Korea has traditionally excelled in the business of cut and sewn knitted goods. In recent years, Korean apparel makers have established factories in cities in China’s Shandong Province such as Qingdao and Yantai (which can be reached in just about one hour from the Incheon International Airport). Backed by steady production capacity, these enterprises are continuing to show strong performance. The strengths of Korean apparel makers include the capacity to respond quickly to fashion trends, suggest the best materials, plan products, and make short-time deliveries.
By combining these strengths with the advantages of low-cost Chinese labor, Korean apparel makers are able to produce highly competitive products for export to Europe, America, and Japan. We call this approach the "Korea-China Line".
Mitsubishi Corporation (Korea) is also developing business that leverages the advantages of the Korea-China Line. Last year, two-thirds of the turnover from our textile businesses came from China-related transactions, and we are aiming to further expand the business in the future.
Just the mention of Korean cooking automatically triggers thoughts of hot and spicy food. Recently, a new dish called bultack—literally "fire chicken"—is exploring totally new levels of spiciness and has become the rage among young people in Korea. Bultack is made by frying chicken covered in a red chili sauce together with ultra-spicy green chilies. While you may wonder how this super-spicy chicken will be received by your stomach, it is worth noting that the capsaicin contained in the chilies is said to break down fat and also relieve stress. Of course Koreans have always been fond of spicy food, but with many people now suffering stress due to the lackluster economy, the number of "bultack addicts" is growing fast.
Yoga has recently been catching on in Korea. Just a few years ago, yoga studios were few and far between, but these days they seem to be popping up everywhere. This "yoga boom" has been fueled by a growing trend among Koreans to seek total mental and physical "well-being". In addition to relaxing the body and feeding the mind, yoga is also said to be effective for dieting. It is now attracting a lot of attention, especially among young women.
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