SEOUL: Carlyle’s one trillion won bet on Chungho Nais has put fresh attention on an unlikely South Korean export success: subscription-based water purifiers.
South Korea has spent decades turning water purification into a recurring-service business.
Monthly rental fees, scheduled filter replacements and regular technician visits have made clean drinking water an ongoing service rather than a one-time appliance purchase.
Now, with the domestic market nearing saturation, South Korean purifier makers are taking that model overseas.
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