Musinsa opens first overseas multi-brand store in Shanghai's Anfu Road SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - South Korean fashion platform Musinsa has opened its first overseas multi-brand store in Shanghai on Friday, marking a strategic push to expand its offline presence in China’s rapidly shifting fashion retail market. The new store, located on Anfu Road — one of Shanghai’s most influential fashion districts — brings together 59 brands across three floors, including 44 Korean designer and accessory labels and a selection of Chinese and global sports brands. The company says the space is designed to act as a hub connecting Korean independent brands with young Chinese consumers, reflecting Musinsa’s broader plan to accelerate overseas expansion. Anfu Road, often compared to Seoul’s Seongsu-dong, is known for its concentration of flagship stores and high-end boutiques, making it a focal point for trend-conscious shoppers and influencers. Musinsa said the district’s mix of heritage buildings and modern retail aligns with its strategy to position Korean designer brands within culturally resonant urban locations. The Shanghai store features themed zones to help customers navigate products more intuitively. The first floor will run rotating pop-up concepts, beginning with “Musinsa Closet,” highlighting six Korean labels that have gained traction among Chinese shoppers. The second floor focuses on Musinsa’s curated brand coordination displays, while the third floor includes a “K-pop Zone,” featuring items worn by South Korean idol groups — a nod to local demand for celebrity-driven fashion cues. The store also incorporates design elements referencing Musinsa’s retail identity, including an artwork wall illustrating its flagship locations in Seoul and dedicated zones for sneakers and headwear. Musinsa said the Shanghai opening is intended to strengthen its position as a bridge between Korean designers and the Chinese market, adding that additional localized retail strategies are being explored for other major Chinese cities. 2025-12-19 17:01:22

How Korea's "young-40s" are redefining the premium phone market SEOUL, December 19 (AJP) - Koreans in their 40s have long been seen as digitally fluent, image-conscious and economically confident — hip moms and dads who keep pace with trends and AI tools alike. Lately, however, they have come under a new kind of mockery: for trying too hard to look young. At the center of the joke — and the shift — is the smartphone. More specifically, the iPhone, increasingly embraced as a symbol of youthfulness. What began as online “young-forties” memes poking fun at flashy, colorful iPhones has evolved into a tangible realignment in South Korea’s most competitive consumer-electronics market. The stigma has become strong enough to trigger a generational crossover: younger users are gravitating toward Samsung’s Galaxy lineup, while consumers in their 40s and above are moving into Apple’s ecosystem. Survey data point to a clear divergence. Among men in their 20s, Galaxy usage rose to 56 percent this year, overtaking iPhone at 43 percent — the widest gap in three years — according to Gallup Korea. By contrast, iPhone usage among men in their 40s jumped to 35 percent, up 16 percentage points from a year earlier, as Galaxy’s share slid into the low-60 percent range. Behavioral data reinforce the trend. Naver Data Lab shows that men in their 40s now account for the largest share of searches for flagship models such as the iPhone 17 Pro, Galaxy S25 Ultra and Samsung’s Z Fold 7, reflecting both higher purchasing power and a growing preference for premium, attention-grabbing devices. The popularity of the iPhone’s cosmic-orange colorway among 40-somethings has fueled online memes branding it the “uncle phone,” an irony that has only accelerated the shift among younger users seeking to avoid the association. “I’ve always used Galaxy for work efficiency and considered myself a loyal customer,” said Kim Dong-won, a Seoul resident who recently turned 40. “But these days, my friends and I are seriously debating whether to buy the new iPhone 17 because of its trendy look. At this age, it feels like phone design is the one thing we haven’t prioritized.” Consumer experts say the phenomenon reflects a deeper identity shift. “Koreans in their 40s increasingly want to live with a younger, trend-driven mindset,” said Lee Eun-hee, emeritus professor of consumer studies at Inha University. “There is a strong desire to signal that sensibility to others — to show that they are keeping up with contemporary culture.” Younger cohorts, meanwhile, are moving in the opposite direction. Despite the iPhone’s long-standing status as a symbol of youth among Millennials and Gen Z, Samsung’s foldable lineup — particularly the Z Flip 7 — is gaining traction. Samsung data show that users aged 10 to 30 accounted for roughly half of preorders for recent foldable devices, marking the first time that demographic has reached that level since the company introduced foldables in 2019. Perceptions of innovation are also playing a role. In a survey of 1,200 smartphone users aged 19 to 49 conducted by Embrain TrendMonitor, 70.2 percent said Apple’s innovation “feels weaker than before,” while 65.7 percent said Galaxy designs now look “more refined” than in previous generations. The crossover has narrowed what was once a clear aesthetic divide between the two brands. Workplace behavior and payments convenience add another layer. Although Galaxy has traditionally held an edge in work-related features such as call recording and file flexibility, iPhone adoption among white-collar workers rose to a record 35 percent this year, helped by expanded Apple Pay support and carrier-enabled call-recording apps. Even politics appears to mirror the demographic realignment. Gallup data show that progressive respondents display higher iPhone usage, while conservative respondents favor Galaxy — a gap that widened last year. Online political communities have amplified the dynamic, turning device choice into another form of social signaling. “The shift among Koreans in their 40s is closely tied to identity expression,” said Lee Soo-joon, professor of business at Sejong University. “Apple hasn’t introduced foldables or fundamentally new form factors, yet this group is gravitating toward the iPhone, often choosing standout colors like orange. For many, it’s a form of small self-gratification — a way to express personality at a time when bigger lifestyle upgrades, such as housing, feel financially out of reach.” For now, the cross-generational pendulum is swinging in opposite directions. And in South Korea’s hyper-competitive smartphone market, the device people carry is becoming yet another marker of age, identity and social belonging. 2025-12-19 15:27:14

SK hynix wins Intel certification for 256GB DDR5 server DRAM module SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - SK hynix said on Thursday it has obtained Intel Data Center certification for its 256GB DDR5 registered dual in-line memory module (RDIMM), becoming the first supplier to validate a 32Gb-based high-capacity DDR5 module on Intel’s latest Xeon 6 server platform. The module is built on the company’s fifth-generation 10-nanometer-class (1b) 32Gb DRAM and is designed for data center servers that require higher memory density as artificial intelligence workloads expand. Certification testing was conducted at Intel’s Advanced Data Center Development Laboratory in the United States, the company said. SK hynix said the 256GB DDR5 module delivers about 16 percent higher AI inference performance compared with server configurations using 128GB memory based on 32Gb chips, while reducing power consumption by up to 18 percent versus its previous 256GB products built on 16Gb DRAM. The certification comes as demand grows for higher-capacity server memory to support increasingly complex AI models and data-intensive workloads, prompting memory suppliers to accelerate the transition toward higher-density DRAM architectures. 2025-12-18 17:20:49

Samsung tests LPDDR-based server memory as AI data centers seek lower power alternatives SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics is testing a new LPDDR-based server memory module as artificial intelligence data centers increasingly prioritize power efficiency over raw performance, signaling a potential shift in how memory is deployed in next-generation AI infrastructure. The company said it has begun sampling its second-generation SOCAMM (Small Outline Compression Attached Memory Module), a server memory module built on low-power LPDDR technology, to global customers. The move comes as operators of AI servers grapple with rising electricity costs and thermal constraints driven by GPU-intensive workloads. SOCAMM2 is designed to address those pressures by bringing mobile-class low-power memory into the server environment — a domain long dominated by RDIMM-based DRAM. Samsung said the module delivers more than twice the bandwidth of earlier LPDDR-based solutions while cutting power consumption by over 55 percent compared with conventional server memory configurations. The product is not positioned as a replacement for RDIMM, which remains the industry standard for general-purpose servers. Instead, SOCAMM2 targets specific AI workloads, particularly inference-oriented systems where power efficiency and heat management increasingly outweigh peak compute performance. According to Samsung, the Korean tech giant is working with Nvidia to validate SOCAMM2 in AI server platforms, reflecting broader efforts to optimize memory architectures for GPU-driven systems. Nvidia did not disclose details of the collaboration, but Samsung said the two companies are jointly evaluating performance and compatibility. The development highlights a growing reassessment of memory design in AI data centers. While DRAM capacity and speed have historically been the primary focus, power consumption is emerging as a critical bottleneck as AI deployments scale. Samsung added that discussions are under way to standardize SOCAMM through JEDEC, the industry body that defines memory specifications. Standardization would be a key step toward broader adoption, allowing system makers and cloud providers to integrate the module beyond limited pilot deployments. Analysts at TrendForce and Omdia have noted that while LPDDR-based server memory offers clear efficiency gains, its adoption will hinge on compatibility with existing server architectures and performance trade-offs at scale. For Samsung, the move underscores an effort to expand its memory portfolio beyond conventional DRAM and HBM products as AI infrastructure evolves. Whether SOCAMM2 becomes a niche solution or a wider industry option will hinge on customer uptake and standardization progress in the coming quarters. 2025-12-18 16:10:52

Samsung seen emerging winner in premium smartphones as memory costs surge SEOUL, December 17 (AJP) - Soaring memory prices — spilling over from DRAM into NAND flash that powers smartphones — are forcing device makers to respond with specification downgrades or price hikes. Samsung Electronics, however, with its full-cycle smartphone capabilities spanning memory, application processors, displays and handsets, may hold the strongest edge, particularly in the premium segment. Memory prices are projected to climb sharply again in the first quarter of 2026, pressuring smartphone and notebook brands to either raise prices or cut specifications, according to market tracker TrendForce. As memory accounts for a growing share of device bills of materials, the upcycle is already translating into concrete changes in pricing strategies and product configurations across the industry. What was once a theoretical cost risk is becoming a market reality. Manufacturers are adjusting launch prices, trimming memory options or shortening product lifecycles to cope with rising component costs. The question is whether any player can respond differently — and whether Samsung’s in-house NAND supply gives it that flexibility. TrendForce estimates that memory components, including DRAM and NAND flash, will take up a significantly larger share of smartphone BOM costs in early 2026 as prices remain elevated. Even Apple, known for its pricing power, is expected to reassess pricing strategies for new models and scale back discounts on older ones as memory costs rise, the firm said. Memory is among the most cost-sensitive components in a flagship smartphone. Teardown analyses by Counterpoint Research and TechInsights show that DRAM and NAND together account for roughly 18 to 23 percent of a premium device’s BOM, placing memory alongside application processors and displays as one of the largest cost categories. Within that slice, NAND plays an outsized role. Storage typically represents more than half of total memory costs, and its impact escalates rapidly as manufacturers push higher-capacity models. Moving from 128GB to 512GB can multiply NAND costs three- to four-fold, making storage configuration a critical lever for margins and pricing. This is where Samsung’s structure stands apart. Unlike most smartphone makers, Samsung sources the majority of its NAND internally, with its semiconductor-focused Device Solutions division supplying advanced UFS storage directly to its Mobile eXperience business. That vertical integration allows Samsung to adjust internal transfer pricing, potentially cushioning its smartphone unit from the full force of market-level NAND price increases. “The advantage lies primarily in supply stability,” said Yangpaeng Kim, a researcher at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade. “Because Samsung produces its own NAND, it can stabilize its supply chain through internal transactions,” Kim said. “Even at the same price level, securing components internally provides a meaningful advantage. Supply stability alone can be a significant edge.” Apple, by contrast, relies entirely on external suppliers for NAND, including Samsung Electronics, Kioxia and SK hynix. While long-term contracts and large-scale procurement help smooth volatility, Apple remains directly exposed to higher contract prices when NAND costs rise, analysts say. This has reinforced Apple’s reliance on storage tiering — keeping base models at lower capacities while charging steep premiums for upgrades. TrendForce noted that cutting specifications or delaying upgrades has become an essential cost-control tool for device makers. Among Android brands targeting the mid- to low-end segments, where memory capacity is a key selling point, rising costs are already prompting price increases and revisions to existing product lineups. The broader cost environment is adding to the strain. A weak won is pushing up the price of imported components, while costs for high-end application processors and advanced OLED displays continue to rise. Industry sources say the pace of cost inflation is too rapid for device makers to absorb indefinitely. Whether Samsung’s structural advantage translates into sustained pricing power remains an open question. Internal sourcing can soften the initial shock, but it does not eliminate cost pressure — it redistributes it within the group. The coming pricing cycle will test whether Samsung can preserve storage specifications or price points longer than rivals, or whether it, too, will be forced into the same trade-offs now spreading across the industry. Some in the industry speculate that Samsung is carefully controlling the rollout of the world’s first trifold smartphones following initial bookings in December, reflecting the high production costs involved. 2025-12-17 15:28:07

Sejong University MBA program targets finance professionals with no-code AI curriculum SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - Sejong University's Graduate School of Business is recruiting students for its AI Finance MBA program starting in spring 2026, offering a curriculum designed for working professionals to analyze financial big data without coding skills. The program uses prompt engineering and no-code data analysis tools to make financial data accessible to non-specialists, according to Lee Soo-joon, a professor leading the AI Finance MBA track at Sejong University's College of Business. "Sejong University's AI Finance MBA is opening a new path for non-majors to handle financial big data without coding, using prompt engineering and no-code data analysis tools," Lee said. "We provide content optimized for the rapidly changing financial market, from financial investment practices to art-tech and fintech, operating a curriculum differentiated from other universities." The institution's business school ranks fifth in South Korea and between 151st and 175th globally in business and economics, according to Times Higher Education's 2025 world university rankings. Sejong received AACSB accreditation in 2007, becoming the fourth university in South Korea to earn the international business school certification. The program requires attendance twice weekly—weekday evenings and full Saturdays—with classes held five minutes' walk from Seoul Children’s Grand Park station on Seoul Metro Line 7. More than 90 percent of students receive scholarships covering 30 to 50 percent of tuition, with special funding available for financial industry workers. Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Applications for the third round of spring 2026 admissions open December 22 and close December 29, with results announced January 19, 2026. Further details are available at https://mba.sejong.ac.kr/mba/index.do 2025-12-16 16:27:05

Why Korea's MZs are drifting away from iPhone SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - The conventional wisdom that iPhone users rarely switch ecosystems is beginning to fray in South Korea, where a small but notable share of Millennials and Gen Z (MZ) consumers are migrating to Samsung’s Galaxy lineup, driven less by price than by everyday usability. Net switching among users in their 20s has reached 11.3 percentage points in favor of Galaxy, according to Counterpoint Research, challenging Apple’s long-held grip on young Korean consumers. Analysts say the shift reflects practical considerations—from mobile payments and call recording to foldable form factors—that Apple has been slow to deliver in a market known for tech-savvy users. While iPhones still dominate among Koreans in their 20s, holding a 63 percent share compared with 35 percent for Galaxy, brand loyalty appears to be weakening. Only 52 percent of young iPhone users plan to stick with Apple for their next device, according to a survey of 3,045 respondents conducted by recruitment platform Catch. Another 40 percent said they intend to switch to Galaxy, a shift that could upend the balance if intentions translate into purchases. “I used to think iPhones made people look more artistic and stylish,” said Kim Arin, a Seoul-based professional in her 30s who recently switched to Galaxy. “But at some point, practicality started to matter more.” The transition becomes more pronounced as users enter the workforce. iPhone penetration among those aged 20–24 stood at 74 percent in mid-2023, compared with 55 percent among those aged 25–29, according to Gallup Korea. Galaxy’s share climbed to 44 percent in the older cohort, suggesting that daily usability increasingly outweighs brand identity once professional routines set in. Among iPhone users considering a switch, the most frequently cited reason was the convenience of Samsung Pay and its deep integration with Korea’s domestic payment infrastructure. Other factors included missing features such as call recording, flexible file transfers, and foldable displays, while price ranked lower. Emotional appeal placed near the bottom. “In South Korea, Apple Pay’s real-world acceptance remains limited compared with Samsung Pay,” said Lee Soo-joon, a professor at Sejong University’s College of Business. “Domestic issuer support initially centered on Hyundai Card, and the broader rollout is still incomplete.” The divide extends beyond payments. Lee noted that Samsung offers AI-powered photo editing and other advanced features without requiring paid subscriptions, while Apple continues to gate many functions behind additional fees. “In terms of AI, Apple is clearly behind,” Lee said. “If Apple wants to narrow this gap, strengthening AI capabilities is no longer optional—it’s essential.” Samsung’s foldable lineup is also reshaping competition at the premium end of the market. Industry data show that nearly half of Galaxy users in their 20s now opt for the Z series, led by the Z Flip, indicating that switching is occurring within high-end devices rather than toward budget models. “With foldable and tri-fold designs, Samsung is expanding screen real estate into territory that overlaps with tablets,” Lee said. “Apple’s new models lack that kind of scalability.” Offline retail trends reinforce the shift. An employee at a Casetify store in Seoul said demand for Galaxy foldable cases surged following the launch of the Flip 7 and Fold 7. “When those models came out, cases sold out for a while,” the employee said. “We didn’t see that with earlier versions, but now more customers in their 20s and 30s are clearly moving from iPhones to Galaxy.” Broader usage data underscore the tilt toward utility-driven choices. About 70 percent of Koreans aged 20–29 use Samsung Pay, the highest rate among all age groups, according to Gallup. Bank of Korea data show that more than 80 percent of early-career workers rely primarily on mobile payments, leaving little tolerance for ecosystems that still depend on physical cards. Apple retains a numerical lead among young users, and the shift does not signal an abrupt collapse. But the convergence of net-switching data, purchase intentions and premium-device adoption suggests that loyalty among Korean younger consumers is becoming conditional. Lee framed the trend as part of a broader reassessment of Apple’s post–Steve Jobs trajectory. “In Korea, there’s a growing perception that Apple has become more design-focused than function-driven,” he said. “iPhones still excel at design and security, but in a market where practical infrastructure matters, that’s no longer enough.” For now, the message from young Korean consumers is clear: smartphone choices are increasingly decided by daily usability, not brand mythology—and the balance is shifting. 2025-12-16 16:17:09

Korean memory giants ready for 2026 peak as HBM boom spills into commodity DRAM SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - As Big Tech accelerates the next phase of AI infrastructure — with Google challenging Nvidia through in-house chip design and foundation models like Gemini scaling rapidly — the repercussions are becoming systemic for South Korea’s memory industry. Investment banks now project that Samsung Electronics and SK hynix could together generate close to 200 trillion won in operating profit in 2026, an income pool equivalent to roughly 27 percent of the national budget. The driver is no longer just high-bandwidth memory (HBM), long viewed as the crown jewel of the AI era. What is reshaping earnings expectations is the spillover of the AI boom into mass-market DRAM, as memory makers prioritize scarce capacity for HBM and squeeze supply of so-called commodity products. Domestic and global brokerages have upgraded earnings forecasts for both Samsung and SK hynix on signs of customer stockpiling driven by fears of a prolonged memory shortage. Prices of mainstream DDR products have surged to levels that, on a per-gigabyte basis, now rival — and in some cases approach — those of advanced HBM stacks. KB Securities analyst Kim Dong-won projects Samsung’s operating profit at 97 trillion won in 2026, up 129 percent from this year’s estimate. He expects Samsung’s HBM market share to “roughly double” to around 35 percent, as supply expands beyond Nvidia to a broader pool of hyperscalers and custom ASIC customers. The call fits a broader market narrative: 2026 could mark an earnings apex as the “GPU-only” AI era evolves into a more fragmented ecosystem. Google’s TPUs, Amazon’s Trainium and Microsoft- and Meta-backed ASIC programs are widening HBM demand across customers — boosting both volume and product mix for Korea’s leading memory suppliers. Yet an equally consequential shift is unfolding in pricing dynamics for conventional DRAM. Commodity DRAM closes the gap Industry data show that the price gap between HBM and commodity DRAM — once four to five times — has narrowed sharply. HBM4, the sixth-generation standard expected to enter broader supply in the second half of next year, is priced in the mid-$500 range for a 36GB stack, implying roughly $15 per gigabyte. By contrast, as of Dec. 12, spot prices for PC-grade DDR5 16-gigabit products stood at $26.20, or about $13 per gigabyte. Server-grade DDR5 RDIMM 64GB modules have climbed to around $780, translating to roughly $12 per gigabyte. Commodity DRAM has surged to within striking distance of HBM pricing. The implications for profitability may be even more consequential. HBM requires advanced foundry processes for base dies and highly complex packaging, both of which weigh on margins. UBS has projected that tightening DRAM supply could push DDR gross margins above HBM for the first time in early 2026, marking a rare inversion in the memory hierarchy. This reflects a supply-driven distortion. As memory makers devote limited cleanroom capacity to HBM, shortages in conventional DRAM are emerging — pushing prices higher across PCs, servers and AI-adjacent applications. A researcher at the Korea Development Institute (KDI) said the current cycle reflects a structural supply squeeze rather than a temporary demand surge. “HBM demand will continue, but it does not replace DRAM,” the researcher said. “While DRAM demand remains solid, production lines are increasingly being shifted toward HBM, tightening supply.” The dynamic, the researcher added, creates a favorable pricing environment in which both HBM and conventional DRAM benefit simultaneously — reinforcing expectations that memory earnings could reach a historical peak. Strategy shifts at Samsung and SK hynix The pricing shift is already reshaping production strategies. Samsung Electronics, while maintaining HBM3E supply for Nvidia’s Blackwell accelerators and Google’s seventh-generation TPUs, is simultaneously expanding investment in HBM4, GDDR7 and low-power DRAM (LPDDR5). The aim is to maximize exposure to what analysts increasingly describe as a memory super-cycle, spanning both premium and mainstream products. SK hynix, long seen as all-in on Nvidia-bound HBM, is also recalibrating. While it continues to focus on HBM3E and prepares HBM4 shipments for next year, the company is sharply expanding production of next-generation commodity DRAM (1c DRAM) at its Icheon campus. Monthly capacity is set to rise to 140,000 wafers, an eightfold increase from current levels. For investors, this matters because the memory cycle is once again being treated as a macro-level earnings engine, not a narrow semiconductor niche. Analysts increasingly assess Samsung’s recovery not as a simple “DRAM price beta,” but as a test of whether its HBM ramp-up, customer diversification and packaging roadmap can deliver a steeper profit curve — driven less by smartphones and PCs than by data-center capital spending and custom silicon programs. The bullish forecasts remain execution-dependent. HBM remains not just capacity-constrained but qualification-constrained, with share gains hinging on yield stability, packaging throughput and reliability at scale. Missteps in any of these areas could quickly reshape market shares. If the cycle unfolds as brokers expect, 2026 would mark a rare two-engine peak for Korea’s chip sector: SK hynix monetizing its HBM lead, and Samsung converting its catch-up phase into market share and margin expansion — with both trajectories increasingly tied to the pace of global AI infrastructure buildouts rather than the traditional consumer-electronics memory cycle. In the AI era, even “commodity” DRAM is no longer behaving like a commodity. 2025-12-15 17:29:58

CJ Olive Young tops Korea's most-wanted employers list, survey shows SEOUL, December 15 (AJP) - CJ Olive Young has emerged as South Korea’s most sought-after employer in 2025, overtaking technology heavyweights SK hynix and Naver, according to a survey released by local recruitment platform Catch on Saturday. The survey, which polled 3,079 job seekers and employees nationwide, found that 20 percent of respondents selected CJ Olive Young as the company they most want to join. The beauty retailer climbed two spots from last year’s third place, buoyed by the global rise of K-beauty and its growing brand influence. SK hynix, which ranked first last year, slipped to second place with 15 percent support, while Naver placed third with 8 percent. Hyundai Motor and Samsung Electronics tied for fourth place at 7 percent each, followed by CJ CheilJedang in sixth place with 5 percent. Several companies newly entered the top 10 this year, including Kakao Pay and Amorepacific, which tied for seventh place with 2 percent each. Samsung Biologics ranked ninth, while Hanwha Aerospace placed tenth, also with 2 percent. When asked what matters most in choosing an employer, respondents cited salary and compensation as the top factor at 48 percent, followed by brand recognition at 21 percent. Other considerations included alignment with one’s major or interests (11 percent), work-life balance (10 percent), and organizational culture (5 percent). The survey was conducted among 40 companies with the highest levels of user engagement on Catch’s platform, with rankings determined through direct voting by job seekers and employees. 2025-12-15 15:41:58

Ballet en Grand Jeté in Korea, blending graceful workout and fashion SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - Once confined to the cultural elite, ballet in South Korea is stepping firmly into the mainstream — embraced as both a graceful workout and a fashion-forward lifestyle, propelled by star dancers, celebrities and social media. The shift is visible on major stages and smartphone screens alike. Leading male principals such as Kim Ki-min of the Mariinsky Ballet and Jeon Min-chul have gone viral on TikTok and Instagram, recasting ballet as aspirational rather than exclusive. Celebrities including Bae Suzy, Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun, Apink’s Son Na-eun and actress Park Ji-hyun have further fueled the trend by openly sharing their ballet training routines and studio looks, normalizing ballet as a hobby rather than a professional pursuit. That cultural momentum is translating directly into consumer demand. According to data released this week by Kakao Style’s fashion platform ZigZag, searches for “ballet” surged more than threefold in November, while transactions for “leotards” jumped 32-fold from a year earlier. Sales of ballet shorts rose 13-fold, leg warmers more than sixfold and ballet bags nearly tenfold. Roughly 80 percent of customers searching for ballet-related items were women in their 20s and 30s, highlighting the trend’s strong resonance with MZ consumers. The boom reflects a broader shift in how young Koreans think about health, aesthetics and movement. “Interest in health and body shape has grown significantly, and many people now see ballet as a way to correct posture and improve physique,” said Kim Mi-sook, a professor of dance at Sungshin Women’s University. “Media stories about body transformation through ballet, along with celebrities taking it up as a hobby, have lowered psychological barriers. Ballet used to seem like something only majors did, but that perception is changing quickly.” Kim added that ballet’s appeal goes beyond refinement or beauty standards. “Unlike gym workouts or Pilates, ballet stimulates directionality, musicality and spatial awareness,” she said. “Repetitive exercises can become boring, but ballet offers continuous challenge — that’s what keeps people engaged.” Studios are feeling the impact firsthand. “In the past few months, the number of students attending my ballet classes has more than doubled,” said So Hyun-ah, director of a ballet academy in Seoul. “Other studio owners around me say the same. We can clearly feel that ballet is trending.” Retail data supports that observation. Layered items worn over leotards — wrap skirts, cropped cardigans and warm-up pieces — have become bestseller categories, while niche balletwear brands report rapid growth. ZigZag said stores such as Freya saw November transaction volumes rise more than 450 percent, with lifestyle-activewear labels like Formative and Debby Wear also posting strong gains. With winter driving demand for indoor fitness and balletwear increasingly crossing over into everyday fashion, retailers expect the trend to remain strong into early 2026 — suggesting that ballet, once a niche art form, may be leaping into its role as Korea’s next major lifestyle category. 2025-12-12 16:58:04