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
The Korean boy band BTS has topped the US Billboard for the second time, rewriting K-Pop history.According to the Billboard News, which introduced the latest chart on September 3, BTS’ repackage album “LOVE YOURSELF 結 ANSWER” released on August 24 was on the top of Billboard's main album chart,
CJ E&M has launched a new video streaming service "Global TVing," allowing people around the world to view CJ E&M content in real time.Global TVing is part of a “global content + platform convergence project” designed to address the limitations that a global content provider such as CJ E&M faces, su
Kookmin Bank is about to release a bankbook and check card endorsed by Korean boy band BTS. Thanks to the global popularity of the seven-piece group that has won the Billboard charts in the US, Kookmin Bank’s release of new products based on BTS is gaining attention.Kookmin Bank plans to launch “BTS
Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corporation (aT) will set up an ASEAN headquarters in Vietnam in July to control its operations in ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.The company also plans to establish a branch office in Ho Chi Minh City in addition to the existing Hanoi b
The partnership of Bang Jun-hyuk, the chairman of Netmarble and Bang Shi-hyuk, the CEO of Big Hit Entertainment, is drawing attention of the game and entertainment industry.Netmarble recently announced that it would invest 201.4 billion won in Big Hit Entertainment, secure 25.71% (448,882 shares), a
Idol boy band BTS is having a significant effect on the stock market. For the five days after BTS topped the US billboard album chart, Billboard 200, on May 28, the stock prices of entertainment companies shot up, including Keyeast (55.72%), JYP Entertainment (12.01%), and Studio Dragon (14.52%). Th
Some analysis says that Korea’s future visions for the 4th industry attract to Korea. Chinese investors have strategized to solidify their positions in the global 4.0 Industry by directly investing in Korea's future industries such as the bio, cultural contents, and information technology (IT) indus
South Korea’s top three mobile carriers, such as SK Telecomm, KT and LG U+, are competing in media platforms with over-the-top (OTT) mobile video services, but they show meager sales in the sector due to a lack of competitive contents. The companies have opened the OTT platforms to allow their compe
Global media companies are accelerating their entry into the Korean market. They are not just investing in supplying images, but actively investing in Korean video production companies and entertainment companies, and actively moving to produce their own unique Korean contents.Netflix already starte
An increasing number of Chinese news outlets have advocated economic retaliation against South Korea since the South Korean government decided to accept the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in the Korean Peninsula. For example, the Global Times, affiliated with the People’s Daily,
SK Telecom announced on Jan. 17 that it will start selling its new budget smartphone, Sol, from Jan. 22, with pre-order sales slated for Jan. 19. The lowest selling price is 19,800 won (US$16.30).The phone is planned by SK Telecom and produced by TCL's Alcatel of China. The Sol is a follow-up specia
The SPC Group announced on Dec. 18 that it has opened a Paris Baguette shop that has been redecorated in a “Big Bang” theme in Shanghai, in partnership with YG Entertainment. “Big Bang” is a Korean idol group that has also spawned a line of cute animation characters. This is the first store in both
The entertainment industry is evolving into new content platforms by combining with ICT.Korean entertainment giant iHQ announced that it will develop a content platform in earnest by acquiring SK Communications. The nation's top portal operator Naver is also leading competition for entertainment
Long-time foreign correspondent and historian Andrew Salmon has put together a nifty new book entitled Modern Korea: All That Matters that presents with an understated elegance the most essential points about the history, society, economy, and culture of Korea (north and south). To put it simply, if
A dreamer boy, who lived in a small town in Incheon, has returned home to serve its citizens as the mayor of the city. The boy is Yoo Jeong-bok, who was elected the Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City in the regional government elections in July this year. He had resigned his position as National Ass
Tired of choosing from an endless pool of items? Don’t know what to buy or what the best deal is? Then it’s time to trust the new e-commerce curators. Last year, GMarket came up with a new kind of shopping platform called G9, a new way of selling only the items that are specially selected by e-comme
“Follow, follow, follow me!” This is the line of G-Dragon in LG U+’s latest TV commercial. G-Dragon is the leader of the famous K-Pop group “Big Bang,” and he is currently the advertising model for LG U+’s all-in-one smartphone plan called LTE8, also known as the “follow” plan. The number “eight
“Follow, follow, follow me!”This is the line of G-Dragon in LG U+’s latest TV commercial. G-Dragon is the leader of the famous K-Pop group “Big Bang,” and he is currently the advertising model for LG U+’s all-in-one smartphone plan called LTE8, also known as the “follow” plan. The number “eight” in
It may be hard to believe that the country with greater than 100 percent mobile subscriber penetration was late to the smartphone scene, but South Korea didn’t receive their first smartphone until late 2009. But after digesting that fact, it will not be difficult to believe that KakaoTalk, the most