SEOUL
Top Japanese tourism official croons in Seoul
Japan Tourism Agency Commissioner Hiroshi Mizohata sang the South Korean national anthem Tuesday in Seoul in an effort to win the hearts of Koreans and lure tourists back to Japan.
The number of South Korean tourists to Japan has fallen sharply amid the Fukushima nuclear crisis that started 11 March.
Online habits differ in Korea, Japan
Consumers in South Korea are more enthusiastic than their Japanese counterparts when it comes to watching TV content via the web, a multimarket study has found.
McKinsey, the consultancy, surveyed 5,000 people across Germany, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the UK and US to gauge evolving habits, and discovered "no convergence" is discernible in the main.
For example, a modest 15 percent of Germans and 19 percent of Britons played back television programmes online, a habit pursued by fully 45 percent of Koreans.
The world's first CNN Café opens in Seoul, S Korea
Turner International Asia Pacific Inc and YBM Education, South Korea's largest English education institution, yesterday announced the launch of the world's first CNN-branded CNN Café in Seoul, South Korea. The CNN Café is located inside the Jongno branch of the Young Poong Bookstore.
CNNGo.com regional promotion allows Sydney-siders to create a unique Sydney travel experience
CNN's travel and lifestyle site, CNNGo.com is launching a month-long, regional promotion across Asia-Pacific to officially launch its Sydney section – CNNGo.com/Sydney. CNNGo.com is an insider's guide to travel, lifestyle, personalities, entertainment and trends in the most fascinating and diverse cities in the world – Bangkok, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul and Sydney.
Fendi, Seoul reach deal; fashion show is on
Fendi’s fall launch is on.
The city of Seoul appeared on the verge of a fashion – and business – faux pas last week as officials threatened to cancel Fendi’s plan to stage the launch of its fall and winter fashion line on 2 June at a new culture centre in the Han River.
The reason: anti-fur protesters were upset that a portion of the products that Fendi will launch at the show are either trimmed in fur or completely made from it. Controversy-averse officials asked Fendi to drop its fur products or face being kicked out of the glitzy new venue.
Seoul threatens to cancel Fendi event
The City of Seoul appears to be on the verge of cancelling one of the debut events of its glitzy new culture centre built on floating islands in the Han River – the 2 June global launch of the fall and winter line of the Italian fashion house Fendi.
Anti-fur activists complained to city officials about the event last week, forcing Mayor Oh Se-hoon to rethink the city’s association with it. Seoul officials asked Fendi on Friday to pull its fur pieces from the event, but the company refused.
Louis Vuitton opens its first ever airport shop in Seoul
Louis Vuitton has previously resisted the temptation to open in airports and has even made a policy of staying out of airport retail. Things have changed and Louis Vuitton has announced the opening of its first airport shop within Seoul's main international aiport (Incheon). The French brand has signed a partnership with the Shilla Group, owned by giant Samsung, which operates the Airstar Avenue shopping gallery within the airport.
Asian cities rose in the ranking of the world's most expensive cities
About 70 percent of the 50 Asian cities surveyed rose in the ranking of the world’s most expensive cities compared with last year, according to a report released on Thursday.
ECA International, a consultancy that works with 1,500 multinational corporations, collected cost-of-living data of 400 cities world-wide, the results of which are used to help determine cost-of-living allowances for its clients.
AirAsia X sets new sales record on Seoul-KL route
AirAsia X, the long-haul, low-fare affiliate of AirAsia, set a sales record with its newly launched destination to Seoul recently with all-in fares from as low as KRW60,000 (USD50) from Seoul and MYR99 (USD30) from Kuala Lumpur for bookings from 4 to 8 August.
The airline portal created waves, with over 80,000 seats snapped up, generating over MYR20 million (USD6.3m) in sales during the period, and surpassing popular introductory sales of London, Melbourne and Taipei.
The sale has broken all records from previous AirAsia X new-route launches.
Sheraton to open new hotel in Seoul
Starwood will expand its Sheraton hotel brand in Seoul with a third property, to be located at D-Cube City, the Korean capital's new lifestyle hub that is targeted to open in September 2011.
Starwood currently operates five hotels in Korea, four of them in Seoul.
