Journalist
Joonha Yoo유준하
joonhayoo94@ajupress.com
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."
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
-
Watchdog cracks down on unfair K-pop membership practices SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - Unfair practices are rampant among paid memberships offered by major entertainment agencies and K-pop fandom platforms, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said on Wednesday. After surveying about 18 entertainment agencies and six fandom platform operators, the commission found a range of unfair clauses and binding terms, prompting it to request revisions, which the companies agreed to make voluntarily. Such memberships usually offer benefits like early access to tickets for concerts and fan-meet events, as well as exclusive merchandise purchases, and members-only content. According to the KFTC, these memberships are typically priced at around 50,000 won (about $34) and are often sold through global platforms dedicated to K-pop stars. The most commonly cited issue was restrictions on refunds. For example, Big Hit Music, a label under South Korean entertainment behemoth HYBE, and Starship Entertainment were among those that restricted refunds after seven days or once any membership benefit had been used. The KFTC said such terms were unfair, pointing out that fan club benefits depend heavily on an artist's activity and may vary depending on when a member joins. Under the revised terms, fans who sign up will be eligible for a full refund within seven days if they have not used any benefits. If more than seven days have passed, or if benefits have been used, agencies must refund the remaining amount after deducting a cancellation fee, usually 10 percent of the membership fee and the value of any benefits already used. The KFTC also found clauses that broadly exempted companies from responsibility, allowed services to be changed or suspended for vague "business reasons," or permitted user contracts to be terminated without clear grounds or prior notice. The KFTC also took issue with clauses that broadly exempted agencies from responsibility, allowing them to suspend or terminate services or membership benefits for vague “business reasons” without clear justification or prior notice. SM Entertainment, for instance, had a clause stating that canceling a renewed membership would not restore any remaining period from the previous membership. Other issues included clauses that allowed agencies to broadly delete user posts, automatically treat members as agreeing to revised terms, and set vague rules for handling sensitive personal data. "With the surging global popularity of K-pop, we proactively conducted the survey to identify unfair practices in relevant industries," said Kwak Go-eun, an official at the KFTC. "This will help protect consumer rights by ensuring that K-pop fans can use these services in a fairer and more transparent way as K-pop-related businesses continue to grow." 2026-06-10 14:28:42 -
Original Beer Company Launches First Canned Beer at GS25 Convenience Stores The Original Beer Company, known for its premium bottled craft beers, is entering the convenience store market with its first canned offerings. Starting June 11, the company will sell two types of canned beers, 'OBC Lager Helles' and 'OBC Lager Vienna,' at GS25 convenience stores nationwide. The price is set at 13,000 won for a pack of four cans. This marks the company's first foray into canned beer since its founding in 2019. Previously, it focused on premium channels such as department stores, golf courses, and specialty shops, but is now expanding its reach to mainstream consumers through convenience stores. The Original Beer Company is recognized for its champagne-style bottle design and cork-and-cage packaging. It won the top category award at the World Beer Awards (WBA) in 2022, becoming the first domestic brand to achieve this, and received a gold medal at the European Beer Star (EBS), one of the world's four major beer competitions, in 2024, highlighting its quality recognition both domestically and internationally. A company representative stated, "We aim to extend the brand experience we have built in premium channels to canned beer, reaching a broader audience. We hope to provide customers with a new beer experience through this launch." The new products consist of two lager styles. OBC Lager Helles (4.8%) is a bright golden lager featuring aromatic hops that impart herbal and floral notes with a clean finish. OBC Lager Vienna (5.3%) is brewed with Vienna malt, leaving a nutty bread aroma and a subtle sweetness, which pairs well with dough-based foods like meats and pizza, according to the company. In addition to GS25, customers can purchase the canned beers at the flagship store in Samsung-dong, Seoul, or order for pickup via Naver and KakaoTalk smart order services. Starting June 15, GS25 will also offer a limited edition 'OBC Lager Glass Set' for 24,500 won. 2026-06-10 14:27:00 -
Original Beer Company launches first canned lagers through GS25 SEOUL, June 10 (AJP) - Original Beer Company, a South Korean craft brewer known for its champagne-style bottled beers, will launch its first canned products through GS25 convenience stores nationwide on June 11 as it seeks to expand beyond premium retail channels and reach a broader consumer base. According to the company Wednesday, the initial lineup consists of OBC Lager Helles and OBC Lager Vienna, priced at 13,000 won ($8.5) for a four-can bundle. The launch marks the brewery's first canned beer release since its founding in 2019 and represents a significant step in its retail expansion strategy. Until now, Original Beer Company has primarily sold its products through premium venues, including department stores, golf clubs and specialty retailers. "With the launch of OBC Lager canned beer, we hope to offer consumers a different kind of beer experience in a more accessible format," a company official said. Original Beer Company has gained recognition both at home and abroad. It became the first Korean brewery to win a top-category award at the 2022 World Beer Awards and later earned a gold medal at the 2024 European Beer Star, one of the brewing industry's most prestigious competitions. The company has also served as a sponsor of the Women's Tennis Association and La Liste, the international restaurant ranking guide. OBC Lager Helles contains 4.8 percent alcohol by volume and features a bright golden color with herbal and floral hop aromas alongside a clean finish. OBC Lager Vienna, brewed with Vienna malt and carrying 5.3 percent alcohol by volume, offers a richer malt profile with notes of toasted bread and a mild sweetness. The canned beers will also be available at the company's Samseong-dong flagship store in southern Seoul through in-store purchases as well as orders placed via Naver and KakaoTalk. To coincide with the launch, GS25's Wine25 Plus platform will begin selling a limited-edition OBC lager glass set from June 15 for 24,500 won. 2026-06-10 11:28:14 -
Global scholars gather in Gochang for annual conference to discuss longevity SEOUL, June 9 (AJP) - Global scholars and researchers from about a dozen countries on Tuesday gathered in South Korea's southwestern town of Gochang to discuss longevity and healthy aging as the world becomes increasingly toward a super-aged society. About 50 global scholars and researchers from a dozen countries gathered in South Korea's southwestern town on Tuesday to discuss longevity and healthy aging as the world increasingly moves toward a super-aged society. Their gathering includes research teams from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Japan, the Netherlands, and the U.S. and comes as the 30th annual meeting of the International Centenarian Consortium (ICC) began its four-day run in Gochang, North Jeolla Province. The ICC is a global academic network of research groups studying centenarians, aging and life expectancy. This year's host venue of Gochang is known as one of South Korea's areas with the highest longevity, as the small county has a population of just 50,148, with people aged 60 or older accounting for 50.3 percent, while 6,927 residents are octogenarians and 1,220 are nonagenarians. Among the highlights of the meeting will be findings from South Korean researchers who have conducted a long-term study of the country's centenarians over the past 25 years, examining various factors including genetic traits, diseases, living environments, eating patterns, diet and nutrition, and social networks. They have also studied the area's so-called "longevity belt," which covers Damyang, Gurye, Gokseong, and Sunchang to assess relative longevity among residents there, citing factors such as strong community life and social solidarity, as well as the frequent consumption of fermented foods such as kimchi and soybean paste. Yousin Suh, a professor from Columbia University known for her work on aging and longevity, is set to deliver her keynote speech, while French demographer Jean-Marie Robine will discuss global trends in human longevity. Researchers from Japan, which is known for the longest longevity in Asia, are also expected to present long-term follow-up research on those aged 105 and older. "The life stories of centenarians and relevant longevity data compiled by Chonnam National University Hospital would offer valuable insights for super-aged societies around the world," said Park Sang-chul, vice chairman of Genosis AI Healthcare, who serves as advisory chair of this year's ICC. 2026-06-09 16:51:28 -
SeeDevice to proceed with defamation case against Korea's public broadcaster SEOUL, June 09 (AJP) - SeeDevice Inc., a California-based developer of advanced image sensor technology, said Monday its defamation lawsuit against Korean public broadcaster KBS and KBS America will proceed to trial in a U.S. federal court. The case, pending before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, stems from reports aired and published by KBS and KBS America in August 2024 that SeeDevice alleges falsely portrayed its proprietary imaging technology as fraudulent and incorrectly claimed that government-funded research grants had been recovered. Founded in California in 2017, SeeDevice develops short-wave infrared image sensors based on its proprietary QMOS, or quantum-effect CMOS, technology. The company claims its sensors can capture information beyond the range of conventional image sensors and are designed for applications including artificial intelligence vision systems, medical diagnostics, industrial inspection, autonomous vehicles and semiconductor manufacturing. According to the company, Korean courts previously found no evidence supporting allegations of fraud involving its technology and rejected efforts to recover government research funding linked to the project. SeeDevice is seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief, arguing that the reports caused severe reputational harm and contributed to the collapse of business opportunities worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In a ruling issued in May, the federal court determined that SeeDevice's claims against KBS America would proceed to a jury trial, while claims against KBS would be heard by a judge, according to the company. "We are confident the proceedings will show that KBS and its U.S. affiliate misrepresented our technology and caused significant harm to our reputation and business interests," said Hoon Kim, founder and chief executive officer of SeeDevice. The company said it intends to pursue all available legal remedies and views the case as an important test of accountability for allegedly false reporting that it says damaged its commercial prospects in the United States and abroad. 2026-06-09 10:48:30 -
LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, KATSEYE to release joint single 'ICONIC BY MISTAKE' SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - Girl groups LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT and KATSEYE will release a joint digital single, "ICONIC BY MISTAKE," this week, HYBE said Monday. The agencies announced the collaboration through Weverse, an online K-pop fan platform, saying the single will be released at 1 p.m. (0400 GMT) on June 12. One day before the release, the three bands will jointly perform their digital single song for the first time through a cable TV music show, M COUNTDOWN. The collaboration brings together three HYBE-linked girl groups. LE SSERAFIM is managed by label Source Music, ILLIT by Belift Lab and KATSEYE by HYBE x Geffen Records, the joint venture between HYBE and Universal Music Group's Geffen Records. 2026-06-08 18:07:22 -
I-DLE to release ninth EP 'We made' in July SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - K-pop girl group I-DLE will return with its ninth EP, "We made," on July 6, its agency Cube Entertainment said Monday. The agency unveiled a teaser for the album through the five-member group's official social media channels at midnight. "We made" marks I-DLE's first release in six months since the digital single "Mono (Feat. skaiwater)" in January, and its first EP in a little over a year since "We are" in May last year. The teaser uses thermal camera and X-ray imagery to visualize how love registers in the body, tracing heat from the chest to the fingertips and into the minds of two figures facing each other. The album logo uses a distortion effect that echoes the emotional intensity of the visuals. Formed in 2018, I-DLE garnered immediate recognition, winning their first music show award just 20 days after debut and going on to receive multiple rookie awards at major year-end ceremonies that year. The group is widely regarded as one of the most successful K-pop girl groups outside of the industry's major labels. Before the EP's release, I-DLE will perform in Singapore, Yokohama and Hong Kong as part of its fourth world tour, "2026 I-DLE WORLD TOUR ." 2026-06-08 16:33:18 -
From chalkboards to AI: How South Korea turns election night into must-watch TV shows SEOUL, June 4 (AJP) - With vote counting for this year's local elections underway on Wednesday, millions of viewers did not simply refresh their phones for results; they sat down and watched. The country's election night broadcasts have evolved into some of the most elaborate live television events in the country. What began as a functional exercise in relaying vote totals has become a high-stakes arena where major networks aggressively compete, blending real-time data and predictive modeling with immersive studio design and entertainment-style graphics. Wednesday's local elections offered the latest glimpse into this competition. Major terrestrial networks once again treated the ballot-counting process as their annual flagship production. MBC anchored its broadcast around a 33.7-meter LED media wall and a rotating LED cube, alongside an AI-generated countdown video. KBS focused on institutional staging and data-heavy presentation. SBS, meanwhile, expanded its partnership with OpenAI, deploying a dedicated AI situation room alongside generative video art. It was not always this way. When South Korea returned to direct presidential elections in 1987, election broadcasts were closer to public-service bulletins than prime-time entertainment. Anchors read numbers from counting centers, and simple tables and maps told viewers who was leading. The first major shift came in 1995, when MBC and Gallup Korea broadcast their own election-night predictions during local elections, correctly calling all 15 regional governor races. The move sparked legal controversy, but forced a rewrite of the rules. Exit polling was formally legalized the following year, and from that point broadcasters could frame the entire night the moment polls closed — explaining momentum and uncertainty before the first ballots were counted. Graphics and technology did the rest. In 2012, SBS introduced VIPON, its real-time graphics system, pairing live vote data with animated parodies of popular Korean dramas and films. The approach drew strong viewer responses, set the tone for the following decade and soon drew international attention — SBS won a platinum award at the 2018 Houston International Film Festival for its 2017 presidential election coverage, and outlets including the BBC and the Washington Post later covered the format extensively. Today, these broadcasts double as technology showcases. KBS brought viewers into a virtual studio via a metaverse platform during the 2022 presidential election. In 2025, MBC produced an AI-generated countdown video while SBS deployed a generative AI situation room in partnership with OpenAI Korea. SBS pushed that further in 2026, running an AI situation room analyzing election data in real time alongside a ChatGPT-powered assistant for viewers to look up candidate pledges and voting trends. The ratings battle remains fierce. During the 2025 presidential election, MBC's broadcast peaked at 14.5 percent nationwide — the only major terrestrial network to record double-digit ratings. In the 2022 presidential election, KBS led with a peak of 11.1 percent. In the 2026 local elections, MBC again topped the ratings with a peak of 8.3 percent, its third consecutive election victory. The contrast with other countries is striking. In the U.S., some 42.3 million viewers tuned in across 18 networks during the 2024 presidential election, but the format remains rooted in maps, vote totals and panel discussion. Fox News led that night with around 10.3 million viewers in primetime, while CNN drew 5.1 million — a 26 percent decline from 2020, continuing a longer trend of falling linear viewership on election night. Britain's BBC drew a peak of 4.5 million viewers for its 2024 general election coverage, with a cumulative 7.3 million tuning in across all broadcasters at the 10 p.m. exit poll announcement. The coverage was authoritative but deliberately restrained. Japan's NHK delivers results with similar formality — a presentation style that makes South Korean broadcasts look, by comparison, like a different genre of television. Some Japanese networks have begun taking note: during the 2026 general election, Fuji TV introduced Korean-style election graphics, drawing attention in both countries. Part of South Korea's distinction is structural. Broadcasters are allowed to release exit poll data as soon as voting closes, giving networks an immediate narrative to build around. Part of it is also cultural. South Korean audiences have come to treat election night as a collective ritual — a shared experience that combines politics, suspense and spectacle. Whether that approach helps citizens better understand elections or risks turning politics into entertainment is a debate media critics continue to revisit. Each election cycle now brings a contest not only among candidates, but among networks competing to define what democracy looks like on screen. 2026-06-04 17:45:47 -
Producer Klozer set to release first full-length album SEOUL, June 4 (AJP) - South Korean producer and artist Klozer is set to release his first full-length album on Thursday, according to distributor Danal Entertainment. The 10-track eponymous album is scheduled to be available on AURORA, Danal Entertainment’s global music distribution platform, as well as other music streaming sites. All songs on the album were written and composed by Klozer. The title track, "More Than Expected," features Babylon and Newaile. The R&B soul track was written and composed by Klozer, Kangta, a former member of K-pop group H.O.T., Youngjun, Babylon and Newaile. The album also includes "Falling," featuring Kim Won-jun; "Only for a While," featuring Dmeanor; "YUSE," featuring Jin Hyo-jung; "Watermelon," featuring Byeol Eun; and "Once Again." Previously released tracks "Lowkey," featuring Lee Ba-da; "Waiting for You," featuring Danny Koo; and "Walking on Snow," featuring Yoo Seong-eun, are also included on the album. Klozer has worked as a producer on projects including Danny Koo's "Danny Sings" and Baek Z Young's "Ordinary Grace." He has also collaborated with K-pop groups CNBLUE and TVXQ, as well as artists including Taeyeon, Doyoung, Ben and Hwang Ga-ram. 2026-06-04 15:29:09 -
Kia begins production of hybrid version of Sportage SUV at Georgia plant SEOUL, June 4 (AJP) - Kia has begun production of the hybrid version of its Sportage SUV at a plant in Georgia, U.S., marking the first Kia model and first hybrid vehicle in the plant's lineup, the automaker said on Thursday. Kia America and Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) held a ceremony at the Ellabell, Georgia, plant on Tuesday to mark the start of production, with the first vehicle produced there brought onto the stage by an autonomous parking robot. The Sportage is the third model to be built at HMGMA, following Hyundai's Ioniq series of electric vehicles. Kia said the addition expands the plant's scope to cover both electric and hybrid vehicles. The start of production gives Kia more capacity to serve the U.S. SUV market and supports its broader push to electrify its lineup in North America. Kia plans to combine production capacity at HMGMA with its existing plant in West Point, Georgia, to secure annual production capacity of up to 550,000 vehicles by 2030. Tuesday's ceremony was attended by Georgia governor Brian Kemp, Kia North America and Kia America President and CEO Yoon Seung-kyu, HMGMA CEO Tony Heo, Korean Consul General in Atlanta Lee Jun-ho, and other employees. Kemp said HMGMA has built a strong team since production began in 2025 and is now adding another vehicle for customers across the country. Yoon said the Metaplant represents Kia's second major investment in Georgia and reflects the company's view of the state as a growing automotive manufacturing center. "The Sportage, which received product upgrades last year, is one of Kia's best-selling models," Yoon said. "Production at the Metaplant is expected to further strengthen Kia's growth in the U.S." Heo said the plant was able to prepare for its first hybrid and first Kia model through its flexible production system and manufacturing capabilities. 2026-06-04 15:10:31