Aju Press - Asia News Hub

Journalist

Joonha Yoo유준하

ReporterCOEX Sejong Center for the Performing Arts & Music, Culture, Entertainment, Automotive

Joonha Yoo is a bilingual journalist at AJU Press (AJP), covering music, culture, entertainment and Korea’s automotive industry.
Raised in Fort Collins, Colorado, he often writes from the scene, bringing firsthand detail to stories ranging
from BTS comeback concerts to unique cultural events that catch the world's eye. "I write from the scene, not from the sidelines."

Latest by Joonha Yoo

Man arrested over 2.4 billion won ticket scalping scheme SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - South Korean man in his 30s has been arrested for allegedly reselling nearly 9,000 concert and sports tickets at prices up to 30 times their face value, police said Wednesday. The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency said the man was referred to prosecutors on obstruction-of-business charges. He allegedly used macro programs and accounts belonging to himself and relatives to buy 8,967 tickets between September 2018 and April this year. The tickets covered K-pop concerts, performances by overseas artists, musicals and sporting events. Police said his sales totaled about 2.4 billion won ($1.7 million), with roughly two-thirds estimated to be profit. In one case, a ticket to BTS' 2019 concert at Jamsil Olympic Stadium was bought for 110,000 won and resold for 3 million won. A ticket to a SEVENTEEN fan meeting last year was resold for 1.8 million won after being purchased for 110,000 won. Police said the man used proceeds from the sales to buy an apartment and two commercial properties in Gyeonggi Province. Investigators secured a pre-indictment preservation order covering about 1.26 billion won worth of two commercial properties and financial assets. The man stopped reselling tickets after learning of a police crackdown earlier this year and formatted computers and mobile phones, but investigators recovered transaction records through seized devices and digital forensic analysis, police said. AJP Takeaways - Police arrested a man in his 30s accused of reselling nearly 9,000 concert and sports tickets. - He allegedly used macro programs and multiple accounts to secure 8,967 tickets between 2018 and April 2026. - Police estimated total sales at about 2.4 billion won, with roughly two-thirds believed to be profit. 2026-09-16 14:09:40
Daejeon museum fair draws 151 institutions SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - Over 150 museums, galleries and related organizations will gather in Daejeon this week for a three-day fair highlighting how artificial intelligence and digital technology are reshaping the museum sector, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday. The 2026 Museum and Art Museum Fair will run from Sept. 18 to 20 at the Daejeon Convention Center. A total of 151 public, private and university museums, local governments, cultural organizations and companies will operate about 380 booths, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The event, now in its third year after previous editions in Busan and Gwangju, will focus on the theme of museums as part of the future of K-culture, with particular attention to AI and other digital technologies. Visitors will be able to take part in 10 free education and hands-on programs, while a separate immersive content zone will screen 17 digital works. The fair will also include career consulting for people seeking jobs in museums and galleries, public talks with museum directors and tours of six museums in the Daejeon and South Chungcheong region. Sixty-nine museums participating in the government's regional touring exhibition program, "Museum Ieum," will also join the event with exhibitions and hands-on booths. International conference will bring together museum officials and researchers, including National Museum of Korea Director Yoo Hong-jun, Chase F. Robinson of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art and KAIST professor Jeong Jae-seung. The ministry said the fair is intended to broaden the role of museums beyond exhibitions and explore how they can respond to technological and social change. AJP Takeaways - The 2026 Museum and Art Museum Fair will run Sept. 18-20 in Daejeon. - A total of 151 museums, galleries and related organizations will operate about 380 booths. - The fair will highlight AI, digital technology and the changing role of museums. 2026-09-16 10:59:23
K-fashion next big K-thing in Japan after K-pop SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - Takuya Enomoto, a 32-year-old pharmacist in Tokyo, watched his girlfriend's infatuation with South Korea move from SEVENTEEN on her playlist to her clothing collection. She first became a fan of the K-pop group, particularly member Hoshi, before branching out to other Korean acts and then Korean dramas, he said. Following K-pop artists on Instagram brought still more Korean content into her feed. "I think the algorithm exposed her to more and more Korean content, and from there she started wanting to actually visit Korea, experience the atmosphere, try Korean food and go shopping," Enomoto told AJP. Her love for K-things has now extended to what she wears. Enomoto said his girlfriend regularly shops through Korean fashion platforms Musinsa and Amood alongside Amazon, Rakuten and Japanese fashion platform ZOZOTOWN. "She often uses the Musinsa app and an app called Amood," he said. "She says Amood is a little easier to use, and she loves the clothing options provided by the platform." Amood is a Japan-focused fashion shopping platform operated by Korean style-commerce company Ably. Enomoto said his girlfriend particularly likes the fit and look of clothes she buys through Amood. She and several friends are planning a trip to Seoul this winter. "I think Korean culture has reached pretty deeply into everyday life in Japan," he said. A 2026 survey by Rakuten Rakuma found South Korea was the foreign country Japanese women in their teens through their 40s most often named as their biggest fashion reference. Korea was chosen by 61.5 percent of teenage women, 64.7 percent of women in their 20s, 45.2 percent of those in their 30s and 35.2 percent of those in their 40s. Among women in their teens and 20s, Korea has ranked first in all 10 editions of the survey since it began in 2016. The survey was not conducted in 2025. The nationwide online poll, conducted from July 2 to 6, surveyed 1,200 Japanese respondents aged 15 to 86. Among women in their 50s, France ranked first at 24.7 percent, narrowly ahead of Korea and the United States at 23.5 percent each. France also ranked first among women aged 60 and older at 35.2 percent. Japanese men chose the United States as their top foreign fashion reference across every age group. The divide suggests Korea now occupies among younger Japanese women some of the aspirational fashion ground that France continues to hold among older generations. The appeal is not simply K-pop. Among respondents who chose Korea, 50 percent said Korean fashion was affordable and easy to buy. Another 27.7 percent cited an interest in Korean artists, celebrities or other public figures. How they discover Korean fashion also sets it apart. Among the 260 respondents who selected Korea, 51.5 percent said they obtained fashion information from Instagram, followed by YouTube at 26.5 percent and TikTok at 23.5 percent. For respondents who chose France, Instagram also ranked first at 28.9 percent, but magazines remained second at 24.6 percent. The contrast points to how Korean fashion is spreading through social-media feeds and video platforms rather than primarily through traditional fashion media. Academic research points in the same direction. A 2024 study by researchers at Dankook University surveyed Japanese Millennial and Gen Z women who had been exposed to Korean cultural content. The researchers found that K-pop, K-beauty and Korean influencers were all significantly associated with stronger preferences for K-fashion. When they examined actual purchase intention, however, only K-beauty and Korean influencers showed a significant effect, while K-pop did not. The findings suggest K-pop may open the door to Korean fashion without necessarily being what ultimately persuades consumers to buy. Another study published this year examined an even broader shift in how young Japanese women perceive Korean style. Ayumi Inouchi, a researcher at Arizona State University, analyzed the Japanese term kankokuppo, roughly translated as "Koreaish," in a study published in Signs and Society. The term describes an aesthetic associated not only with clothing but also makeup, hairstyles, cafes, interiors, selfies and the way photos are styled for social media. Inouchi's fieldwork found young Japanese women repeatedly describing Korea as stylish, trendy and sophisticated. Korea, in that sense, can function as an aesthetic reference even when consumers are not following a particular Korean brand or celebrity. The same demographic showing the strongest interest in Korean fashion also makes up a major part of Japan's travel market to South Korea. About 3.65 million Japanese visited South Korea in 2025, up 13.3 percent from the previous year and the highest annual total on record. Women in their 20s accounted for about 878,000 visitors, or roughly one in four Japanese arrivals, making them the largest age-and-gender group. Fashion cannot be isolated as the reason for those trips. Food, K-pop, dramas, beauty and South Korea's proximity to Japan all play a role. Shopping, however, is clearly part of the experience. According to South Korea's 2024 Foreign Tourist Survey, 71.6 percent of Japanese visitors cited shopping among the activities they considered when planning their trip. Half said they purchased clothing in Korea, while 71.9 percent bought perfume or cosmetics and 76.4 percent bought food products. Kwon Soo-hyun, a 31-year-old office worker in Seoul, said the increase in Japanese visitors has become noticeable around major shopping districts. "You definitely see a lot of Japanese visitors these days," Kwon told AJP. "People first encounter Korea through dramas and music, and that can lead them to actually visit." Japan's fashion industry is responding to the same demand. ZOZO, operator of ZOZOTOWN, opened a dedicated K-FASHION section in November 2025, creating a separate shopping space for Korean labels. The company said it planned to offer more than 1,500 Korean brands and around 300,000 products by the end of the year. Musinsa has also reported rapid growth in Japan. The Korean fashion platform said annual transaction value through its Global Store in Japan rose about 2.4 times in 2025 from a year earlier. Monthly transaction value surpassed 1.1 billion yen in October, when a 24-day Musinsa pop-up in Tokyo's Shibuya district drew more than 82,000 visitors. The figures are company-provided and do not represent the broader Japanese fashion market. But they show retailers building distribution and shopping infrastructure around demand that increasingly extends beyond K-pop merchandise or celebrity-driven purchases. For years, the Korean Wave in Japan was most visible in what consumers watched and listened to. For a younger generation, it is increasingly showing up in what they wear — and where they shop. AJP Takeaways - South Korea is the top fashion reference for Japanese women in their teens through 40s, with support strongest among women in their 20s at 64.7 percent, according to Rakuten Rakuma. - K-fashion's appeal goes beyond K-pop: 50 percent of respondents cited affordability and ease of purchase, while 27.7 percent pointed to Korean celebrities and artists. - Social media is the main discovery channel, led by Instagram at 51.5 percent, helping turn Korean culture exposure into fashion interest and app-based shopping. 2026-09-15 17:27:22
TWICE to release live vinyl SEOUL, September 15 (AJP) - K-pop girl group TWICE will release a special live vinyl record from the Seoul finale of its "THIS IS FOR" world tour next month, JYP Entertainment said Tuesday. The record, titled "TWICE Special Vinyl WORLD TOUR FINALE in SEOUL - LIVE," will be released at 1 p.m. on Oct. 16. It will feature live versions of songs performed during the group's Seoul finale at KSPO Dome in Olympic Park in July. The Seoul concerts were held from July 10 to 12, with the venue opened in a 360-degree seating configuration. The final show was also streamed online through Beyond LIVE for viewers outside the concert hall. The vinyl release follows TWICE's sixth world tour, which covered 81 shows in 44 regions across Asia, Oceania, North America and Europe. JYP said the tour included several firsts for the group. TWICE became the first foreign act to perform at Japan's National Stadium in Tokyo and the first K-pop girl group to hold a solo concert at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Stadium, according to the agency. The North American leg drew about 550,000 people, while the Japan leg drew about 640,000, JYP said. AJP Takeaways - TWICE will release a live vinyl record from its Seoul tour finale on Oct. 16. - The record features live versions of songs from the group's July concerts at KSPO Dome. - The final Seoul show was streamed through Beyond LIVE. 2026-09-15 17:01:31
AI music can make the charts. Can it win fans? SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - Pitchfork, one of America's best-known music publications, does not hand out zeroes often. But in August, American rapper Tyga's "$TARFACE" got one. The album had already drawn attention after Tyga acknowledged using artificial intelligence as a production tool, including for 1980s-style synthesizers and guitar solos, while saying the lyrics and vocals remained his own. Pitchfork did not reject the album simply because AI was involved. Its criticism was that the music sounded so generic and mechanically assembled that an AI generator might have produced something similar. In Korea, the opposite happened. "Maeumui Sup," or "Forest of the Heart," by independent creator Joseon HipHop entered Melon's Top 100 in early September and climbed as high as No. 89. The track pairs laid-back boom-bap drums with wistful, traditional-leaning melodies. The creator wrote the lyrics before using AI music generator Suno to help produce the composition and vocals. The contrast points to a harder question. If listeners enjoy a song made with AI — and may not even realize AI was involved — what exactly are they rejecting when they say they do not want AI music? Bae Ji-hoon, a 28-year-old office worker, sees little reason to make the distinction. Bae said he regularly listens to HanGroove, whose songs blend contemporary styles with sounds and lyrical elements reminiscent of traditional Korean music. "When you first hear the phrase 'AI music,' you imagine that it is going to sound strange," Bae told AJP. "But when you actually listen, there are already a lot of songs that are really well made." What matters to him is whether the song works. "They hit my taste almost perfectly," he said. Bae said early AI-generated songs often sounded noticeably unnatural, but the technology has improved quickly. "Now there are times when I listen and wonder whether it really was made by AI at all," he said. Listeners may not be very good at telling the difference. Deezer and polling company Ipsos asked 9,000 people across eight countries to distinguish human-made music from fully AI-generated tracks. Participants heard three songs — two generated by AI and one made by humans. Ninety-seven percent failed to identify all three correctly. Yet 80 percent said fully AI-generated songs should be clearly labeled. More than half said they should not compete with human-made music on the same main charts, while 40 percent of streaming users said they would skip an AI-generated song without listening if they knew what it was. The divide is emerging as AI music proliferates. Deezer said fully AI-generated tracks reached about 90,000 uploads a day this summer and, at their June peak, accounted for more than half of all new music submitted to the service. Yet they generated only around 1 to 3 percent of total streams. Listeners may struggle to hear AI, but they still want to know when it is there. A study published in Psychology & Marketing this year found that nearly 88 percent of U.S. adults initially said they would prefer a human-made song to one generated by AI. Researchers then played participants the same AI-generated song, telling one group it had been made by humans and another that it had been generated by AI. Before listening, participants expected the supposedly human-made song to be considerably better. Afterward, the gap largely disappeared. The song scored 6.92 out of 10 when labeled human-made and 6.56 when labeled AI-generated, a difference that was no longer statistically significant. The label still mattered, however. Participants who believed a human had made the song were more willing to listen again, search for more music by the artist and share it with others. "Music is something the listener should enjoy," Bae said. "If the listener is satisfied, isn't that enough?" He sees little ethical problem with AI music as long as its use is disclosed. For musicians, the attraction can be more practical. Frankthehurman, a 27-year-old composer who has experimented with Suno, said the biggest advantage was speed. "The biggest benefit of making music with AI is convenience," he told AJP. He normally experiments with different sounds, instruments and plug-ins while composing. Suno can compress part of that process into minutes. "You can put in lyrics or describe the mood you want and get a complete song unbelievably quickly," he said. "And you can keep generating it again and again." Speed, however, does not necessarily produce a finished record. Frankthehurman said AI-generated vocals can still sound awkward, particularly in pronunciation, and he would revise the output before using it in his own work. "I might add more layers, or if it was a vocal recording, I would rather record it myself," he said. For him, AI is closer to another production tool than a replacement for the musician. "If more people become interested in composing or writing songs because of AI, I think that's a good thing," he said. That also makes "AI music" increasingly difficult to define. One musician may use AI for a single element while retaining control over the writing, arrangement and performance. Another may enter lyrics and a few instructions and receive an almost complete song. Modern music already involves layers of human collaboration. Songwriters, topliners, arrangers, producers, vocal directors, engineers and performers may all contribute to a single release, sometimes across different countries and companies. AI is now entering that chain, forcing copyright systems to decide how much human contribution is enough to constitute authorship. South Korea confronted that question this summer. The Korea Music Copyright Association introduced rules on Aug. 3 that would have allowed AI-assisted works to be registered when a human lyricist, composer or arranger had made a substantial and leading creative contribution. It withdrew the change just 22 days later, saying broader discussion was needed over how human creativity should be recognized when AI is involved. AJP Takeaways - AI-assisted music is entering mainstream charts, but critical reception remains divided, as shown by Joseon HipHop's Melon entry and Pitchfork's 0.0 review of Tyga's "$TARFACE." - Listeners often struggle to distinguish AI-generated music from human-made tracks, yet most still want clear disclosure when AI is involved. - Research suggests AI can match human-made music in immediate listening appeal, but human authorship still boosts willingness to replay, share and follow an artist. 2026-09-14 17:47:23
LE SSERAFIM, Ejae team up for new remix single SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - K-pop girl band LE SSERAFIM released a remix version of "Made My Night" featuring Ejae of "Kpop Demon Hunters," the group's agency Source Music said on Monday. Ejae took part not only as a featured vocalist but also in the song's production, according to the agency. In her lyrics, EJAE references several of LE SSERAFIM's earlier tracks, including "FEARLESS," "ANTIFRAGILE" and "CRAZY." The collaboration follows Ejae's previous work with the group on "So Cynical" last year. She said that she was happy to work with LE SSERAFIM again and tried to carry the original track's upbeat mood into her vocal part. AJP Takeaways - LE SSERAFIM released a remix of "Made My Night" featuring EJAE. - EJAE also took part in the song's production. - The lyrics reference earlier LE SSERAFIM tracks including "FEARLESS," "ANTIFRAGILE" and "CRAZY." 2026-09-14 17:25:19
BTS' brother band TXT to launch world tour in Seoul SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - K-pop boy group Tomorrow X Together (TXT), the brother band of world-popular BTS, will launch its fifth world tour with three concerts in Seoul in November, the group said Monday. The Seoul concerts for "STEAL THE WIND" will be held from Nov. 13 to 15 at KSPO Dome in Olympic Park, southern Seoul. The group announced the tour through the fan platform Weverse at 2 p.m. Monday. Membership presales for Korean fans will begin on Oct. 1, followed by global membership presales and general ticket sales. The Seoul concerts will also be streamed live online, with further details to be announced later. The world tour will begin in Seoul before continuing to Asia, Japan, North America and Europe. "STEAL THE WIND" marks the group's first world tour since closing its "ACT" series, which included "ACT : LOVE SICK," "ACT : SWEET MIRAGE," "ACT : PROMISE" and "ACT : TOMORROW." The new tour title refers to taking control of the flow and moving forward, according to the announcement. A poster released Monday showed the five members standing in an open field against a stormy backdrop, hinting at the tour's theme. Tomorrow X Together will also perform at the 2026 Global Citizen Festival in New York's Central Park on Sept. 26. The group is the only Korean act on this year's lineup, and Yeonjun will also perform a solo stage. AJP Takeaways - Tomorrow X Together will begin its fifth world tour in Seoul. - The Seoul concerts will be held Nov. 13-15 at KSPO Dome. - Online live streaming will be available for the Seoul shows. 2026-09-14 17:14:11
Stray Kids headline Brazil's music festival as 1st K-pop act SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - K-pop boy group Stray Kids drew about 100,000 people at "Rock in Rio," a biennial music festival in Brazil, becoming the first K-pop act to headline the festival, JYP Entertainment said on Monday. They closed out the festival in Rio de Janeiro last Friday. This year's lineup also included Calvin Harris, the Black Eyed Peas, Maroon 5 and Elton John. JYP Entertainment said the festival allowed fan light sticks for the first time since its launch in 1985, a change the agency attributed to the concert culture surrounding Stray Kids' headlining set. Lit by Nachimbong, the group's official light stick, Stray Kids opened with "TOPLINE (Feat. Tiger JK)," "S-Class" and "Bounce Back." The set also included "MANIAC," "God's Menu," "Chk Chk Boom," "LALALALA," "Sorikkun" and "Sinseonnoreum." Latest tracks including "This & That," "After You" and "RUN IT" were also performed, while fireworks went off during "MIROH." At one point, members sang part of Brazilian singer Michel Telo's "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" a cappella and moved down from the stage during the performance. The group also added "Hall of Fame" as an impromptu encore, according to the agency. As of Sept. 10, Bang Chan had 244 registered copyrights with the Korea Music Copyright Association, the most among K-pop idols, the agency said. Changbin and Han, who join Bang Chan in Stray Kids' in-house production unit 3RACHA, had 209 and 206 registered copyrights, respectively. Following Rock in Rio, Stray Kids will continue with "STRAYCITY," a new music festival co-planned by JYP Entertainment and U.S.-based concert promoter Live Nation with the group as headliner. The festival opened in Bogota on Sept. 9 and continues in Buenos Aires on Sept. 14 and 15, followed by Mexico City on Sept. 25 and 26. AJP Takeaways - Stray Kids became the first K-pop act to headline Rock in Rio. - JYP Entertainment said the group drew about 100,000 people at the Brazil festival. - Rock in Rio allowed official fan light sticks for the first time since 1985. 2026-09-14 16:16:16
SM join hands with Musinsa for K-pop and K-fashion collabo SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - K-pop meets K-fashion as SM Entertainment and fashion platform Musinsa team up to expand artist-related marketing and overseas business. SM co-CEO Tak Young-jun and Musinsa Chief Commerce Officer Choi Jae-young signed a memorandum of understanding Monday at SM's headquarters in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Under the agreement, SM — home to artists including aespa, NCT, RIIZE and Hearts2Hearts — will provide artist intellectual property and work with Musinsa on online and offline marketing, content development and overseas expansion. SM said the partnership will combine its K-pop IP marketing capabilities with Musinsa's online and offline fashion channels. The two companies previously worked together on album-release collaborations for Hearts2Hearts' "Lemon Tang" in July and NCT 127's "Blingy" in August. Tak said SM plans to pursue joint branding projects with Musinsa involving album pop-ups, content, music-related products and media. He said the partnership would offer new ways for audiences in Korea and overseas to experience SM artist IP. AJP Takeaways - SM Entertainment and Musinsa signed a marketing cooperation MOU. - The partnership will use SM artist IP and Musinsa's online and offline marketing channels. - Cooperation areas include content development, media support and overseas market expansion. 2026-09-14 16:04:17
Netflix celebrates Lee Chang-dong's Venice win with overseas film rollout SEOUL, September 14 (AJP) - Netflix is celebrating Korean director Lee Chang-dong's Venice win for "Possible Love" by rolling out his earlier films overseas. "Possible Love" won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. "Green Fish" and "Secret Sunshine" began streaming in Italy, Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand in late August. "Peppermint Candy" and "Oasis" were added in Italy and Spain on Sept. 4. Netflix said "Poetry" and "Burning" will also become available in Japan, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The films will be offered with subtitles in six languages, including Korean and English. Lee made his feature debut with "Green Fish" in 1997 and went on to direct "Peppermint Candy," "Oasis," "Secret Sunshine," "Poetry" and "Burning." He won best director at Venice in 2002 for "Oasis" and best screenplay at Cannes in 2010 for "Poetry." "Possible Love" centers on two married couples — a laid-off worker and his wife, and a documentary director and her husband — whose lives become entangled through a film project. The Korean Film Council selected "Possible Love" as South Korea's entry for best international feature at the 99th Academy Awards. Kang Dong-han, Netflix's vice president of Korean content, said the streaming service will continue working as a long-term partner for Korean cinema. "Possible Love" opens in Korean theaters on Sept. 23, followed by Australia and New Zealand on Oct. 22 and the United States, Canada, Britain, Ireland and Japan on Oct. 23. Netflix will stream the film globally from Nov. 6. AJP Takeaways - Netflix is expanding overseas access to Lee Chang-dong's earlier films after "Possible Love" won the Grand Jury Prize at Venice. - "Green Fish," "Secret Sunshine," "Peppermint Candy" and "Oasis" have already been added in selected countries. - "Poetry" and "Burning" are expected to follow in markets including Japan, the United States and Canada. 2026-09-14 14:41:36