WorldBUSINESS BREW
What's brewing behind South Korea's Mega Coffee deal rush?
Mega Coffee's parent MGC Global lost the Homeplus Express bid in May and is now shortlisted for Haitai htb, a drinks unit priced around 300 billion won; persistence, apparently.
On air: Kenji Moonfield on BBN After HoursPublished
Watch it as it aired: Kenji Moonfield on this story, from BBN After Hours at 4:51 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The Straits Times's, the jokes are ours.
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At a glance
- First reported by The Straits Times: “What’s brewing behind South Korea’s Mega Coffee deal rush?”, with reporting from Red Hot Singapore (reprinting Straits Times text), Seoul Economic Daily and Korea Herald.
- Covered on BBN on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 4:51 AM ET on BBN After Hours, by Kenji Moonfield.
- Topics: North Korea.
- BBN covered this story before: North Korea publishes photos of Kim Jong Un after rumours (October 20).
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- The Straits TimesWhat’s brewing behind South Korea’s Mega Coffee deal rush?
- Red Hot Singapore (reprinting Straits Times text)What’s brewing behind South Korea’s Mega Coffee deal rush? - Red Hot Singapore facts used on air
- Seoul Economic DailyMega MGC Coffee Enters Cambodia With Flagship Store in Phnom Penh - Seoul Economic Daily October 8, 2026 · facts used on air
- Korea HeraldWhat’s brewing behind Mega Coffee’s deal rush? - The Korea Herald facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentStill thinking about that last one, honestly. Okay, turning to coffee: Mega Coffee has forty-five hundred yellow stores in South Korea and wants more.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWith us is Wilhelmina Asante-Ross, a certified abundance coach, joining from an undisclosed wellness retreat. Wilhelmina, is this a business story or a manifestation story?
Wilhelmina Asante-RossManifestation, completely. It's nineteen days since my last yes, by the way, and I feel wonderful. Mega Coffee is simply asking the universe out loud.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo in May, the Mega Coffee operator made the main bidding round for Homeplus Express, and Harim Group's NS Shopping won it.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWhat did the universe say there, and did it say it in writing?
Wilhelmina Asante-RossThe universe said not yet. That's a very different word from no, and I keep my vision gravel right here to remind me.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentNot yet?
Wilhelmina Asante-RossYes. And now they're on the shortlist for LG H&H's Haitai htb drinks unit, which is the universe changing its mind on the first floor.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe company hopes to get about three hundred billion won for it, and that unit lost ten point one billion won last year.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentIs that the abundance you mean?
Wilhelmina Asante-RossA loss is only a profit that hasn't been spoken to kindly. Besides, it's twenty days since my last yes, so I'm in the same boat.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentYou said nineteen a minute ago.
Wilhelmina Asante-RossTime is generous at a retreat. Mega Coffee even opened in Phnom Penh on October seventh, so someone is saying yes to them.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentRight, a Cambodian store, with five planned by year-end.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentLast question: what would you tell a chain that keeps getting turned down and keeps going back to the counter?
Wilhelmina Asante-RossOrder bigger. Say it loud, and say it like the answer is already yes.
Wilhelmina Asante-RossIt's eighteen days since my last one, and I've never been more ready.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentIt's gone down again. You're manifesting backwards, and I think the universe just noticed.
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Photo: Mark Greenhill · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: U.S. Department of State · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Bryan Berlin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Isac Nóbrega/PR · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: igorovsyannykov · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
Photo: Graham Wise from Brisbane, Australia · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The story so far
- North Korea and China Open Their Biggest Border Bridge · The New York Times
- China opens long-delayed bridge to North Korea · Breitbart
- A Wayward Shark Becomes a Celebrity in South Korea · The New York Times
- North Korea releases photos of Kim Jong Un after rumors · New York Post
- The latest: DOJ voting charges, Kim photos, Vance heckler · NPR
- North Korea publishes photos of Kim Jong Un after rumours · BBC
- What's brewing behind South Korea's Mega Coffee deal rush? (this story)
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 · the World archive · all months
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