Chaum develops mitochondria-based cell booster

Chaum, the premium medical center operated by CHA Hospital, has developed the country’s first cell booster utilizing mitochondria, the firm said Thursday. The center said it has developed the Mito Cell-Booster, which utilizes not only platelets but also plasma, based on its focus on the abundance of mitochondria in both. It focused on addressing cellular energy decline, a key cause of skin aging, by enhancing the skin’s ability to restore itself. Mitochondria are organelles that produce adenosin

Feb. 26, 2026

Dubai chewy cookie craze faded in 17 days: data

Search interest in Dubai chewy cookies fell to half its peak in just 17 days, according to an analysis of Naver Data Lab data released Sunday. First launched by dessert brand Mont Cookie in April, the Dubai chewy cookie took off nationwide in December. However, the surge in search interest was short-lived, showing how quickly dessert trends burn out in Korea. Experts attribute the faster rise and fall of trends largely to social media-driven consumption. Desserts are bought less for taste and mo

Feb. 8, 2026

Charging for banchan refills? Online poll among restaurateurs highlights growing pressure

Free, unlimited banchan has long been a hallmark of Korean dining, but with rising food prices, more restaurant owners are questioning if they can continue offering complimentary refills. In a poll currently running on a Naver cafe for self-employed people, 38.5 percent of the 1,353 respondents voted in favor of charging refills as of Tuesday noon; a majority of 61.5 percent were still against it. The online survey, neither conducted by a registered pollster nor large in scope, has drawn outsize

Feb. 3, 2026

CJ Olive Young files US trademark for beauty device

CJ Olive Young has filed an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for one of its beauty devices, signaling an accelerated push into the US market, industry sources said Wednesday. The retailer applied Thursday to trademark Hi-Firm Suction Shot, the official product name of Pore Shurink, a pore-care beauty device launched in May 2025 under its private label BioHeal Boh. The filing underscores Olive Young's plan to take overseas products refined through domestic consumer i

Jan. 28, 2026

Pistachio import prices surge 84% in a year amid Dubai chewy cookie craze

The import price of pistachios, a key ingredient in "Dubai chewy cookies," has surged 84 percent over the past year as the dessert gains explosive popularity in Korea, government data showed Thursday. According to data released by Rep. Chung Il-young of the Democratic Party of Korea, citing the Korea Customs Service, pistachio imports rose sharply from 833 metric tons, worth about 13 billion won ($8.8 million), in 2020 to 2,001 tons, valued at roughly 33 billion won, in 2025. As Dubai chewy cook

Jan. 22, 2026

Musinsa’s subtle jab at Coupang and why it worked

South Korea's leading fashion platform Musinsa rolled out a discount package titled “New Year’s benefits. No strings attached" on Jan. 1. It was no ordinary set of coupons. It didn’t take long for many to interpret the move as a subtle jab at rival Coupang, whose compensation package had drawn criticism for being underwhelming in the wake of a massive data breach affecting 33.7 million users. Musinsa’s gesture was subtle, yet it made little effort to conceal its intent. The company issued four v

Jan. 13, 2026

Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold sells out again in minutes

Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z TriFold sold out in about two minutes during its fourth domestic release at 10 a.m. Tuesday, extending a rapid sellout streak despite carrying the highest price tag ever for a Samsung smartphone. Samsung has not disclosed the size of the latest batch, but industry observers say it is likely similar to earlier releases, which were produced in limited quantities. The first batch, released on Dec. 12, was approximately 700 units. Since its debut in December, the trifol

Jan. 13, 2026

APR steps up global beauty tech push at CES 2026

APR showcased its Medicube brand at CES 2026 in Las Vegas last week, marking its third consecutive appearance at the world’s largest technology exhibition as it accelerates its push into the global beauty tech market. The Korean beauty tech firm presented its Medicube cosmetics line and Age-R beauty devices, attracting around 1,600 visitors to its booth — a 33 percent increase from its previous CES appearance. CES 2026 brought together roughly 4,300 companies from about 160 countries. Visitors w

Jan. 12, 2026

Kolmar’s AI scar beauty device wins CES top prize

Kolmar Korea said Wednesday its AI-powered Scar Beauty Device won the Best of Innovation Award under the beauty tech category at CES 2026, marking an industry first. The top honor is given to technologies that receive the highest overall scores for innovation, design and technological advancement. Kolmar said its device was selected as the most noteworthy among 10 Innovation Award winners in the beauty tech category this year. The device also won an Innovation Award in the digital health categor

Jan. 7, 2026

Govt. to expand tariff-rate quota on mackerel amid price hike

The oceans ministry said Tuesday it plans to expand imports of mackerel through the tariff-rate quota system and release government reserves amid soaring prices. Starting this month, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said it plans to release 2,000 tons of mackerel from its stockpiles with a 30 to 50 percent discount, while importing 20,000 tons with zero tariffs. The tariff-rate quota system allows certain volumes of imports to benefit from lower tariff rates within a specified limit. The tar

Jan. 6, 2026

[Best Brand] The IB Korea taps home-drinking market with new cocktails

DRINKS The IB Korea The IB Korea, a local importer of alcoholic beverages, is expanding its footprint in Korea’s liquor market by rolling out a broader lineup of ready-to-drink cocktails aimed at convenience-seeking consumers. The company is the exclusive Korean importer of Uptown, a US-based cocktail brand best known for its pre-mixed products. Its flagship offering, Uptown Margarita, uses 100 percent agave wine and positions itself as a fuller-bodied alternative to vodka-based cocktails. Featu

Dec. 31, 2025

KakaoTalk gifting service used nearly 200 mln times this year

KakaoTalk's gifting service was used nearly 200 million times this year, Kakao Corp. said Thursday. Data from the company showed approximately 189 million gifts were sent through Dec. 17, translating to an average of 540,000 gifts per day. The service offers 640,000 types of gifts from some 8,700 brands. The most popular item was a Starbucks gift certificate, followed by certificates from leading food delivery application Baemin, discount retailer Emart and beauty chain Olive Young. One notable

Dec. 25, 2025

[Photo News] Paris Baguette’s Times Square debut

Dec. 24, 2025

[Photo News] Nongshim opens Shin Ramyun cafeteria at New York’s JFK

Dec. 23, 2025

Coupang class action suit focused on fiduciary duties: attorney

While it may be difficult to hold Coupang directly liable for the recent data breach that affected more than 33 million users, the US-listed company can still be held accountable for an alleged failure to fulfill its fiduciary duties — and no jurisdictional restrictions apply, a case attorney said. New York-based investor rights law firm The Rosen Law Firm on Thursday filed a class-action lawsuit against Coupang in the US District Court for the Northern District of California on behalf of the co

Dec. 22, 2025