to an all-time high in 2015 amid its growing popularity among local consumers, official data showed Sunday. The country imported 31,066 tons of chocolate and chocolate confectionery last year, up 1.3 percent from the previous year and the highest amount ever, [...]