LocknLock (Korean: 락앤락; historically styled as Lock&Lock) is a South Korean consumer goods company best known for its four-sided airtight food storage containers. Originally a household goods business, it has evolved into a global lifestyle brand offering kitchenware, beverageware, cookware, small appliances, and home lifestyle products. Founded in 1978, the company now exports to more than 120 countries, with key markets including South Korea, China, Vietnam, the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia.12

The company’s positioning has shifted from being primarily an airtight container manufacturer to a “global lifestyle and culture creator,” emphasizing healthier and more convenient everyday living.2

While LocknLock traces its corporate founding to 1978, the signature container brand was launched two decades later. The company was originally established in November 1978 as Kukjin Retail Co. before becoming Hana Mart Co. in 1987 and Hanacobi Co. in 1994.3 A pivotal moment occurred in October 1998 when the company introduced its distinctive four-sided airtight locking container under the LocknLock name, which became the foundation of its international identity.46

In 2003, the corporate name was changed to LocknLock Co., Ltd., followed by a merger involving Hanacobi and LocknLock in 2007.5 This timeline marks three distinct eras: the traditional household goods period (1978–1997), the airtight container revolution and initial international expansion (1998–2000s), and the current era as a diversified global lifestyle company (2010s–present).

LocknLock has expanded significantly beyond its original plastic storage offerings. Its current portfolio is organized around several core categories:

Food containers

Food storage remains the category most strongly associated with the brand and represents its core technological heritage.8 Products include airtight storage containers, refrigerator organizers, modular systems, glass and plastic containers, freezer-safe options, lunch boxes, and meal-preparation sets. These items established the company’s reputation for sealing performance, convenience, durability, and organization.

Beverageware

Beverageware has become a major growth category, particularly in Asian markets. The lineup includes tumblers, vacuum-insulated bottles, thermal mugs, water bottles, travel cups, and ceramic tumblers. Specific series such as Metro have been promoted internationally, while products like the Energetic Tumbler and Metro Drive have been highlighted in regional markets like Thailand.9

Cookware

The company offers frying pans, saucepans, pots, cooking sets, induction-compatible cookware, and kitchen utensils. This category emphasizes usability, modern design, and materials suited for everyday cooking, and is listed as one of the brand’s core global product lines.10

Kitchen appliances

LocknLock has entered the small electrical appliance segment with products including air fryers, steam air fryers, rice cookers, and specialized air purifiers. Notable launches include a steam air fryer in 2020 and Kitchen Puri, a kitchen-specific air purifier, in 2021.11 In 2020, the company also acquired Jenniferoom, a small kitchen appliance brand, to support this expansion.12

Home and lifestyle

The broader catalog now encompasses household and lifestyle products, reflecting a strategy to move beyond the perception of being solely a food-container brand. Consumer-facing platforms organize offerings across lifestyle, kitchen, kids’, and lunch box categories.7

LocknLock describes itself as a global lifestyle creator focused on healthier and more convenient living. Its philosophy centers on convenience, consumer-centered design derived from observing changing lifestyles,13 and material safety for food-contact products. Sustainability has also become integral to its strategy through initiatives such as the “Love for Planet” resource-recycling campaign and broader ESG programs.1417

In 2021, the company introduced a tote bag made from recycled polypropylene (PP), described as an industry first.15 The following year, it published its inaugural ESG Sustainability Management Report.16 These efforts align with the brand’s emphasis on reusable products as alternatives to disposable packaging.

LocknLock began its serious international push in the 2000s and now maintains operations in South Korea, China, Vietnam, the United States, Germany, Thailand, Indonesia, and India.2

• China: Market entry occurred in 2004 via Shanghai, making China a major sales market and manufacturing base.18
• Vietnam: A critical market since the first flagship store opened in 2008. The company established trading entities in Hanoi (2009) and Ho Chi Minh City (2010), completed a heat-resistant glass plant in 2011, and a cookware plant in 2012.19
• United States: LocknLock USA was established in 2016, expanding through retailers such as QVC, Target, Macy’s, Costco, and Amazon.
• Europe: A German trading company was set up in 2010, and the brand claims presence in over 14,000 sales channels across Europe.20
• India: A subsidiary was established in 2025 to develop the Indian market with locally adapted products.

Vietnam serves as both a primary consumer market and a strategic production hub for LocknLock. Commercial operations began in 2008, and the country now hosts manufacturing facilities in the Vũng Tàu area for heat-resistant glass and cookware. The Vietnamese subsidiary operates as LOCK & LOCK HCM CO., LTD., with offices in Ho Chi Minh City.

The brand positions itself as a premium household and lifestyle option in the Vietnamese market rather than a low-cost alternative. In January 2026, LocknLock announced it had been named among Vietnam’s Top 50 Most Trusted Brands 2025, ranking within the Top 10 for the 14th consecutive year.21

LocknLock was listed on the KOSPI stock exchange in 2010.23 In August 2017, private equity firm Affinity Equity Partners acquired the company.24 Today, the operating entity is LocknLock Co., Ltd., headquartered in Seoul, with Lee Young-sang serving as CEO.25

The name “LocknLock” reflects the brand’s original value proposition of secure, airtight closure. While historically styled as Lock&Lock, current English branding predominantly uses LocknLock.

LocknLock occupies a space between mass-market and premium household goods, combining Korean design aesthetics with practical functionality. It is no longer solely a plastic container company nor purely a kitchen equipment maker, but rather a comprehensive lifestyle brand.2930

Key competitive strengths include strong brand recognition tied to airtight technology, decades of material expertise, a diversified portfolio spanning storage to appliances, and extensive international distribution networks independent of the domestic Korean market.26 Local manufacturing in Vietnam and China allows production closer to key consumer bases,27 while design centers established in Korea, China, and Vietnam in 2019 underscore a commitment to innovation.28

These milestones are based primarily on LocknLock’s published corporate history.22

1. About | LocknLock
2. Global Network | LocknLock
3. History – About | LocknLock
4. History – About | LocknLock
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6. Product Catalog – E-catlog | LocknLock
7. LocknLock | Healthy kitchen life together with LocknLock
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12. LocknLock Pays 180 Billion Won Dividend After Delisting… Affinity Accelerates Exit
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19. Tổng Quan Về Thương Hiệu LocknLock – LOCKNLOCK VIỆT NAM
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21. LocknLock Global History 20’s Anniversary
22. LocknLock
23. About | 락앤락
24. About | LocknLock
25. Global Network | LocknLock
26. History – About | 락앤락
27. Food storage – Food Container – Product | LocknLock
28. LocknLock | Healthy kitchen life together with LocknLock
29. Brand – About | LocknLock
30. Brand – About | LocknLock