Author: Jae young
October 7, 2025SEOUL – When K-pop idols release a new song or album, their promotional cycle typically follows a familiar pattern — teaser rollout, showcase, media appearances and interaction with fans through pop-up stores, then concerts and other events. While a digital-first apprach has become central to K-pop promotion, the strategies diverge significantly depending on a group’s popularity, agency resources and the platforms priorities.Unlike in the past, when television music shows and in-person fan events dominated, today’s K-pop promotions are built around digital momentum. Social media virality, YouTube content and TikTok challenges have become just as critical as the music…
October 7, 2025SEOUL – A string of long-awaited listings is lining up on South Korea’s capital markets, as companies seek to ride a rebound in investor sentiment. The Kospi’s recent record highs have drawn retail and foreign buyers back, prompting firms that had shelved offerings to revive their plans.The pipeline reflects both pent-up demand and pressure on companies to deliver exits to investors. From household names like “Baby Shark” creator Pinkfong and fashion giant Musinsa to internet-only lender K bank and G-Dragon’s agency Galaxy Corporation, firms are preparing to test whether the rally can open a window for bold valuations.Some…
October 6, 2025SEOUL – Elle UK has issued an apology after facing accusations of racism for cropping Rose of Blackpink out of a group photo on Friday.“We sincerely apologize for a recent post from Paris Fashion Week in which Rose of Blackpink was cropped from a group photo for size,” Elle UK said in a message posted to its Instagram story. “We did not mean to offend anyone.”The controversy began after the magazine posted a photo taken Monday at Saint Laurent’s Spring/Summer 2026 fashion show, which included Rose alongside singer Charli XCX, model Hailey Bieber and actor Zoe Kravitz.In Elle…
October 6, 2025SEOUL – More than 1 in 5 criminal suspects who fled South Korea during prosecutorial investigations in the past five years escaped to China, having overtaken the United States as the most common destination for fugitives in 2022, data shows.According to figures obtained by People Power Party Rep. Park Jun-tae from the Ministry of Justice and released Friday, 1,559 suspects had their indictments suspended between 2021 and mid-2025 after fleeing abroad.China accounted for 20.9 percent of those cases, followed by the United States at 14 percent, Vietnam at 8.6 percent, the Philippines at 8.2 percent, and Thailand at…
October 6, 2025SEOUL – South Korea’s online secondhand market was once a network of consumer-driven trades, loosely overseen by companies offering little more than secure payments and basic fraud checks.Today, the market is being commercialized with unusual speed, swelling to a projected 43 trillion won ($30.6 billion) this year — nearly double its size in just four years — according to the Korea Internet & Security Agency.Hence the retail platform surge. From peer-to-peer swaps to business-run ventures, all are vying for a sliver of a booming market, especially as cash-strapped consumers turn to secondhand goods or resell used clothes to…
October 3, 2025SEOUL – Police raided the headquarters of the National Information Resources Service in Daejeon on Thursday morning to look into a Sept. 26 fire that has paralyzed hundreds of government computer systems and administrative services.According to the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency, officers conducted a search and seizure at the NIRS facility and at three firms linked to the uninterruptible power supply in use at the data center at the time of the fire.Though the exact cause of the fire is still being investigated by forensic officials, the lithium-ion batteries powering the UPS were identified as the source. The…
October 3, 2025SEOUL – President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday instructed his aides to wipe out hate speech toward foreign tourists, in an apparent reference to a recent surge in anti-China rallies near tourist destinations in Seoul.During his weekly meeting with secretaries at his office in Seoul, Lee said it is high time to “completely eradicate the self-destructive activities” that not only undermine South Korea’s national interest, but also tarnish its reputation.“I urge relevant government agencies to thoroughly crack down on inciting acts that threaten the safety of foreign tourists here and swiftly prepare special measures to eradicate discriminatory hate…
October 3, 2025SEOUL – Whether you are staying put in the capital or visiting Seoul over the extra-long holiday period, rest assured, you won’t be bored.Oct. 3-9 is your chance to explore the royal palaces, Jongmyo Shrine and the royal tombs for free with no reservation required. The palaces and Jongmyo Shrine will remain open through Oct. 12, but the royal tombs will be closed on Oct. 10.Of course, Seoul has more to offer than just strolling through old palaces. The Korea Herald has put together a brief introduction to some of the varied activities and performances taking place in…
October 3, 2025SEOUL – South Korea recorded its highest-ever number of growth hormone prescriptions for children in 2024, a report revealed Thursday, despite rising cases of side effects.According to data submitted to Rep. Nam In-soon of the Democratic Party of Korea by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the nation’s health care watchdog, prescriptions for under-19s exceeded 1.62 million last year. Spending reached 159.2 billion won ($114 million).The data covers the period from 2020 to 2024. Prescriptions not covered by Korea’s National Health Insurance Service were not included. The NHIS only covers pediatric patients diagnosed with growth disorders. Hospitals…
October 3, 2025SEOUL – Asia’s future will be determined not by outside powers, but by its own voices and connections, leading editors across the region said Thursday at The Korea Herald HIT Forum in Seoul.More than 20 editors and publishers from 19 countries, members of the Asia News Network, joined policymakers and business executives at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry to debate the region’s path forward.Under the theme of “Asia Dialogue: Shifting Trade Order and Regional Solidarity,” the forum convened at a moment of unsettled global conditions, from escalating trade frictions and supply chain realignments to intensifying geopolitical…