Journalist

Kim Hyun-a
  • Vietnam Emerges as a ‘Second Home Market’ for South Korean Food Companies
    Vietnam Emerges as a ‘Second Home Market’ for South Korean Food Companies South Korean food companies are stepping up investment in Vietnam, a country of about 100 million people, treating it as a “second home market” by expanding local production and tailoring products for Vietnamese consumers. Backed by annual growth in the 6% range and a large young consumer base, the companies aim to strengthen their foothold while using Vietnam as an export base. Industry officials said April 22 that major South Korean food makers have expanded in Vietnam since the late 1990s, drawn by its growth potential. Vietnam’s 2025 economic growth rate was provisionally estimated at about 8.02%, and per capita GDP was about $5,026, placing it in the upper-middle-income category. With the middle class projected to reach 75% of the population by 2030, companies are shifting from simple exports to strategies centered on local manufacturing to gain market share. Daesang, which established a local unit in 1994, is accelerating a shift from bio and starch sweeteners into a broader food business. In 2016, it entered Vietnam’s meat-processing market by acquiring local company Duc Viet Food, the first such move by a South Korean food company. Daesang has since expanded its base, maintaining the top market share in Vietnam’s seaweed products and strengthening its K-food lineup, including tteokbokki and kimchi seasoning. Daesang’s Vietnam sales totaled 235.9 billion won last year, nearly double the 2018 level. It recently invested 30 billion won to expand its Hai Duong and Hung Yen plants, boosting capacity. Orion, which set up its Vietnam unit in 2005, has focused on localization for nearly 20 years. Using marketing tied to the local concept of “Tinh,” and products tailored to local tastes — including “Bong Bang,” inspired by traditional folktales, and the rice snack “An” — Orion posted 514.5 billion won in sales in 2024, topping 500 billion won for the first time. Orion has designated Vietnam as a key market in its “post-China” strategy and is investing a total of 130 billion won. It plans to expand its Yen Phong plant in Hanoi and build a third factory scheduled for 2026, lifting local production capacity to the equivalent of 900 billion won. Ramen makers are also intensifying their push. Vietnam leads the world in per capita instant noodle consumption, at 81 servings in 2024. Paldo completed a second factory in Tay Ninh province in southern Vietnam in 2024, building a system that can produce 700 million ramen units a year across its two plants. Paldo plans to keep expanding the second plant and use Vietnam as a production and export hub and a springboard into other Southeast Asian markets. Ottogi operates two manufacturing plants, in Binh Duong near Ho Chi Minh City and in Bac Ninh in the north. It has sustained average annual growth of more than 18% over the past five years and posted 89 billion won in sales last year. The company produces about 770 items, including “Mini Jin Ramen” and “Oppa Ramen,” reflecting local eating habits. It has also obtained halal certification and is moving to expand exports to Muslim markets. In alcoholic beverages, HiteJinro is making a major bet. Vietnam was HiteJinro’s first export market for soju, and about 60% of soju exported from South Korea to Vietnam is HiteJinro products. The company is building its first overseas production plant in Thai Binh province, targeting completion this year. Designed as a smart factory and covering an area about 11 soccer fields, the plant is expected to produce up to 5 million cases of soju a year. HiteJinro aims to improve logistics efficiency and cost competitiveness through local production and extend Jinro’s dominance — the top-selling distilled spirit brand in Vietnam — across Southeast Asia. “Vietnam has cultural similarities with Korea and a solid base of food consumption, so barriers to entry are relatively low,” an industry official said. “Securing cost competitiveness through local production and close-to-market marketing is raising Vietnam’s value as a forward base for global expansion.” 2026-04-22 16:16:01
  • Nongshim teams with Jeonju film festival for Shin Ramyun’s 40th anniversary
    Nongshim teams with Jeonju film festival for Shin Ramyun’s 40th anniversary Nongshim is marking the 40th anniversary of its Shin Ramyun brand with a partnership with the Jeonju International Film Festival, aiming to link Korean food and culture. Nongshim said April 22 that it signed an agreement a day earlier at its headquarters in Seoul’s Dongjak district with the festival’s organizing committee for special screenings tied to the anniversary. Under the deal, the company participated in producing two short films featuring Shin Ramyun that will be shown during the festival. The films are director Oh Se-yeon’s “Before the Noodles Bloom” and director Kim Tae-yeop’s “When the Ramen Runs Out.” They portray Shin Ramyun as a familiar presence known for an unchanged taste over time. The shorts will be screened three times: May 2 and 3 at CGV Jeonju Gosa, and May 5 at Megabox Jeonju Gaeksa. A “Shin Ramyun Studio” pop-up store will also open on Jeonju’s Film Street, offering a hands-on program where visitors can mix noodles, seasoning and toppings to make their own ramen. It will run from the festival’s opening day, April 29, through May 5. Nongshim, which is sponsoring the festival for a third year, will also present the “Nongshim Shin Ramyun Award” for new directors in the Korean Competition section for a second consecutive year. “We want to connect with audiences through the art of film as we mark Shin Ramyun’s 40th anniversary,” a Nongshim official said. “We will continue cultural and arts collaborations to help promote the competitiveness of Korean culture.” The 27th Jeonju International Film Festival will be held from April 29 to May 8 around Jeonju’s Film Street.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 14:35:02
  • Lee Jae-myung Arrives in Hanoi Ahead of South Korea-Vietnam Summit; Trump, Iran and Volkswagen Updates
    Lee Jae-myung Arrives in Hanoi Ahead of South Korea-Vietnam Summit; Trump, Iran and Volkswagen Updates President Lee arrives in Hanoi; South Korea-Vietnam summit set for April 22 President Lee Jae-myung arrived in Hanoi on April 21 local time, beginning a state visit to Vietnam after completing a state visit to India. The presidential aircraft carrying Lee and first lady Kim Hye-kyung landed at Noi Bai International Airport that afternoon. Lee is scheduled to hold a luncheon meeting with South Korean residents on April 22, then meet with To Lam, Vietnam’s Communist Party general secretary and state president. The schedule also includes an exchange of memorandums of understanding, a joint press statement and a state banquet. On April 23, Lee is to meet Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, and attend a South Korea-Vietnam business forum to discuss ways to expand economic cooperation. On the final day, April 24, Lee is scheduled to tour the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi with To Lam.Trump says Iran violated cease-fire repeatedly ahead of second talks U.S. President Donald Trump accused Iran of repeatedly violating a cease-fire as a second round of cease-fire talks approached. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on April 21 local time, Trump wrote, “Iran has violated the cease-fire multiple times!” He did not provide evidence for the claim or outline any follow-up steps in response. The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week cease-fire through April 22, but tensions have continued in the Strait of Hormuz.Volkswagen CEO says group weighing up to 1 million more in capacity cuts Volkswagen Group is considering reducing annual production capacity to about 9 million vehicles, CEO Oliver Blume said. In an interview with German business outlet Manager Magazin published April 21 local time, Blume said it would be difficult to sustain excess capacity over the long term and that the company is reviewing additional cuts of up to 1 million vehicles to reflect market conditions. Volkswagen’s capacity was about 12 million vehicles in 2019, before the pandemic, but it has since reduced capacity by roughly 1 million each in China and Europe. If the plan is carried out, total capacity would be down about 25% from 2019 levels. Sales have also declined. Global deliveries fell from 10.97 million vehicles in 2019 to about 8.98 million last year. Blume said the market environment has changed completely since the pandemic and that around 9 million vehicles is becoming the new baseline.Iran military says tanker entered its waters despite U.S. maritime blockade Iran’s military said April 21 local time that an Iranian oil tanker entered the country’s territorial waters after breaking through a U.S. maritime blockade. In a statement, the military’s public relations office said the tanker Silicity, with operational support from Iran’s navy, passed through the Arabian Sea overnight and entered Iranian waters. It claimed the U.S. Navy issued repeated warnings and threats, but that the tanker reached Iranian waters under what it called full security support and docked at a southern port. There was no immediate official response from the U.S. military. The U.S. military has stepped up maritime control operations in response to what it describes as Iranian moves to block the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command has said it has been intercepting vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman since April 13 and had blocked 27 Iran-related vessels through April 20.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 21:51:20
  • Trump claims Iran violated cease-fire repeatedly ahead of second round of talks
    Trump claims Iran violated cease-fire repeatedly ahead of second round of talks President Donald Trump stepped up pressure on Iran ahead of a second round of peace talks, claiming Tehran has violated the cease-fire multiple times. In a post Monday on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Iran has violated the cease-fire many times!” He did not provide evidence for the claim or outline any follow-up steps in response to the alleged violations. The United States and Iran have agreed to a two-week cease-fire through April 22, but tensions have continued in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States has moved to blockade shipping to pressure Iran’s economy, controlling vessels traveling to and from Iran and seizing one cargo ship in the process. Iran temporarily opened the Strait of Hormuz during the cease-fire before resuming controls, and it carried out attacks including on an Indian-flagged oil tanker. The two sides are expected to try a second round of peace talks April 22 in Islamabad, Pakistan. A U.S. delegation led by Vice President J.D. Vance is set to head to Pakistan that morning, and Iran is also expected to send a negotiating team led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 21:27:16
  • South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung Arrives in Hanoi Ahead of Summit With Vietnam’s To Lam
    South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung Arrives in Hanoi Ahead of Summit With Vietnam’s To Lam After wrapping up a state visit to India, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung arrived in Hanoi on April 21 (local time) to begin a state visit to Vietnam. The presidential aircraft carrying Lee and first lady Kim Hye-kyung landed at Noi Bai International Airport that afternoon. Lee is scheduled to hold a luncheon meeting with South Koreans living in Vietnam on April 22, then meet with To Lam, Vietnam’s Communist Party general secretary and state president, for summit talks. The schedule also includes an exchange of memorandums of understanding, a joint press statement and a state banquet. On April 23, Lee is to meet Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, then attend a Korea-Vietnam business forum to discuss ways to expand economic cooperation. On the final day, April 24, Lee and To Lam are set to tour the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, a major cultural heritage site in Hanoi, as part of a friendship program. National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac said in a pre-visit briefing that To Lam visited South Korea last year as the first state guest of Lee’s presidency, and that Lee is the first foreign leader to make a state visit since Vietnam’s new leadership took office. Wi said the visit aims to strengthen mutually beneficial, strategic cooperation in key areas of national development, including nuclear power, and to bolster cooperation on stabilizing energy supply chains and securing critical minerals.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 20:51:16
  • Volkswagen CEO Says Group Weighs Cutting Annual Production Capacity by Up to 1 Million More
    Volkswagen CEO Says Group Weighs Cutting Annual Production Capacity by Up to 1 Million More Volkswagen Group is considering cutting its annual production capacity to about 9 million vehicles. Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume said in an interview with German business outlet Manager Magazin on April 21 (local time) that “it is difficult to maintain excess capacity over the long term,” adding that the company is reviewing an additional reduction of up to 1 million vehicles to reflect market conditions. Volkswagen’s capacity was about 12 million vehicles in 2019, before the pandemic. Since then, it has scaled back by roughly 1 million vehicles each in China and Europe. If the latest plan is carried out, total capacity would be down about 25% from 2019. Sales have also weakened. Global deliveries fell from 10.97 million vehicles in 2019 to about 8.98 million last year. Blume said the market environment has “completely changed” since the pandemic and that around 9 million vehicles is becoming the new baseline. How the cuts would be implemented has not been decided. Blume said there are “various options” beyond plant closures, but added that the company is reviewing “every cost item,” leaving open the possibility of further job cuts. Volkswagen is already pursuing a major restructuring in Germany, including halting production at two of its 10 domestic plants and planning to cut up to 50,000 jobs by 2030. Some sites are being repurposed. The Dresden plant, which stopped production in December, is to be used for artificial intelligence and robotics research. At the Osnabrueck plant, a possible acquisition by a defense contractor and others is under review. Lower Saxony’s state government, Volkswagen’s second-largest shareholder, has also recently proposed joint production with a Chinese company as one option for using the facilities.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 20:30:11
  • Iran Says Tanker Entered Its Waters Despite U.S. Naval Blockade
    Iran Says Tanker Entered Its Waters Despite U.S. Naval Blockade Iran’s military said on April 21 (local time) that one of its tankers entered Iranian territorial waters after breaking through a U.S. maritime blockade. In a statement, the military’s public affairs office said the Iranian tanker Silicity, backed by an operational escort from Iran’s navy, passed through the Arabian Sea overnight and entered Iranian waters. It claimed the U.S. Navy issued repeated warnings and threats, but that the tanker reached Iranian territorial waters under what it called full security support from Iran’s navy and docked at a southern port. There was no immediate official comment from the U.S. military. The U.S. military has stepped up maritime control operations in response to Iran’s moves to block the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command has been interdicting vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports in the Gulf of Oman since April 13 and previously said it had blocked 27 Iran-linked ships through April 20. On April 19, the U.S. military fired on and seized the cargo ship Tuska after it ignored warnings to turn back while heading to Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 20:00:20
  • Prosecutors Seek Prison Terms for Chinese Teens Accused of Filming South Korean Fighter Jets
    Prosecutors Seek Prison Terms for Chinese Teens Accused of Filming South Korean Fighter Jets Prosecutors on Monday sought prison terms for two Chinese teenagers accused of repeatedly filming fighter jets near South Korean military facilities and major airports. At a closing hearing at Suwon District Court, the court’s Criminal Division 12, presided over by Chief Judge Park Geon-chang, heard prosecutors request an indeterminate sentence of three to four years in prison for A, and four years for B. Prosecutors also asked the court to confiscate cameras and other equipment used in the filming. Under South Korean law, minors may receive indeterminate sentences with both minimum and maximum terms set. Prosecutors described the case as a serious crime that could threaten military security, saying the defendants had not shown sufficient remorse after the alleged offenses and should be punished strictly. The hearing also focused on messages from a WeChat group chat used by B. Prosecutors cited remarks including that “C told us to film” and references to money, arguing they suggest a possible person behind the operation — someone who directed the filming and intended to pay for it. Defense lawyers rejected that interpretation, saying the chat was taken out of context and amounted to a light joke about pinning blame on a specific person if they were caught, not evidence of real instructions. The defense said the teens were students who photographed aircraft as a hobby, not participants in an organized effort, and asked for leniency. In their final statements, the defendants said they did not realize their curiosity would lead to such serious consequences and that they were deeply remorseful. Prosecutors allege that from the second half of 2024 through March last year, the teens entered South Korea three times and twice, respectively, and made hundreds of detailed recordings of fighter jet takeoffs and landings and air traffic control facilities. The locations included four South Korea-U.S. military sites — Suwon Air Base, Pyeongtaek Osan Air Base (K-55), a U.S. base in Pyeongtaek (K-6), and Cheongju Air Base — as well as Incheon, Gimpo and Jeju airports. They were caught March 21 last year while filming near Suwon Air Base after a resident reported suspicious activity to police. The court is scheduled to deliver its verdict at 10 a.m. on the 14th of next month.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 19:36:20
  • Rain Forecast for Southern Korea, Jeju; Dust to Worsen Air Quality
    Rain Forecast for Southern Korea, Jeju; Dust to Worsen Air Quality Wednesday the 22nd is expected to be mostly cloudy nationwide, with conditions turning increasingly overcast in the south and on Jeju Island. Rain is forecast to begin on Jeju in the morning, spread to the Jeolla South region by afternoon and reach the Gyeongsang South region by night. Parts of North Jeolla may see brief sprinkles from afternoon into the night, with less than 0.1 millimeter of precipitation. Through the 23rd, expected rainfall is 5 to 20 millimeters in Gwangju and South Jeolla and along the southern coasts of Busan and South Gyeongsang; less than 5 millimeters in Ulsan and inland South Gyeongsang; and 20 to 60 millimeters on Jeju. Morning lows are forecast at 6 to 14 degrees Celsius, with daytime highs of 16 to 21 degrees. Air quality is expected to deteriorate nationwide due to yellow dust that moved in the previous day, with fine dust levels forecast at “bad.” From late morning through afternoon, PM-10 levels could rise to “very bad.” Ultrafine dust (PM-2.5) is expected to be “moderate.” Seas are expected to remain relatively calm. Waves are forecast at 0.5 to 1.0 meters in the East and South seas nearshore and about 0.5 meters in the West Sea nearshore. In offshore waters within about 200 kilometers of the coast, waves in the East, West and South seas are expected at 0.5 to 2.0 meters.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 18:21:15
  • LG H&H’s Physiogel wraps Seongsu pop-up promoting Red Soothing line
    LG H&H’s Physiogel wraps Seongsu pop-up promoting Red Soothing line LG Household & Health Care said Tuesday that Physiogel has successfully concluded its pop-up store, “The Red Trace,” in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. The event ran from April 17-19 at “Anderson C Seongsu” as part of the “Mega Beauty Show Virtual Store.” A related Mega Beauty Show promotion will continue through April 26, the company said. The pop-up focused on Physiogel’s “Red Soothing” line, aimed at calming sensitive skin and reducing redness. Featured products included the Red Soothing AI Repair Cream and the Red Soothing Rosateca Redness Reducing Serum. The serum, launched in February, is designed with enhanced redness-care features, the company said. Built around the “Redness Investigation Unit” concept, the space cast visitors as “clients” tracking down causes of skin redness. The company said mission-style activities, including filling out a case request and searching for clues, were designed to let visitors try products directly. About 3,000 people visited during the three-day run, the company said. Visitors said the game-like format helped them encounter the products naturally and identify options suited to their skin concerns. “We planned an experiential concept to communicate product features in an intuitive way,” a Physiogel official said. “Based on our expertise in solutions for sensitive skin, we will continue to expand consumer touchpoints.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 18:18:56