Musinsa, Shinsegae V shine in K-fashion platform war; Ably, Zigzag struggle

Musinsa, South Korea’s fashion unicorn backed by KKR Co., and Shinsegae V, the online luxury item marketplace of retail giant Shinsegae Intern...

South Koreans’ spending on luxury winter jackets surges to record high

South Korean consumers sharply increased their spending on luxury winter coats in mid-November, marking a record seasonal high and offering an early...

G-Dragon ranks among 21st century’s best dressers, only Asian artist on list

G-Dragon has again reaffirmed his status as a global fashion icon. The South Korean superstar was the only Asian artist to appear on Complex Network...

K-fashion, K-beauty brands make Shanghai Asian outpost as China regains its allure

Korean fashion and beauty companies are rushing back into China as political winds shift and consumer sentiment improves.Once viewed as a “gra...

Beyond shopping: Central Department Store’s Korean fashion play

In Bangkok’s bustling Gangnam-equivalent of Chidlom, where cafe culture meets couture, Thailand’s largest department store chain, Centra...

Once languishing, Korea’s art market shows signs of thaw as collectors return

At a packed K Auction room in Seoul’s upscale Sinsa-dong late last month, the energy in the room suddenly shifted – palpably – whe...

NCSOFT taps fashion AI in bid to broaden beyond gaming

NCSOFT Corp., a leading South Korean game developer and publisher, is extending its artificial intelligence ambitions beyond gaming and into fashion...

Art without borders: How Japan and Korea are building understanding through creativity

Under the neon canopy of Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills Arena, a crowd gathered late into the night, drawn by a sense of discovery.Some came to see Ki...

Dollar store Daiso bucks retail slump, surpasses E-Mart, Lotte in valuation

Daiso, the largest discount store chain in South Korea, has turned the broader slump in offline retail into a growth opportunity, emerging as a game...

Korea’s game studios rebrand as AI tech firms, move into fashion, robotics, media

What was once a world of elves, dragons and power-ups is now giving rise to one of South Korea’s most unexpected tech revolutions, with game s...

K-style strikes back to win over China’s Gen Z with Musinsa at helm

Musinsa, South Korea’s fashion unicorn backed by KKR Co., is set to bring the K-style wave to China with Anta Sports Products Ltd., China's le...

From G-Dragon to Ibuki: Dongmyo emerges as global fashion hotspot

Once a humble thrift market popular among older locals in Seoul, Dongmyo Market, often dubbed Dongmyo flea market, has become a vibrant hotspot for ...

Even barcodes copied: Counterfeits invasion threatens K-brands

Counterfeit Korean beauty, fashion and food products are surging on overseas e-commerce platforms, with lookalike packaging making them hard to dist...

Google to invest $100 mn in Gentle Monster in smart glasses push

Google LLC has signed an agreement to invest about 145.0 billion won ($100 million) in Gentle Monster, the South Korean fashion eyewear brand that i...

Seoul, once-rising art hub, feels pinch of global strains  

In Seoul’s Hannam district, the storefront that once housed Various Small Fires (VSF) now sits empty, a “For Rent” sign taped to i...

Seoul appeal: Korean art captivates Indonesia’s affluent connoisseurs

JAKARTA – Last Thursday, Baik Art gallery in Jakarta, Indonesia, was crowded with well-heeled art patrons eager to meet a revered artist from ...

South Korea’s young rich vs old rich: Coins, art outpace bonds, funds

Young South Korean millionaires, placing bold wagers on unconventional financial assets such as cryptocurrencies and art, are gaining ground fast, g...

EQT set to invest in KKR-backed fashion unicorn Musinsa

EQT, Europe's largest private equity firm, is set to invest 20 billion to 30 billion won ($14 million-$21 million) in Musinsa, South Korea’s f...

Luxury fashion platform Balaan files for court receivership amid slump

South Korea’s top luxury goods e-commerce platform Balaan Co. said on Monday it has filed for corporate rehabilitation with a Seoul court as t...

LF to open Korea’s 1st standalone fashion outlet in India

LF Corp., a leading South Korean clothing company, will foray into India with its flagship brand Hazzys to build its presence in the rapidly growing...

Koreans’ craving for luxury goods fades

Until recently, it was not unusual to see people waiting in a long line in front of foreign haute couture brands’ stores early in the morning ...

Korea’s beauty wholesaler to invest $10 mn in fashion platform Balaan

South Korea’s cosmetics wholesaler Silicon2 Co. is set to invest $10 million in financially troubled luxury fashion e-commerce platform operat...

K-food, fashion, beauty to up ante on global push in 2025

South Korean food, beauty and fashion companies, which have enjoyed robust demand for their products in overseas markets this year, will grow bolder...

CLO Virtual Fashion raises $35 mn

South Korea's 3D digital fashion solution startup CLO Virtual Fashion said on Monday it raised 50 billion won ($35 million).Atinum Investment Co. an...

Musinsa, Zozo to support S.Korean fashion brands

South Korea's online fashion platform Musinsa said on Monday it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan's Zozo, the operator of online...

Korean indie fashion brands spread wings to Japan, China

Matin Kim, a rising designer brand in South Korea, will open its first offline store in Japan in the first half of next year, joining other Korean i...

Management dispute brewing at leggings brand Xexymix operator Brand X?

A leadership change in Brand X Corp., the operator of South Korea’s top leggings brand Xexymix, is spawning speculation that a management cont...

Uniqlo expands in Korea as No-Japanese boycott wanes

Uniqlo Co., a Japanese fast fashion brand, is vigorously expanding brick-and-mortar stores in South Korea, attracting budget-conscious consumers ami...

Shinsegae International launches Harley-Davidson Collections

South Korea's Shinsegae International Co. launched a brand called Harley-Davidson Collections on Friday, blending Harley-Davidson’s motorcycle...

NCSOFT launches evaluation model to verify performance of AI LLMs

NCSOFT Corp. announced on Monday that it has launched VARCO Judge LLM, the first evaluation model in South Korea to verify the performance and capab...