K-pop stars see huge capital gains from stock options

K-pop stars see huge capital gains from stock options

Executives and employees of top K-pop agencies such as SM Entertainment Co. and YG Entertainment Inc. are expected to earn huge capital gains from...

K-pop fan engagement platform DearU prices IPO above range

K-pop fan engagement platform DearU prices IPO above range

DearU Co, a K-pop fandom platform in South Korea, priced its initial public offering above the price range on Thursday thanks to heated demand. The ...

BTS drops Sony for Universal

BTS drops Sony for Universal

The world’s biggest boy band is joining forces with the world’s largest music company.South Korea’s BTS has agreed to a ...

K-pop copyright trading platform Musicow prepares for IPO

K-pop copyright trading platform Musicow prepares for IPO

Musicow Inc., South Korea's first music copyright trading platform, has embarked on the process to go public on the back of its eye-catching growth ...

Coldplay’s 'Music of the Spheres’ review: An over-the-top cosmic lovefest

Coldplay’s 'Music of the Spheres’ review: An over-the-top cosmic lovefest

Coldplay is deep enough into its career that each new album comes packaged with a story. It’s no longer sufficient to issue a new collection o...

DearU: A K-pop fan engagement platform success story

DearU: A K-pop fan engagement platform success story

No company would know better than DearU Inc. that powerful fandom can turn into fast money.The South Korean startup that started as a software devel...

CJ ENM in exclusive talks to acquire SM Entertainment

CJ ENM in exclusive talks to acquire SM Entertainment

South Korea's entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM Co. is in exclusive talks to acquire a 19.37% stake in SM Entertainment Co., the country's first-gener...

Food triggers next phase of global K-culture craze

Food triggers next phase of global K-culture craze

The ongoing global fever over South Korean music and entertainment content is driving the rapid growth of the country’s packaged food manufact...

Next K-wave in Asia: Convenience stores

Next K-wave in Asia: Convenience stores

When South Korean major convenience store chain CU opened its first branch in Malaysia on April 1, there was a queue of more than 100 meters to get ...

Police fund to appoint equities specialist as CIO

Police fund to appoint equities specialist as CIO

South Korea's Police Mutual Aid Association (PMAA) has picked Han Jong-seok, a former chief investment officer of Meritz Asset Management Co. and eq...

K-pop fan engagement platform DearU begins process for Nov IPO

K-pop fan engagement platform DearU begins process for Nov IPO

How much will you pay to chat with your favorite K-pop groups such as TWICE every day? A South Korean startup generated 20 billion won ($16.9 millio...

Time to invest in luxury hotels in Korea: JLL executive

Time to invest in luxury hotels in Korea: JLL executive

The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly hard on the hotel industry, exposing it as one of the most vulnerable to the crisis amid the global lock...

Processed rice goods emerge as dark horse in agri-food exports

Processed rice goods emerge as dark horse in agri-food exports

Despite the global pandemic, exports of processed rice goods hit an all-time high at $137.6 million in 2020, up by 26.9% compared to the previous ...

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Blackstone, Hahn & Co. to reap $800 mn from two Korean IPOs

Blackstone, Hahn & Co. to reap $800 mn from two Korean IPOs

South Korea's largest used car seller K Car Co., wholly owned by Hahn & Co., will go public on the country's main stock exchange in October, whi...

K Bank valued at $6.9 billion, needs to expand loans: Morgan Stanley

K Bank valued at $6.9 billion, needs to expand loans: Morgan Stanley

K Bank, the digital banking unit of South Korea’s telecom giant KT Corp., is valued at 8 trillion won ($6.9 billion) and could further raise i...

SM to absorb music production unit before founder's stake sale

SM to absorb music production unit before founder's stake sale

SM Entertainment Co., a South Korean music powerhouse, will absorb a music production company wholly owned by its founder and chief producer Lee Soo...

OTT startup Watcha expands into music distribution service

OTT startup Watcha expands into music distribution service

South Korea-based over-the-top (OTT) startup Watcha Inc. is ramping up efforts to transform into a comprehensive content data company as it expands ...

K-pop evolves far beyond Korean nationality and language

K-pop evolves far beyond Korean nationality and language

South Korean music, entertainment and content firms are undergoing a major transformation in their business model. No longer is their discovery of n...

Seoul to create K-beauty road as part of interactive tourism

Seoul to create K-beauty road as part of interactive tourism

South Korea’s capital city Seoul will set up a walking route full of beauty products, services and interactive programs for visiting tourists....

Lessons learned from Blackpink label's M&A flops

Lessons learned from Blackpink label's M&A flops

South Korea-based YG Entertainment Inc., the label behind popular K-pop girl group Blackpink, is pushing to sell off its profitable golf business in...

Samsung Galaxy boosts YouTube Music’s market share in Korea

Samsung Galaxy boosts YouTube Music’s market share in Korea

YouTube is quickly growing in South Korea’s music market, the world’s sixth-largest. The number of YouTube Music’s monthly active ...

No.1 K-pop goods maker Copan Global eyes digital expansion

No.1 K-pop goods maker Copan Global eyes digital expansion

The world of K-pop is globally known for offering a truly wide selection of merchandise items for fans. While balloons were the only goods used by t...

HYBE CEO steps down to focus on music production

HYBE CEO steps down to focus on music production

BTS agency HYBE’s founder Bang Si-hyuk will resign from his position as CEO to focus on music production. HYBE said that Bang will remain as c...

Malaysia becomes preferred destination for Korea’s convenience chains

Malaysia becomes preferred destination for Korea’s convenience chains

South Korea’s major convenience store chains are rushing to enter the Malaysian market. E-Mart 24, the convenience chain operated by Shinsegae...

Tencent-backed Krafton's mega IPO seen as overvalued

Tencent-backed Krafton's mega IPO seen as overvalued

South Korea-based game publisher Krafton Inc.'s highly-anticipated initial public offering is raising concerns that it may be overvalued. The compan...

DearU strives to catch up with leading K-pop fan platform Weverse

DearU strives to catch up with leading K-pop fan platform Weverse

Imagine getting this text from your favorite K-pop group member: “Hey, what did you eat for lunch? Can’t wait to see you at the concert ...

K-pop fan engagement platform DearU eyes H2 listing

K-pop fan engagement platform DearU eyes H2 listing

South Korea-based fan platform DearU Co. has filed a preliminary application to the Korea Exchange with plans for a trading debut on the country&rsq...

Toss Bank to compete with K Bank, Kakao Bank from September

Toss Bank to compete with K Bank, Kakao Bank from September

Toss Bank in September will enter the race of internet-only banks in South Korea as the third player, competing against K Bank and Kakao Bank. Toss ...

Chips, autos set S.Korea’s May export growth at fastest pace in 32 years

 Chips, autos set S.Korea’s May export growth at fastest pace in 32 years

South Korea’s exports surged to the highest level in over 32 years in May on the back of strong demand for semiconductors and automobiles, rei...

Hanwha Systems to compete with LIG Nex1 for Korean version of Iron Dome NH, KB Securities, Kookmin Bank, Kim & Chang lead capital markets in H1 From G-Dragon to Ibuki: Dongmyo emerges as global fashion hotspot Hyundai helps Korean economy most with $265 bn contribution South Korea issues €1.4 billion in largest-ever euro bond sale