SEOUL, May 10 (Korea Bizwire) – The National Institute of Biological Resources, an affiliate of South Korea’s Ministry of Environment, has announced the potential use of a fungus to reduce the recent mass outbreaks of stick insects in the greater Seoul metropolitan area, with findings showing that over 90% of the insects were killed by an [...]
SEOUL, May 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Emart24, a South Korean convenience store chain, said Thursday it has partnered with local cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb to sell the “bitcoin meal box” by the end of this month. Under a partnership with Bithumb, Emart24 plans to sell 30,000 such meal boxes at 5,900 won (US$4.3) per product by [...]
SEOUL, May 6 (Korea Bizwire) –Fans of the K-pop superstars BTS are inundating social media with outrage over an ongoing government investigation into allegations of illegal music streaming manipulation involving the group. On May 5, the hashtag “SOUTH KOREA APOLOGIZE TO BTS” trended in the K-pop category on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, [...]
SEOUL, May 6 (Korea Bizwire) – A special loan program in South Korea offering rock-bottom interest rates for newlywed couples and new parents has drawn more than 5 trillion won in applications just three months since its launch, data showed on May 5. The “New Baby” loan program, introduced on January 29 by the Ministry [...]
SEOUL/TOKYO, May 6 (Korea Bizwire) – Photos showing boxes of discarded albums by the popular K-pop group Seventeen strewn across a street in Japan have reignited criticism from a prominent music executive over controversial marketing practices in the industry. The images, posted recently on social media by a user in Japan, showed dozens of Seventeen [...]
SEOUL, May 3 (Korea Bizwire) — Members of K-pop juggernaut BTS carrying out their mandatory military service has sent a “positive signal” for men to faithfully fulfill their service, the head of the military manpower agency said, raising the possibility of abolishing exemptions given to top athletes and musicians. Lee Ki-sik, commissioner of the Military [...]
TOKYO, May 1 (Korea Bizwire) – A memorial honoring Korean workers during Japan’s colonial occupation, which was dismantled by authorities in Gunma Prefecture in January, has been digitally resurrected through an augmented reality (AR) application, according to a report by the Asahi Shimbun on April 30. The “AR Korean Workers’ Memorial” app allows users to virtually [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – As the conflict between Hybe and Ador Entertainment, the company behind the rising K-pop girl group NewJeans, escalates, attention is turning to the potential impact on the members’ comebacks and activities. In the K-pop industry, the prevailing view is that major disruptions are unlikely in the near term, as Hybe [...]
SEOUL, April 24 (Korea Bizwire) – Orion Corporation announced on April 24 that its popular “Turtle Chips” snack has recently gained entry into the Five Below and Miniso retail chains across the United States, driven by its rising popularity among younger American consumers. The quadruple-layered corn snack became the first K-food product to be stocked at [...]
SEOUL, Apr. 24 (Korea Bizwire) – Seoul will be the stage for the inaugural “Slow and Steady Han River Triathlon Festival” (translated) on June 1 and 2, inviting participants to complete swimming, cycling, and running events within 48 hours at Ttukseom Hangang Park in Gwangjin District, the city government announced on April 23. Planned personally by [...]