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Ko Dong-hwan

Korea Times Business Reporter

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Companies

Edward Lee, Faker named global ambassadors for K-food

Celebrity chef Edward Lee and the country's League of Legends superstar Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok have become Korea's official global ambassadors for K-foods, the government said Wednesday, as it seeks to expand exports and raise the profile of Korean cuisine overseas. The two are among seven newly appointed ambassadors tasked with promoting Korean food in key overseas markets, including the Americas, Europe and Southeast Asia. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Wednesday that Lee, a Korean American fine dining guru, will be at the forefront of promoting Korean gastronomy across the United States and Canada. Showcasing his cooking using Korean food products and ingredients at local and international food shows in North America will be a basic manual for the chef hailing from Louisville, Kentucky. Faker, six-time world champion and 10-time winner of domestic leagues for the multiplayer online battle arena game, will be K-food's face across Chinese-speaking markets worldwide. He will promote Korean food through esports events in the regions. The appointments were dec

Jun 17, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Edward Lee, Faker named global ambassadors for K-food
Companies

Kumho Petrochemical invests in migratory bird conservation

Major chemical conglomerate Kumho Petrochemical Group is expanding its environmental stewardship efforts through a habitat restoration project for migratory birds in Korea's southwestern coastal region. The group said Tuesday that five affiliates — Kumho Petrochemical, Kumho P&B Chemicals, Kumho Mitsui Chemicals, Kumho Polychem and Kumho T&L — are participating in the initiative in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province. The project involves paddy fields surrounding Yeosu Gasari Ecology Park, a key habitat for migratory birds. Kumho plans to invest 260 million won ($172,000) over the next three years in partnership with Thanks Carbon, a provider of corporate environmental project solutions. Under the project, the company will transform idle paddy fields into seasonal wetlands that can provide food and shelter for migratory birds during the winter months, when farming activities are suspended. Wetlands created on fallow farmland are widely recognized as an effective ecological restoration method because they support biodiversity while enhancing soil carbon storage capacity, helping mitigate cli

Jun 16, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Kumho Petrochemical invests in migratory bird conservation
Companies

FitFlop expands in key Korean market

British premium footwear brand FitFlop is stepping up its expansion in Korea, a market it sees as a key growth driver. Operating through 5,500 stores and 2,000 retail partners across 88 countries, the company is now focusing on raising its profile in Korea. Central to that strategy is a new partnership with Samsung C&T Fashion, the fashion arm of Samsung C&T. Korea has emerged as a key market for FitFlop globally, according to FitFlop Chief Commercial Officer David Schuttenkopf. In an interview with The Korea Times, he highlighted the distinct preferences of Korean consumers compared with those in other markets and explained how the company is tailoring its products to meet their specific footwear needs. "Korea is super important. It is at the intersection of fashion, innovation and culture," said Schuttenkopf at FitFlop's newest pop-up store in Seoul's trendy Seongsu area on June 10. A day before its public opening, the store hosted K-pop stars Nayeon of TWICE and YoungK of Day6, who were invited by Samsung — not to mention hundreds of fans outside. "Korean consumers are amongst the

Jun 16, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
FitFlop expands in key Korean market
Companies

Shinsegae chairman to receive history lesson over 'Tank Day' fiasco

Shinsegae Group Chairman Chung Yong-jin will sit for a “history lesson” after the conglomerate’s Starbucks Korea rattled the country last month with its controversial “Tank Day” tumbler marketing campaign, which caused an outcry among the public and victims of the bloody crackdowns on key pro-democracy uprisings against a military junta in the 1980s. Shinsegae said on Monday that Chung will sit for a lecture on June 24, together with presidents of the group's nearly 50 subsidiaries. The lesson will be in two parts, covering historical consciousness and social sensitivity, delivered by professors from Sungkyunkwan University’s departments of history and sociology. Executives of Emart, which runs Starbucks Korea operator SCK Company, will hear the same lectures on Wednesday. Shop managers and store employees of more than 2,110 Starbucks cafes in Korea will hear it on June 22. To accommodate the class simultaneously for the cafe employees nationwide who number roughly 23,000 in overall, the company will close all Starbucks locations at 3 p.m. and play a recorded video of the le

Jun 15, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Shinsegae chairman to receive history lesson over 'Tank Day' fiasco
Tech & Science

Clothing humanoid robots new mission for Hansae

A surprising scene unfolded in front of press at the Korea Federation of Textile Industries’ office in Seoul’s Gangnam District on June 8. A humanoid robot walked from behind the curtain to the center of stage to face the audience, drawing mild wows. The robot, about a meter tall and only a thick horizontal line where a human would have eyes, was dressed in a black sleeveless jacket and baggy pants. Its very presence was enough to keep the crowd’s attention. Soon, the hook from G-Dragon's “Power” reverberated across the stage and the robot, courtesy of Galaxy Corp., an entertainment-tech company that has a partnership with the K-pop superstar, began dancing to the upbeat tune. Its metallic feet tapped on the floor and its clothing fluttered with every jerky motion. The show lasted for about a minute and the robot walked off stage. The performance was part of a bold message from Hansae regarding its latest mission — developing clothes for robots as well as humans. Hansae group’s businesses range from fashion retail to e-commerce bookstore, concert ticketing and automobile p

Jun 13, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Clothing humanoid robots new mission for Hansae
Companies

Oriental Brewery taps into enthusiasm for Team Korea, World Cup

Liquor giant Oriental Brewery (OB) hosted watch parties at restaurants in Seoul Friday for Korea's 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A match against the Czech Republic, using the events to promote its flagship beer brand, Cass. Called Cass Viewing Pubs, the events are held at restaurants that sell Cass, allowing fans to gather and cheer for the national team together. For Korea's three group stage matches this month, OB partnered with four restaurants in Seoul's trendy districts of Euljiro, Itaewon and Seongsu, as well as one venue in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. On Friday, two barbecue restaurants in Seoul's Euljiro and Itaewon areas were transformed into temporary fan zones. At the Euljiro venue, around 300 visitors filled the outdoor seating area in front of a giant screen, wearing matching jerseys bearing the logos of the FIFA World Cup, the Korea Football Association and Cass. Cass is the only domestic liquor brand serving as an official sponsor of this year's World Cup. The attendees were selected through an application process organized by OB. As expected by the company, the combination of

Jun 12, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Oriental Brewery taps into enthusiasm for Team Korea, World Cup
Companies

Hanwha Ocean selected as preferred bidder for KDDX program

Hanwha Ocean has been selected as the preferred bidder for Korea’s long-delayed next-generation destroyer (KDDX) project, a cornerstone of the country’s naval modernization plan, valued at approximately 7.8 trillion won ($5 billion). The KDDX program plans to deploy six 6,000-ton Aegis-equipped destroyers by 2030, replacing aging vessels scheduled for retirement in the late 2020s. According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and defense industry sources on Thursday, the agency has completed its evaluation of proposals for the detailed design and lead ship construction project and notified both HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Hanwha Ocean of the results in the afternoon of the same day. “We received an excellent evaluation in the proposal assessment for the detailed design and lead ship construction project of the KDDX, thanks to our advanced naval vessel technology and project execution capabilities," the company said in a press statement following DAPA’s decision. “As the preferred bidder, we will closely cooperate with DAPA in accordance with proje

Jun 11, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Hanwha Ocean selected as preferred bidder for KDDX program
Tech & Science

Korean rice aid expands into Africa's more challenging regions

The Korean government’s rice assistance program for African nations, aimed at improving local food security, has entered its second phase, targeting more challenging terrain where rice cultivation depends on rainfall rather than irrigation. So far, the Korea-Africa Food & Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI) project under the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has concentrated on irrigated paddy fields, which have demonstrated high yields and improved grain quality. The second phase, according to the ministry on Thursday, will begin developing new rice seeds that can withstand drought, low-temperature stress and salinity stress, which are chronic problems with rain-fed paddy fields. Working with AfricaRice, a nonprofit research and training center headquartered in Ivory Coast, the Korean ministry will also accelerate efforts to harvest the seeds faster by employing techniques like anther (pollen) culture or single seed descent for faster breeding and germination. Transferring rice seed and rice farming techniques to new member states of KAFACI is another obj

Jun 11, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
Korean rice aid expands into Africa's more challenging regions
Companies

New gallery at old Seoul Station retraces Korea’s railroad history

A closed railway platform that had been the de facto center of Korea’s railroad operation until its closure in 2004 has been transformed into a gallery that travels back to the venue's past. Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL), a state-run railway operator, hosted an opening ceremony for a new gallery at the old station building on Wednesday, a day before its public opening. The gallery will run through Aug. 17. Built in 1925 during the Japanese colonial rule (1910-45), the former station building serviced trains until KTX high-speed trains began operating at the new Seoul Station next to the century-old building. In 2011, the old building was reopened as Culture Station Seoul 284, serving as a cultural space and hosting occasional art events since. The gallery, named “Seoul Station 2026: Where Memory Meets Movement,” introduces media, installations and archived photos prepared by 15 artists. The gallery, run by art director Kim Mi-youn, invites visitors to explore the old station, which has preserved most of its functions including the stationmaster’s room, VIP Room, the waiting hall

Jun 10, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
New gallery at old Seoul Station retraces Korea’s railroad history
Companies

FORUM Korean beauty, fashion, content riding AI wave

Korean companies in the beauty, fashion and content industries are riding the artificial intelligence (AI) wave and making innovative changes and profits from it. At the same time, riding this technological wave without a safety belt poses challenges and serves as a reminder of the importance of using rapidly growing AI as a tool, rather than something that renders humans expendable. At The Korea Times Forum, co-hosted by GR Korea in Seoul on Tuesday, held under the theme, “Made in Korea: Global and AI enablement,” representatives of four companies in the K-beauty, K-pop and apparel manufacturing sectors shared how AI could be both boon and bane. They said that AI, as much as it has now generated irreplaceable demand worldwide, should be used carefully so that its comprehensive and fast computing power does not tower over humans. The forum’s second session, titled “AI, K-beauty, K-content and Other Key Strategic Industries for Korea’s Future,” featured executives from K-pop content developer Kakao Entertainment, fashion original design manufacturer Hansae, beauty content dev

Jun 9, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
[FORUM] Korean beauty, fashion, content riding AI wave
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