Journalist

Park Heewon
  • A Bio Materials Launches Plant-Derived Exosome Inner-Beauty Brand in Vietnam
    A Bio Materials Launches Plant-Derived Exosome Inner-Beauty Brand in Vietnam The global beauty industry is increasingly expanding beyond topical cosmetics into “inner beauty,” a category often described as ingestible beauty products. Industry observers say the inner-beauty market is being reshaped quickly around functional ingredients and biotechnology. Against that backdrop, South Korean biomaterials company A Bio Materials is moving into Southeast Asia. The company partnered with food brand NOWLAB and Vietnamese distributor OMB GROUP to introduce the inner-beauty brand “EXO QUEEN” in Vietnam. The three companies held a seminar for influencers in Hanoi on April 14 to present the products and underlying technology. Discussions also covered how to use content and coordinate marketing partnerships, according to the companies. The newly unveiled products apply plant-derived exosome ingredients. Exosomes are known for their role in cell-to-cell signaling, and their potential use is being studied not only in cosmetics but also as food ingredients. A Bio Materials said it used its in-house technology to formulate the ingredient in a food format. The key ingredient is derived from Centella asiatica, and related research has suggested potential links to anti-inflammatory effects and skin improvement. However, the use of exosomes in foods remains at an early stage, making national regulations and safety verification critical. In the health functional food market, whether an ingredient is recognized for functionality and supported by clinical evidence is a major factor in competitiveness. The project is structured as a division of roles across materials, branding and distribution. A Bio Materials supplies the ingredient, NOWLAB handles product planning and brand operations, and OMB GROUP manages local distribution and marketing. Vietnam has been seeing growing consumption of K-beauty products, with rising interest among younger consumers in health functional foods and skin-care items. Influencer marketing on social media has become a key sales channel. OMB GROUP, which is handling local distribution, is known for experience distributing K-beauty brands. The companies said the product’s ability to gain a foothold will depend on local consumer response. Industry watchers say collaboration models between biomaterials firms and brand and distribution companies are increasing as the inner-beauty market expands around functional ingredients. Southeast Asia is widely viewed as a high-growth region, drawing continued entries by global companies. A Bio Materials said it plans to broaden its lineup using a range of plant-derived ingredients. Industry sources said the project is being watched as one test of how South Korean biotechnology can be applied overseas.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 14:18:16
  • Platinum Bridge Wraps Up Cosmoprof Bologna 2026, Steps Up K-Beauty Push in Europe
    Platinum Bridge Wraps Up Cosmoprof Bologna 2026, Steps Up K-Beauty Push in Europe Platinum Bridge, which supports K-beauty brands seeking to enter Europe, has completed its participation in the global beauty trade show “Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2026” in Bologna, Italy. Cosmoprof is widely known as one of the world’s largest beauty industry events, drawing brands and buyers from dozens of countries each year and showcasing trends across skincare, makeup, hair care and ingredients. At the exhibition, Platinum Bridge highlighted its premium skincare brand EQULIB. European and other international distribution officials visited the booth for meetings, and the company said talks with some buyers moved into discussions on exports and distribution. EQULIB was presented as a lineup built around functional ingredients and skincare technology. The products received favorable feedback for ingredient stability and packaging quality, the company said. In Europe, strict rules on ingredients and safety standards make certification readiness a key evaluation factor. The company said the exhibition was followed immediately by a local event in Milan. After the trade show, Platinum Bridge ran a K-beauty pop-up store in the Porta Venezia commercial district, an area known for active fashion and beauty spending and strong local foot traffic. Working with Italian distributor Umerity, Platinum Bridge invited buyers it met at the fair to the pop-up. The company described the approach as linking business-to-business meetings with direct checks of consumer response. Product testing and consumer feedback were gathered on site, and some items were used to gauge local preferences and purchase intent, the company said. Interest in naturally derived ingredients and functional skincare has been growing in the European market. “Europe has high cosmetics regulatory standards, but it is also a region with strong market trust,” Platinum Bridge said in a statement. “An entry strategy that considers local certification and distribution structure at the same time is important.” The company added that the trade show and pop-up “reconfirmed demand and potential for K-beauty in Europe,” and said it plans to support certification work and expand distribution networks so competitive brands can gain a foothold in local retail. Industry observers say that as K-beauty’s presence grows in the global market, strategies that go beyond simple exports to secure both local distribution and direct consumer touchpoints are becoming more important.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 11:12:19
  • WithLike Selected for LIPS II Program to Expand IP-Based K-Food Overseas
    WithLike Selected for LIPS II Program to Expand IP-Based K-Food Overseas A brand-commerce company that builds products around content intellectual property has been selected for a government-backed support program, expanding its platform for growth. WithLike said it was finally selected for the 2026 Innovative Small Business Investment-Linked Support Program (LIPS II) run by the Small Enterprise and Market Service. The program, operated by an agency under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, supports commercialization by selecting small businesses that have attracted private investment and show growth potential and market viability. LIPS II links funding needed for expansion, including product development, brand upgrades and overseas entry. The ministry has broadened a model that combines private investment with policy funding to help small businesses scale up, and has recently included more content- and brand-based companies among key targets. WithLike was selected based on a business model that uses content IP from influencers and chefs, the company said. It has worked with Heebab, Jeong Ji-seon and Myeong Hyeon-man to plan and distribute K-food products such as ready-to-eat meals, meal kits and ramen. The food industry has increasingly adopted “IP commerce” strategies that pair well-known figures’ recognition with their content reach. The company has also posted results overseas. WithLike placed products in H Mart, an Asian grocery distribution channel in the United States, and ran local promotions to secure sales performance. H Mart, which has grown on demand for Korean and other Asian foods in North America, is often used by South Korean food companies as a foothold for overseas expansion. Demand for K-food has been rising globally, led by ramen and ready-to-eat meals. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and other sources, South Korea’s food exports have steadily shifted toward a higher share of processed foods, with ready-to-eat meals and ramen established as major export items. As a result, more small and midsize food companies are attempting overseas expansion by combining content and branding. WithLike said it plans to use the selection to broaden its product lineup, strengthen brand competitiveness and expand overseas distribution. The company said it will continue to build differentiated product-planning capabilities through its IP-based collaboration model. A company official said the selection reflects recognition of the growth potential of its business structure combining content IP and food, adding that WithLike plans to accelerate product development and expansion in global markets.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 10:53:27
  • Pirelli Unveils P Zero R Tire Developed for Porsche 911 Turbo S
    Pirelli Unveils P Zero R Tire Developed for Porsche 911 Turbo S Italian tire maker Pirelli is expanding development of tires tailored for high-performance sports cars. Pirelli said on the 23rd that it has developed the ultra-high-performance P Zero R tire for the Porsche 911 Turbo S. The Porsche 911 is a flagship sports-car lineup that has continued since its launch in the 1960s and has steadily evolved around high-performance models. Pirelli said the P Zero R was designed for both sporty driving and everyday conditions. Drawing on technology developed in motorsports including Formula 1, the company said it created a new rubber compound to improve responsiveness and grip at the same time. Pirelli is Formula 1’s official tire supplier and has applied race-proven technology to mass-produced tires. The tire was engineered to match the 911 Turbo S’ high output. The model is known for up to 523 kW (about 711 horsepower) and 800 Nm of torque, and Pirelli said the key goal was delivering that power to the road with stability. In high-performance vehicles, tire grip and heat management directly affect performance and safety. Pirelli said the P Zero R was designed to provide balanced grip on both dry and wet roads. The tread pattern was developed to improve water drainage and reduce noise, while lowering rolling resistance to help driving efficiency. The tire industry has been pursuing technology that combines high performance with efficiency. Pirelli also said it is continuing its “Perfect Fit” strategy of supplying dedicated tires developed jointly with automakers. It has maintained a long partnership with Porsche and has supplied model-specific tires for various 911 variants, including the Porsche 911 GTS with a hybrid system. Dedicated tire development tailored to each model’s chassis and drivetrain characteristics has become increasingly common in the high-performance segment. The tire’s sidewall will carry Porsche’s “N” approval mark, indicating it has completed joint testing and certification with the automaker. Sizes are 255/35 ZR 20 for the front and 325/30 ZR 21 for the rear. Pirelli said the rear width was increased by 10 mm compared with the previous specification to expand the contact patch and improve traction. Industry observers expect competition to continue in customized tire development for high-performance sports cars as the spread of electric and hybrid vehicles raises performance requirements for tires.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 10:40:12
  • Chong Kun Dang Health Expands Home Shopping Sales of Lacto-Fit Max 19 Probiotics
    Chong Kun Dang Health Expands Home Shopping Sales of Lacto-Fit Max 19 Probiotics Chong Kun Dang Health is expanding its reach to consumers through home shopping channels, led by a new premium probiotic product. The company said it has been selling its newly launched probiotic, Lacto-Fit Max 19, on home shopping since earlier this month. It said the broadcasts have helped raise awareness of the product and have continued to draw consumer interest. In South Korea’s health functional food market, home shopping is often used as an early distribution channel for key items such as probiotics and red ginseng, particularly among middle-aged and older consumers. After the broadcasts, attention also turned to the product’s design. The company said some consumers have used terms such as “colon probiotics” and “adhesive probiotics” to emphasize survival through the digestive tract and delivery to the intestines. The company noted those are not official functional names but consumer-coined expressions. Lacto-Fit Max 19 contains 19 probiotic strains, including Bifidobacterium lactis HN019, known as the HN019 strain. The company said HN019 is a widely used strain that has been studied in connection with improving the intestinal environment. South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety defines probiotics as a health functional food ingredient recognized for functions such as helping beneficial bacteria grow, suppressing harmful bacteria and supporting smoother bowel movements. The company said the product applies a strain design that considers the intestinal environment from the duodenum to the colon. Compared with its existing product, Lacto-Fit Core Max, it increased the guaranteed bacteria count by about 167% and applied processing technology aimed at improving bacterial survival. It also said it used moisture-absorbing film packaging to reduce losses from humidity and temperature changes and to improve storage stability. The company said the probiotics market has been shifting away from simple competition over bacterial counts toward emphasizing strain variety, survivability and delivery technology. The Korea Health Functional Food Association has said South Korea’s health functional food market has continued to grow, with probiotics and red ginseng among the major categories. Chong Kun Dang Health has operated a range of probiotic products under its Lacto-Fit brand for different age groups. The company said the new product is intended to strengthen its premium lineup and broaden consumer choice. “Even after the broadcast, inquiries about the product’s composition and functionality have continued,” a company official said. “We are seeing a gradual increase in understanding of the product’s features, including its strain design and the environment for colonization.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 09:50:49
  • Mexican Dining Brand Sugar Skull to Run Experiential Pop-Up at Lotte World Mall in Jamsil
    Mexican Dining Brand Sugar Skull to Run Experiential Pop-Up at Lotte World Mall in Jamsil 멕시코 다이닝 브랜드 슈가스컬이 서울 잠실 롯데월드몰에서 체험형 팝업스토어를 연다. 슈가스컬은 4월 23일부터 5월 17일까지 서울 송파구 롯데월드몰 지하 1층에서 팝업스토어를 운영한다고 밝혔다. 이번 행사는 브랜드 콘셉트에 공간 체험 요소를 결합한 형태로, 외식업계에서 확산 중인 ‘경험형 매장’ 전략의 일환이라고 설명했다. 팝업은 ‘멕시칸 피크닉’을 주제로 꾸몄다. 멕시코 전통 축제에서 영감을 받은 색감과 장식으로 공간을 연출하고, 브랜드 캐릭터 ‘슈가’, ‘슈미’, ‘타코 트리오’를 활용한 포토존을 마련했다. 방문객은 동선에 따라 이동하며 브랜드 세계관을 체험하도록 구성됐다. 현장에는 2차원 그래픽과 입체 오브제를 결합한 촬영 공간도 조성됐다. 사진·영상 기록과 SNS 공유를 염두에 둔 ‘소셜 공유형 공간’ 설계를 반영했다고 회사는 밝혔다. 메뉴도 팝업에 맞춰 일부 조정했다. 기존 브리또볼과 빵타코 기반 메뉴에 더해 컵 형태의 ‘컵 브리또’, 대용량 ‘자이언트 브리또’, ‘쉐이크 콘립’ 등을 팝업 한정으로 운영한다. 일부 메뉴는 미국쌀협회와 협업해 개발됐다. 현장 이벤트도 진행한다. 랜덤 키링 굿즈에는 근거리무선통신(NFC) 기능을 적용해 매장 방문 시 사이드 메뉴를 제공하는 쿠폰으로 사용할 수 있도록 했다. 피크닉 박스 구매 고객에게는 추가 할인 혜택을 제공한다. 슈가스컬은 현재 종로, 센트럴시티, 서울역 등 서울 주요 상권에서 매장을 운영 중이다. 회사는 대형 복합쇼핑몰과 관광 수요가 결합된 송파구 일대에서 단기 팝업을 통해 브랜드 노출 효과를 기대하고 있다. 루미 호스피탈리티 측은 “공간 체험과 식음 콘텐츠를 결합해 브랜드가 추구하는 분위기를 전달하는 데 초점을 맞췄다”며 “일상에서 부담 없이 즐길 수 있는 형태의 체험형 다이닝을 선보일 계획”이라고 밝혔다.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 09:40:19
  • The Trail Adds GPX Downloads and Real-Time Location Sharing to Boost Hiker Safety
    The Trail Adds GPX Downloads and Real-Time Location Sharing to Boost Hiker Safety The outdoor platform The Trail has strengthened tracking-record management and safety features for hikers and trekkers. The company said it recently introduced GPX downloads and real-time location sharing, both offered at no additional cost. Users can download data recorded during a hike — including route, distance and elevation — as a GPX file for use on other devices or platforms. GPX is a standardized file format for GPS-based route data and is compatible with many fitness apps and map services. Demand among outdoor users has been rising for more than simple storage of activity logs, with more people seeking to sync records across devices or share them on outside platforms. Use cases such as analyzing activity data and managing personalized workouts in running and trekking have also been increasing. The new real-time location sharing feature lets group hikers see companions’ current locations on a map, helping them track the route and respond if someone strays. In mountainous areas, where terrain and communications conditions can contribute to people getting lost or separated, the feature can serve as a safety tool. According to the Korea National Park Service and other organizations, a significant share of mountain accidents is linked to delays in determining a person’s location, including cases involving getting lost or slipping. The Trail said it already offers official course searches, map-based navigation, workout tracking and user feed-sharing, and that the update strengthens record management and support for group activities. “We focused our update on features users need in real-world conditions,” a company official said. “We plan to continue expanding functions that improve both safety and convenience.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 09:30:46
  • Dormitory Cram Schools Gain Traction Among Repeat CSAT Test-Takers in South Korea
    Dormitory Cram Schools Gain Traction Among Repeat CSAT Test-Takers in South Korea As more students in South Korea try again for college admission, demand is rising for dormitory-style private academies that combine study support with day-to-day supervision. With repeat preparation requiring long-term focus, analysts say a controlled living-and-learning environment can become a key factor in test scores. According to the Education Ministry and the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, graduates have consistently made up about 20% of College Scholastic Ability Test takers in recent years. As competition intensifies and preference for top-tier universities continues, a steady number of students are choosing to repeat the exam or retake it after enrolling elsewhere. In that context, dormitory academies are drawing attention because they can reduce outside distractions compared with commuting programs. They typically restrict smartphone use, enforce regular wake-up and bedtime schedules, and require supervised self-study hours. Megastudy Boarding Academy’s comprehensive campus said it is recruiting additional students to fill openings in its regular program, which begins on the 27th. The program targets students preparing to retake the CSAT and is designed to maintain a consistent study routine alongside structured 생활 management. Admissions experts cite sustainable study routines, a distraction-free setting and systematic oversight as major factors in successful repeat preparation. They say maintaining a steady workload over a long period matters more for score gains than short bursts of performance. In many successful top-tier admissions cases, daily study time and adherence to a routine are cited as key variables. Study management is also shifting away from lecture-only formats toward more individualized support, including analysis of weak subjects, weekly and monthly progress checks, and counseling-based study planning. Some dormitory academies have introduced systems that review students’ study patterns using learning data analysis. Megastudy Boarding Academy’s comprehensive campus said it operates schedules that link regular classes with self-study while running a parallel 생활 management system to improve consistency. It said it focuses on maintaining study rhythm through daily schedule oversight beyond class hours and through counseling programs. To prevent common problems in repeat preparation — including slumps and disrupted daily rhythms — it also runs a management system that combines regular counseling with 생활 checkups. The academy said it applies close supervision that reflects each student’s study situation and psychological condition. An education industry official said, “In repeat preparation, not only study ability but also keeping a consistent daily pattern directly affects scores,” adding, “It is important to reduce the impact of the outside environment and create conditions that allow students to focus on studying.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-23 09:08:19
  • JWorld Industry’s Alzip Mat Begins China CCC Certification Factory Audit
    JWorld Industry’s Alzip Mat Begins China CCC Certification Factory Audit JWorld Industry, a maker of playroom mats and blocks, has begun the process to obtain China’s compulsory certification, known as CCC, for its premium infant mat brand Alzip Mat. The company said the Alzip Mat production plant in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, underwent a two-day on-site audit from April 20 to 21 as part of the CCC process. The review covered raw-material controls, production processes, finished-product inspections and the overall quality management system. CCC is a mandatory Chinese government certification program intended to ensure the safety and quality of products sold in China. Without it, sales and imports in China are restricted. The system requires not only document screening but also factory inspections and follow-up oversight. Infant mat products fall under child safety rules and must be evaluated on multiple criteria, including material safety, control of harmful substances and shock-absorption performance. In South Korea, infant products must also obtain KC certification under the Special Act on the Safety of Children’s Products, and the company said China’s CCC is viewed as a similar safety framework. JWorld Industry said the audit is intended to verify consistency in its manufacturing process and its quality controls, laying groundwork for entry into the Chinese market, where safety certification is widely seen as a key factor for distribution. The company cited industry views that the infant mat market has continued to grow as interest rises in reducing noise between floors and improving indoor safety. Demand has also been increasing for mats using high-density foam and products with antibacterial and water-resistant features. “This CCC audit is a process to have our product quality confirmed against global standards,” a company official said, adding that the company plans to consider expanding overseas markets, including China, after obtaining certification. JWorld Industry produces and sells infant mats and play products centered on Alzip Mat and operates a quality management system based on domestic production.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 15:39:20
  • Five Deer Escape From Farm in Gwangmyeong, South Korea
    Five Deer Escape From Farm in Gwangmyeong, South Korea At about 12:32 p.m. on the 22nd, five deer escaped from a deer farm in Okgil-dong, Gwangmyeong, south of Seoul, authorities said. Fire officials responded after the farm owner reported that 10 deer had gotten out, but nearby closed-circuit television footage showed the actual number was five, they said. Of the five, three were adults and two were fawns, officials said. Gwangmyeong city sent an emergency text alert at 2:33 p.m., urging residents to use caution and to report any sightings to 119 or city hall. The farm is believed to be raising about 30 deer, including those that escaped, officials said. A city official said personnel had been dispatched to the area to search for the animals. The incident has heightened safety concerns among residents after a recent controversy over a prolonged search for a wolf named "Neukgu" that escaped from Daejeon O-World before it was captured.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 15:29:03