From left: Lotte Giants¡¯ manager Her Mun-hoe, Samsung Lions¡¯ manager Heo Sam-young, Kia Tigers¡¯ manager Matthew Williams and the Kiwoom Heroes¡¯ manager Son Hyuk will make their KBO debut this season. [YONHAP, SAMSUNG LIONS]After being appointed as a manager for the first time, the Kiwoom Heroes’ Son Hyuk is desperately waiting for the KBO’s 2020 season to start. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the regular season has been postponed indefinitely. Although the 10 clubs’ representatives have been meeting every Tuesday to discuss when the potential start date could be, they have yet to reach a decision on an exact date, and the struggle to settle continues. Although Son served for years as the SK Wyverns’ pitching coach, he is one of four unfortunate new managers in the KBO eagerly standing by to make their debuts. And these unprecedented times are only adding to Son’s concerns. “You have no idea how thankful I … [Read more...] about The Heroes’ new manager anxiously awaits his debut
Visa-free entry ending for 88 countries
An official in full protective gear explains self-isolation guidelines to an arrival from abroad at an immigration checkpoint in Incheon International Airport on Wednesday. [YONHAP]The Korean government will temporarily suspend visa waivers and visa-free entry for travelers coming from countries that put entry bans on Korea, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced Wednesday. Chung also said the government will expand entry restrictions on foreigners traveling for nonessential reasons as he convened a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters that morning to discuss ways to contain the coronavirus at the Sejong Government Complex. “While maintaining the basis of openness, the government will strengthen [entry] restrictions in accordance to the principle of reciprocity,” Chung said. This comes as the world has gone into lockdown mode because of the coronavirus pandemic, with over 1.43 million cases and 82,000 deaths as of Wednesday. Korea, which … [Read more...] about Visa-free entry ending for 88 countries
SK Chair Chey gives pep talk, but warns not to rely on past
Chey Tae-wonSK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won encouraged staff Wednesday, saying that overcoming the ongoing pandemic should strengthen the company’s fundamentals for the next big leap.But simply relying on the company’s 67-year history won’t help at all, he warned.“Our founder and the former chairman started this business in the ashes of the Korean War, survived two oil shocks and the Asian financial crisis. SK has grown to what it is today by overcoming massive crises,” Chey said. “It’s now our time to write history - through not only enduring the Covid-19 situation, but doing it successfully by making it an opportunity for growth.”The chairman added that 67 years in business doesn’t ensure survival. “Without reading the big implications and flows of change, even if we do survive this crisis we won’t be able to continue business for long,” he said. As the spread of the novel coronavirus prolonged and started … [Read more...] about SK Chair Chey gives pep talk, but warns not to rely on past
Shoppers ditch cashiers for untact’s sake
Top: Customers line up to pay at Lotte Mart’s Seocho branch, southern Seoul, on Sunday. Above: Daiso’s Seoul City Hall plaza branch has fully phased out cashiers and only uses a self-checkout system. [JEON YOUNG-SUN, CHU IN-YOUNG]The phasing out of cashiers at major retail stores in Korea is accelerating as the coronavirus-driven fear of contagion prompts more shoppers to head for the self-checkout lines.The trend is in line with government recommendations that people practice social distancing, for which the term “untact” has become popular to describe no-contact interactions.At Lotte Mart, one of the country’s largest retail chains, the number of self-checkout stations throughout its 120 stores had already risen by 16 percent this year, as of the end of March. The number of its stores equipped with the unmanned counters also increased since the end of 2019, from 46 stores to 50.When the JoongAng Ilbo visited the retail giant’s branch in Seocho … [Read more...] about Shoppers ditch cashiers for untact’s sake
WeMakePrice posts losses, but says its sales are up
E-commerce company WeMakePrice reported 465.3 billion won ($415 million) in sales last year.The sales represent an increase of 8.4 percent from 429.4 billion won in the year before, the company announced Wednesday. Its operating profit, however, dipped 94 percent on-year from 39 billion won in 2018 to 75.7 billion won last year. The company said it processed a total of 6.4 trillion won in transactions last year.WeMakePrice said in a statement that it aims to continue two-digit growth in its overall transaction amount. “WeMakePrice will establish an online platform that can save consumers money and time by securing diverse categories of products with competitive prices,” the statement said. “We’ll invest aggressively to create a cycle that will help more mid- to small-sized partners become rich with WeMakePrice.”The company recently secured 370 billion won in investments from its parent company, Wonder Holdings, and IMM Investment.By Jin Min-ji … [Read more...] about WeMakePrice posts losses, but says its sales are up
