A recovery in the influx of Chinese group tours into South Korea is becoming noticeable. Chinese tourists to South Korea have passed the pre-COVID-19 level and are getting closer to the level where they peaked in the past. New momentum in China’s recovering economy is also something that can help se
As Chinese shopping platforms such as AliExpress, Temu, and Shein continue to expand their presence within the domestic market, it has been revealed that seized counterfeit Chinese imports amount to a staggering 1.8 trillion won over the past five years.According to the Korea Customs Service on Marc
Korea’s duty exemption threshold for cross-border shopping is set at US$150 per day. This limit is now on the table. It is blamed on the fact that Chinese e-commerce companies such as AliExpress, Temu, and Shein selling ultra-low-priced goods can quickly expand their presences in the Korean market t
Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) announced on March 14 that it will launch the country’s first airport online duty-free shops at Gimpo, Gimhae, and Jeju airports in Korea, following the selection of a new duty-free shop operator for Gimpo Airport on March 6.KAC completed the construction of a common
Since taking office in early July 2022, Ongjin County Mayor Moon Kyung-bok has been busy listening to the voices of his residents. This has been producing remarkable positive results.In 2023, Ongjin County paved the way for a new leap forward, including finalizing a plan for the construction of Baek
Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) has secured a contract for the largest overseas airport development and operation project in its history, expected to generate sales of 37 trillion won in the Philippines.On Feb. 16, it was announced that Incheon International Airport Corporation won
The government has announced its plan to expand the global Korean cuisine industry to a scale of 300 trillion won by 2027. The strategy involves increasing the number of overseas Korean restaurants to 15,000 and more than tripling the number of Michelin-starred Korean restaurants compared to the cur
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. She can be reached at hpark@shinhan.com -- Ed.4Q23 OP falls short due to inventory adjustments at distributorsAmorepacific posted consolidated operating profit of KRW20.7bn (-64% YoY) on sales of KRW926bn (-15% YoY) for 4Q23, missing our estimate (KRW
The Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced that Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo held the 8th Multilateral Trade Strategy Meeting with the MOTIE and related ministries on Jan. 29.In preparation for the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC-13) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to
The Korean beauty care industry is turning its eyes to the Japanese market. It is a strategy to try to rebound by targeting Japan as an alternative market as its performance weakened due to a decline in the market share of Korean cosmetics in China.LG Household and Health Care’s cumulative sales thr
Foreign tourists spent 5.64 million won (US$4,297) and 1.43 million won on duty-free goods per capita in November 2022 and November 2023, respectively. The amount plunged by more than 70%.The number of foreigners who visited domestic duty-free shops in November more than doubled to 646,000 from the
For more than 60 years, Korea had not made it to U.S. Billboard charts, but starting with Psy’s Gangnam Style in 2012, K-pop’s presence on the charts has been growing with BTS, BlackPink, and Nujins making their splashes.As K-pop’s status has changed, so has the number of foreigners visiting Korea.
As the U.S. administration has raised a countervailing duty on Korean steel products by regarding cheap electricity in Korea as a kind of government subsidy for steelmakers, the Korean government has confirmed its decision to challenge the U.S. administration over the case in the U.S. court along wi
In response to the rapidly evolving landscape of the logistics sector, characterized by an increase in the value addition of logistics, the integration of advanced systems, and the proliferation of borderless e-commerce, Incheon International Airport is steadfast in its commitment to enhancing logis
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. He can be reached at hpark@shinhan.com -- Ed.Investment point 1: Domestic earnings driven by inbound touristsInbound visitors to Korea rose to 960,000 in July, reaching 66% of the 1.45mn level seen in July 2019 with triple-digit growth continuing ever
La Boutique Bleue Cell Beauty (LBB) has inked an export agreement worth 800 billion won with multinational conglomerate Shinwha Group.The Shinwha Group, with which LBB has signed this deal, has overseas subsidiaries in major countries including China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, the U.S., and France. It ope
Pernod Ricard Hong Kong Limited has unveiled Ballantine’s 21YO Artist Edition in collaboration with celebrated Korean artist Noh Sangho exclusively in Global Travel Retail across the APAC region.This artist edition is rooted in the campaign slogan of Ballantine’s, "Time Well Spent," which emphasizes
A new service has been launched to help passengers board domestic flights using only a PASS application on their smartphones, eliminating the need for physical identification and paper boarding passes.On Aug. 7, SK Telecom, KT, LG Uplus, and the Korea Airports Corporation jointly announced the launc
The author is an analyst for Shinhan Securities. She can be reached at hpark@shinhan.com -- Ed.2Q23 review: Booking of mostly one-off costs already knownAmorepacific posted 2Q23 consolidated sales of KRW945.4bn (flat YoY) and operating profit of KRW5.9bn (positive swing YoY). Sales came in line with
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. She can be reached at jiyoony@nhqv.com -- Ed.2Q23 sales missed consensus due to weak MLB duty-free and Discovery sales. But, sales in China are estimated to climb 51% y-y in 2H23, and the number of MLB stores should exceed the target set at th