Korea Times Digital Content Reporter
Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
Models display sliced raw croaker at an E-mart outlet in Seoul, Thursday. The discount store chain said it will offer a plate of raw croaker at 19,800 won ($16). The fish, called “mineo” in Korean, is a delicacy that Koreans enjoy in summer. Yonhap
Homeplus employees pose with tumblers to mark World Environment Day on June 5 and raise awareness on sustainability at the company's headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Homeplus By Kwak Yeon-sooTo mark World Environment Day, local retailers are touting their efforts to protect the environment, by producing less waste and selling eco-friendly goods, according to industry officials Wednesday. Homeplus said it will eliminate all disposable cups at the office and switch to tumblers instead. According to the discount store chain, about 11.6 billion disposable paper cups are binned in Korea each year, and it takes roughly 500 years for a disposable cup to biodegrade. Its supermarket chain Homeplus Express will also expand grocery cart and reusable shopping bag rental services to raise awareness about sustainability. “Everyone in operations understands that making eco-friendly choices is part of our overall job description,” a Homeplus official said. “We will launc
President Moon Jae-in, third from left, poses for a photo in front of Hyundai Motor's hydrogen fuel cell electric city bus at an unveiling ceremony in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Moon attended the ceremony after participating in the World Environment Day event at Changwon Exhibition Convention Center. Yonhap
Son Heung-min was chosen as the new face of CJ Cheiljedang, the company said Wednesday. / Courtesy of CJ CheiljedangBy Kwak Yeon-sooFood companies are chasing after Korean football player Son Heung-min to feature him in their TV commercials and ads, according to industry officials, Wednesday.Son's feats with Tottenham Hotspur and the national team have turned him into a global megastar.Although Tottenham lost to Liverpool in the Champions League final Sunday, Son had played a pivotal role in getting his team to the final, as well as netting 20 goals this season. CJ Cheiljedang announced Wednesday that it had signed Son as the new face of its Bibigo soup. Although the company did not disclose the contract terms, it said it sought to get Son because his great talent evokes insurmountable energy. “Son's tireless energy was the reason we chose him as the new face for Bibigo soup. We are preparing a lot of marketing activities with him to promote Samgyetang, or ginseng chicken soup, during the summer,” a CJ Cheiljedang official said.Son Heung-min in a Power-Aid TV commercialGl
From left, the 1929 Johnnie Walker Red Label, the 1970 Johnnie Walker Black Label and the 2019 Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve. / Courtesy of Diageo KoreaBy Kwak Yeon-sooDiageo Korea has unveiled a collection of limited-edition packaging designs to mark the 111th anniversary of Johnnie Walker's iconic “Striding Man” logo.The Striding Man was inspired by John Walker and designed by cartoonist Tom Brown in 1908. It has been the symbol of the company and its vision “Keep Walking” since. The retro limited edition packaging will include iconic designs from 1929 (Johnnie Walker Red Label), 1970 (Johnnie Walker Black Label) and a new design for 2019 (Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve).“We are excited to bring to life this symbol through a series of retro-inspired packaging in Korea,” a Diageo official said. The bottles with limited edition packaging come with a highball glass, a vintage design magnet and a Striding Man sticker. They are available at warehouse-style supermarkets, discount chain stores and convenience stores.
By Kwak Yeon-sooKEPCO CEO Kim Jong-kapKorea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) is expected to take a hit from the Moon Jae-in administration's move to relax the progressive electric billing system to lower utility bills for households ahead of the summer, according to industry analysts Tuesday.The government plans to ease the current electric billing system, which charges households and businesses substantially more when their electricity consumption exceeds certain levels, so that users will pay less than in the past even if they consume power extensively to run their air-conditioning.In the summer of 2018, many households, who turned on their air-conditioners to cope with the record heat wave, were angry with the government over higher utility bills. This time policymakers have decided to take preemptive steps to lower utility bills as the upcoming summer season will also be one of the hottest in history.However, the government has not set aside any budget to financially support KEPCO, which will lose up to 300 billion won ($270 million) in revenue this year, due to changes to the progre
Industry Minister Sung Yoon-mo, third from left in the front row, and KITA CEO Kim Young-ju, fourth from left in the front row, pose with entrepreneurs and industry officials at the opening of the Startup Branch at COEX, Tuesday. Courtesy of KITA By Kwak Yeon-sooThe Korea International Trade Association (KITA) has opened a “Startup Branch” at COEX, with an aim to provide an open platform for startups to scale up and globalize. All aspiring entrepreneurs, venture capital companies (VCs) and accelerators are welcome to use the branch, according to KITA, Tuesday. The Startup Branch is divided into offices where startups can pitch their disruptive ideas, a consulting area where startups, VCs and accelerators can engage in networking, and a cafeteria. “Considering declining exports and the sluggish economy, it is necessary to both globalize and scale up startups,” KITA CEO Kim Young-ju said during a press conference introducing the Startup Branch.“The Startup Branch is a
By Kwak Yeon-soo The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) will hold its sixth photo contest.Under the theme of “The workplace and lives of businesspeople,” the country's largest business association, headed by Chairman Park Yong-maan, said Monday it will receive applications from June 3 to Sept. 24. Anyone interested in the contest can apply for the non-press division. Only photojournalists can apply for the press division. The contest is open to both Koreans and non-Koreans.Participants can submit their photos at kcciphoto.korcham.net by computer or smartphone. Photos taken by smartphone can also be uploaded.The submission fee is 1,000 won ($0.80) for each entry, and all proceeds will be donated to charity. The winner of the grand prize will receive 30 million won; the two second-place winners will get 5 million won each; and each of the five third-place winners will receive 2 million won. The 30 fourth-place winners will each get 500,000 won.Winners will be announced in November and their works will be exhibited and produced as a video clip.“The popu
Samsung Engineering headquarters in SeoulBy Kwak Yeon-sooSamsung Engineering CEO Choi Sung-anSamsung Engineering shares plunged Monday after the company revealed that a consortium led by Saudi Arabian company Al-Toukhi had filed an international arbitration complaint against it for a canceled desalination plant.The shares fell 9.9 percent to 15,050 won ($12.7) Monday from last Friday. At one point, the stock fell as low as 14,500 won during trading, the lowest since June 20 2018.In a regulatory filing, the Samsung Group construction unit said its consortium partners Al-Toukhi and Vision asked the Dubai International Financial Center and London Court of Arbitration to arbitrate a canceled construction project, in which the company was chosen as bidder in 2012 by the state-run Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi companies are reportedly demanding about $607.7 million in compensation ― nearly 70 percent of the capital owned by Samsung Engineering.The power generation and seawater desalination plant project in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, was halted after the SW
By Kwak Yeon-sooNoh Hyung-joo, the plastic surgeon at The Class & Mizain Plastic SurgeryRiding on the enormous success of the beauty industry aided by the K-pop craze, plastic surgeon Noh Hyung-joo sees greater potential outside Korea to offer surgical procedures. As the only certified Korean plastic surgeon who operates in Kazakhstan, Noh goes to Almaty every month to perform cosmetic surgery.“I must admit that I'm a lucky man,” he said. “Because Korea is recognized as one of the best places for high-quality plastic surgery, I get invited to a lot of seminars across the world and there is also a growing number of foreign patients coming to Korea.”According to Noh, a large proportion of foreign patients come from Indonesia, China and Kazakhstan and the vast majority of plastic surgery patients are women. Common procedures beyond eyelid surgery and rhinoplasty are those aimed at achieving anti-aging, without specifically following either Western or Korean beauty standards, according to Noh. “The so-called minimal aesthetic surgery is a rising trend no