Business

Yellow Envelope Law: Expanding Employer Responsibility and Limiting Strike Damages in Korea

Korea’s National Assembly has passed the long-debated Yellow Envelope Law, expanding labor protections to subcontracted and platform workers while limiting corporate claims for strike-related damages.

11 min read

Why Eating Out in Korea Feels Worse—Even as It Costs More

Rising prices, identical menus, and influencer hype — Korean dining is changing in ways many diners feel but can’t quite name.

10 min read

Korea’s Corporate Law Reform Targets ‘Korea Discount’ Through Governance Overhaul

The newly passed amendments address investor concerns over concentrated control and opaque board structures by enhancing minority protections and mandating electronic shareholder access.

7 min read

A Nation of Doctors, A Nation of Engineers

In South Korea, the path to prestige increasingly runs through medical school. Despite a national push to lead in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and advanced robotics, the country’s brightest students are opting for stethoscopes over circuit boards.

6 min read

Automation Comes to Busan: What 6,000 Jobs Really Mean

Busan is investing in high-tech fulfillment centers with promises of jobs and growth. But behind the numbers, labor is becoming more fragile, fragmented—and increasingly invisible.

4 min read

Korean Instant Noodles' Global Domination and Future Challenges

Korean ramen has become a global favorite with its bold, spicy flavors. However, as health-conscious trends grow, the industry faces challenges in balancing convenience, taste, and nutrition to meet evolving consumer demands.

12 min read

South Korea Faces Retail Real Estate Crunch as Vacancies Surge in Urban Districts

Retail vacancy rates in South Korea hit multi-year highs, with both trendy districts and new apartment complexes struggling to attract tenants.

5 min read

South Korea's Food Inflation: Economic Pressures Challenge Consumers and Small Restaurants

In South Korea, the sharp rise in food prices is putting a strain on both consumers and small businesses. As inflation persists, many workers are opting for in-house dining, while small eateries struggle with rising ingredient costs, energy prices, and labor shortages.

4 min read

The Republic of Franchises: Where Every Meal Tastes the Same

What happens when every taste is a brand, every menu is a manual, and every chef follows someone else’s recipe?

9 min read

The Rise of Franchises and the Fall of Korea’s Independent Bakeries

Franchise bakeries have flourished in Korea. But at what cost? Local flavors, food identity, and cultural diversity are disappearing.

7 min read

When Healthcare Becomes a Hashtag: The Ethics of K-Medical Exports

Aesthetic care is thriving — but at what price to the country’s healthcare system? Inside the contradiction between cosmetic excellence and essential care collapse.

10 min read

Why Korea’s Public Delivery Platforms Keep Failing

Once seen as a lifeline for small businesses, publicly funded food delivery apps are shutting down across South Korea. Poor design, weak infrastructure, and lack of sustained strategy reveal a deeper problem: local governments are still treating digital services as short-term campaigns.

8 min read