Three Cosmetics Manufacturers, One Record Quarter Korea’s three leading cosmetics ODM (original design manufacturing) companies — Kolmar Korea, Cosmax, and Cosmecca Korea — each posted record-setting results for the second …
J. Haan
J. Haan
I'm J. Haan, the writer and editor behind KoreaUpClose. I live in Korea and report each story with local sources and on-the-ground context — not just trend recaps.
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Skincare & Beauty Products
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K-Drama & Screen
Behind ‘Boss Kim’s’ 23% Rating: Why So Ji-sub Gave Gold to 300 Crew Members
by J. Haanby J. HaanA Gram of Gold After the Final Day of Filming When filming wrapped on SBS drama ‘Boss Kim,’ roughly 300 cast and crew members each received a small gold case. …
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Daily Life & Society
Sick Child, One Week Off: Korea’s New ‘Short-Term Parental Leave’ Starts August 20
by J. Haanby J. HaanOne or Two Weeks of Parental Leave, Starting August 20 Starting August 20, 2026, workers in Korea with children age 8 or younger, or in second grade of elementary school …
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Webtoons & Story Content
Even in the Red, Up to 150 Billion Won: Why WEBTOON Entertainment Bet on a Game Studio
by J. Haanby J. HaanA Revenue Decline and a Major Investment, Announced Together WEBTOON Entertainment announced a decline in second-quarter 2026 revenue and an operating loss of 23.4 billion won at the same time …
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K-pop & Fandom
RESCENE Ranks No. 2 in August Idol Brand Reputation, Trailing BTS by Just 60,000 Points
by J. Haanby J. HaanFive-Member Girl Group RESCENE Closes In on BTS RESCENE, the five-member girl group made up of Wonyi, Reev, Minami, May, and Jena, ranked second in the August 2026 idol group …
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Gaming & Esports
Hanwha Life Storms Back to Beat KT 2-1, Locking In Playoffs and Worlds
by J. Haanby J. Haan17th Win Locks In a Playoff and Worlds Berth Hanwha Life Esports beat KT Rolster 2-1 on August 15 at Chizik LoL Park in Seoul’s Jongno District, in a Round …
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Neighborhood Guides
The Next Seongsu Is Mullae: How a Machine-Shop Alley Is Writing a New Neighborhood Playbook
by J. Haanby J. HaanWhere the Smell of Coffee Shares an Alley With the Sound of Metal On a weekday afternoon, Mullae-dong in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo District still runs on the rhythm of its machine …
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Travel & K-Content Tourism
Toward 40 Million Visitors: Inside Seoul’s K-Culture Tourism Expansion Plan
by J. Haanby J. HaanFrom an Early 30 Million to a 40 Million Era In its 2026 second-half work plan announced on August 5, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it would …
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Fashion
K-Fashion’s Big Four Just Beat the Off-Season. Next Up: Overseas Markets
by J. Haanby J. HaanFour Major Fashion Companies, One Good Quarter Samsung C&T’s fashion division, Handsome (the fashion affiliate of Hyundai Department Store Group), Kolon Industries’ fashion division, and Shinsegae International all posted higher …
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Language & Literature
260,000 Korean Textbooks Are Heading Overseas — With BTS and K-Dramas Built Into the Lessons
by J. Haanby J. Haan260,000 Korean Textbooks for Overseas Schools South Korea’s Ministry of Education will distribute roughly 260,000 Korean-language textbooks to regular elementary and secondary schools overseas in 2026, alongside nine newly developed …
