Korean start-up Shakr, a video-making platform for small businesses, has taken its next step in global expansion with an exclusive partnership with Yahoo Japan.　 　The strategic content deal allows Japanese small business owners to create their own video ads through the portal, the country’s most visited website, on the new platform Yahoo Japan Video Creator, which is powered by Shakr and launched last month.Shakr CEO David Lee poses ahead of an interview with The Korea Herald at the company`s o

Technology Oct. 14, 2015

The purported death of Cho Hee-pal, the mastermind behind South Korea’s largest-ever fraud case, returned to the spotlight as his close aide was arrested in China last week, with fresh testimonies suggesting he is actually still alive. 　Cho is one of the most-wanted conmen in South Korea, having allegedly scammed up to 50,000 people out of an estimated 4 trillion won ($3.5 billion) in a pyramid marketing scheme.Cho Hee-pal (Yonhap)　The 58-year-old established a medical equipment supply company a

Social Affairs Oct. 14, 2015

Vietnamese participants perform a traditional dance at last year’s GIC Day. (GIC)Major cities across Korea will be hosting multicultural festivals this weekend, as annual events in Seoul, Busan and Gwangju coincide.　The festivals are an opportunity for foreign community groups to show off their food and culture, while residents can enjoy cultural performances, try new food for the first time and find out what the local support centers for foreign residents offer.　　Busan　The Global Gathering will

Expat Living Oct. 14, 2015

The Camarata Chamber Singers (CMC)Nonprofit music organization Camarata Music Company will be holding its annual fall fund-raiser next week to help fund its activities.Held in partnership with the Korea Business Leaders Alliance, the “Fall into Music” event will feature performances from the Camarata Chamber Singers, an auditioned choir of 27 singers, a performance from gayageum player Jocelyn Clark and the Camarata Jazz Duo.“It’s one of our largest events of the year. It goes a long way to help

Expat Living Oct. 14, 2015

Job Fair for Foreign-Invested Companies 2014(JTI Korea)Global tobacco company JTI Korea will participate in the Job Fair for Foreign-Invested Companies 2015 to offer job opportunities to talented job seekers. 　Hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and organized by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, the job fair for foreign-invested companies is held at Coex’s B1 Hall in Samseong-dong, Seoul, from Oct. 15-16.　JTI Korea is one of the 100 foreign-invested companies to parti

Industry Oct. 14, 2015

Tonino Lamborghini Gusto (KT&G)KT&G rolled out the “Tonino Lamborghini Gusto,” the latest of its Lamborghini lineup, the country’s largest tobacco maker said Wednesday. 　Tonino Lamborghini Gusto contains 10 percent naturally fermented Cavendish tobacco, which brings out the natural sugars in the tobacco through pressure applied during the preparation process. Cavendish tobacco is named after British colonialist Thomas Cavendish, and became a popular material for pipe smoking. 　“With its rich tas

Industry Oct. 14, 2015

New KT&G president Baek Bok-in speaks at his inauguration meeting in Daejeon on Wednesday. (KT&G)New KT&G president Baek Bok-in vowed to strengthen transparency and ethical management during his inauguration on Wednesday, urging the nation’s largest tobacco maker to snap out of the “wrong of the past and faulty precedents.”　Baek, 50, said he will make “three Cs” -- clean, cooperative and creative -- as his top management agenda. 　Set for a three-year term, Baek, former KT&G’s vice president and

Industry Oct. 7, 2015

GLOBAL VOLUNTEER DAY -- Prudential Life Insurance Company of Korea employees and their families and friends participate in a baking project for the patients of the Red Cross Hospital in Majang-dong, Seoul, Saturday. As a global project, about 2,600 volunteers get involved in 78 Prudential community service projects to celebrate the 19th Global Volunteer Day on Oct. 5. (Prudential Life Insurance Company of Korea) (Prudential Life Insurance Company of Korea)

Oct. 4, 2015

(123RF)Mortgages issued by Korean banks grew at the fastest pace in five years last month due to rising rents and seasonal factors, industry data showed Sunday.　In September, the mortgage loans of the country’s six major banks – KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Woori, KEB-Hana, Nonghyup and Industrial Bank of Korea – stood at 331.9 trillion won, ($280.6 billion), up 3.9 trillion won from a month ago. 　The monthly growth marks the sharpest rise since relevant data was compiled in 2010.　Mortgage loans have gr

Oct. 4, 2015

KEB-Hana Bank on Thursday vowed to widen the scope of its community service activities under the slogan “2015 Chuseok Happy Sharing.”　This year, a total of 450 branches will participate in the operation, almost triple that of last year’s 175. 　“Nanum (sharing) is the hope that brightens the whole world -- something that can’t be more meaningful and beautiful, because it drives us to share dreams and hopes with our socially disadvantaged neighbors,” said KEB-Hana Bank president and CEO Ham Young-

Oct. 1, 2015

Rothmans(BAT Korea)British American Tobacco Korea on Thursday said Rothmans, a tobacco brand that celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, will go on sale in Korea from Monday. 　Rothmans comes in two varieties, Rothmans 5mg and Rothmans 1mg. Rothmans has a new type of recessed filter called “air plus.” 　Launched in a small kiosk of London in 1890, the brand was granted a royal warrant by King Edward VII in 1905, to be supplied to the British Royal Family. Rothmans was the world’s first tobacc

Industry Oct. 1, 2015

The World Economic Forum, commonly known as “Davos Forum,” called for improvements in Korea’s financial and labor sectors Wednesday, leaving the country’s global competitiveness ranking unchanged.　In this year’s “Global Competitiveness Report,” Korea rated 26th in the overall rankings of 140 member economies, the same place as last year. 　To serve as a reference point for investors worldwide, the report assigns rankings based on a total of 114 items divided unevenly into 12 categories. Among the

Sept. 30, 2015

(123RF)Financial authorities will start accepting preliminary applications for Internet-only banks, a new banking business platform, Wednesday, the Financial Services Commission said Tuesday. 　The submission runs for two days, from 9 a.m. on Wednesday through 6 p.m. on Thursday. The financial regulators are planning to give preliminary approval to one or two bidders by December. 　Internet-only banks offer the usual savings, wiring and loan services online, without conventional brick-and-mortar b

Sept. 29, 2015