(Photo=Pixabay) Foreign tourists are no longer just a seasonal tailwind for South Korea’s retailers. They are becoming a structural source of demand—one that is increasingly shaping store formats, marketing strategy and capital spending across the industry. The shift comes as domestic consumption remains sluggish, leaving department stores and big-box chains more dependent on overseas visitors to support growth. Retail executives

Photo=HanaBank South Korea’s benchmark Kospi climbed back above the 5,000 level in early trading Thursday, supported by aggressive buying from retail investors as global risk sentiment improved. The index rose 1.27% to 5,015.25 as of 9:21 a.m. local time, after opening at 4,984.08, up 0.64% from the previous close. The rebound restored a psychologically significant milestone after the Kospi briefly

Photo=Hyundai Motor Group South Korea may be on the verge of a new kind of labor conflict—one that pits human workers against humanoid machines—after Hyundai Motor Co.’s powerful union vowed to block robots from entering factory floors without a formal labor-management agreement. The warning raises the prospect of escalating tension just as Hyundai Motor Group pushes deeper into robotics and

Photo=Lotte Biologics Lotte Biologics, the contract drug-manufacturing arm of South Korea’s Lotte Group, is sharpening its focus on antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, as it seeks to carve out a stronger position in the crowded global market for biologics manufacturing. The company is accelerating what it calls a “global quality integration” strategy, linking its manufacturing operations in the United States and

Photo=Motionelements South Korean travel to Japan hit a record high last year, with visitor numbers surpassing 9 million for the first time, underscoring a strong rebound in regional tourism and Japan’s rising appeal as a nearby destination. The Japan National Tourism Organization said South Korean arrivals in 2025 totaled an estimated 9.46 million, up 7.3%from the previous year and the