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.
Starbucks Coffee Korea employees and workers from its business partners take part in a tree-planting campaign at Seoul Forest in Seoul, Tuesday. Marking its 20th anniversary, the company raised 200 million won to donate 20,000 trees to 20 forests nationwide, including Olympic Park and Noeul Park. Courtesy of Starbucks Coffee Korea
By Kwak Yeon-sooPlant-based patty product of Beyond Meat / Courtesy of Dongwon F&BCho Kyung-rim, 23, is a pescetarian, who does not eat meat but consumes fish and seafood. An animal enthusiast, Cho became a vegetarian after becoming aware of factory farming of animals. In 2016, she created a vegetarian club called “Solchan” at Ewha Womans University as a sophomore. “People think a vegan diet is unhealthy because it leads to a lack of important nutrients, but that's not true,” she said. “There are a lot of alternative options to replace meat products, and many restaurants are more than willing to accommodate vegan requests nowadays.”Like Cho, millennials in Korea have high demand for vegan food, whether for reasons of health, environment or simply a desire to eat less meat. And this trend is fostering a growing number of vegetarians and vegans in Korea. According to Korea Vegetarian Union, 1 to 1.5 million Korean consumers, or about two to three percent of the population, are estimated to be vegetarians, which is more than 10 times compared to 1
By Kwak Yeon-sooImvely's pumpkin juice / Courtesy of BUGAN FNCLast week, 33-year-old fashion, beauty and lifestyle influencer Im Ji-hyun apologized for selling “moldy” pumpkin juice through her online shopping mall Imvely, promising full refunds for the problematic product.“We apologize for becoming a subject of public criticism and causing you concern,” she said in a statement. “We will provide full refunds for the product and do our best to offer safer products through stricter quality control.”The apology, however, was met with outrage as she had allegedly deleted consumer complaints to “cover up” the case. “I had trust in Im because she emphasized that her products were effective and safe. I plan to unfollow Im, who sells rotten food using her popularity,” one consumer wrote online.Imvely was considered one of the most successful first-generation online fashion shopping malls, opening 16 offline branches since its 2015 launch. Riding on domestic success, Imvely has earned popularity abroad, opening stores in the U.S. and
GS25's new dosirak packaging of late President Rhee Syngman / Korea Times fileBy Kwak Yeon-sooGS Retail, an operator of convenience store GS25, is facing a growing backlash from some customers after introducing its new dosirak (lunch box) packaging of President Syngman Rhee (1875-1965) as an independence fighter. Rhee remains a controversial figure, as there is still much debate on how to define Rhee's presidency and his role in shaping the nation before and after liberation in 1945.Some respect him for laying the foundations for a modern country, while others disregard him as a ruthless authoritarian. He has also been blamed for solidifying the division of the Korean Peninsula. GS25 rolled out the new packaging starting April 1 in commemoration of the centennial of the March 1 Independence Movement.After facing severe criticism from consumers, the company said it had no intention of stirring controversy.“We were not involved in the selection process. We received the list of veterans from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs,” an official at GS25 said. “Som
By Kwak Yeon-sooPhilip Morris Korea's director of people and culture Praveen Upadhyay / Courtesy of Philip Morris KoreaPhilip Morris International (PMI), which was recently awarded equal-salary certification, hopes the recognition will build pride among its employees by reinforcing the fact that they work for a forward-looking organization.The certification is an independent endorsement by the Switzerland-based not-for-profit Equal-Salary Foundation and auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers. The certificate confirms that the company pays men and women equally for equal work. PMI became the first multinational to be equal-salary certified globally, with 90 affiliates worldwide including Philip Morris Korea (PMK) receiving the certification. This also makes PMK the first multinational company in Korea to be officially certified.PMK's director of people and culture Praveen Upadhyay says the recognition is not just a win for PMK but also a win for Korea as it contributes to achieving greater gender and wage parity.“We are both proud and happy, but not surprised. I think the equal-salary c
Models pose with premium makgeolli, traditional rice liquor, at an E-mart store in Seoul, Monday. According to E-mart, the sales of makgeolli jumped 24.6 percent in the first quarter of 2019 due to rising popularity among people in their 20s and 30s because of the diverse and premium flavors of the beverage. Yonhap
By Kwak Yeon-sooCompanies are introducing a range of eye-catching, eco-friendly consumer products to take advantage of growing public concerns over plastic waste and other environmental pollutants, according to retail industry analysts Wednesday.The increasingly hectic lifestyle here has also given a birth to easy-to-consume, health-oriented goods, bringing drastic changes to how and what people eat, they said.In an effort to reduce plastic pollution, the Ministry of Environment banned single-use plastic bags at grocery stores and supermarkets starting April. With the ongoing trend, a number of innovators are at the forefront of development to create new supplements and produce “zero waste” materials.Lingtea, powdered IV / Courtesy of LingteaKorean startup Lingtea has developed a powdered supplement to replace intravenous (IV) fluid administration. The company, which was recognized by South Korean President Moon Jae-in in 2017, was founded by army doctors with the aim to help soldiers in need of fluids during harsh training.An official at Lingtea explained that the powder
A scene from a new commercial for OB's signature brand Cass / Courtesy of OBBy Kwak Yeon-sooOriental Brewery (OB) will pour one trillion won ($880 million) into product development and infrastructure over the next three years, a key step in the company's plan to dominate the domestic beer market.Korea's largest brewer will bet big on expanding its brand portfolio, as well as fostering the craft beer market and building eco-friendly breweries, the company said, Friday.It is by far the largest investment by a domestic brewer.The company will invest 400 billion won on upgrading its flagship beer brand Cass, saying it will focus on improving its sales and marketing strategies.“Cass is still the No.1 beer brand in Korea, but its outlook isn't very promising at the moment. We need to try better to enhance the brand value,” an OB official said. OB plans to foster its craft beer brands, such as “Hand and Malt” and “Goose Island,” on a global scale to satisfy consumers who now seek more diverse, high-end beers. As a local distributor for several global bran
Volunteers who participated in a tree planting campaign pose for a photograph holding a banner that reads “Seoul, we breathe together” in the capital, Friday. About 300 participants from 15 companies and two universities, including AmorePacific and Sookmyung Women's University, planted 3,000 trees in nine different locations in Seoul, including Seoul Forest and Ttukseom Hangang Park, to celebrate Tree Planting Day and to combat air pollution. Courtesy of AmorePacific
By Kwak Yeon-sooEdvin Eriksen, head of Hyundai CRADLE Berlin. / Courtesy of Hyundai MotorHyundai Motor has launched its innovation hub CRADLE in Berlin to lead future technology advancements in the European region, the company said Friday.CRADLE is Hyundai Motor Group's corporate venturing and open innovation business that partners with and invests in promising global startups to accelerate the development of future technologies, including mobility services, smart cities and eco-friendly technologies. This is the fourth CRADLE office worldwide, following bases in Seoul, Silicon Valley in the U.S. and Tel Aviv, Israel.The company expects the Berlin branch will lead the regional market operation and discover startups and partners that focus on “disruptive innovation” across Europe.“Germany has been traditionally known for its manufacturing, design and excellence in quality,” said Edvin Eriksen, head of Hyundai CRADLE Berlin. “Berlin is a dynamic hub with an international reputation for digital innovation and brings additional value to these historical stre