Journalist

Lee Hugh
  • Orion to Release Four Limited-Edition BBQ Snacks With Chef Yoo Yong-wook
    Orion to Release Four Limited-Edition BBQ Snacks With Chef Yoo Yong-wook Orion said Tuesday it will release four limited-edition “BBQ” snack products in collaboration with barbecue specialist Chef Yoo Yong-wook. The company said it designed the lineup for the outdoor season, aiming to bring the flavors of a camping and picnic staple into an easy, everyday snack format. Orion said it adapted the chef’s signature recipes into snack products. The new items add barbecue flavors to Orion’s popular snacks, including Kkobuk Chip, Yegam and Swing Chip. Orion said it tailored each recipe to the texture and shape of each product to improve overall taste. “Kkobuk Chip Barbecue & Chimichurri Sauce Flavor” includes a squeeze sauce for the first time in the Kkobuk Chip line, Orion said. The company said it combined the snack’s signature four-layer crunch with smoky notes and maple flavor to create a rich barbecue taste, then paired it with a South American-style chimichurri sauce made with herbs and vinegar that can be squeezed into the bag and mixed. “Dip Yegam” will be sold in two versions: “Chimichurri Sauce Flavor” and “Smoky Whole-Grain Sauce Flavor,” Orion said. The company said it used real meat ingredients and added barbecue seasoning. Orion said the chimichurri version emphasizes a fresh taste, while the whole-grain version highlights the texture of whole mustard seeds and a smoky aroma. “Swing Chip Barbecue Galbi Ramen Flavor” was inspired by galbi ramen, one of Yoo’s course-menu items, Orion said. The company said it designed deeper ridges than existing chips so seasoning adheres better, and added barbecue flavor along with vegetable flakes for visual appeal. Yoo Yong-wook said he focused his expertise across the process, from flavor design to seasoning and sauce development, to capture barbecue’s signature smoky aroma in a snack. He said he hopes consumers will enjoy a special food experience that brings the philosophy of Yoo Yong-wook Barbecue Lab to Orion’s popular snacks. 2026-04-21 15:45:48
  • Lotte Chilsung Marks 20 Years of Chum Churum Soju With Original 2006 Design
    Lotte Chilsung Marks 20 Years of Chum Churum Soju With Original 2006 Design Lotte Chilsung Beverage is rolling out a commemorative version of its Chum Churum soju to mark the brand’s 20th anniversary, reviving the original design used at its 2006 launch as it seeks to strengthen its position in the market. The company said Tuesday the refreshed packaging applies the early label to reinforce the brand’s heritage and to revisit the meaning of “first,” reflected in the product name. The updated label restores early visual elements such as a young bird and sprout. It also depicts the brand’s key ingredient — bedrock water from the slopes near Daegwallyeong — as a water droplet, underscoring its “smooth soju” identity. A neck label reading “20th ANNIVERSARY” has been added, and the front highlights the 16-degree alcohol mark. Lotte Chilsung Beverage lowered the alcohol content in July last year to 16 degrees from 16.5, a 0.5-degree cut, citing growing consumer demand for smoother soju. The company said it was the first change since a 2021 reduction. The product uses 100% bedrock water, adds rice-distilled spirits and blends in allulose, a natural sweetener. The company also pointed to strong results from hands-on marketing aimed at promoting its “100% bedrock water” message. The Chum Churum Brand Experience Center at its Gangneung plant has drawn more than 35,000 cumulative visitors since opening in April 2023, a company official said, with activities such as making personalized glasses and mixing soju cocktails gaining popularity through word of mouth. “Going forward, we will continue active marketing to promote the differentiated smoothness made with 100% bedrock water from Daegwallyeong,” a Lotte Chilsung Beverage official said. 2026-04-21 15:45:08
  • Democratic Primary Candidate Kim Han-jeong Urges End to Negative Attacks, Seeks Meeting With Choi Hyeon-deok
    Democratic Primary Candidate Kim Han-jeong Urges End to Negative Attacks, Seeks Meeting With Choi Hyeon-deok Kim Han-jeong, a preliminary candidate in the Democratic Party’s Namyangju mayoral primary, on April 21 proposed an urgent meeting with rival preliminary candidate Choi Hyeon-deok, calling for a “one-team” primary. Speaking at an emergency news conference at his campaign office, Kim said the primary should not be a contest over “who attacks more harshly,” but a choice of “who can change Namyangju.” He said candidates should face citizens and party members with mutual respect and a contest of policies. Kim called on Choi to agree to principles of ending negative campaigning, showing mutual respect and focusing on policy, and to run a clean primary. Kim also addressed recent attacks against him. He said an “unfair smear frame” he experienced during the nomination process two years ago was being repeated in this primary, adding that it had gone beyond political criticism to the level of damaging a person’s life and reputation. He rejected claims that he was not present at an anti-martial law rally, saying that was not true. Kim said he was overseas at the time but continued efforts to publicize the unfairness of martial law to U.S. political circles, media and think tanks. Kim said he was imprisoned while fighting military dictatorship as a university student and has never left the Democratic Party since joining in 1988. He also said he was the first sitting lawmaker to declare support when Lee Jae-myung sought the Gyeonggi governor’s post. Kim laid out a development vision for Namyangju, saying concerns are growing that while new towns are expanding, older downtown areas are stagnating. He pledged balanced growth so that Wangsuk New Town and existing areas — Jinjeop, Onam, Byeollae, Hwado, Sudong, Pyeongnae and Hopyeong — can develop together.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 15:44:23
  • Law Firm YK Signs MOU With Korea Senior Vision Federation to Expand Legal Aid for Seniors and Youth
    Law Firm YK Signs MOU With Korea Senior Vision Federation to Expand Legal Aid for Seniors and Youth Large law firm YK and the Korea Senior Vision Federation have signed a partnership agreement aimed at expanding structured public-interest legal support for seniors and youth, moving beyond one-off free consultations. According to the legal community on the 21st, the memorandum of understanding ceremony was held at YK’s main office in Seoul’s Gangnam district. Attending for YK were managing partner Kang Gyeong-hun, Kwon Soon-il, a former Supreme Court justice, and attorneys Kim Ji-hoon and Guk Go-eun. The federation was represented by Chair Cha Heung-bong, a former health and welfare minister, along with CEO Park Seong-bo, Vice Chair Park Yeong-ae and Secretary General Lee Hyeong-geol. The Korea Senior Vision Federation is a nonprofit incorporated association under the Ministry of Health and Welfare that carries out public-interest projects by drawing on the expertise of retired professionals. It operates 49 senior vocational clubs nationwide and runs programs including youth career mentoring and humanities lectures for older adults. The two sides said the agreement is intended to present a new cooperation model aligned with rising demand for corporate ESG and CSR initiatives. The plan is to combine the federation’s public-interest infrastructure with YK’s legal expertise to jointly develop social contribution programs that companies can trust and join. YK said it will provide tailored legal support across the projects, including legal education for youth on preventing school violence and cybercrime, and practical guidance for seniors on inheritance and wills and responding to voice-phishing scams. Cha said, “I am very pleased to form a meaningful partnership with the dynamically growing Law Firm YK,” adding, “At this critical time as we enter a super-aged society, if YK’s legal support is added, it will be a great help for seniors in our society to enjoy a more stable and active later life.” Kang said, “As a young law firm, YK has a firm commitment to sincerely provide practical help to our society,” and added, “We deeply sympathize with the federation’s meaningful efforts, and we will do our best to make a real contribution to protecting the legal rights and interests of its members and supporting vulnerable groups by fully leveraging an organic collaboration system.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 15:43:42
  • Singer-Actor Nana Confronts Robbery Suspect in Court, Says She Acted in Self-Defense
    Singer-Actor Nana Confronts Robbery Suspect in Court, Says She Acted in Self-Defense Singer and actor Nana confronted the defendant in a robbery-and-injury case for the first time in court and showed anger. On 21, the Namyangju branch of the Uijeongbu District Court’s 1st Criminal Division, presided over by Chief Judge Kim Guk-sik, held the third trial of a man identified as A, who has been indicted in custody on charges of robbery and injury. Nana appeared as a witness. As she entered the courtroom, she addressed A, saying, “Is this fun?” She continued, “Is it fun to do something like a robbery and walk around like you want? Look me in the eye. Is it fun?” A did not avert his gaze. The court told her it could not proceed smoothly if emotions ran high, and asked her to calm down. Nana replied, “I can’t not be upset.” Testifying about the incident, Nana said she heard her mother groaning and a man breathing, and sensed danger as she went out carefully. “When I saw it, I was extremely worked up, and I thought I had to go quickly and separate my mom and that man,” she said. She said she did not imagine there would be a knife and thought she had to take it away. “From the way he was acting, I thought that because he was holding a knife, he could do anything to my mom,” she said, indicating she acted in self-defense. Nana said she resisted by grabbing the knife with both hands during the struggle. “When I swung it, he grabbed the blade with both hands. I was holding it with one hand, so I was very weak. I had no choice but to swing wherever I could see,” she said. “So I punched him in the face. He still wouldn’t let go of the knife. In the middle of that, my mom woke up and grabbed the knife too. The three of us struggled over it.” She said she managed to make him release the hand holding the knife while wearing gloves, told her mother to put the knife away, and that the defendant was shaking. She said his neck was injured and bleeding from the knife she swung, and that he told her, “I was wrong, please spare me.” She said she thought she needed to calm him down. She also testified that while trying to calm A, she mouthed to her mother to call 112. Prosecutors say A broke into Nana’s home in Acheon-dong, Guri, Gyeonggi Province, with a weapon at about 6 p.m. on Nov. 15 last year. Nana and her mother subdued him after a struggle, but Nana and her mother were injured in the process. A also claimed he was hurt while they restrained him and filed a complaint accusing Nana of attempted murder and aggravated assault. Police concluded Nana’s actions were self-defense and decided not to forward the case, citing no suspicion. Nana then filed a complaint accusing A of making a false accusation. A has acknowledged breaking into the home but claims he did not intend to commit robbery and did not have a weapon. Nana and her mother had not wanted to face A, but the court sent additional witness summonses, leading them to take the stand.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 15:42:19
  • People Power Party Picks Kim Gi-ha as Donghae Mayor Candidate
    People Power Party Picks Kim Gi-ha as Donghae Mayor Candidate Kim Gi-ha, 66, has been confirmed as the People Power Party’s candidate for mayor of Donghae. The party’s Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province chapter nomination committee announced the final primary results on the 21st at a meeting in Chuncheon and approved Kim’s nomination. Candidates and other officials attended as the results were released. Kim won the final primary against Choi Jae-seok, who had advanced from the preliminary round, and will run as the party’s nominee in the Donghae mayoral race in the ninth nationwide local elections on June 3. With the nomination settled, Kim is expected to begin campaigning in earnest for the general election. 2026-04-21 15:40:00
  • Solo Bids Rise in Seoul Redevelopment as Builders Target Only Prime Projects
    Solo Bids Rise in Seoul Redevelopment as Builders Target Only Prime Projects Rising construction costs and weaker profitability are pushing South Korean builders to pursue “selective bidding” rather than aggressive head-to-head competition, reshaping Seoul’s redevelopment market around solo bids. In that shift, DL E&C has effectively secured the first builder’s role in the Mokdong reconstruction market by emerging as the only bidder for the Mokdong New Town Complex 6 project, seen as the fastest-moving among the area’s major rebuilds. According to the redevelopment industry on the 21st, DL E&C was the sole participant in the second round of bidding to select a contractor for the reconstruction of Mokdong New Town Complex 6 in Seoul’s Yangcheon district. The bid closed at 2 p.m. With no rival bidder again after the first round on April 10, the project has effectively moved toward a negotiated contract. Under the Urban and Residential Environment Improvement Act, if only one company bids in a second round, the association may choose the contractor through a negotiated deal. The Mokdong Complex 6 association is expected to sign a contract with DL E&C after a general meeting in late June. Complex 6 is considered the quickest-moving of Mokdong’s 14 complexes and is viewed as the starting point for a large-scale reconstruction program totaling 26,000 households and about 30 trillion won in project costs. This year’s Seoul redevelopment market is expected to reach a record scale as major projects move to select contractors, but analysts say the trend is shifting away from the intense bidding wars of the past and toward solo bids. Recent projects have followed that pattern. Samsung C&T was selected after submitting the only bid for the Daechi Ssangyong 1 reconstruction project in Seoul’s Gangnam district on April 11. POSCO E&C also secured the Singil Station-area redevelopment project as the sole bidder. Other projects decided through solo bids include Songpa Hanyang 2 reconstruction (GS Engineering & Construction), Singil District 1 public redevelopment (Hyundai Engineering & Construction), and Geumho District 21 redevelopment (Lotte Engineering & Construction). The shift is widely attributed to a combination of higher construction costs and heavier financing burdens. With rising materials and labor costs driving up budgets, builders also face project financing (PF) pressure and the risk of unsold units, making profitability harder to predict. Companies also factor in the expense of design proposals, financing terms and marketing, which can erode margins as competition intensifies. As a result, builders are increasingly concentrating on projects where returns appear more secure rather than pursuing contracts at any cost. GS E&C has won the Songpa Hanyang 2 and Gaepo Wooseong 6 reconstruction projects this year and is seeking additional contracts, including Seongsu Strategic Redevelopment Zone District 1 and Seocho Jinheung Apartments. Hyundai E&C has also identified Apgujeong Districts 3 and 5, Mokdong reconstruction complexes, and the Seobinggo Shindonga Apartments in Yongsan district as core targets. “We are working to win only key projects,” a Hyundai E&C official said. Lotte E&C is focusing its efforts on winning Seongsu District 4 while reviewing participation centered on projects it sees as strong, including sites in Mokdong and Macheon in Songpa district. “From the bidding stage through presales and move-ins, we are pursuing selective bidding focused on places where projects can proceed stably,” a Lotte E&C official said. DL E&C is also watching major sites including Apgujeong District 5, Mokdong Complex 6, Seongsu District 2 and Yeouido. “We are maintaining a selective bidding approach centered on profitability,” a DL E&C official said. Competition, however, has not disappeared everywhere. In high-profile areas such as Apgujeong, Yeouido, Mokdong and Seongsu, major builders are still expected to compete. In a recent bid to select a contractor for Apgujeong District 5 reconstruction, the process was halted after an employee of a construction company was caught taking unauthorized photos of bid documents, highlighting risks tied to overheated competition. The association’s work has since been reorganized and normalized. Overall, this year’s bidding is expected to show “low-intensity competition” dominated by solo bids, while “selective showdowns” continue in a handful of prime districts. Lee Tae-hee, a doctor, said the increase in Seoul redevelopment volume has reduced the need for loss-leading competition and that offering overly aggressive terms can become a sunk-cost burden. He added that in symbolic projects such as Apgujeong, companies believe being shut out could narrow their standing in the market. 2026-04-21 15:39:03
  • CU Stores Hit by Delivery Strike as Kimbap, Lunch Boxes Vanish and Sales Slide
    CU Stores Hit by Delivery Strike as Kimbap, Lunch Boxes Vanish and Sales Slide “Dozens of customers ask for kimbap or lunch boxes every day. When the shelves are empty, they don’t buy anything else and just leave. Why do only franchise owners have to bleed because headquarters and drivers are fighting?” A CU convenience store near a middle school in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, was quieter than usual on Monday afternoon. Students who came looking for triangle kimbap turned away empty-handed, and the store owner sighed as he spoke. CU franchisees say they are facing mounting losses as a strike and blockades by the Cargo Truckers Solidarity CU branch, affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, have effectively halted deliveries of ready-to-eat foods, a key sales driver. The dispute has also raised broader concerns in the convenience store industry after a fatal accident involving a replacement truck during a rally near a logistics center. Industry officials said the KCTU held a rally Monday in front of BGF Retail’s headquarters in Seoul’s Gangnam district, blaming the company and the government and vowing an all-out fight. The truckers’ union has been on an all-out strike since April 5, demanding better treatment for delivery drivers and blocking major logistics centers. From April 17, it also blocked a plant in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, that produces 150,000 ready-to-eat items a day. The disruption has hit more than 3,000 CU stores nationwide. BGF Retail began operating an alternative logistics system and resumed ready-to-eat deliveries to some stores in the Seoul metropolitan area from Monday morning, but many outlets are still struggling with shortages, the industry said. On Sunday, during a rally in front of CU’s Jinju logistics center, union members trying to stop trucks from leaving collided with a cargo truck, leaving one person dead and two injured. A BGF Retail official said the company offered “deep condolences” and was working to resolve the situation. BGF Retail has said it has no reason to negotiate directly because delivery drivers sign individual contracts with outside transport companies. The union, citing the revised so-called Yellow Envelope Act, is demanding direct talks with BGF Retail as the principal company it says effectively controls the work. Franchise owners say they are bearing the brunt. Ready-to-eat foods draw customers and drive add-on purchases, they said. The CU Franchise Owners Association said some stores have seen daily sales fall an average of 20% to 30% due to out-of-stocks, amounting to losses of 500,000 to 600,000 won per store each day. Kim Mi-yeon, head of the CU Franchise Owners Association, said “about 30% of store sales have already disappeared” because of shortages and delayed deliveries. “Where in the Yellow Envelope Act does it say unrelated small business owners can be harmed?” she said. Kim has been holding a one-person protest in front of the National Assembly calling for the strike to end. Industry watchers said they are closely monitoring the risk of a prolonged dispute and a domino effect. If CU, the market leader, recognizes employer responsibility and enters direct talks, it could ripple through logistics networks across other convenience stores, supermarkets and e-commerce, an industry official said. “The moment BGF backs down, strikes could spread like wildfire, so the entire sector is holding its breath,” the official said. 2026-04-21 15:38:02
  • Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Blames Regulations for Slowing Redevelopment, Pledges Reforms
    Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Blames Regulations for Slowing Redevelopment, Pledges Reforms Oh Se-hoon, mayor of Seoul, said regulations are a key reason reconstruction and redevelopment projects have slowed, and he called for expanding private-sector-led housing supply and speeding institutional reforms. He said the city will reflect on-the-ground feedback to revitalize urban renewal projects. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Oh met Tuesday morning at City Hall with officials from the Seoul metropolitan area reconstruction and redevelopment association to discuss ways to improve project feasibility and move redevelopment forward more quickly. Fifteen people attended, including Oh; Lee Jong-han, the association’s vice chairman; association members; and Seoul city officials in charge of redevelopment policy. The association represents members of reconstruction and redevelopment cooperatives and works on proposals to improve urban renewal rules, policy recommendations and information sharing. Oh said the challenge of housing supply “must not remain just a slogan,” adding that Seoul, “even amid a one-sided regulatory environment,” has designated more than 300 redevelopment zones citywide totaling 440,000 homes through its “Shintong Planning” initiative, under what he called a firm principle of private-sector supply. He criticized the central government’s housing policy direction, saying various regulations have slowed projects, weakened the housing ladder for ordinary people and brought reconstruction and redevelopment to a halt. Oh said the city will take the group’s requests seriously, quickly implement what it can change immediately, and pursue alternatives to issues requiring broader institutional reform. The association asked the city to: establish guidelines on relocating religious facilities within redevelopment promotion districts; set standards for commercial property in management and disposition plans; and create communication channels with stakeholders. Oh said he agreed with the proposals and would directly urge the government to revise relevant laws while working through close consultations to create a more transparent environment for redevelopment projects. 2026-04-21 15:37:10
  • Seoul mayoral rivals build campaign teams ahead of June 3 local elections
    Seoul mayoral rivals build campaign teams ahead of June 3 local elections With both major parties having chosen their final candidates for Seoul mayor ahead of the June 3 local elections, attention is turning to the campaign committees expected to drive the race. Democratic Party candidate Jung Won-oh, selected earlier as the party’s nominee, has moved quickly to assemble a large committee heavy with sitting lawmakers and has begun public campaigning. People Power Party candidate Oh Se-hoon has said he will also move fast to build his team. Jung on Monday visited the Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak District with about 40 aides in his first official outing since launching his campaign committee. Among those attending were Rep. Lee In-young, a five-term lawmaker from Seoul and a standing co-chair of the committee, along with Reps. Park Joo-min and Jeon Hyun-hee, who had competed against Jung in the party race. Other key figures from the committee formed the previous day also joined, including co-chairs Han Jeong-ae, Nam In-soon, Jin Sun-mi, Ko Min-jung and Kim Young-ho. Jung’s committee totals more than 50 members, including 27 sitting lawmakers. Jung reiterated his push for party unity, saying he built a lawmaker-centered committee to strengthen his team. “The candidates in the party primary have experience in state affairs and in the National Assembly, and they have experience in party leadership,” he told reporters after the visit. “I invited them to help fill in what I need to build one team.” Oh, by contrast, has made few public moves since appointing Rep. Park Soo-min and former lawmaker Yoon Hee-sook as co-chairs on Saturday. Still, Oh has said he plans to ask key party figures, including sitting lawmakers from Seoul, to join as he accelerates preparations. Speaking on KBS radio’s “Jeonggyeok Sisa” on Monday, Oh said, “We should of course bring in sitting lawmakers. We will of course bring in Supreme Council member Shin Dong-wook as well.” Referring to Jung’s lineup, he added, “Even if we can’t match a ‘mammoth’ committee, we are planning around people who can work practically.” Oh’s camp told Aju Business Daily by phone that the overall structure has not yet been finalized, but said it is making full preparations to recruit lawmakers in Seoul and that sitting lawmakers could join.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 15:34:38