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Ko Dong-hwan

Korea Times Business Reporter

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Companies

P&G expands talent opportunities for Koreans

P&G continues to expand opportunities for Korean talent through a range of talent development initiatives, from developing specialized research and development professionals to providing global learning experiences through its internship program. P&G Korea said Thursday that Korean employee Noh Su-jin has been appointed as a perfumer after completing P&G’s perfumer training program. Perfumers are among the industry’s most specialized professionals, with only a few hundred practicing worldwide. Becoming a perfumer requires years of specialized education, hands-on experience and continuous mentorship. After graduating from a university in Korea, Noh completed professional training at ISIPCA, a world-renowned French school of perfumery, before joining P&G in 2024. She then completed P&G’s internal Perfumery Training Program and received mentorship from senior and master perfumers before recently taking on the role of Fabric & Home Care Perfumer for the Southeast Asian market. Today, approximately 20 perfumers work across P&G’s global organization, developing fragrances for brands in

Jul 30, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
P&G expands talent opportunities for Koreans
Companies

Hong Ui-rak takes helm of KOGAS, vows AI transformation

Hong Ui-rak, a former two-term lawmaker, took office as the 19th president and CEO of Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS) on Wednesday. His three-year term will run through July 2029. Hong was named the new KOGAS chief at an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting on July 23 and officially took office after being recommended by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources and approved by President Lee Jae Myung. At his inauguration ceremony held at the company’s headquarters in Daegu, Hong unveiled his vision of “connecting the future of Korea’s energy” and outlined three key goals: enhancing KOGAS’ value, strengthening its role as a “bridge energy” provider and transforming the company into an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered energy platform. “KOGAS is a key public company that supports Korea’s industries and people’s daily lives while playing a critical role in national energy security,” Hong said. “We will improve the company’s financial health, enhance its value and build a stronger foundation for future growth.” Hong said he will promote natural gas as a bridge ene

Jul 29, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Hong Ui-rak takes helm of KOGAS, vows AI transformation
Companies

Samlip launches Bespoke Breads for everyday moments

Confectionery company Samlip has launched a new brand called Bespoke Bread featuring a lineup of three products tailored to different daily situations. The products offer customized taste, size and packaging designed for various real-life moments based on time, place and occasion. One of the products, Bulk-up Pastry, is designed for consumers who are hungry but still have hours to go before their next meal. It is an oversized chocolate pastry topped with a sweet sugar drizzle, offering a hearty option to satisfy strong hunger. For office workers experiencing an afternoon slump, One-Bite Honey Ball serves as a convenient snack. These mini egg cake balls are infused with honey and sugar and are sized to be easily stored in a desk drawer for a quick energy boost. Launched on Thursday, Perfect Match Pizza Bread targets the hour just before dinner. It delivers a classic pizza flavor by combining rich tomato sauce, sweet corn kernels and savory mayonnaise. The Bespoke Bread lineup is available at local retailers including convenience stores, discount chain stores and supermarkets. "Bespoke Brea

Jul 29, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Samlip launches Bespoke Breads for everyday moments
Companies

Mom's Touch enters Singapore, eyes 25 stores in 10 years

Major fast-food chain Mom’s Touch has signed a master franchise agreement with Singapore’s FairPrice Group to open 25 stores over the next 10 years in the city-state, with two additional outlets scheduled to open later this year. Mom’s Touch said Wednesday that the deal involved the Korean company obtaining halal certification for the Singaporean market. The initiative, according to Mom’s Touch, will extend to securing additional halal certifications required to enter consumer markets across Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Under the agreement, Mom’s Touch will provide brand operation rights as well as menu and restaurant management know-how, while FairPrice will oversee restaurant development and local marketing strategies. The first Mom’s Touch restaurant in Singapore will open on Aug. 14 on South Bridge Road in the central business district. Located near Chinatown, the area is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. FairPrice, according to Mom’s Touch, currently runs 80 dining venues across Singapore including food courts, hawker centers and cafes. Mom’s Touch

Jul 29, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Mom's Touch enters Singapore, eyes 25 stores in 10 years
Companies

Scarcity sells: Special edition jerseys redefine sports retail

Limited “special edition” products tied to specific tournaments or seasons are emerging as a key trend in the sportswear retail market, capturing growing consumer attention. Unlike standard uniforms, these exclusive releases leverage scarcity to stimulate demand, often driving stronger purchasing intent among fans and collectors. Industry observers note this shift reflects evolving sportswear marketing strategies. Brands are increasingly positioning uniforms not as routine merchandise but as event-driven products tied to particular moments in time. As a result, once a tournament concludes, these items are no longer available, effectively transforming them into collectibles. This trend aligns with the rise of “small luxury” consumption in Korea, where consumers are willing to spend extravagantly on items that reflect personal taste and identity, rather than traditional luxury goods. Consequently, more consumers are showing a willingness to pay hundreds of dollars for limited-edition sports apparel. Pro-Specs, the official uniform sponsor of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO)

Jul 29, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Scarcity sells: Special edition jerseys redefine sports retail
Companies

Coupang courts foreign visitors to Seoul's Seongsu as K-beauty retail race heats up

Coupang is stepping up efforts to attract international shoppers to Seoul's Seongsu neighborhood, as retailers compete to capitalize on the district's growing popularity as a K-beauty destination among overseas tourists. According to industry sources, the e-commerce giant distributed an English-language edition of its annual Beauty Magazine in Seoul's Seongsu neighborhood on July 17, 25 and 26, targeting foreign tourists and residents. The publication features popular beauty brands, seasonal product recommendations and information on the latest beauty trends. This year's issue is the fourth edition and the first to be published in English. During the promotional event, staff distributed copies of the magazine and product samples while helping visitors download and navigate the Coupang app. They also provided one-on-one assistance with app installation, language settings and first-time purchases to make the shopping experience more accessible for international customers. The magazine includes step-by-step instructions on setting the app to English, browsing product categories and reading

Jul 28, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Coupang courts foreign visitors to Seoul's Seongsu as K-beauty retail race heats up
Health

World's largest mouse gut virome database enables accurate aging prediction

Yonsei University said Monday that a research team led by Lee In-suk, a professor at its College of Life Science and Biotechnology, has built the world's largest gut virome genome catalog for laboratory mice and demonstrated that viral data alone can accurately predict biological aging, marking a major advance in microbiome research and biomarker discovery. The team analyzed 2,638 gut metagenomic datasets from Korea and abroad to build the Mouse Reference Gut Virome (MRGV), comprising 109,778 viral genomes representing 28,824 viral species. The world's largest catalog of its kind expands known viral diversity by about 68 percent compared with existing databases. The researchers also reconstructed hundreds of thousands of previously unassembled viral genomes, substantially improving genome completeness. Using the catalog, the team identified relationships between gut viruses and bacteria and conducted comparative analyses between human and mouse viromes. Notably, they showed that gut viral profiles alone can predict age of mice with high accuracy. Many viruses most strongly associated wit

Jul 27, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
World's largest mouse gut virome database enables accurate aging prediction
Companies

Anua believes K-beauty is replacing French luxury

Korean beauty labels are replacing French luxury brands in the global cosmetic and skin care market, leveraging on their technical qualities and gaining over the European legacy labels, according to the North American marketing chief of K-beauty brand Anua. Michelle Miller, chief marketing officer for Anua in the United States and Canada, said the next generation increasingly values product performance over brand reputation and legacy. She has witnessed the shift in consumer preferences through Anua's nationwide expansion. The brand is now sold at all 1,500 Ulta Beauty stores across the United States, as well as on Amazon, Ulta and Anua's online store. Since it was launched by The Founders in 2019, Anua has rapidly gained ground against established French luxury brands such as Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Guerlain. “French beauty has historically defined luxury through heritage, elegance and prestige. K-beauty brings different kinds of premium values such as innovation, efficacy, advanced textures and a deep cultural expertise in skin care,” Miller said in an interview with T

Jul 24, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Anua believes K-beauty is replacing French luxury
Companies

Korean shipbuilders step up US shipbuilding cooperation

Korea's three major shipbuilders — Hanwha Ocean, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and Samsung Heavy Industries — are expanding cooperation with the United States across a wide range of areas. Taking the launch of the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center as an opportunity, they are broadening partnerships in naval ship design and construction, smart shipyard development, workforce training and supply chain expansion, positioning themselves as key contributors to Washington's efforts to rebuild its shipbuilding industry. The two countries had previously agreed to allocate $150 billion of a broader $350 billion investment package toward shipbuilding cooperation. Hanwha Ocean signed a Professional Services Agreement with Leidos to design the Global Fast Sealift, advancing an April memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on next-generation naval ship design, strengthen U.S. shipbuilding capacity and pursue global defense opportunities. Leidos subsidiary Gibbs & Cox has designed more than 70 percent of U.S. Navy surface combatants since World War II. Th

Jul 24, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Korean shipbuilders step up US shipbuilding cooperation
Tech & Science

RDA's seed vault preserves global vegetable genes

The Rural Development Administration (RDA) will next month mark the 18th anniversary of its Global Seed Vault's designation as Asia's first official preservation center for vegetable seeds from around the world. The designation followed a partnership agreement the agency signed with the Germany-based Global Crop Diversity Trust in 2008. The trust was jointly established in 2004 by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research for protection of the seeds. The RDA said Friday it will expand its services on safety duplication of the genetic sources of agricultural produces from around the world. The agency believes the efforts will contribute to strengthening Korea's agricultural cooperation with the international community. The Global Seed Vault in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, currently protects 336,872 types of vegetable seed from 12 national agencies in countries around the world, as well as Korean universities, local governments and research institutes. The World Vegetable Center in Taiwan stores more than 52,0

Jul 24, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
RDA's seed vault preserves global vegetable genes
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