SEOUL, July 22(Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s K-pop industry is facing mounting concerns as both album exports and sales declined in the first half of 2025, signaling a broader slowdown in a market once considered resilient to global economic headwinds. Even Japan — historically K-pop’s strongest overseas market — saw reduced import volumes, prompting calls for [...]
SEOUL, July 21 (Korea Bizwire) — As Korean pop culture continues to captivate global audiences, secondhand K-pop merchandise is experiencing a dramatic surge in international demand, driving a new wave of “reverse direct-to-consumer” sales from South Korea to overseas buyers. According to Bunjang, a leading Korean secondhand marketplace, the platform’s global transaction volume in the first [...]
SEOUL, July 18 (Korea Bizwire) — Netflix is poised to generate up to 62.9 trillion won ($45.2 billion) in revenue this year—more than triple the total revenue of South Korea’s entire broadcasting industry in 2023, which stood at 18.8 trillion won. The surge reflects the platform’s accelerating global dominance and the rising popularity of Korean [...]
SEOUL, July 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Sulbing Co., a South Korean dessert cafe chain, said Tuesday it plans to enter the Philippine market this year as part of its overseas expansion strategy. Sulbing has signed a master franchise (MF) agreement with Beyond Bingsu Cafe Inc., an affiliate of Philippines’ Fredley Group of Companies, to open [...]
SEOUL, July 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Genesis, the independent luxury auto brand of Hyundai Motor Group, said Monday its flagship G90 sedan has been selected as the official vehicle for events and protocol duties of Kuwait’s interior ministry. The decision, which involves the use of 47 G90 units, reflects the Kuwaiti government’s high confidence in [...]
SEOUL, July 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Nicknamed a “storytelling powerhouse” for its ability to craft cohesive narratives across albums and music videos, K-pop group NCT Dream will release its fifth full-length album Monday, themed around time travel. Inspired by the hit 1980s Hollywood film series “Back to the Future,” the album follows the boy group’s [...]
SEOUL, July 14 (Korea Bizwire) — Girl group BLACKPINK topped Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Global chart with its latest single, “Jump,” becoming the first K-pop act to achieve three No. 1s on the chart, its agency said Monday. According to YG Entertainment, the track hit No. 1 on Sunday, following previous chart-toppers “Pink Venom” and [...]
SEOUL, July 14 (Korea Bizwire) — In a surprising twist of fiction-meets-reality, the animated musical film KPop Demon Hunters is now leading a real-world music chart takeover. The U.S.-produced Netflix original, which follows the story of a fictional K-pop girl group battling evil spirits, has delivered a soundtrack that’s anything but imaginary in its impact. [...]
SEOUL, July 11 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean artist Kimsooja was named an Officer of the French Order of Arts and Letters, the second-highest of the European country’s three-tier honor. The artist received the award at the French ambassador’s residence in Seoul on Wednesday, recognizing her contributions to cultural exchange and relations between South Korea [...]
SEOUL, July 11 (Korea Bizwire) — K-pop star G-Dragon has canceled an upcoming concert in Thailand, citing concerns over fan safety due to extreme heat, his agency said Friday. The concert was scheduled to be held Aug. 2 at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok as part of his “Ubermensch” world tour. Galaxy Corporation, the artist’s [...]