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

Korea's World Cup failure may force football to confront itself SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - The fury over South Korea's abrupt exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup is unlikely to subside with the voluntary exit of the head coach. Instead, it is increasingly building up to a fundamental overhaul of the country's notoriously insular sports bureaucracy. Hong Myung-bo resigned a day after Korea failed to reach the round of 32, but public anger has not stopped with the head coach. Instead, attention has shifted to the Korea Football Association (KFA), whose leadership and decision-making have faced years of criticism from fans, former players and politicians. The debate widened after President Lee Jae Myung publicly criticized the failure and called for reform in sports governance. His remarks turned what could have been another football disappointment into a broader question about how Korean sports organizations are run. Critics say the issue extends far beyond who coached Korea at the World Cup. It reaches into who appointed him, how he was selected and why the same questions continue to resurface every four years. The KFA declined to comment, saying it had no official position in response to questions from AJP. Korea's group-stage exit was painful, but the anger had been building long before the final whistle. For years, the KFA has faced criticism over a series of decisions that steadily eroded public trust. Jurgen Klinsmann's appointment ended in disappointment. His dismissal was followed by another disputed coaching search that brought Hong back to the national team despite questions over whether the process had been transparent and competitive. The association has also come under scrutiny over its attempted pardon of football figures involved in past match-fixing scandals, the handling of the national football center project and the long tenure of former KFA president Chung Mong-gyu. Taken individually, each controversy might be dismissed as an isolated mistake. Together, however, they have created a broader perception that Korean football's decision-making is too closed and that accountability rarely reaches the top. That perception explains why Hong's resignation has done little to calm public frustration. For many supporters, replacing the coach addresses only the final stage of a much deeper problem. Kim Chae-rin, a 30-year-old office worker from Seongnam, said the disappointment was especially painful because Korea had enough talent to achieve far more. "This was one of the strongest groups of players Korea has had in years," Kim said. "We know what players like Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in can do because we've watched them succeed overseas." She said the issue went beyond tactics. "Changing the coach isn't enough," she said. "Fans have been questioning how decisions are made inside the football association for years. I hope this becomes an opportunity to make the system fairer and more transparent." One politically charged word has surfaced repeatedly in public debate surrounding the KFA: "cartel." The term should not be interpreted as a legal conclusion. Rather, its growing use reflects a public perception that a relatively small circle of insiders wields disproportionate influence over major decisions. A key focus of that criticism is the KFA's presidential election system. The association's president is chosen through an indirect voting process involving a limited group of electors, many of whom are affiliated with football organizations. Critics argue that such a structure makes it difficult for outside voices to challenge the existing leadership. Chung's fourth-term victory in 2025 reinforced those concerns. To critics, it demonstrated that the federation's internal power structure remained largely intact despite years of public dissatisfaction. That is why the current debate extends beyond Hong, Chung or any single appointment. At its core lies a more difficult question: whether Korean football has a system capable of correcting itself after repeated failures. Football is not alone The KFA is not the only Korean sports body facing questions over governance. Badminton came under scrutiny after Olympic champion An Se-young publicly criticized the national federation's athlete management, injury treatment and sponsorship restrictions. Her comments prompted a government review and opened a wider debate over how much influence athletes should have over decisions affecting their careers. Speed skating has also endured years of criticism over factional politics, opaque national team selection procedures and abuse scandals involving coaches. Those controversies further eroded public trust and reinforced the perception that some sports organizations had operated with too little transparency for too long. The details differ from sport to sport. The pattern, critics argue, is strikingly familiar: concentrated leadership, limited outside oversight, opaque decision-making and blurred accountability when things go wrong. For many Koreans, football has now become the latest and most visible example. Kim Soo-han, a 37-year-old brand designer from Incheon, welcomed the government's push for reform. "I watched every match with my son, so the elimination was especially painful," Kim said. "The players can only do so much. If the organizations supporting them aren't functioning properly, changing coaches alone won't solve the problem." The contrast with archery Korean archery provides a sharp contrast. The Korea Archery Association is widely regarded as one of the country's best-run sports organizations. Its national team selection process is highly competitive and overwhelmingly performance-based. Olympic champions receive no automatic places. Every athlete must repeatedly earn selection through transparent competition. That system has helped Korea dominate Olympic archery for decades and has made the sport a frequent reference point whenever other federations face questions about fairness and accountability. The comparison is uncomfortable for football. If one Korean federation can build a culture in which selection is transparent and merit-based, critics ask, why do others continue to rely on opaque processes and insider judgment? Football is larger, more commercial and more politically visible than archery. But that makes governance more important, not less. For many supporters, the disappointment was symbolized by Son Heung-min. In 2025, Son left Tottenham Hotspur after a decade to join Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC. The move was widely reported as one of the league's biggest signings, while Korean media said he had declined more lucrative offers elsewhere, including from Saudi Arabia. Those figures should be treated carefully. Son did not forgo money he had already earned. But many in Korea viewed the move as part of his preparation for a North American World Cup, allowing him to adapt to local conditions, reduce the physical demands of European football and secure regular playing time ahead of what could have been one of the final major tournaments of his career. In footballing terms, the gamble yielded little reward. Korea exited after just three matches, and Son finished the tournament without a goal or an assist. His career will continue. But for many supporters, the tournament became a symbol of a larger frustration: one of Korea's strongest generations of players left the World Cup before it had the chance to demonstrate its full potential. Hong's resignation answers the most immediate question of responsibility. It does not answer the deeper one. Who approved the process that brought him back? What standards were applied? How much independence did technical officials actually have? Those questions matter less for assigning blame than for preventing a repeat. If the same leadership structures remain in place, critics argue, the next coaching search could easily produce the same controversy. President Lee's intervention suggests football could become part of a broader effort to reform sports governance. But meaningful reform is difficult because it challenges the internal networks that have shaped federation leadership for decades. Replacing a coach is easy. Reforming the system that appoints him is considerably harder. Korea's next World Cup cycle has already begun. The next debate is no longer simply about who will coach the national team. It is about whether the institutions behind it are prepared to change before the next tournament arrives. 2026-06-29 16:31:53
Hyundai, Kia win Cannes Lions bronze for child safety technology campaign SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor and Kia won a bronze award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for a campaign using vehicle safety technology to protect children near school buses, the companies said Sunday. The campaign, titled "Vision Pulse," received bronze in the Design: Use of Emerging Technology category. Cannes Lions, held annually in Cannes, France, is one of the world's leading advertising and creative industry festivals. This year's event drew more than 20,000 entries from 92 countries, according to Hyundai and Kia. The campaign showed how Hyundai and Kia applied ultra-wideband, shortened as UWB, technology to kindergarten shuttle buses to help drivers detect children and other road users nearby. UWB uses radio signals to identify the location of nearby objects in real time. In the Vision Pulse system, a vehicle's UWB module communicates with small UWB tags carried by children, pedestrians, cyclists or other road users. If the system detects a possible collision risk, it warns the driver. Hyundai and Kia said the technology causes little interference with other radio signals and can identify objects within about 10 centimeters at a range of roughly 100 meters, even in crowded urban intersections with many obstacles. For the campaign, the companies designed child-friendly UWB tags as key rings that can be attached to school bags. The tags also function as night lights, encouraging children to charge them before going to bed. The campaign video presented the technology as a way to reduce blind spots around school buses and improve safety for young children. According to Hyundai and Kia, the Cannes Lions jury recognized the campaign for using emerging technology to address a real safety problem and for connecting the system with the companies' existing digital key technology. The Vision Pulse campaign had previously won awards at The One Show and Spikes Asia earlier this year. Hyundai and Kia are also testing the technology in industrial settings. Since 2025, the companies have applied Vision Pulse to production lines at Kia's purpose-built vehicle conversion center in Hwaseong, south of Seoul, to help prevent collisions between forklifts and workers. Hyundai also signed an agreement with the Busan Port Authority last October to test the technology at Busan Port terminals and logistics sites. 2026-06-29 12:46:08
KOSDAQ nearly 7% higher ahead of major infrastructure spending SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) -South Korea's junior KOSDAQ index stole the limelight amid broad retreat in Asia, gaining more than 6 percent Monday morning on expectations of the government's unveiling of mega industrial projects led by Samsung Electronics and SK Group expected to announce private-sector investments that could exceed 1 quadrillion won over the next decade. President Lee Jae Myung is set to chair a national briefing later in the day outlining the projects, which center on semiconductor fabrication plants, large-scale artificial intelligence data centers and physical AI and robotics. Samsung Electronics and SK Group are expected to announce investment plans spanning the next 10 years as part of the initiative. The KOSDAQ rose 6.1 percent to 903.4 after moving between an intraday high of 907.69 and a low of 859.33. The sharp rally triggered a buy-side sidecar during the session. Institutions bought 280.8 billion won ($182.6 million) worth of shares and foreign investors purchased 28.8 billion won, while retail investors sold a net 297.5 billion won. Biotech and battery stocks led the advance. Ecopro soared 17.3 percent to 111,900 won, D&D Pharmatech jumped 19.8 percent to 93,100 won, LG Energy Solution climbed 10.8 percent to 367,000 won, Samsung SDI gained 8.7 percent to 494,500 won and SK Eternix surged 23.2 percent to 53,200 won. The benchmark KOSPI, however, fell 2 percent to 8,243.4 after moving between an intraday high of 8,334.78 and a low of 8,127.99, as foreign investors continued heavy selling in semiconductor heavyweights. Retail investors bought 1.82 trillion won worth of shares and institutions purchased 985.7 billion won, while foreign investors sold 2.91 trillion won. Samsung Electronics dropped 4.7 percent to 323,500 won and SK hynix fell 4 percent to 2,567,000 won. SK Square lost 6.6 percent to 1,607,000 won. Among gainers, Samsung Electro-Mechanics rose 3.8 percent to 206,800 won, Hyundai Motor added 1.1 percent to 485,750 won, Doosan Enerbility climbed 5.2 percent to 85,300 won and Daehan Electric Wire advanced 9.4 percent to 33,900 won. Among sectors, life science tools and services led gains with a 12.6 percent increase, followed by healthcare technology, up 11.4 percent, and leisure equipment and products, up 11.3 percent. Lithium-related shares rose 11.2 percent, while cord blood-related stocks climbed 10.2 percent. The Korean won weakened 0.04 percent to 1,537.9 per dollar. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.6 percent to 68,925.4, while China's Shanghai Composite slipped 0.2 percent to 4,019.56. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 0.8 percent to 22,846.40. 2026-06-29 10:48:42
Hong Myung-bo makes disgraceful exit after Korea's earliest-ever World Cup exit SEOUL, June 29 (AJP) - South Korean football coach Hong Myung-bo resigned on Sunday after the country's earliest-ever World Cup exit, becoming the first coach in national team history to leave following failures at two separate tournaments. Hong stepped down a day after South Korea was eliminated in the group stage of the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending the country's run of five consecutive appearances in the knockout stage dating back to 2018 and consigning it to its lowest-ever World Cup finish. The 57-year-old announced his resignation at the team's training base in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico. "A head coach cannot put any explanation ahead of results," Hong told reporters. "I came here today to speak about responsibility, not explanations." "I failed to deliver the result the public expected. The responsibility lies with me." South Korea finished third in Group A after beating Czechia 2-1 before suffering consecutive 1-0 defeats to co-host Mexico and South Africa. The team needed other results to fall its way to claim one of eight wildcard places reserved for the best third-place finishers, but ultimately ranked 10th among the 12 third-placed teams. The campaign ended with South Korea placed 34th overall in the tournament's first 48-team edition — the worst finish in the country's World Cup history. Under the previous 32-team format, such a result would have meant failing even to qualify for the knockout stage. He had been under contract through the 2027 Asian Cup. Sunday's resignation came roughly six months early. "I asked myself the same question for the past two years, is this choice good for Korean football," Hong said of his approach to the job. "Not every decision I made was right, but Korean football was always my standard." That mixed record showed on the field. Hong's side went unbeaten through the final round of World Cup qualifying, winning six and drawing four. But pre-tournament friendlies told a different story: a 5-0 loss to Brazil, a 4-0 loss to Ivory Coast. The pressure on Hong was building even before the team reached Mexico. Hong previously took South Korea to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where the team went out with one draw and two losses. No other coach has led South Korea into two World Cups, a distinction that now bookends two tournaments in which he failed to get out of the group stage. 2026-06-29 07:47:37
Fans Create a World Cup Atmosphere Outside the Stadiums Some moments linger longer than goals. After Norway defeated Senegal 3-2, Erling Haaland immediately turned to the stands. As Martin Ødegaard began to beat a drum, Haaland mimicked rowing motions, prompting the crowd to follow suit in unison. This was the so-called "Viking Row," a gesture reminiscent of Viking warriors rowing their ships. This moment was neither a goal, a tackle, nor a crucial save. However, it spread rapidly on social media, gaining traction as quickly as the match highlights due to its simplicity and intensity. At the same time, a different kind of cheering culture was emerging in South Korea. The YouTube channel "Soccer Will Be the Music" created an AI cheer song that combined a Portuguese chant with Korean slogans, amassing over 1.6 million views in just two months. On Instagram, more than 1,700 reels featuring this audio were uploaded, with one dance team's video reaching 9 million views, 636,000 likes, and 95,000 shares. In Dallas, after England's 4-2 victory over Croatia, around 20,000 fans remained in their seats, singing Oasis's "Wonderwall" at the top of their lungs. This Britpop classic, released in 1995, saw a 50% increase in Spotify streams in the UK within days, with a remastered version generating 1.71 million plays in a single day. At the 2026 World Cup, cheering has evolved into a form of content that is filmed, edited, and shared just as much as the matches themselves. Norway's "Viking Row" requires no song, lyrics, or prior knowledge. Fans simply need to move in rhythm. Spectators sit in a boat-like formation, rowing in time with the drumbeat. They shout "ro (row)" in Norwegian and erupt in cheers at the climax. Inspired by Iceland's "Viking Clap" from the 2016 Euro, this cheer has spread beyond the stadium to escalators, subways, Times Square, and even the Norwegian Parliament, as it requires no words. The trend began before the tournament. Videos of Norwegian lawmakers mimicking the Viking Row garnered 140,000 views, while a clip of Haaland leading the cheer after the victory over Senegal reached 210,000 views. An AP video capturing the crowd in Times Square surpassed 170,000 views. What these videos have in common is that none feature actual game footage. Instead, they showcase cheering moments created before or after the match that spread rapidly on TikTok and Instagram. The national team has actively fostered this atmosphere. Returning to the finals for the first time in 28 years since 1998, Norway released a Viking-themed photo shoot before the tournament. The entire squad, including Haaland, who scored 16 goals in eight European qualifying matches, donned helmets, shields, and armor for the shoot. The football media outlet 433 shared the photo on X, stating, "Norway's World Cup group shot is truly impressive," while Haaland posted his Viking image with the caption "Viking blood." However, not everyone welcomed this concept. The Norwegian daily Aftenposten reported criticism that the warrior image was overly masculine and exclusive. The Norwegian Football Association explained that the intention was to emphasize community spirit, courage, and solidarity. The singalong of England's "Wonderwall" was no coincidence. The singalong of England's "Wonderwall" differed from Norway's approach. It was not merely a gesture but a matter of shared memory and not entirely spontaneous. For this World Cup, all participating countries submitted pre-approved playlists in collaboration with fan groups. England's selections included "Wonderwall," along with The Beatles' "Hey Jude" and Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline." "Wonderwall" was already playing in the stadium before the match. However, no one anticipated the reaction that followed the game. Formed in Manchester in 1991, Oasis is a defining band of the Britpop era. "Wonderwall" encapsulates the sentiment of a generation that believed British music could conquer the world, surpassing 1.7 billion streams on Spotify. The 20,000 fans singing this song in Dallas was not just a simple singalong; it was a moment where memories shared across generations came alive in the stadium. Players, including Jude Bellingham, were seen singing along, and captain Harry Kane described it as "one of my favorite moments in an England shirt." The timing was also perfect. Oasis had just completed a reunion tour after more than a decade in 2025. The Gallagher brothers even took notice of the Dallas footage. Noel told The Sun, "'Wonderwall' is now the people's song," while Liam remarked on X after Spotify reported a 50% surge in streams that the song is a "classic" and that he sang it "BIBLICAL-ly." South Korea's AI cheer song emerged outside the stadium first. The South Korean example presents a different narrative, perhaps illustrating where fan culture is headed in the future. While Norway and England's cheering moments originated in the stadium and spread online, South Korea's AI cheer song was created online first and then made its way to the stadium. Since 2002, the chant "Dae-han-min-guk" and the Red Devils' street cheering have become symbols of South Korean football identity. This tournament has added a new layer to that identity. During the match against the Czech Republic, real-time population data indicated that between 12,000 and 14,000 people gathered in Gwanghwamun Square. For the match against Mexico, at least 18,000 fans showed up, prompting organizers to secure additional cheering space. With the addition of the AI cheer song, even overseas creators unrelated to South Korea began making their own videos using this audio. Now, this song serves not just as a cheer but as a material for creating content. Lee Seong-ho, a 35-year-old restaurant owner in Gangnam, has been observing these changes on his phone for weeks before joining the street cheering for the Mexico match in Gwanghwamun. "In the past, we would chant 'Dae-han-min-guk' to the beat of a big drum or sing 'Oh, victory Korea' together. But now, social media plays a much larger role. Foreigners are mimicking Korean cheers, and videos supporting the Korean team are continuously being uploaded. It's a sight we rarely saw before." His first encounter with the AI cheer song was also by chance. "The first video I saw featured a Latina woman doing Korean-style face painting. The painting stages changed with the beat, and I found it stuck in my head. Later, I searched for it. It felt like someone had really put effort into creating it." Ultimately, they all share a common language. At first glance, the three examples seem entirely different. However, the way they spread on social media is remarkably similar: short, intense, collective, and easy to replicate. Meaning is conveyed in seconds, making them easily digestible and shareable. The key now is not how loudly the crowd cheers but how far that moment spreads once it leaves the stadium. The Viking Row requires no explanation. It’s a gesture that can be mimicked immediately upon seeing it. Conversely, "Wonderwall" requires context to resonate. The emotions of Oasis, Britpop, and the England fans who already cherished the song must all come together for the moment to be complete. South Korea's AI cheer song operates differently, drawing in even those unfamiliar with Korean football because the audio is designed for anyone to use. Cheering once focused solely on the players and the moment in the stadium. Now, that focus has shifted beyond the stadium, reaching even the screens of those who were not in the stands and may not have even watched the game.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-26 08:04:00
World Cup 26: More than a sporting event when identities are at stake SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - From Norway's Viking Row to South Korea's AI anthem, the 2026 World Cup shows how nations perform identity — and how those performances now travel far beyond the stadium. Seconds after Norway secured a 3-2 win over Senegal at MetLife Stadium, Erling Haaland walked toward the stands. As Martin Ødegaard pounded a drum, the striker began pulling both arms back in unison — rowing, in the style of a Viking longship. The crowd followed until the entire section erupted. Half a world away, a YouTube channel called "Soccer Will Be the Music" had already uploaded an AI-generated anthem for South Korea — a track built on the melodic DNA of a Portuguese football song, reworked into a driving Korean chant. Within two months, it had drawn 1.6 million views. On Instagram, the audio had been used in more than 1,700 Reels, with individual clips reaching 7.1 million views. A video by a women's professional dance team alone recorded 9 million views, 636,000 likes and 95,000 shares. In Dallas, after England beat Croatia 4-2 in their Group L opener, some 20,000 supporters stayed behind to belt out Oasis' "Wonderwall" — a 1995 Britpop anthem that, within days, pushed UK Spotify streams up 50 percent, with the remastered version drawing 1.71 million daily plays. At the 2026 World Cup, fan culture has become a content category of its own. Norway's Viking Row is physical and communal. It requires no song, no lyrics and no prior knowledge — only a body and a willingness to move in sync. Fans sit in a longboat formation, build a rowing rhythm to a drumbeat, chant "ro" — the Norwegian word for "row" — and rise in a collective roar at the climax. Inspired by Iceland's "Viking Clap" at Euro 2016, the ritual quickly migrated from stadiums to escalators, subway cars, Times Square and eventually the Norwegian parliament, all without a single word needing translation. The numbers illustrate how far the ritual traveled before the tournament was even underway. A YouTube clip of Norwegian parliamentarians performing the Row drew 140,000 views. A Shorts video of Haaland leading the celebration after the Senegal win pulled 210,000. AP footage of fans in Times Square reached 170,000. None of these was the main event. They were satellite content — the type of material that thrives on TikTok and Instagram Reels, accumulating around the 90 minutes before and after kickoff. The team itself helped build the mythology. Norway's squad — appearing at its first World Cup since 1998, with Haaland having scored 16 goals in eight European qualifiers — posed for a pre-tournament shoot in helmets, shields and armor commissioned by the Norwegian Football Federation. Football platform 433 posted the image on X with the caption, "Norway's World Cup team photo goes hard." Haaland added his own Viking-themed image with the caption, "Viking blood." The visual identity had been established weeks before kickoff, though not without criticism. Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reported complaints that the warrior aesthetic was overly masculine and exclusionary. The federation said the concept was intended to emphasize community, courage and solidarity. England's "Wonderwall" moment worked differently: cultural, generational and not entirely spontaneous. Every team at the 2026 World Cup submitted a match-day playlist in consultation with fan groups. England's selection included "Wonderwall" alongside The Beatles' "Hey Jude" and Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline." The song was already in the building before the final whistle. What nobody anticipated was the scale of what followed. Oasis, formed in Manchester in 1991, became the defining band of the Britpop era — the soundtrack of a generation that grew up believing British music could conquer the world. "Wonderwall" alone has surpassed 1.7 billion Spotify streams. When 20,000 England fans sang it in Dallas, they were tapping into a shared cultural memory. Several players, including Jude Bellingham, were visibly mouthing the words. Captain Harry Kane later called it "one of my favourite ever moments in an England shirt." The timing also mattered. Oasis had completed a reunion tour in 2025, their first in more than a decade, and both Gallagher brothers publicly embraced the Dallas clip. Noel told The Sun that "Wonderwall belongs to the people." Liam, after Spotify confirmed the 50 percent streaming spike, wrote on X that it was "a classic" and that he sounded "BIBLICAL on it." South Korea's approach is different again — and perhaps offers the clearest sign of where fan culture is heading. While Norway and England's moments were born in stadiums and migrated online, Korea's AI anthem was born online and moved toward the stadium. The "Dae-Han-Min-Guk" chant and the mass street-cheering culture led by the Red Devils have anchored Korean football identity since 2002. But this tournament has added a new layer. At Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, real-time city data showed between 12,000 and 14,000 people in the broader plaza area during the match with Czechia. For the Mexico match, city officials estimated at least 18,000 people, forcing organizers to expand the viewing area. Into this existing culture, the AI-generated track has seeded a cross-border content ecosystem. Creators with no connection to Korea's campaign have begun using the sound to make their own videos. The song has become less an anthem than a platform. Lee Sung-ho, a 35-year-old restaurant owner from Gangnam, had been watching the shift happen on his phone for weeks before attending the Mexico match at Gwanghwamun. "What I remember from before was the 'Dae-Han-Min-Guk' chant with the big drum, or everyone singing 'Oh Pilseung Korea,'" he said. "But now social media has such a big presence. You see videos of foreigners doing Korean cheers, foreigners supporting the Korean team. That's new." He had encountered the AI anthem by accident. "The first video I saw was a Latin woman applying Korean-style face paint, with each layer syncing to a beat switch in the song," he said. "It was the first time I'd heard it, but it stuck with me. I went and looked it up afterward. Someone put real thought into making it." Strip away the cultural specifics and a common structure emerges. Each of these moments is short, visceral, collective and repeatable — perfectly suited to the grammar of TikTok, Reels and Shorts. They clip cleanly. They land in seconds. The question is no longer how loudly supporters cheer, but how well those moments travel once they leave the stadium. The Viking Row requires almost nothing from its audience: pure movement that is instantly legible. "Wonderwall" requires context — Oasis, Britpop, Manchester and the emotional charge of a song many England fans already carry with them. South Korea's AI anthem operates differently. It invites participation from people who may know little about Korean football because the sound itself is designed for reuse. Fan performance used to be aimed inward: at the players, the stadium and the occasion. It is now also aimed at a phone screen held by someone who was not there — and may not even follow football. 2026-06-24 18:03:31
Months-long beauty festival kicks off in Seoul in bid to attract foreign tourists SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Seeking to turn growing global interest in South Korean beauty products into tourism, the country's annual beauty festival kicked off its months-long run on Wednesday, offering foreign visitors hands-on experiences ranging from skincare consultations to K-pop-inspired makeup sessions. Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization, the festival will run through Sept. 30, with major pop-up events taking place at HiKR Ground in central Seoul through July 19. Programs include skin and scalp assessments, hairstyling, eyebrow consultations, personal color analysis and K-pop-inspired makeup sessions. Medical, fitness and fashion-related consultations will also be offered. The government is also making more than 800 beauty-related packages available for booking through nine online travel platforms including Klook, Trip.com, Traveloka and KKday. The online promotion runs through Sept. 30 and is aimed at attracting first-time visitors and encouraging repeat travel to South Korea. A business meeting will also be held on Thursday, bringing together 40 overseas travel companies from 19 countries and 42 Korean companies in the beauty and medical sectors. The ministry expects the initiative to generate about 100 new tourism packages and attract around 2,000 foreign visitors. Travel industry representatives and influencers are also touring beauty-related businesses and attractions in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, Busan, Jeju and Gangwon Province for about a week until June 29. The festival comes as South Korea seeks to convert rising visitor numbers into broader tourism. Foreign arrivals passed 10 million in mid-June, while monthly card spending by overseas visitors exceeded 2 trillion won for the first time in May, according to data from the ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization. 2026-06-24 18:01:21
Korea readies customs support for Hyundai's Saemangeum AI robot hub SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - South Korea is moving to strengthen customs support for Saemangeum as Hyundai Motor Group's planned 9 trillion won ($6.5 billion) investment in artificial intelligence, robotics and clean energy begins to take shape in the reclaimed industrial zone on the country's west coast. Korea Customs Service Commissioner Lee Jong-wook visited the Saemangeum Development Agency in Gunsan on Wednesday and met agency chief Moon Seong-yo to discuss customs measures for companies moving into the area. The two agencies discussed early designation of additional sections of the Saemangeum industrial complex as a comprehensive bonded zone. The status allows companies to import, store, process and export foreign goods while customs duties and other taxes are suspended. The system is intended to reduce costs for export-oriented manufacturers. Companies operating inside the zone can receive duty exemptions when exporting goods. For products sold in the domestic market, firms may choose whether duties are applied to imported raw materials or finished products. Sections 1, 2, 5 and 6 of the Saemangeum National Industrial Complex, covering 8.1 square kilometers, were designated as a comprehensive bonded zone in February 2025. The agencies are reviewing whether to expand the designation to other areas where companies can move in. The customs agency also said it has established a dedicated support team for advanced strategic industries in Saemangeum, ahead of an expected increase in administrative demand from new corporate investment and the planned opening of Saemangeum New Port in early 2027. Officials also discussed relocating Gunsan Customs to Saemangeum to improve access for companies operating in the industrial complex and nearby free trade zone. Gunsan Customs is currently more than 20 kilometers from the Saemangeum site and operates from an aging building completed in 1993. Lee also inspected the planned site of Hyundai Motor Group's robot manufacturing cluster. The group announced in February that it would invest 9 trillion won from 2026 across a 1.12 million-square-meter site in Saemangeum, covering robotics, AI, hydrogen energy, solar power and an AI hydrogen city. The customs agency said recent regulatory changes would allow research institutes to be designated as bonded factories, enabling companies to import research materials with simplified clearance procedures and deferred customs duties. The measure is expected to support research and development if AI and robotics laboratories are built inside Hyundai's Saemangeum cluster. Lee said the agency would move quickly to designate Saemangeum as a comprehensive bonded zone and ease customs regulations so companies can conduct production, research and export activities with fewer administrative burdens. 2026-06-24 17:54:02
Foreign visitors' card spending in Korea tops $1.4 billion SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - Foreign visitors spent a record 2.12 trillion won ($1.4 billion) on credit cards in South Korea in May as cumulative arrivals surpassed 10 million nearly a month earlier than last year, government data showed Wednesday. The May figure, which includes online purchases, marked the first time monthly card spending by foreign visitors exceeded 2 trillion won since data collection began in 2018. Card spending from January through May reached 7.98 trillion won, up 47.3 percent from the same period last year. Visitor arrivals rose 21 percent over the same period to 8.72 million. Preliminary figures showed that cumulative arrivals passed 10 million on June 20. South Korea reached the same milestone in mid-July last year. China and Japan remained the two largest source markets in May, with 563,600 and 357,530 visitors, respectively. Arrivals from Taiwan increased 27.6 percent from a year earlier, Hong Kong 16.6 percent, the Americas 16.5 percent and Europe 24.1 percent. More foreign visitors are also entering South Korea through regional airports. Such airports handled 361,473 arrivals in May, up 32 percent from a year earlier, compared with a 15.7 percent increase at airports serving the Seoul metropolitan area. 2026-06-24 15:11:33
AI K-pop group SweeTeez to releases new single 'Line & View' SEOUL, June 24 (AJP) - AI-generated K-pop girl group SweeTeez will roll out its new single "Line & View" on major streaming platforms Wednesday at noon. The single contains two tracks: the title track "Line & View" and "Where You Went, Cloud." Built around synth-pop and future bass, the title track explores repeated encounters and separations between people kept apart by distance and time. The second song deals with remembrance and the cycle of life. A music video released June 17 shows the group's five virtual members performing choreography, with AI used to render their facial expressions, lip movements and dance sequences. SweeTeez is presented as a five-member multinational group formed through "PRODUCE9," an AI audition project involving 99 virtual trainees. Its members are Yena from South Korea, Chinese American member Sophie, Aileen from Malaysia and Japanese members Riri and Yuzuki. The group recently appeared in the SBS documentary special "Life of AI," which examined how virtual idols are created and how AI could shape the future of South Korea's music industry. 2026-06-24 11:24:18