The Korean beauty care industry is turning its eyes to the Japanese market. It is a strategy to try to rebound by targeting Japan as an alternative market as its performance weakened due to a decline in the market share of Korean cosmetics in China.LG Household and Health Care’s cumulative sales thr
This year marks the first time that the number of countries importing Korean kimchi has surpassed 90. The global popularity of Korean kimchi, often attributed to the Hallyu wave and health trends such as vegetarianism, is leading the way in showcasing K-food on the international stage.According to t
YG Entertainment’s stock prices tumbled nearly 6% on July 12 amid rumors that the contract of Lisa from the company’s girl group Blackpink might not be renewed.On this day, YG Entertainment closed down 5.83% from the previous trading day at 74,300 won. The stock price dropped to 72,000 won during tr
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. She can be reached at hzl.lee@nhqv.com. -- Ed. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, individuals must satisfy their lower-level needs first before progressing on towards higher-level goals (ie, one must secure food before catering to taste)
The authors are analysts of Shinhan Investment Corp. They can be reached at sokang@shinhan.com and kimaram@shinhan.com, respectively. -- Ed. 2Q22OP misses consensus due to weak earnings at Japanese unitNeowiz posted operating profit of KRW5.9bn (+13.0% YoY, -47.1% QoQ, operating margin of 8.4%) on s
The author is an analyst of KB Securities. She can be reached at leesunhwa@kbfg.com. -- Ed. Maintain BUY and TP of KRW100,000 We maintain BUY and TP of KRW100,000 for SM Entertainment (SM). We expect 2022E-2024E OP CAGR of 22.9% for SM. Our DCF-based TP assumes 9.81% WACC (9.82% COE; 4.49% after-tax
The author is an analyst of KB Securities. She can be reached at leesunhwa@kbfg.com. -- Ed. BTS announces indefinite hiatus— On Jun 14, BTS announced an indefinite hiatus via their FESTA dinner video on their YouTube channel, BANGTANTV.— Following the release of their anthology album, Proof, on Jun
LG U+ announced on Oct. 20 that it has signed a contract with Malaysian mobile carrier Celcom Axiata Berhad to export 5G-based XR content.The two companies agreed to cooperate in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) content, and LG U+ will provide 5G immersive media, including K-POP, to t
SK Telecom announced on April 29 that it has launched the K-pop Metaverse Project that utilizes mixed reality technology with next-generation K-pop stars.The company plans to expand K-pop culture to the mixed virtual reality world through various attempts, ranging from AR digital human content of va
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. She can be reached at hzl.lee@nhqv.com. -- Ed. Expectations rising that China’s ban on Korean content will be liftedChina’s ‘implicit’ ban on Korean content was first imposed in early-2017, and since that time, four years have passed with hopes
The IFEZ Global Center of Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Authority is offering an online K-beauty makeup course for foreign residents.The course runs for three weeks from Feb. 25 to March 11 to provide foreign residents an opportunity to experience the art of Korean beauty and learn the Korean sk
GOT7 decided on Jan. 11 not to extend its contract with JYP Entertainment from Jan. 19. Then, the stock price of the entertainment company fell 4.23 percent. This year is the seventh year of the contract and GOT7, which sold more than 450,000 albums last year, has become another one of many K-pop id
Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are using South Korean idol groups to promote their smartphones.After Samsung Electronics used the BTS in an ad for the Galaxy Z-Fold 2, LG Electronics started marketing its strategic smartphone the "LG Wing" with "SuperM," an idol group created by member music
The Chinese backlash against the recent Van Fleet Award acceptance speech of BTS is decreasing rapidly. The Chinese government appears to be coping with the situation with the backlash showing signs of backfiring.“We are watching media reports and online public opinions as to the issue,” Chinese For
SK Telecom released on Sept. 24 a video ringback tone service called ‘V Coloring’ to create a fun and interesting experience for customers. V Coloring is a service that plays a short-form video selected or created by the person being called on the caller’s mobile phone while the call is being connec
KT Corp., South Korea's largest telecommunications company, announced on July 22 that it is now streaming live performances by K-pop idols aspiring for global stages to Hong Kong audiences.The new 5G-powered service began under a contract on content sale that KT signed on July 15 with China Mobi
SK Telecom announced on April 29 that it has started operating Jump Studio, Asia’s first mixed reality capture studio using Microsoft’s technology.According to the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information and Korea Creative Content Agency, the global market for mixed reality is expected
KT Corp. announced on April 8 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Taiwan’s Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (FET) for collaboration in 5G services and digital content development.The Korean telecom company said that the signing ceremony was conducted online due to the
K-pop boy band BTS has proved why they are a world-class band by performing in London’s Wembley Stadium.BTS had a historic performance at Wembley Stadium, which is a symbol of British pop culture and sports, on June 1 (local time). They opened up their Europe tour of LOVE YOURSELF: SPEAK YOURSELF wi
A big change is expected to take place in the Korean media industry next year as LG U+ is set to distribute Netflix content through U+ TV, its IPTV service, and plans to acquire cable TV system operators.LG U+ and Netflix are close to completing their deal. They will announce their contract soon aft