The Korea Times

Korea’s in-flight battery rules set global standard

Korea’s new regulations for in-flight smartphone battery chargers have become the international standard, after the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted the Korean government’s latest guidelines. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday that the new regulation imposes two limits on passengers. First, no one is allowed to carry three or more portable chargers, also known as power banks, in the plane cabin. Second, each charger’s capacity must not exceed 160 watt-hours or 43,000 milliampere-hours. Previously, there was no limitation by global authorities on the number of power banks an individual passenger could carry on a flight. The Korean government previously introduced a ban limiting the number to five or fewer. Charging power banks inside while on a flight is also prohibited under the new regulations. Using a power bank to charge smartphones once aboard is also prohibited. The regulations adopted by the ICAO take effect on April 20. The ministry proposed the strengthened regulation to ICAO, which approved it as an official guideline f

Apr 8, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan

Korea’s in-flight battery rules set global standard

Companies

Nongshim extends global instant noodles popularity to Russia

Nongshim is stepping up its global expansion by launching a new subsidiary in Moscow in June to target Russia and neighboring markets. The company said Wednesday it will establish Nongshim Rus in the Russian capital, marking its eighth overseas subsidiary following the launch of its European unit in the Netherlands in March 2025. The move comes as exports of Korean instant noodles continue to gain traction in Russia. The country’s imports of Korean instant noodles reached $52 million last year, up 58 percent from a year earlier, driven in part by the global popularity of K-pop and Korean content on streaming platforms. The overall instant noodles market in Russia has also been growing since the COVID-19 pandemic, when demand for convenient, at-home meals surged worldwide. Citing Euromonitor data, Nongshim said the Russian market is expected to grow at an annual rate of more than 10 percent between 2021 and 2030, with the market size projected to reach 1.5 trillion won ($1.01 billion). Nongshim plans to position its flagship Shin Ramyun and other key products as premium offerings. While

Apr 8, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan

Nongshim extends global instant noodles popularity to Russia

Companies

Theborn Korea embroiled in theft scandal at Paik's Coffee

Major food and beverage franchise company Theborn Korea is under dual investigation by the government and police after its signature low-budget coffee brand Paik’s Coffee became embroiled in a dispute between franchisees and a part-time worker over allegedly stolen drinks. The Ministry of Employment and Labor dispatched officials from its Labor Inspection Planning Division to two Paik’s Coffee stores in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, where the employer-employee dispute occurred. The Cheongju Cheongwon Police Station is also investigating the case. Each franchisee accused a part-time worker in her 20s of giving beverages to friends and acquaintances or taking drinks herself without informing her employers. One franchisee claimed the worker took 112 drinks without permission while employed from May to October last year. Another franchisee, who had hired her before May, said she improperly accumulated store credit stamps worth 350,000 won ($232) by violating company regulations. The worker said she took only three iced Americanos without paying when she quit one of the stores. She

Apr 8, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan

Theborn Korea embroiled in theft scandal at Paik's Coffee

Companies

From chargers to lifestyle hubs, Chaevi accelerates EV charging culture

Chaevi is pivoting to superfast electric vehicle (EV) charging that can take a battery from zero to full in under an hour. But what is drawing people to the company’s 5,900 charging points nationwide — the largest network in Korea operated by a single provider — has less to do with mechanics and more with a simple, soul-satisfying experience that appeals beyond EV owners. Chaevi Stay is the company’s brand for sleek EV charging stations featuring its third-generation SuperSonic charging service, with seven locations now operating across Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Each site includes a dedicated floor serving food and beverages for customers waiting while their cars charge. The dine-in menu features items such as gukbap, or rice with soup, and curry pork cutlet, all priced below typical market rates. Thanks to the quality and affordability, the venues are often bustling with diners who did not even arrive in EVs. Chaevi Stay offers charging customers Chaevi points that carry monetary value and can be used to pay for food, charging and car washes at any station. Such offerings,

Apr 7, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan

From chargers to lifestyle hubs, Chaevi accelerates EV charging culture

Companies

Almonty joins Montana mining group, bolsters US tungsten supply

Almonty Industries, a global tungsten developer and supplier which operates Sangdong Mine in Korea and others in Portugal and Spain, has joined the Montana Mining Association to bolster its presence in the United States. According to the group’s Korean subsidiary, Almonty Korea Tungsten Corp. (AKTC), Sunday, the New York-based conglomerate has joined the association to promote its responsible and sustainable mining practices and pledge its future contribution to technological development and regulatory improvement for the mining industry not only in the northwestern U.S. state but throughout the country. Almonty Industries last November acquired Gentung Tungsten Project in Beaverhead County, Montana, to revive the mine and reignite the U.S. tungsten production for the first time since 2015. AKTC said the mine reserves approximately 7.35 million tons of tungsten ores and will produce 140,000 metric ton units of the earth mineral per year once its redevelopment is complete. The Montana association, established in 1973 in Helena, has been supporting mining firms in the state since, lubri

Apr 5, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan

Almonty joins Montana mining group, bolsters US tungsten supply

Tech & Science

Renewable waste bag plan faces question amid legal loopholes

As the war in Iran is disrupting Korea's imports of naphtha and other oil products, the nation is grappling with public concerns over a shortage of plastic waste bags, prompting President Lee Jae Myung on March 25 to order the government to find ways to replace imported oils with renewable materials in producing such bags. However, the goal appears far-fetched, according to a National Assembly report, as current laws on plastic recycling remain technically immature and fall short of global standards. A report by the National Assembly Research Service, published last week, examined the European Union’s revised Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) adopted in February and compared it with similar Korean laws as it highlighted legal loopholes in the latter. The report not only warned that accomplishing the president's order is unlikely under current laws but also of the impact of Europe's tightening environmental regulations to Korea’s future exports. The report pointed to the “technically uncertain” descriptions under Korea's Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources

Apr 5, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan

Renewable waste bag plan faces question amid legal loopholes

Others

Canadian K-beauty explorer challenges brands to strive for inclusivity

Companies often face limits when promoting products in ways that effectively reach consumers, especially for items that require careful consideration. Cosmetics are one example. With products now capable of transforming a person’s appearance beyond expectations, choosing the right option has become increasingly challenging for consumers, considering the proliferation of brands, especially in the competitive K-beauty space. Darcei Giles, a Toronto-based beauty influencer on YouTube with over 4 million subscribers, stands tall between the suppliers and consumers, making an impact on the global beauty market. What has distinguished her from other beauty influencers is not only her skin color but her expertise in K-beauty brands and passion for Korean pop culture. Addressing her fame, she emphasizes the necessity of her role as a guide for people of color. “It’s been really positive but also important. I think a lot of people weren’t used to seeing K-beauty tested on deeper skin tones, so my content fills that gap. I’ve definitely attracted a more diverse audience because people w

Apr 3, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan

Canadian K-beauty explorer challenges brands to strive for inclusivity

Others

Protracted Iran war expected to lift consumer prices further

United States President Donald Trump’s speech on Wednesday (local time), in which he said Washington will continue to attack Iran over the next two to three weeks, is stoking fears that consumer prices in Korea will continue to climb as the chokehold in global supplies of crude oil raises logistics costs. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics Thursday, Korea's overall consumer price index in March was 118.80, up 2.2 percent year-on-year. The increase was not sharper than in the months prior to the Middle East conflict, as the government’s policy measures on food products and fuel retail prices helped offset the drastic rise in crude oil prices. Four major oil imports all jumped by at least 8 percent from a year earlier. Diesel spiked 17 percent, while kerosene hiked 10.5 percent, petroleum 9.9 percent and gasoline 8 percent. Despite the government’s introduction of a fuel retail price cap, petroleum products pushed up overall consumer prices by 0.39 percentage points. This has canceled out the downtrend in food costs. Agricultural and livestock prices last month fell 0.6

Apr 2, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan

Protracted Iran war expected to lift consumer prices further

Companies

Flights to Hungary, Austria to increase as Central Europe grows popular

Flights connecting Korea to Hungary and Austria will increase from six to 14 and from four to 21 per week, respectively, thanks to rising demand among Korean travelers for Central Europe. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday it has struck an agreement with both countries to expand flight schedules to meet rising passenger demand in Korea. The Korea-Hungary schedule update came for the first time in 12 years. Under the revised agreement expanding traffic rights between Korea and European countries, Hungary agreed to add eight weekly flights. Korea’s flag carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, will serve airports in both countries. This comes after LOT Polish Airlines, which operated flights between Hungary and Korea, halted the route in April 2025, reducing available flights for Korean passengers. Flights between Korea and Austria will see an even larger increase, with the number of flights having remained unchanged since 1996. The addition of 17 weekly flights includes 10 connecting all airports in both countries and seven linking airports across Korea w

Apr 1, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan

Flights to Hungary, Austria to increase as Central Europe grows popular

Companies

Lotte, Korea Post, Hanjin top gov’t postal service evaluation

Lotte Global Logistics, Korea Post and Hanjin Logistics were named top performers in the government’s latest evaluation of postal and parcel services. The government said it assessed 19 companies in the country’s postal and parcel industry in the latest assessment, which has been conducted annually since 2014. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday that eight business-to-customer logistics companies in Korea received either A+ or A in the annual assessment. Lotte, Korea Post and Hanjin earned the highest A+ rating. Companies that received an A rating were Coupang Logistics Service, CJ Logistics, Kurly, Logen and Ilyang Logis. In the customer-to-customer category, Lotte, Korea Post and Hanjin again received A+ ratings, followed by Ilyang, Logen and CJ with A. In the business-to-business category, Kyungdong Express earned the top A++ grade, while five other firms received either A+ or A. The evaluation was based on the companies’ performances last year. The evaluation criteria included customer service etiquette, delivery speed, shipment safety and the abilit

Apr 1, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan

Ko Dong-hwan

Read more

Korea’s in-flight battery rules set global standard

Nongshim extends global instant noodles popularity to Russia

Theborn Korea embroiled in theft scandal at Paik's Coffee

From chargers to lifestyle hubs, Chaevi accelerates EV charging culture

Almonty joins Montana mining group, bolsters US tungsten supply

Renewable waste bag plan faces question amid legal loopholes

Canadian K-beauty explorer challenges brands to strive for inclusivity

Protracted Iran war expected to lift consumer prices further

Flights to Hungary, Austria to increase as Central Europe grows popular

Lotte, Korea Post, Hanjin top gov’t postal service evaluation

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