Camping Chairs and Down Jackets Under One Roof in Shanghai At a Helinox pop-up inside Shanghai’s Huamao iapm mall, camping gear and apparel share the same floor. Running from October …
J. Haan
J. Haan
I'm J. Haan, the writer and editor behind KoreaUpClose. Each story is built from vetted local and international reporting, official sources, and public data — not just trend recaps.
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Fashion
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Dating Culture
Walking Maple-Lined Paths, Holding Hands Naturally: What a Duo Survey Reveals About Korea’s Autumn Dating Wishlist
by J. Haanby J. HaanThe Opening Scene of Autumn Dates: Walking Together Through Fallen Leaves Walking side by side with a partner down a tree-lined path in full autumn color is the activity most …
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Movies & Animation
How the Busan International Film Festival Became a New Path to the Academy Awards
by J. Haanby J. HaanWhat the Final Screen of the Ten-Day Festival Left Behind The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) wrapped up on October 15, 2026. The ten-day event, which opened on the …
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K-Food & Dining
3.22 Million Views Later: Why BTS Jin’s Rice Wine Can’t Legally Be Called Yakju
by J. Haanby J. HaanA Question Sparked by a Bottle Leads to a Government Review The creator behind the YouTube channel “Sulikneunjip” (House of Ripening Liquor) bought “On The Lamp,” a rice wine co-created …
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Webtoons & Web Novels
Naver Webtoon’s Japanese Arm Partners With Hayate and Crunchyroll to Adapt About 15 Webtoons Into Anime
by J. Haanby J. HaanA Three-Way Co-Production Announced at New York Comic Con LINE Digital Frontier (LDF), the Japanese subsidiary of Webtoon Entertainment (Naver Webtoon’s parent company), is teaming up with Japanese animation studio …
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Skincare & Beauty Products
Olive Young Expands to 48 Sephora Stores Across Asia After US Brands’ Sales Double
by J. Haanby J. HaanProven US Sales Success Leads to 48 Sephora Stores Across Asia CJ Olive Young is expanding into 48 Sephora stores across four Asian markets, after average daily sales for its …
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K-Drama & Screen
Busan’s ACFM Widens Its Deal-Making Beyond Film, Into Short Dramas and AI
by J. Haanby J. HaanThe Scene of Busan’s Film Industry, Beyond the Screening Rooms During the festival, Exhibition Center 2 at Busan’s BEXCO plays a very different role than the theaters where audiences watch …
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Dramas
TVING’s ‘Make Me Shudder’ Premieres October 15 as a Blind Date Turns Into a Marketer-Client Rematch
by J. Haanby J. HaanFour Episodes Drop Simultaneously on October 15 at 6 PM TVING’s original drama Make Me Shudder premieres Thursday, October 15 at 6 PM, dropping its first four episodes all at …
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Webtoons & Story Content
Marvel Comics App Built by Webtoon Entertainment to Launch on November 16
by J. Haanby J. HaanKorean Webtoon Platform Tech Heads to Marvel The official Marvel Comics app, developed by Naver Webtoon’s parent company Webtoon Entertainment, is set to launch on November 16, 2026. Built specifically …
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Tradition & Heritage
From Haewon’s Hanbok Fancam to Palace Lifestyle: A New Gateway to the Royal Culture Festival
by J. Haanby J. HaanEyes Drawn to Haewon in Hanbok NMIXX’s Haewon, dressed in a sky-blue hanbok, sings “Heavy Serenade” on a stage at Gyeongbokgung Palace. In fancams (videos that focus entirely on a …
