The Korea Times

'Salon du Chocolat' invites chocolate lovers in Korea

Models wearing outfits adorned with chocolate pose at the “cacao show” in this photo provided by the Salon du Chocolat Seoul, Jan. 8. / Courtesy of the Salon du Chocolat SeoulBy Kwak Yeon-soo“Salon du Chocolat,” an annual exhibition on all things related to chocolate, will be held at COEX convention center in Samseong-dong, Seoul, from Jan. 10 to 12.Since the exhibition began in Paris in 1994, it has been held in 34 cities in 17 countries, including London, New York, Moscow, Tokyo and Seoul.Under the theme “Taste the Art,” it will offer various events including a “cacao show,” where dresses with chocolate adornments will be showcased on the runway, and a “choco demo,” a demonstration by a pastry chef. The cacao show will present the collaborative work between the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and chocolatiers.At “Choco Land” visitors can make chocolate. “Choco Art” presents artworks made of chocolate, while chocolate restaurants offer a variety of recipes using chocolate as a main ingredient.&

Jan 8, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Salon du Chocolat' invites chocolate lovers in Korea

Films

'Spies in Disguise' tries too hard to attract Korean moviegoers

Walter, left, and Lance in a scene from “Spies in Disguise” / Courtesy of Blue Sky Studios By Kwak Yeon-soo“Spies in Disguise” tries to convince the audience that violence isn't the answer, but it fails to back up this message due to its lackluster narrative. The plot involves peerless spy Lance Sterling, voiced by Will Smith, and nerdy young scientist Walter Beckett, voiced by Tom Holland, teaming up to tackle terrorist threats and save the world.Lance, who originally believes that one “can't save the world with a hug,” later gives in to Walter, who believes that non-lethal gadgets can bring peace and harmony to all. “When we fight fire with fire, we all get burned,” Walter preaches in the movie. Although the message itself is terrific, the idea seems a bit too innocent. Furthermore, some of the non-violent arsenal consists of a multi-colored pen that can fire ropes to tie up bad guys, biodynamic concealment that can turn a person into a pigeon and an electrical pu

Jan 7, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Spies in Disguise' tries too hard to attract Korean moviegoers

Entertainment

Arirang TV broadcasts special coverage on CES 2020

By Kwak Yeon-sooArirang TV is airing special shows on Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020, which is being held in Las Vegas from Jan. 7 to 10, the broadcaster said Tuesday. A series of shows, which will run through Jan. 15, highlight Korean companies' innovative technologies and the response from overseas manufacturers.They will feature IT industry experts discussing major tech trends of 2020, introduce Korean companies specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) and the fifth-generation (5G) network-backed services.Arirang TV will also conduct interviews with Steve Koening, vice president of the Consumer Technology Association, Jeremy Kaplan, an editor-in-chief of Digital Trends, and Chang Joon-hyuk, a professor of electronic engineering at Hanyang University.Among Korean companies, Samsung Electronics' AI technology-featured robots and products, LG Electronics' Internet of Things (IoT) products and home-help robots, SK Telecom's 5G network-based services and Hyundai Motor's air taxi and autonomous driving technologies will be showcased on air.As robots are the key theme for the C

Jan 7, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo

Films

'Parasite' wins best foreign film award at Golden Globes

South Korean director Bong Joon-ho gives an acceptance speech after winning the award for best foreign language film for “Parasite” at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. (local time). / AP-YonhapBy Kwak Yeon-sooBong Joon-ho's satirical thriller “Parasite” won the best foreign film award at the Golden Globes 2020, Monday (KST) ― the first Korean film to win the prize in the event's 77-year history.In a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, Bong's “Parasite” beat director LuLu Wang's “The Farewell,” Ladj Ly's “Les Miserables,” Pedro Almodovar's “Pain and Glory” and Celine Sciamma's “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.”. “Wow... Amazing. Once you overcome the one inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films,” Bong said through a translator, accepting the prize. “Just being nominated along with fellow amazing international filmmakers was a huge honor. I think we use only one

Jan 6, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo

'Parasite' wins best foreign film award at Golden Globes

Companies

Korea to launch Chollian-2B satellite in February

The Chollian-2B satellite is placed in a non-vibration shipping container in Daejeon. / Courtesy of KARIBy Kwak Yeon-sooKorea will launch its Chollian-2B satellite at the Guiana Space Center on Feb. 19, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Sunday. The satellite will be carried on top of the Ariane-5 space vehicle. The Chollian-2B satellite is a new geostationary earth orbit satellite designed to track fine dust and observe climate change in East Asia. The ministry said it would place the satellite in a non-vibration shipping container at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), and then fly it to the Guiana Space Center in South America on a cargo plane.“Korean engineers will carefully inspect the satellite to make certain all systems are in working order and are not damaged during the shipment,” a science ministry official said. According to KARI, the Geostationary Environmental Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) can track 20 types of air pollutants including fine dust, carbon dioxide and the ozone in real time while the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager-2 (GOCI-2) can

Jan 5, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo

Korea to launch Chollian-2B satellite in February

Companies

Rising oil prices from US-Iran conflict pose risk to Korea

By Kwak Yeon-sooInternational oil prices are likely to continue on an upward spiral in the wake of the U.S.-Iran conflict triggered by Friday's drone assassination of the head of Iran's elite Quds Force Qasem Soleimani, according to market experts, Sunday.They expect this will lead to a spike in local gasoline and diesel prices, putting an additional burden on the Korean economy. The price of gasoline increased for the seventh consecutive week in the first week of January to 1558.7 won ($1.34) per liter, up 4.6 won from the previous week. The price of diesel increased for the sixth consecutive week.Experts expect that oil prices will undergo wild fluctuations for some time but will not stay elevated for long.According to online oil price tracker oilprice.com, Friday, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the international benchmark, gained 3.06 percent, reaching $63.05 a barrel following the coordinated attack on the top Iranian general.“It is inevitable for oil prices to soar in the short term because such attacks exacerbate tensions within the Middle East,” KB Securities econo

Jan 5, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo

Rising oil prices from US-Iran conflict pose risk to Korea

Companies

Retailers riding high on growing 'vegan craze'

Plant-based lunchbox-style prepared meals, burgers and gimbap for vegetarians sold at 7-Eleven and CU / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooVegan diet and cosmetic brands are gaining popularity in Korea, with an increasing number of consumers looking to healthy and ethical consumption in 2020, company officials said Thursday.The term “veganism” not only refers to a diet but also the way people live, which includes consuming “cruelty-free” products, they said. According to the Korea Vegetarian Union, the number of vegetarians in Korea jumped from 150,000 in 2008 to 1.5 million in 2019. The number of vegans is estimated at half a million. The retail industry has been launching a series of vegan products to appeal to people who are making the shift to a plant-based lifestyle. Lotte Mart launched an egg-free vegan mayonnaise Thursday to satisfy vegans and vegetarians who want more options. “The vegan food market is growing,” a Lotte Mart official said. “We plan to expand our product range to satisfy consumers who want to enjoy healthy vegan alternati

Jan 3, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo

Retailers riding high on growing 'vegan craze'

Companies

Retailers pledge to 'put customers first' in 2020

Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin, left, and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-binBy Kwak Yeon-sooShinsegae, Lotte and other retailers are vowing to take innovative measures to satisfy customers and overcome the challenges that lie ahead in 2020, according to company CEOs Thursday.Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin stressed the importance of creating greater value for customers as a means to reach sustainable business growth across the entire group.“We are living in a world where it is difficult to predict five years ahead,” Shin said in his New Year's address. “Amid mounting uncertainties, we need to make ceaseless efforts to give customers what they want in order to secure the top position in the industry.”He also said incorporating the latest digital technology will solidify the group's existing business models and enable the company to become a “game changer.”Shin encouraged employees to develop values that promote flexible and open working culture as well as sustainability.“Let us pay attention to issues critical to the sustainability

Jan 2, 2020By Kwak Yeon-soo

Retailers pledge to 'put customers first' in 2020

Companies

Coupang to build its largest 'fulfillment' center in Daegu

Coupang CEO Bom Kim, fifth from left, poses with other dignitaries during the groundbreaking ceremony for the company's high-tech logistics center in Daegu National Industrial Complex, North Gyeongsang Province, Monday. / Courtesy of CoupangBy Kwak Yeon-sooCoupang will build its largest high-tech logistics center in Daegu National Industrial Complex, North Gyeongsang Province, the company said Tuesday.This comes after the e-commerce platform signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Daegu Metropolitan City to construct an “eco-friendly high-tech logistics center” in November 2015.Coupang will invest 320 billion won ($276 million) to construct a mega "fulfillment" center covering 330,000 square meters, which is equivalent to the size of 46 soccer fields. The construction is expected to be completed in 2021.The company's Daegu logistics center will serve as the company's key hub to establish a nationwide logistics system for Rocket Delivery.The center will also tap into AI-powered logistics and a delivery system that enhances work efficiency and reduces workload by he

Dec 31, 2019By Kwak Yeon-soo

Coupang to build its largest 'fulfillment' center in Daegu

Companies

Retailers roll out rat-featuring products for New Year

By Kwak Yeon-sooDiageo's Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Rat limited edition / Courtesy of Diageo KoreaRetailers have been rushing to roll out a wide range of rat-inspired products for 2020, which is the Year of the Rat, according to industry officials Tuesday.From high-end liquors, leather bags and accessories to cakes and marshmallows, retailers are offering products that feature rat-themed designs to catch consumers' attention.Diageo Korea has come up with the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Year of the Rat limited edition to celebrate the new beginning, as the Year of the Rat opens up a new 12-year cycle of zodiac animals.This is the latest release of Johnnie Walker's Zodiac collection on their packaging design. “The iconic bottle of Johnnie Walker features a rat as well as intricate patterns to represent a rat's dynamic life,” a Diageo Korea official said. “It would be a perfect gift for those born in the Year of the Rat.”The Menagerie's rat-inspired cake / Courtesy of Shinsegae FoodShinsegae Food's premium bakery The Menagerie has unveiled cakes and maca

Dec 31, 2019By Kwak Yeon-soo

Retailers roll out rat-featuring products for New Year

Productive year awaits nation

Kwak Yeon-soo

Read more

'Salon du Chocolat' invites chocolate lovers in Korea

'Spies in Disguise' tries too hard to attract Korean moviegoers

Arirang TV broadcasts special coverage on CES 2020

'Parasite' wins best foreign film award at Golden Globes

Korea to launch Chollian-2B satellite in February

Rising oil prices from US-Iran conflict pose risk to Korea

Retailers riding high on growing 'vegan craze'

Retailers pledge to 'put customers first' in 2020

Coupang to build its largest 'fulfillment' center in Daegu

Retailers roll out rat-featuring products for New Year

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