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

KOSPI extends rally as SK hynix tops 2.5 Million won for first time SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - South Korea's benchmark KOSPI extended its gains Wednesday as investors rotated into semiconductors, power-cable shares and biotechnology, even as foreign investors turned heavy sellers on the main bourse. The benchmark KOSPI closed up 1.6 percent at 8,864.24, after moving between an intraday high of 8,872.18 and a low of 8,605.66. Foreign investors sold 1 trillion won worth of shares on the main bourse, while institutions bought 581.9 billion won ($384.9 million) and retail investors purchased 545.7 billion won. Semiconductors remained the market's main engine. SK hynix surged 5.84 percent to 2,521,000 won, crossing the 2.5 million won level for the first time, as investors continued to bet on stronger shareholder returns and growth in the high-bandwidth memory market. Samsung Electronics reversed early weakness to close up 1.02 percent at 346,500 won, while SK Square jumped 6.3 percent to 1,596,000 won as investors sought indirect exposure to SK hynix's upside. Power-cable shares delivered one of the strongest theme moves of the session, with the group rising 8.5 percent. Gaon Cable hit the daily limit, jumping 29.9 percent to 341,000 won after announcing a bonus issue of 0.8 new shares for each existing common share, citing growth in the artificial intelligence data-center power infrastructure market as the rationale for sharing gains with shareholders. Biotech and health-care names also drew strong buying. The biotechnology sector rose 6.7 percent, led by D&D Pharmatech, up 18 percent to 108,100 won, and ToolGen, up 16 percent to 49,750 won. Life-science tools and services gained 4.4 percent, with Curiosis up 11.2 percent to 33,300 won and OliX up 9.8 percent to 142,000 won. Construction shares pulled back sharply after recent steep gains. Daewoo Engineering and Construction fell 9.7 percent to 24,800 won and Samsung E&A dropped 7.4 percent to 52,500 won as investors took profits following a run-up driven by Middle East reconstruction hopes. Hyundai Motor also fell 3.4 percent to 618,000 won, underscoring that the day's gains remained concentrated in selected growth themes rather than the broader large-cap market. The KOSDAQ rose 1.3 percent to 1,031.96, moving between an intraday high of 1,039.55 and a low of 1,008.57. Foreign investors bought 31.9 billion won on the junior bourse, while retail investors sold 20.3 billion won and institutions sold 15.3 billion won. Shipbuilding-related shares rose 5.8 percent, with Dongil Steelux hitting the daily limit at 1,523 won. Character merchandise stocks gained 4.8 percent, led by SAMG Entertainment, up 9 percent to 30,200 won, ahead of the August release of the sequel to its hit animated film "Love of Hachoo Pink." The won weakened slightly against the dollar, closing at 1,511.9 won. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 rose for a fifth consecutive session, closing at a fresh record high for the third straight day, up 0.72 percent to 69,902.25. The broader TOPIX climbed 0.55 percent to 4,013.23, crossing the 4,000 mark for the first time on a closing basis. Investors interpreted the Bank of Japan's decision to raise its benchmark rate to 1 percent, the highest since 1995, as confirmation that Japan's recovery remains intact rather than a headwind for equities. Artificial intelligence and semiconductor shares attracted dip-buying, while dividend reinvestment flows added further support. China's Shanghai Composite rose a modest 0.4 percent to 4,109.96, lagging the stronger conviction seen in Seoul and Tokyo. Oil prices continued to retreat on expectations for a U.S.-Iran agreement, with West Texas Intermediate falling 1.2 percent to $75.20 a barrel and Brent crude slipping 0.7 percent to $78.40, easing concerns over supply disruption and energy-driven inflation across the region.T 2026-06-17 17:29:42
World Cup 26: Unauthorized drone sparks security scare at Korea training SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) -South Korea's closed-door training session in Mexico ahead of its second World Cup group match against Mexico was briefly disrupted by an unidentified drone intrusion, the Korea Football Association said Wednesday. The incident took place during South Korea's private tactical session at the Chivas Verde Valle training facility in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, as the team prepared for its Group A match against Mexico at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Unlike the previous day's session, which was briefly opened to the media for about 15 minutes, Wednesday's roughly 90-minute session was fully closed to outsiders. According to the KFA, the drone was detected while players were still going through warm-up drills, before the team had begun its main tactical training. Team officials said no tactical information was exposed. Security staff at the training ground alerted Mexican military personnel stationed near the training site, who used signal-jamming equipment, forcing it down. South Korean team security officials, local police and military personnel moved to recover the drone, but two men believed to be its operators had already collected it and fled the scene, according to the KFA. The suspects' escape was captured by the South Korean team's video staff, but their identities and nationalities have not been confirmed. A FIFA security officer assigned to the South Korean team asked Mexican police to investigate the incident. The KFA separately reported the matter to FIFA and requested measures to prevent a similar case from happening again. A team official said it was too early to determine whether the drone was sent to gather information on South Korea's tactics, used by foreign media or flown by a member of the public. "The situation ended during the warm-up stage before tactical training began, so there was no impact on the team's tactical security," the official said. South Korea completed the training session after the incident. All 28 players, including forward Bae Jun-ho of Stoke City and defender Kim Tae-hyun of Kashima Antlers, took part along with two training partners. Korea will face Mexico in its second Group A match at 10 a.m. Friday (0100 GMT) at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan. 2026-06-17 15:05:00
Grammys add Asian pop category for 2027 ceremony SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - The Grammy Awards will add five new categories for its 2027 ceremony, including one dedicated to Asian pop music. The new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category will recognize Asian pop performances originating from or widely recognized within Asian markets, including K-pop, J-pop and C-pop, with meaningful use of one or more Asian languages. The addition comes as K-pop and other Asian pop genres have gained a larger presence in the global music market. K-pop acts including BTS and BLACKPINK's Rosé have received Grammy nominations in recent years, though none have won a main category award. "Golden," from Netflix's animated film "K-pop Demon Hunters," became the first K-pop song to win a Grammy earlier this year, taking Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 68th Grammy Awards. The four other new categories are Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, Best Traditional Folk Album and Best Latin Song. With the addition of the R&B collaboration category, the existing Best R&B Performance category has been renamed Best R&B Solo Performance. The addition of Best Traditional Folk Album also prompted the Recording Academy to rename Best Folk Album as Best Contemporary Folk Album. The Recording Academy also updated several rules for the next awards cycle. The maximum number of times an artist may be submitted for Best New Artist was raised from three to four, while the threshold of new recordings required on an eligible album was lowered from 75 percent to 66 percent. The changes were made through the academy's annual member-driven process and will apply to the 69th Grammy Awards, which will be held Feb. 7, 2027, and air on ABC, Disney+ and Hulu. 2026-06-17 11:34:08
Asia markets sideline ahead of Fed decision, Nikkei sole gainer SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - South Korea's main index took a light breather after a nonstop four-day rally of more than 12 percent as foreign investors turned sellers ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy decision. As of 10:30 a.m., the benchmark KOSPI stood at 8,703.90, down 0.3 percent from the previous session. The index moved between an intraday high of 8,727.58 and a low of 8,605.66. Foreign investors turned sellers after three consecutive sessions of buying, offloading a net 974.3 billion won, while institutions also sold a net 225.4 billion won. Retail investors took this as a cue to buy, purchasing a net 1.3 trillion won ($786.4 million) worth of KOSPI shares. Investors were awaiting the outcome of the Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee meeting later in the day. Markets widely expect the Fed to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged, but investors are watching for signals from Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's first post-meeting press conference. Despite the broader decline, select sectors posted sharp gains. Electric utilities led advances, with the sector rising 3.1 percent. Korea Electric Power Corp. gained 3.9 percent to 41,300 won, while KEPCO Engineering & Construction rose 0.9 percent to 135,800 won. Shipbuilding shares also advanced, with the sector up 3.1 percent. Hanwha Engine jumped 10.5 percent to 65,500 won, while HD Hyundai Marine Engine gained 6.7 percent to 76,900 won. Cable and steel pipe-related shares were among the strongest thematic plays. The cable sector rose 7.9 percent, led by Gaon Cable, which surged 26.9 percent to 333,000 won, and KBI Metal, which jumped 21.1 percent to 5,730 won. Steel pipe makers also rallied 7.9 percent, with HiSteel climbing by the daily limit of 30 percent to 4,225 won and Yulchon advancing 29.9 percent to 1,225 won. The secondary KOSDAQ rose 0.5 percent to 1,023.90 after moving between an intraday high of 1,026.28 and a low of 1,008.57. Retail investors bought a net 123.2 billion won, while foreign investors and institutions sold 124.4 billion won and 3.1 billion won, respectively. The won was little changed at 1,513.20 against the U.S. dollar. Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday but remained near three-month lows after four straight sessions of declines, as expectations for a U.S.-Iran peace agreement continued to weigh on supply concerns. West Texas Intermediate rose 0.2 percent to $76.20 a barrel, while Brent crude gained 0.2 percent to $79.10. Brent traded below $80 a barrel as investors anticipated Washington and Tehran would sign a preliminary agreement in Switzerland on Friday. The deal is expected to grant Tehran broad economic incentives, including the immediate resumption of oil exports. If implemented, the agreement could also allow more tankers to resume passage through the Strait of Hormuz, although shipping companies remain cautious about the route's longer-term stability. The additional supply outlook, combined with higher OPEC+ export quotas and increased production from the United Arab Emirates following its departure from the cartel during the conflict, is expected to add to global inventories. Industry data showed U.S. crude inventories fell by 8.3 million barrels last week. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.4 percent to 69,696.10 after testing the 70,000 level in the previous session. China's Shanghai Composite fell 0.3 percent to 4,079.03, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index gained 0.3 percent to 24,552.39. 2026-06-17 11:06:17
Netflix's 'Teach You a Lesson' tops non-English TV chart for second week SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - Netflix's Korean series "Teach You a Lesson" remained No. 1 on the streamer's global Top 10 list for non-English TV shows in its second week, Netflix said Wednesday. "Teach You a Lesson" ranked No. 1 in 46 countries, including South Korea, Japan and Singapore, and entered the Top 10 in 91 countries, including the United States, Britain, India, France, Germany, Australia, Mexico and Brazil. The series logged 21.1 million views, a metric Netflix defines as total hours watched divided by a title's runtime, and 225.8 million hours watched during the week. Teach You a Lesson premiered on Netflix on June 5. It follows a fictional government body called the Teacher Rights Protection Bureau, whose members intervene in school-related cases on behalf of victims. The show stars Kim Moo-yul, Jin Ki-joo, Pyo Ji-hoon and Lee Sung-min as bureau members. 2026-06-17 10:47:20
World Cup 26: Korea zooms up to 13th in The Athletic's reranking SEOUL, June 17 (AJP) - South Korea was upgraded to 13th in The Athletic's latest ranking of all 48 teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after opening the tournament with a comeback win over Czechia. The Athletic, the sports outlet owned by The New York Times, placed South Korea ahead of Uruguay, Senegal, Egypt, Belgium, the United States and Japan, despite the team sitting outside the top 20 in FIFA's official world rankings. South Korea defeated Czechia 2-1 in its Group A opener at Guadalajarff Stadium after falling behind in the second half. Ladislav Krejci gave the Czech Republic the lead, but Hwang In-beom equalized before substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scored the winner in the 80th minute. The Athletic said South Korea had a shaky spell after going a goal down and needed key saves from goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, but added the team were "good value for the win." The outlet said the result left South Korea with "one foot in the knockout stages already." South Korea will next face Mexico at 10 a.m. (0100 GMT), Friday in a match that could help decide the top spot in Group A. 2026-06-17 09:29:35
K-pop sells out the world. Seoul can't always host the show SEOUL, June 16 (AJP) - BTS returned to Busan on June 12 for the homecoming stretch of its "Arirang" tour, but the concert began about 75 minutes later than scheduled. HYBE later apologized, citing confusion in on-site guidance, bottlenecks in fan gift distribution lines and delays in merchandise pickup. Two months earlier, the same tour had opened on April 9 at Goyang Stadium, an open-air athletic stadium in Goyang, north of Seoul, where fans watched the show in the rain. Neither case was solely about BTS. Together, they pointed to a broader question facing South Korea's live music industry: whether the country's concert infrastructure has kept pace with the global scale of K-pop. Why Seoul keeps running out of room Seoul's largest venue for stadium-scale concerts, Jamsil Sports Complex Main Stadium, has been closed for renovation since 2023 and is not due to reopen until December 2026. Seoul World Cup Stadium, one of the few venues in the capital capable of hosting crowds of more than 60,000, has limited concert rentals because of concerns over turf damage. Gocheok Sky Dome, another major option, is largely unavailable during the professional baseball season, which runs from spring through autumn. That has left promoters competing for a limited number of alternatives, including the 15,000-seat KSPO Dome and Inspire Arena in Incheon. Industry officials have described the competition for available dates as a "rental war." The shortage predates the Jamsil closure. Korean pop music was not formally recognized by the state until the late 1990s, after decades of censorship, and investment in large-scale concert infrastructure came later than the industry's commercial rise. Land in Seoul is scarce and expensive, while major venue projects have often faced delays, cost pressures and administrative hurdles. Kim Myung-soo, head of the Korea Entertainment Producers' Association, has pointed to high construction costs, land shortages and limited administrative support as recurring obstacles to building large venues. Seoul Arena, a long-discussed project in Dobong District, was first proposed around 2015 and is expected to open in May 2027. Japan's dome circuit, China's access problem Japan offers a different model. Tokyo Dome, Kyocera Dome Osaka and comparable venues in Nagoya and Fukuoka give touring acts a clear circuit of dome-scale venues. Many are also embedded in districts designed to absorb large crowds. Tokyo Dome City, for example, surrounds the venue with a hotel, restaurants, shopping and direct subway access, making the concert part of a wider entertainment district rather than an isolated stadium event. Japanese concerts still face congestion, merchandise-line delays and hotel price surges. But the surrounding infrastructure gives organizers more room to manage crowd flow and gives fans more places to wait, move and spend time before and after a show. China presents a different contrast: substantial physical capacity, but uncertain access for K-pop. Beijing's National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest, seats roughly 80,000, while Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai holds around 18,000. Yet no major K-pop act has held a large-scale concert in mainland China in nearly a decade, following the diplomatic chill that began after South Korea's 2016 deployment of the U.S. THAAD missile defense system. Last September, the Dream Concert, billed as one of the biggest K-pop events China had scheduled in years, was postponed indefinitely in Hainan days before its scheduled date. A separate Kep1er concert in Fuzhou was also canceled the same month. Hong Kong has shown some signs of reopening to K-pop events, but mainland China remains uncertain. The money at stake South Korea's pop concert market set a record last year, with ticket sales rising 29 percent to approximately $730 million, even as some of Seoul's largest stages were closed for renovation, restricted from concerts or already booked. Promoters who have handled Asian tour dates for acts such as Oasis and Mariah Carey have linked the venue shortage to Madonna and Adele bypassing Korea in the 2010s. Industry figures have also pointed to Taylor Swift's 2024 Asia tour, which stopped in Tokyo but not Seoul, as another example of how venue limitations can affect Korea's ability to attract the largest global tours. The economic effect works in both directions. When fans travel abroad for concerts that skip Korea, related spending on hotels, dining, transport and merchandise goes elsewhere. When major concerts are held in Korea, that spending can move into local neighborhoods. Kim Hee-jeong, 62, runs a convenience store near Busan Asiad Main Stadium. She has watched the pattern repeat since BTS held its "Yet to Come in Busan" concert at the same venue on Oct. 15, 2022, a free show staged to support the city's bid to host the 2030 World Expo. "When BTS makes a comeback or holds a major concert, related collaboration products come in, and they clearly help sales," Kim said. "I can't put a number on it, but when that many people come to Busan, it has to be good for the city." The congestion outside the stadium this time, delayed entry, backed-up lines and long waits, did not change her view. For local businesses, large concerts are not only cultural events but also economic opportunities. A plan still mostly on paper The government has outlined a plan. Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said in a December briefing that the government would first retrofit regional sports facilities for concert use, then rely on Seoul Arena and a planned Goyang Arena over the next few years before pursuing a purpose-built large dome. "We need to have a dome of 50,000 seats," Chae said, describing a venue designed from the start to host both sports and concerts rather than relying on retrofitted sports facilities. Skepticism remains. Seoul Arena has been in development for roughly a decade without opening, while CJ Live City, a comparable project in Goyang, has been stalled since construction was suspended in 2023. The venue shortage is also expected to tighten before it eases, with Jamsil Indoor Stadium set for demolition in July 2026 and the nearby student gymnasium expected to follow a year later. Korea has built a music industry capable of filling arenas from Los Angeles to London. The question now is whether it can build a venue ecosystem at home that can handle that demand with fewer bottlenecks, fewer rental battles and fewer nights that begin with fans waiting outside. 2026-06-16 17:34:10
K-pop boy band RIIZE release new album SEOUL, June 16 (AJP) - A new album by K-pop boy band RIIZE is now available on major music streaming platforms following its release earlier this week, according to their agency SM Entertainment. "II" is their second EP, following "RIIZING" released in June 2024, and features six songs, including the title track "Do Your Dance," a dance song with the theme of moving with confidence and following one's instincts. The song's music video, directed by Jinuya, who previously worked with RIIZE on "Siren," "Memories," "Get A Guitar," and "Impossible," is also is also delighting their fans. The six-member group, consisting of Anton, Eunseok, Shotaro, Sohee, Sungchan, and Wonbin, made their debut in September 2023 with "Get A Guitar" and released their first full-length album, "ODYSSEY" in May 2025, which became their third consecutive million-selling album, followed by their single "Fame" in November the same year. In March this year, RIIZE appeared at Lollapalooza South America, becoming the first K-pop boy group to perform at the annual music festival. 2026-06-16 17:08:28
K-pop girl group I-dle's prerelease single 'Crow' enters charts SEOUL, June 16 (AJP) - K-pop girl group i-dle's prerelease single "Crow" has entered music charts in Korea, China and other markets ahead of the release of i-dle's ninth EP, "We made," Cube Entertainment said Tuesday. The five-member group, consisting of Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi and Shuhua, released "Crow" on major streaming platforms on June 15. The song entered the real-time chart of South Korean music platform Bugs at No. 8 shortly after its release. In China, "Crow" topped QQ Music's daily best-selling digital singles chart and ranked No. 5 on Tencent Music's Korean music chart, according to the agency. The song also appeared on iTunes charts in 11 countries and regions, including Taipei, Hong Kong, Denmark, Mexico and France. It ranked No. 9 on Japan's iTunes K-pop songs chart. The music video for "Crow," released a day before the single, ranked No. 1 on YouTube's trending charts in Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom. The agency said the video also appeared on YouTube trending charts in 28 countries. The video ranked No. 2 on Chinese video platform Bilibili's music chart and No. 8 on Apple Music Korea's popular video chart. The full EP, "We made," is scheduled for release on July 6 at 6 p.m. (0900 GMT). 2026-06-16 14:33:13
Sejong Center to stage site-specific Schubert concert SEOUL, June 16 (AJP) - Sejong Center for the Performing Arts said Tuesday it will present a site-specific classical concert based on Franz Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" next month, allowing audiences to move through the venue while listening to live chamber music. The concert, titled "Death and the Maiden Concert," will take place at 7:30 p.m. (1000 GMT) on July 27 at Sejong Center's Grand Theater in central Seoul. The performance will run for about 90 minutes. Unlike a conventional seated concert, the program will lead audiences through different parts of the Grand Theater, including staircases, the lobby and VIP rooms. The concert is part of Sejong Inspiration, a series of programs offering unconventional arts experiences at the venue. The program centers on Schubert's String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810, widely known as "Death and the Maiden." The quartet, composed in 1824, is closely associated with themes of death, fear and emotional struggle. In the first part, four string players will perform solo pieces in different spaces inside the theater, with audiences divided into groups and moving between locations. The performances will explore four themes: struggle, fear, madness and sorrow. In the second part, the four musicians will come together in the first-floor lobby to perform Schubert's "Death and the Maiden" as a full string quartet. The performers are violinists Lim Do-kyung and Choi Jung-min, violist Lee Hae-soo and cellist Hong Chae-won. Music critic Na Sung-in will give a lecture before the performance. The concert is designed as a prelude to Seoul Metropolitan Ballet's double bill "Death and the Maiden," which will run from Aug. 14 to 16 at the National Theater of Korea's Haeoreum Grand Theater. Tickets are priced at 40,000 won, or about $26. Presales for members of Sejong Center's subscription and loyalty programs will open at 2 p.m. on June 22, followed by general sales at 2 p.m. on June 23. Attendance will be limited to 120 people. The concert is open to those born in 2013 or earlier. 2026-06-16 14:20:58