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오피니언

오피니언

Geneva "Plastic Reduction" Negotiation failed to reach an agreement... Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran... disagreed

산업 일반

On the 15th, Reuters reported that the 5th session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2), which had been held in Geneva, Switzerland, ended without any consequences. The meeting was organized to establish a plastic regulation treaty. 185 countries had participated and discussions continued continued even beyond the scheduled date, but the negotiations had failed to reach an agreement. The main point of the argument was the mandatory reduction of plastic production. The High Ambition Coalition (HAC), which includes the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom, Canada, and a number of countries in Africa and Latin America, tried to include provisions in the treaty that aimed at reducing plastic production and phasing out toxic chemicals used in plastics. However, oil-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia, Iran, and Malaysia opposed the proposal. Since the primary materials for plastics are obtained from fossil fuels, which include oil, coal, and gas, these countries were concerned that reducing plastic production could lead to economic damage. Instead, they assert that the problem of pollution should be addressed by strengthening waste management and promoting recycling instead of diminishing production. The Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which include 39 countries, including the Maldives and Tuvalu, that are suffering from the exorbitant damage caused by plastic pollution, manifested frustration over the failure to reach an agreement once again. They state that “It is unfair that SIDS are bearing the impact of a global environmental crisis, to which we have contributed very little.”Reuters reported that while some countries, including the United Kingdom, assert that further negotiations are necessary, others maintain that additional discussions would be meaningless. Earlier, in March 2022, the international community had agreed to establish a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution by 2024 at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), but the commitment has not been implemented. Globally, it is estimated that more than 400 million tons of plastic are newly produced every year. From this amount, 46% ends up in landfills, 17% is incinerated, and the remaining 22% remains as mismanaged waste. Only 15% of plastic is collected for recycling, but the actual rate is reported as only 9%.▶원문 기사: 제네바 '플라스틱 감축' 합의 불발…사우디·러시아·이란 등 산유국 반대 (2025. 8. 15) ◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대 경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 이코노미스트 기사를 영문으로 번역하며 이슈를 팔로우업한 기사입니다. 차세대 글로벌 경제 리더, <영 저널리스트 with 이코노미스트> 영문 기사는 매주 연재됩니다.

2025.08.25 16:42

3분 소요
"Still Yoon Seok-yeol’s Government?”...‘AI’ Google Gemini, is repeating reality recognition error

산업 일반

It has been confirmed that Google’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) model ‘Gemini 2.5 Pro’ is repeating the error of recognizing the sitting president as Yoon Seok-yeol, a former president. Even if the sitting president is Lee Jae-myung, AI keeping the expression ‘Yoon Seok-yeol government,’ ‘Yoon Seok-yeol president,’ is enlarging worries about AI’s credibility during its state of fundamental reality recognition error.According to the official investigation result, testing by inserting a story about recent financial policy to the Gemini 2.5 Pro model resulted in the error of repeatedly saying “current government is Yoon Seok-yeol’s government.” While the tester mentioned that in the 2025 snap election, president Lee Jae-myeong was elected president, AI didn’t apply that information, continuing its reply that “Lee-jae-myoung is the opposition leader” or said that nowadays, “the government is Yoon Seok-yeol’s.” This error was not a one-time occurrence. Based on the result of other financial policy related news articles checking using the same method, similar replies were shown simultaneously. For instance, when the expression ‘Lee Jae-Meong government’s reorganization plan’ was included in financial tax system related news, Gemini judged it to be incorrect and said “It is Yoon Seok-yeol’s government and Lee Jae-myong is a Democratic Party of Korea leader.”Even if the Lee Jae-meong government was promoting policies in general financial In the taxation field, AI narrowly interpreted it as ‘Opposition team’s lawmaking proposal’, not ‘government policy’. According to Gemini’s reality recognition error, Google parttaker said “Gemini represents AI technology’s revolutionary development,” and “Google is trying their best to develop its function with responsibility, and Google knows that Gemini isn’t always accurate.” Continuing on, the parttaker added on by stating “By using Google’s research and user opinions, Google is taking action with long-term and regular access methods, and from that, they will develop Gemini on a regular basis and continue satisfying changing requirements.” AI’s reality handling ability, still weakThe most significant cause is thought to be AI data’s recency not being updated, or government’s change information such as passing on of political power not being applied. However, some point out the AI repeating fixed replies, not applying information from the users, even if the user told the information about the new president as a system error, goes beyond simple data limitations.Professionals said that “if AI doesn’t apply real information, it would cause confusion to the readers” and pointed out that “there should be even stricter verification procedures for information related to politics and policy.”Beforehand, in 2023, National Information Society Agency AI·Future Planning Center submitted a report ensuring we should be careful of the ‘hallucination phenomenon.’ It was a point that if offering ‘nonexistent replies’ and ‘false replies’ as if AI is seeing unexisting hallucination continues, future generations who are already adapted to it may experience massive influence.Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, also stated “Users immediately relying on ChatGPT about important work and problems is a poor choice, and there are numerous addresses needed to make for its trustfulness.”Industry parttaker said that “action guidelines based on verification procedures and responsibility are more urgent than catching up with competing AI usage speed.”▶원문 기사: “아직도 윤석열 정부?”…‘AI’ 구글 제미나이, 현실 인식 오류 반복 중 (이코노미스트, 2025. 7. 22) ◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대 경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 이코노미스트 기사를 영문으로 번역하며 이슈를 팔로우업한 기사입니다. 차세대 글로벌 경제 리더, <영 저널리스트 with 이코노미스트> 영문 기사는 매주 연재됩니다.

2025.08.22 17:55

4분 소요
“If you’re sick, go to hospital in Korea”...Which hospital ranked best in Asia

산업 일반

Newsweek’s evaluation of hospitals in Asia Pacific, a U.S. newsweek, Asan Medical Center in Seoul ranked first in three categories and Samsung Medical Center in two categories. According to the “2025 Asia Pacific Specialized Hospital” rankings released by Newsweek on the 11th(local time), Asan Medical Center in Seoul ranked first in three areas in heart, endocrine, and orthopedics among the total of nine evaluation areas. Seoul Asan hospital ranked first in cancer and the Respiratory system. In the field of children, Seoul Asan hospital ranked 1st place and in six of the nine fields, Korean hospitals were selected as the best hospitals in the Asia Pacific region.In the endocrine field Seoul Asan hospital, Seoul National University hospital, Samsung Seoul Hospital, and Severance Hospital ranked 1st to 4th. In the respiratory system, Samsung Seoul hospital, Seoul Asan hospital, and Seoul National University ranked 1 to 3. Korean hospitals were not the top, but Tokyo University Hospital in Japan took the top spot in the remaining three areas(heart surgery, nerve, and nerve surgery).In cardiac surgery, Seoul Asan hospital got 1st place, and in nerve surgery, Severance Hospital ranked second after Tokyo university hospital. Newsweek, together with global research firm Statista, ranks the world’s best hospital in February and the Asia Pacific best hospital in June every year. The Asia Pacific survey served and ranked 8,000 medical staff from 10 asia pacific countries, including South Korea, Japan, and Australia. ▶원문 기사: "아프면 한국 병원 가라"…'아시아 최고'로 꼽힌 병원 어디 (이코노미스트, 2025. 6. 13) ◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대 경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 이코노미스트 기사를 영문으로 번역하며 이슈를 팔로우업한 기사입니다. 차세대 글로벌 경제 리더, <영 저널리스트 with 이코노미스트> 영문 기사는 매주 연재됩니다.

2025.08.22 17:46

2분 소요
“I want to travel to Korea too”... Searches ‘skyrocket’ in China ahead of the longest holiday

산업 일반

As the South Korean government has decided to implement a temporary visa-free policy for Chinese group tourists, interest in travelling to Korea is rising ahead of China’s major Golden Week holiday in October.According to reports from Chinese media outlets such as The Paper, searches for Seoul on the Chinese online travel platform Ctrip increased by 120% within just 30 minutes after the South Korean government announced its visa-free policy the previous afternoon.On another travel platform, Tongcheng Travel, at 3 p.m. the previous day, searches for group tour packages to Korea during China’s longest holiday period, the National Day holiday (October 1–8), increased by more than 60%.The number of Chinese tourists visiting Korea, which plummeted during the COVID-19 period, has been steadily recovering.According to the online edition of China National Radio, Yangguangwang, the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Korea, which had reached 8 million in 2016, dropped to around 4 million in 2017. It then recovered to about 6 million in 2019, before falling again during the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 2.02 million in 2023 and 4.6 million in 2024, showing signs of recovery.China’s tourism industry noted that the timing of the South Korean government’s visa-free policy for Chinese group tourists was set just before the National Day holiday.The head of a research institute under Tongcheng Travel said, “With about half of the summer travel season already over, travel agencies are preparing for the National Day holiday market,” adding, “By adjusting its visa policy toward China at this time and introducing a temporary visa-free program for Chinese tourists, Korea has sent a signal that it intends to secure the Chinese tourist market in advance.”Ctrip’s Travel Research Institute predicted, “After simplifying its visa procedures, Korea will attract more middle-aged and family tourists, and demand for group tours from third-tier (mid-sized) and fourth-tier (small) cities will be unleashed. The return of Chinese group tourists will directly drive the recovery of Korea’s retail, duty-free, and restaurant industries, while also promoting people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.”However, some also predict that the impact will be limited, since while middle-aged Chinese tourists tend to prefer group tours, the visa-free measure does not apply to individual travelers who now make up the majority of Chinese visitors to Korea.Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of China Spring Tour, noted, “Jeju Island in Korea, a popular destination for Chinese independent travelers, was already visa-free, and while group tours focus on Seoul and Busan, the variety of group tour packages is not particularly large compared to neighboring destinations. The introduction of this policy is therefore unlikely to have a major impact.”▶원문 기사: "나도 한국여행 갈래"…中서 최대연휴 앞두고 검색 '폭발' (이코노미스트, 2025.8.7) ◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대 경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 이코노미스트 기사를 영문으로 번역하며 이슈를 팔로우업한 기사입니다. 차세대 글로벌 경제 리더, <영 저널리스트 with 이코노미스트> 영문 기사는 매주 연재됩니다.

2025.08.11 15:22

3분 소요
Trump Says "A 100 % tariff on Semiconductors…" South Korea’s Exports Will Be Unavoidably Hit

산업 일반

U.S. President Donald Trump officially announced on August 6(local time) that he would impose approximately 100 % tariffs on semiconductors. The announcement came during an event at the White House where Apple unveiled its plans to invest in U.S. facilities. Trump declared, “We will impose around 100 % tariffs on all integrated circuits (chips) and semiconductors entering the United States.”He added, “If you build a manufacturing plant in America, that won’t apply.”Semiconductors rank as the second-largest export item from South Korea to the U.S., following automobiles, meaning that this policy is expected to have substantial impact for Korea.According to the Korea International Trade Association, last year South Korea exported $10.6 billion worth of semiconductors to the U.S.—making up 7.5 % of its total U.S.-bound exports. Although this share is lower than those of China (32.8 %), Hong Kong (18.4 %), Taiwan (15.2 %), and Vietnam (12.7 %), a significant portion of Korea’s semiconductor exports to the U.S. passes through intermediary countries such as Taiwan due to assembly and processing arrangements.Trump did not specify the exact timing for when the semiconductor tariffs would take effect. However, in a CNBC interview the previous day, he indicated that more item-specific tariff announcements—including on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals—would likely come “in the next week or so,” suggesting the possibility that semiconductor tariffs could be unveiled as early as next week.In addition, Trump announced that, similar to the “secondary tariffs” of 25 % imposed on India for importing Russian oil, he could consider imposing similar tariffs on China, another major energy importer from Russia.He also noted that Apple CEO Tim Cook was present at the announcement and that Apple would invest $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years—$100 billion more than initially planned.▶원문 기사:트럼프 "반도체에 100% 관세 부과"…한국 수출 타격 불가피 (이코노미스트, 2025.8.7) ◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대 경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 이코노미스트 기사를 영문으로 번역하며 이슈를 팔로우업한 기사입니다. 차세대 글로벌 경제 리더, <영 저널리스트 with 이코노미스트> 영문 기사는 매주 연재됩니다.

2025.08.11 15:12

3분 소요
“The Hit Product in Korea, Would It Work Abroad?”... LG StandbyMe Expands Exports

산업 일반

LG Electronics is continuing strong sales in Korea to abroad by launching ‘LG StandbyMe 2’ in the global market.Starting with Hong Kong and Türkiye this week, the United States of America, Canada, Vietnam, and Singapore in July, and the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Spain in August, LG Electronics will release LG StandbyMe 2 in the following order. It will expand LG’s leadership of the portable screen market to the major countries around the world that span North America, Asia, and Europe.LG StandbyMe 2 was released in Korea earlier and it has become popular. In the first live commerce right after the release, the initial batch of 1000 units was sold out within 38 minutes. The sales for 5 months of Standbyme 2 recorded around 4 times of the previous product. LG Electronics is going to continue strong domestic sales momentum to the international strategic market with the international launching. StandbyMe 2 strengthened mobility and convenience by allowing the screen to be easily detached. It can be separated with one button, no need for complex tasks such as loosening the screw. In addition, it has a 27 inch QHD high resolution touch display and high capacity battery that lasts up to 4 hours without being connected to the power. It has webOS which is a platform for smart TV from LG Electronics. Consumers can enjoy not only OTT and cloud games freely, but also webtoons and shortforms by rotating the screen vertically. WebOS is acknowledged that it has distinguished consumer experience by receiving ‘2025 CES innovation award on cyber security’ from American Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and ‘best smart system’ from English IT specialized media AV Forums.As LG StandbyMe was unveiled for the first time in this January at the largest appliance·IT exhibition in the world CES 2025, several major media from abroad have been appreciated. IT professional media ZDnet evaluated the product that “LG StandbyMe 2 is the most appealing TV” and “it perfectly balanced creativity, innovation, and performance”. American renowned daily paper USA Today picked standbyMe 2 as a “must-have smart TV” and explained “the product that they want to put in their suitcases right now and take it home secretly”.LG Electronics business director Choong Hwan Lee said, “We will strengthen the leadership on the global portable screen market by mobile lifestyle screen LG StandbyMe 2 which is renewed by consumers’ voices”.▶원문 기사: "한국서 대박 난 이 제품, 해외서도 통할까?"...LG 스탠바이미, 수출 확대(이코노미스트, 2025.7.14) ◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대 경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 이코노미스트 기사를 영문으로 번역하며 이슈를 팔로우업한 기사입니다. 차세대 글로벌 경제 리더, <영 저널리스트 with 이코노미스트> 영문 기사는 매주 연재됩니다.

2025.08.11 10:58

3분 소요
Pay for transportation in Apple Pay… Hyundai Card releases "Apple Pay T-Money"

산업 일반

Since the Hyundai Card has been released to apple pay, Hyundai Card users can add T-money cards in apple pay, and top up the money in the apple wallet application.Setting transportation cards in Apple pay is simple. Enter the apple wallet application, and tap the “add(+)” button. Then, go to “transportation card”, select “T-money”, and follow the instructions.For the members of the Hyundai card, it is possible to easily add balance in apple pay, or people can use ‘automatic balance charge’, which which makes it easy to charge, and have less worry about running out of balance when traveling, or going to work.Hyundai Card started the apple pay service in march of 2023, and they kept increasing the places that members can use Hyundai Card. This service release was available because Hyundai Card members were using Hyundai Card already in both online and offline stores.▶원문 기사: 애플페이로 대중교통 결제…현대카드, '애플페이 티머니' 출시 (이코노미스트, 2025.7.22) ◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대 경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 이코노미스트 기사를 영문으로 번역하며 이슈를 팔로우업한 기사입니다. 차세대 글로벌 경제 리더, <영 저널리스트 with 이코노미스트> 영문 기사는 매주 연재됩니다.

2025.07.28 10:09

2분 소요
China reveals the new AI model—KIMI K2 …“A new shock after DeepSeek”

산업 일반

AI startup company Moonshot AI unveiled a new AI model, Kimi K2, on July 11th. A Chinese news company referred to Kimi K2 as “a shock following DeepSeek”, while Nature defined a new AI model as “another version of DeepSeek.” According to news, Kimi K2 has as many as one trillion parameters, but only 32 billion of them are activated at a time. This is based on the structure of the Mixture of Experts, showing high efficiency. This modern architecture resembles Switch Transformer from Google and LLaMA from Meta. Nature points out the two main advantages of KIMI K2: coding problem-solving skills and creativity. This demonstrates that KIMI K2 is not only an AI that copies information, but a creative model. Moonshot AI released KIMI K2 as the model of ‘Open-weight’, meaning everyone can download, edit, and post the model. This is the same policy as DeepSeek, while differing from ChatGPT-4, Claude, and Gemini. Experts believe that “China is coming fast for the AI industry” because KIMI K2 appeared only after 6 months of DeepSeek. Dr. Mario Krenn of Max Planck for the Science of Light told Nature that “having a new Chinese AI model is not surprising”, adding that “they have to be prepared, not just be surprised.”▶원문 기사: 중국, 이번엔 거대 모델 ‘키미 K2’ 공개…“딥시크 충격 재현” (이코노미스트, 2025.7.19) ◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대 경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 이코노미스트 기사를 영문으로 번역하며 이슈를 팔로우업한 기사입니다. 차세대 글로벌 경제 리더, <영 저널리스트 with 이코노미스트> 영문 기사는 매주 연재됩니다.

2025.07.28 10:01

2분 소요
“Welcome, international visitors”… The retail industry turns its focus to attracting foreign customers.

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Facing sluggish domestic demand due to a shrinking population, the retail sector is gradually turning its focus overseas. However, some companies are actively targeting foreign tourists visiting Korea. This is because many of them come to Korea to experience K-beauty and K-food. With the number of foreign tourists rising significantly after COVID-19, retailers are strengthening their strategies to meet their demand. Tourists fall for K-Beauty… Flood Road ShopsAccording to the Korea Tourism Organization, 16.37 million international tourists visited Korea last year. That’s an eightfold increase from 2020, when only 2.52 million came due to the impact of COVID-19. In comparison to last year, the number rose by 48.4%. In fact, it has recovered to the pre-pandemic level of 2019, which was 17.5 million. As the number of foreign tourists to Korea rises, retailers are stepping up their efforts. While domestic demand continues to decline, these visitors are importantly seen as a new customer base.Especially many foreign tourists become interested in K-beauty and K-food after being exposed to Korean culture through K-dramas, K-pop, and other contents. As a result, they often seek typical beauty-related shopping and gourmet travel experiences during their stay. According to the ‘2024 Q4 Interim Report on Foreign Tourist Survey (multiple responses allowed) presented by Korea Tourist Data Lab, cosmetics were the most purchased items among foreign visitors to Korea at 69.8%. Among major shopping locations, road shops—where cosmetics stores make up a large proportion—ranked first at 48.0%, followed by department stores (41.4%) and large shopping malls (41.4%). This indicates that many foreign tourists in Korea are primarily shopping for beauty-related products. Among domestic road shops, the clear favorite of foreign tourists is CJ Olive Young. Thanks to the word of mouth, Olive Young has gained a reputation as a K-beauty hub and has become a must-visit place for tourists in Korea. Just as visitors to Japan often look for Don Quijote for discounted goods, Olive young has become an essential course especially for female tourists visiting Korea. According to Oliveyoung, tourists from 189 countries visited its stores last year. During the same period, they visited 1,264 Olive Young locations, about 92% of all branches in the nation (based on Q4 2024 figure). In addition, the payment transactions reached 9.42 million. Thus, in response to the steady visit of foreign customers, Oliveyoung designated certain stores with high foreign customer traffic as ‘Global Tourist Commercial District’ for the special management. These stores introduced an electronic label that displays product names in English, along with the introduction of the store and the promotional information translated into English. Isolating display zones such as “K-Beauty Now” and “Global Hot issue” indicate the products which foreign tourists prefer. Some large, multi-level stores even offer luggage storage services to enhance shopping convenience targeting tourists who make bulk purchases. An Olive young official mentioned, “Olive Young not only provides a positive shopping experience for foreign visitors, but also serves as a ‘Global K-Beauty Gateway’ that demonstrates new K-beauty brands for the first time.” “We will continue our lasting efforts to make K-beauty, including K-pop and K-food, a signature tourism experience that represents Korea,” they added. Mom’s Touch opened a company-operated store in Itaewon—a hot spot for foreign tourists—on April 29th. The store targets a strategy of selling bestsellers such as Chicken Thigh Burger, boneless thigh chicken, and Thigh Pizzas, which have already proven competitive in the existing stores overseas. Having already opened directly operated stores in other key tourist spots like Myeongdong and Namsan, Mom’s touch aims to further appeal to international visitors’ tastes by adding the Itaewon location as well. The company also plans to launch a large flagship store in the prime commercial district of Gwanhwamun soon. Heated Competition Over ‘K-Souvenir Snakes’ Between retail industries, competition in terms of “souvenir snack” for foreign tourists seems attentive as well. K-snacks in particular are increasingly viewed as must-buy items for travelers returning to their home countries. Orion has seen strong performance by offering a wide variety of popular K-snacks ideal as souvenirs. According to the company, sales in major tourist zones like Seoul Station and Myeongdong increased by 59% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year. As demand from foreign tourists grow, Orion reinforced its limited edition strategy with items like ▲Bichovi Korea Edition, ▲Market O Brownie Jeju Matcha, and ▲ Market O Brownie Cream Cheese, which are only available in tourist shopping region. Especially at the Lotte Mart Zetta Flex Seoul Station Branch, a must-visit shopping spot due to its direct link to Incheon International Airport, the combined sales of five key brands (▲ Cham Bungeoppang,▲ Bichovi, ▲ Almaengi Gummy, ▲Yegam, ▲ Market O Brownie) increased by 91%. Among them, Cham Bungeoppang is particularly popular among Chinese tourists. An Orion official explained, “Cham Bungeoppang has the same pronunciation in Chinese as ‘魚(yú)’ meaning fish and ‘余(yú)’ meaning abundance.” They added, “Since fish is known to symbolize wealth in Chinese culture, Cham Bungeoppang has become a favored souvenir for Chinese travelers.”Featuring a variety of nut based snacks such as almonds and peanuts, HBAF lineup is also gaining popularity among foreign tourists as a souvenir item. Influenced by the demand, HBAF is now exporting its products to 25 countries, including the U.S., Japan, and China. In 2023, its annual revenue surpassed 100 billion KRW. CJ CheilJedang is also planning to utilize its affiliate company, Olive Young, to develop and sell food products targeted at the souvenir market. By stocking the products in Olive Young stores, which are frequently visited by foreign tourists, the company aims to naturally boost sales.▶원문 기사: "외국인 관광객님들 어서오세요"...新고객 공략 나선 유통업계 (이코노미스트, 2025. 7. 21) ◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대 경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 이코노미스트 기사를 영문으로 번역하며 이슈를 팔로우업한 기사입니다. 차세대 글로벌 경제 리더, <영 저널리스트 with 이코노미스트> 영문 기사는 매주 연재됩니다.

2025.07.21 16:31

6분 소요
President Trump, "15~20% Tariffs on Most Countries"… Sent Letter to Canada Imposing 35% Tariff

산업 일반

U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to impose tariffs of 15% or 20% on most of America’s trading partners. He announced that starting August 1, there will be a 35% tariff on every product that originates from Canada.President Trump told NBC in a phone interview that “Every other country will pay 15% or 20%. And we’re deciding on the rate right now.”President Trump recently sent letters to major countries, including South Korea and Japan, detailing the tariff rates. His mention of "the rest of the countries" implicitly points to those nations that did not receive a tariff. The Trump administration delayed the implementation of reciprocal tariffs for 90 days on April 9. However, it still applied the standard tariff of 10% uniformly to all trading partners. The ‘15% or 20%’ mentioned by President Trump is slightly higher than the standard rate.He stated, “Not everyone needs to receive a letter.” He added, “We’re simply setting our own tariffs.”President Trump also said in the interview that Canada and the European Union (EU) would get official notices of the new tariff rates “today or tomorrow.” Shortly after, he shared the tariff sent to Canada on Truth Social.In the letter to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, he announced that starting from August 1, all products exported from Canada to the United States would face a 35% tariff.He wrote, “Instead of cooperating with the United States, Canada retaliated with its tariffs.” He added, “Beginning from August 1, 2025, all Canadian products exported to the United States will face a 35% tariff, in addition to any item-specific duties.” Previously, the Trump administration had imposed a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico due to their failure to address the trafficking of synthetic opioid fentanyl and the influx of illegal immigrants. However, exemptions have remained for goods that meet the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). A formal notice to the EU is also likely to come soon. In the interview, President Trump said, “We’re talking with the EU, many countries, and Canada. We’ll make an announcement in the next few hours.” On the 7th, President Trump sent letters outlining reciprocal tariff rates ranging from 25% to 40% to 14 countries, including South Korea (25%) and Japan. Two days later, on the 9th, additional letters went to seven more countries, including the Philippines and Brazil. All reciprocal tariffs are set to take effect on August 1.President Trump dismissed concerns that the extra tariffs might harm the stock market or cause inflation. “I believe the tariff measures have been very well received,” he said. He added, “The stock market hit a record high today.”▶원문 기사: 트럼프, "대부분 국가에 15~20% 관세 부과"…캐나다엔 35% 관세 서한 발송 (이코노미스트, 2025. 7.11) ◆이코노미스트가 글로벌 차세대 경제 리더, 청소년 기자단 영 저널리스트와 함께합니다. 영 저널리스트 기자단은 프리미엄 경제지 이코노미스트, 논술 전문 기관 Ni 에듀케이션과 함께 주요 시사 이슈를 팔로우업하고 직접 기획, 취재, 기사 작성 활동을 하며 사회적 문제를 고심하고 해결 방안을 제시하는 과정을 경험하게 됩니다. 이번 기사는 영 저널리스트 기자단이 이코노미스트 기사를 영문으로 번역하며 이슈를 팔로우업한 기사입니다. 차세대 글로벌 경제 리더, <영 저널리스트 with 이코노미스트> 영문 기사는 매주 연재됩니다.

2025.07.21 15:57

3분 소요