Joon-ho Baek

Ask a first-time visitor to Korea what surprised them most, and a fairly consistent shortlist tends to come up in travel forums, vlogs, and visitor surveys: the absence of tipping, …

The June 2, 2026 Fundex topicality chart offers a snapshot of just how much Korea’s non-scripted formats have muscled into territory once dominated by traditional dramas: Tving’s cooking-competition series “Cooking …

A once-niche corner of Korea’s dating industry is having a breakout moment: matchmaking services connecting Korean men with Japanese women, colloquially dubbed “han-nam-il-nyeo” (한남일녀) pairings, have seen match volumes grow …

Among the six sub-concepts unveiled at this year’s Seoul Cafe Show, “Everyday Wellness” is quietly becoming one of the most visible in daily life — showing up as designated quiet …

Foreign visitors to Korea are increasingly venturing beyond Seoul, according to first-quarter 2026 tourism data showing the regional visitation rate, the share of foreign tourists who traveled outside the capital …

Korea’s film industry is leaning heavily on scale and star power in its 2026 release slate, according to trade coverage previewing the year’s lineup, as the domestic box office continues …

Seoul Food 2026, Korea’s largest food industry trade exhibition, opened with a record 1,800 participating companies, organizers said, reflecting both the continued growth of Korea’s domestic food industry and its …

Korea’s 2026 spring/summer fashion season arrived with an unusually large wave of creative leadership changes, with fourteen brands simultaneously replacing their creative directors, a shakeup industry commentary describes as reshaping …

With Korea’s coffee franchise market approaching saturation point, a growing number of cafe operators are turning to “localization” as a differentiation strategy, building brand identity around regional ingredients, partnerships with …

Channel A’s “Heart Signal,” widely credited with popularizing the ordinary-cast dating reality format in Korea, premiered its fifth season on April 14, 2026, extending a franchise whose previous installment posted …