PHOTOS: Merry Christmas, 1,004 Santas spread cheer across Seoul SEOUL, December 25 (AJP) - “Merry Christmas!” Bright and spirited voices rang out as volunteers dressed as Santa Claus gathered in the heart of Seoul. On Tuesday afternoon, volunteers in Santa costumes held a send-off ceremony along Yonsei-ro in Seodaemun District. Marking Christmas Eve, 1,004 Santas set out across the capital to visit underprivileged children, practicing year-end giving and social solidarity. Hosted by Korea Youth Foundation, the “2025 Season 20 Secret Santa Campaign” is a large-scale social contribution event in which 1,004 volunteers personally visit an equal number of underprivileged children’s households to deliver gifts and share the warmth of Christmas. Launched in 2006, the campaign marks its 20th anniversary this year. After the ceremony, participants sat along the street to write handwritten letters to the children they were assigned, before heading out to neighborhoods across Seoul. To take part as a Secret Santa, volunteers donate 20,000 won ($14) toward the children’s gifts and complete pre-event training, becoming “real Santas” for a day. The campaign’s defining feature is that participants combine personal donations with hands-on volunteer service. An official from the foundation said the campaign goes beyond gift-giving. “The Secret Santa Campaign symbolizes social solidarity, as members of the community come together to create Christmas for children,” the official said. “We hope this promise, carried on for 20 years, becomes a day the children will remember for a long time.” The Secret Santa Campaign is held nationwide every year and has established itself as a representative year-end volunteer initiative that promotes a culture of sharing and participation through the spirit of Christmas. 2025-12-25 09:47:05

K-fashion looks flat. The power shift is anything but. Editor's Note: This is the fifth installment in AJP's 2026 outlook series on South Korea's key industries. SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - By the numbers, K-fashion is barely moving. Beneath the surface, however, control of the industry is shifting rapidly from department-store legacy brands to platform-born labels that now define how younger Koreans dress. Korea’s overall fashion market grew only about 2–3 percent in 2024 and is estimated to have expanded at a similar pace in 2025, according to the Samsung Fashion Institute. Yet that headline stagnation masks a sharp redistribution of growth toward online platforms and the brands they incubate. The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry projects industry output will rebound to 52.2 trillion won in 2026, reversing an estimated 2.5 percent decline to 51.8 trillion won this year. Exports are expected to rise 2 percent to $9.96 billion next year after a 6.7 percent fall in 2025 — a recovery driven largely by platform-led expansion. At the center of that shift is Musinsa, which recorded gross merchandise volume of about 4.5 trillion won in 2024. Revenue surpassed 1.24 trillion won for the first time, and operating profit topped 100 billion won. Rival platforms are scaling quickly: Ably reached roughly 2.5 trillion won in GMV last year, while Zigzag nearly doubled transaction volume year on year and exceeded its full-year 2023 GMV in the first half of 2025 alone. Much of that growth is coming from brands born on — or propelled by — these platforms. Musinsa’s private label Musinsa Standard has become one of Korea’s best-selling basics brands, while labels such as thisisneverthat, LMC and Matin Kim now anchor online rankings and offline pop-ups alike. Matin Kim’s trajectory captures the shift. Launched online, the brand has expanded into department stores, select shops and overseas markets, targeting annual sales of around 200 billion won in 2025 as it pushes into Japan, China and the United States. Department stores, by contrast, are increasingly split. Imported luxury houses and global sportswear brands continue to post double-digit growth, but long-established Korean suit and casual labels remain stuck in stagnation or decline. “Department-store brands no longer feel distinctive,” said Lee Eun-hee, emeritus professor of consumer studies at Inha University. “The quality gap that once justified them has largely disappeared. Younger consumers now seek brands that express individuality rather than standardized offerings.” Social media has accelerated that shift. Korea’s 20s and 30s, raised in an SNS-saturated environment, increasingly avoid looking ordinary — pushing them toward platform-based labels that signal visible differentiation. Survey data show younger shoppers now treat platforms such as Musinsa, Ably and Zigzag as their default destination for everyday clothing, using department stores mainly for luxury or special occasions. Domestic department-store brands are often associated with parents’ or office seniors’ wardrobes, while global SPA chains like Zara and H&M are viewed as complements rather than trendsetters. Zigzag’s internal data also reflect the platform-driven shift. Searches for key fashion categories such as puff cardigans (+202 percent), one-piece dresses (+524 percent) and flare pants (+105 percent) surged this year. “While Zigzag serves a wide age range, the surge in activity among users in their 20s and 30s has been especially noticeable this year,” a Zigzag representative said. For the new generation of K-fashion brands, department stores are no longer the end goal. Labels that built their audiences online now negotiate from a position of strength, using pop-ups, limited collaborations and direct-to-consumer channels to retain control over pricing and brand identity. Some bypass domestic wholesale altogether, moving directly into overseas select shops and online marketplaces. Legacy brands face mounting pressure. Analysts say rigid seasonal cycles, heavy wholesale structures and conservative design languages make it difficult to compete with platforms that can test dozens of micro-trends weekly and scale winners almost instantly. With the overall market growing only in the low single digits — and fashion imports estimated at $19.17 billion this year and $19.44 billion next year — the implication is clear. Every point of growth captured by platform-born brands is coming at someone else’s expense. For now, that cost is being borne by the legacy domestic labels that once defined the department-store floor. 2025-12-24 17:47:02

Santa largely skips Asian markets as gains stay modest SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - Santa Claus largely skipped Asian markets this season, with gains modest across the region and year-end positioning overshadowing any holiday cheer. South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI finished 0.21 percent lower at 4,108.62 on Tuesday, pressured by retail investors liquidating holdings ahead of a tax deadline, even as foreign and institutional investors maintained a more constructive stance. Retail investors net sold 717.5 billion won ($490.7 million), a move widely attributed to tax-avoidance strategies ahead of Friday’s cutoff for capital gains tax exemptions applied to major shareholders. In contrast, foreign investors bought a net 520.1 billion won, while institutions added 200.4 billion won, reflecting selective accumulation rather than broad risk-taking. The Korean won strengthened sharply, closing at 1,456.6 per dollar as of 4:30 p.m., gaining 25.4 won on the day. The surge followed aggressive verbal intervention by foreign-exchange authorities. Market participants cited a mix of currency hedging and forward exchange selling, likely triggered by coordination involving the National Pension Service and major exporting firms. Bond markets responded to the stabilizing currency, with yields edging lower. The 10-year government bond yield fell 3.4 basis points to 3.345 percent, reversing the upward pressure seen over the previous two sessions. Performance among market leaders was mixed. Samsung Electronics slipped 0.36 percent to 111,100 won, taking a breather after recent record highs. SK hynix rose 0.68 percent to 588,000 won. Traders noted that Samsung faced heavier selling pressure due to its higher concentration of retail ownership. Shipbuilding and defense stocks retreated as investors locked in profits following Monday’s rally linked to U.S. Navy collaboration news. Hanwha Ocean fell 3.57 percent to 119,000 won, while Hanwha Systems dropped 4.25 percent. In the automotive sector, Hyundai Motor gained 0.7 percent to 289,000 won, supported by its renewed push into software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and the appointment of a new software lead. Hyundai AutoEver, however, slipped 2.38 percent to 287,500 won as investors opted to lock in gains after a sharp ascent. The tech-heavy KOSDAQ closed 0.47 percent lower at 915.2, weighed down by the same cash-out trend. Alteogen fell 2.16 percent, while Rainbow Robotics dropped 3.88 percent. Hyundai Movex surged 9.94 percent to a one-year high of 18,580 won on expectations tied to contract wins and its potential role in automating production for Hyundai Motor Group, despite having no direct corporate affiliation. Elsewhere in Asia, movements were restrained. Japan’s Nikkei 225 edged down 0.14 percent to 50,344.1 amid thinning holiday volumes. Automakers underperformed, with Toyota falling 1.82 percent, Nissan dropping 1.01 percent and Honda shedding 0.67 percent. Semiconductor shares bucked the trend, led by Ibiden’s 5.53 percent jump, Advantest’s 2.47 percent rise and Tokyo Electron’s 0.67 percent gain. Taiwan’s TAIEX rose a modest 0.22 percent to 28,371.98, outperforming Seoul and Tokyo. Analysts attributed the advance largely to year-end “window dressing” as local institutions sought to bolster valuations. TSMC gained 0.34 percent, while MediaTek fell 0.72 percent. Mainland Chinese markets posted moderate gains on renewed stimulus hopes. The Shanghai Composite rose 0.53 percent, while the Shenzhen Component gained 0.88 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index ended its shortened Christmas Eve session with a modest 0.17 percent gain at 25,818.93. The KOSPI and Hang Seng will be closed Wednesday for Christmas. Markets in Japan, mainland China and Taiwan will remain open for regular trading — but with volumes thin and gains modest, Santa’s presence across Asian markets this year appears fleeting at best. 2025-12-24 17:21:17

Bus drivers in Seoul threaten strike next month over wage dispute SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - Unionized bus drivers in Seoul threatened on Wednesday to go on a strike next month after wage talks collapsed earlier in the day. They rejected a 10 percent-wage raise offer and threatened to strike on Jan. 13, citing management's failure to fulfill wage-related pledges. They argued that bonuses should be included in their wages, citing a Supreme Court ruling last year, and insisted that this is "not a bargaining issue but a legal requirement." They also said the proposed offer would effectively cut their pay, calling it an attempt to avoid a legally required 12.85 percent increase, which takes previously unpaid allowances into account. The union added that a strike is inevitable as long as management continues to evade responsibility while ignoring the court's ruling and the Ministry of Employment and Labor's corrective orders. 2025-12-24 17:09:38

Korean mukbang gets Ingenious — and a little unhinged — to keep its crown SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and nowhere is that crown greasier, spicier or more relentlessly filmed than in South Korea's food universe. Once again this year, the surprise breakout star from Korea's global content pipeline is not a pop idol or a prestige drama, but food — turbocharged by its cameo-laden role in Netflix's most-watched-ever series, "KPOP Demon Hunters," and freshly canonized as culture by the Wall Street Journal, which named Korean cup noodles among its "objects that defined 2025." K-food, having conquered the world, now faces the more perilous task: staying interesting. Korea, after all, invented mukbang — the performance art of eating too much, too loudly, and preferably on camera. The country learned early that food no longer just needs to taste good. It needs to perform. Today, food companies don't merely test recipes; they beta-test reactions, scroll-stopping potential and how a dish behaves under a ring light. Across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, mukbang creators have become food directors, staging meals less for flavor than for visual payoff: the slurp, the stretch, the snap, the slow reveal. The most successful dishes don't whisper comfort. They demand attention. Take one of this year's most improbable hits: buldak ramen meets seaweed soup. On paper, it sounds like culinary couples therapy — the volcanic heat of buldak sauce softened by miyeokguk, a mild, briny soup traditionally eaten by postpartum mothers. On screen, it works because contrast always does. Fire meets calm. Chaos meets nurture. Add the choreography — noodles lifted high, slurped whole, never cut — and suddenly the dish feels less like dinner and more like a suspense sequence. Desserts, too, have been recruited into performance duty. Enter the towel cake: a crepe cake folded and rolled to resemble a freshly laundered towel. The dessert, which originated in China, went viral not because of taste — cream and crepes rarely shock — but because of the reveal. The unfolding. The moment of disbelief when fabric turns edible. In Korea, convenience stores like CU and GS25 democratized the trend, while home bakers turned the cake into social-media origami. Then there is honey rice-cake cereal — tteok, the chewy backbone of Korean tradition, dropped into cold milk as it belongs there. The concept startled foreign viewers, who compared it to bubble tea for breakfast and marveled that the rice cakes didn't harden on contact with cold dairy. It's traditional food wearing a Halloween costume of Western breakfast culture, and it works precisely because it shouldn't. Some dishes lean even harder into the uncanny. Salmon kkakdugi swaps fermented radish for raw, cubed salmon, tossed in spicy, creamy dressing and often wrapped in gim. It is kimchi's cousin who studied abroad and came back wearing athleisure. Lemon boneless chicken feet take a bar-snack staple and splash it with citrus, earning reviews like "tteokbokki with a lemon highball" — a phrase that could only exist in 2025. Global trends are absorbed, then exaggerated. Dubai chocolate — the pistachio-filled confection that took over the internet with its dramatic cross-sections — was swiftly localized in Korea: sweeter, richer, more obscene in its abundance. Optimized not for eating, but for the slow-motion bite shot. This visual arms race coincides with a broader explosion of food-centered storytelling. Competitive cooking shows like "Culinary Class Wars," now in its second season, frame technique and plating as a gladiatorial sport. Scripted dramas such as" Bon Appétit, Your Majesty" deploy food as a narrative device, lingering lovingly on close-ups that echo mukbang's sensory appeal. "It relates to what is often described as autonomous sensory meridian response," said Lee Seul-ki, a director at the Tourism Industry Data Analytics Lab. Watching someone eat, he explained, taps into something primal. Comfort by proxy. Pleasure without calories. In 2025, many of Korea's most talked-about foods were consumed more through screens than at tables. The question is no longer whether a dish is delicious, authentic or even sensible. The question is simpler — and stranger: Does it stop the scroll? And if it makes you slightly uncomfortable while doing so, all the better. 2025-12-24 17:01:45

Korea Zinc clears legal hurdle for $7.4 billion U.S. smelter project SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - A South Korean court on Wednesday dismissed an injunction filed by Young Poong Group and MBK Partners seeking to block Korea Zinc's landmark investment deal with the U.S. government, paving the way for the world's largest non-ferrous metal smelter to proceed with a $7.4 billion refinery project in Tennessee. The Seoul Central District Court rejected the plaintiffs' request to halt a third-party share allocation that would give the U.S. government-led joint venture a 10 percent stake in Korea Zinc. The ruling marks a pivotal victory for Chairman Choi Yun-birm, who has been locked in a bitter proxy fight with rival shareholders for over a year. Under the investment plan approved by Korea Zinc's board on Dec. 15, the company will build a strategic minerals refinery in Clarksville, Tennessee, with construction slated to begin in 2027 and operations commencing in 2029. The facility will produce 13 metals, including 11 critical minerals, along with semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid. The joint venture's largest shareholder will be the U.S. Department of War, holding a 40.1 percent stake. The Young Poong-MBK alliance had argued that Korea Zinc's decision to issue new shares rather than invest directly was designed to secure a "white knight" to defend Choi's leadership rather than raise capital. If Korea Zinc proceeds with the share issuance on Dec. 26 as planned, the Choi camp's combined holdings, including stakes held by allies including Hanwha Group, LG Chem, and the National Pension Service, would reach about 45.5 percent of voting shares, overtaking the Young Poong-MBK bloc's 43.4 percent. Young Poong and MBK expressed regret over the court's decision. "We cannot say that concerns over potential damage to existing shareholders' value, fairness of the investment contract, and long-term financial and managerial risks Korea Zinc will bear have been sufficiently addressed," the two said in a joint statement. Korea Zinc welcomed the ruling. "We will carry out this project, which will drive Korea Zinc's future growth, without disruption and successfully enhance corporate and shareholder value," the company said. Industry analysts note that U.S. government participation could classify Korea Zinc as an American security asset, potentially complicating any future takeover attempts by the Young Poong-MBK alliance. 2025-12-24 16:30:43

Kimchi loses ground at home to cheaper Chinese imports, British daily says SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - South Korea's staple dish, kimchi, is losing ground on price, fueling a surge in imports of Chinese-made kimchi, the Guardian reported earlier this week. The British daily on Monday said, "South Korea imports more kimchi than it exports, and the gap has widened as cheaper Chinese-made products take hold in the domestic market." Figures from the Korea Customs Service show this trend, with kimchi imports totaling US$159.46 million during the first 10 months of this year, up 3.1 percent from a year earlier. Exports also increased, but imports grew faster, resulting in a trade deficit of $22.07 million, more than 10 percent higher than last year. If this trend continues, total kimchi exports this year appear on track to set a new record for the second consecutive year. Chinese-made kimchi currently sells for about 1,700 Korean won (about $1.15) per kilogram, less than half the roughly 3,600 won charged for South Korean kimchi. The Guardian pointed out that many South Korean kimchi makers often have a few staff, making it difficult for them to compete with Chinese factories in mass production. One owner who has run a kimchi factory in Incheon for more than 30 years told the daily that many local restaurants "have abandoned his product in favor of lower-priced imports" from China. To address this, the government plans to step up monitoring of violations of country-of-origin labeling for imported kimchi, while also implementing support measures to help domestic kimchi makers. 2025-12-24 16:27:47

PHOTOS: As Christmas arrives, trees light up a fractured world SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - As Christmas Day arrives, trees are lit across the world. It is a season that calls, however quietly, for peace and harmony — regardless of heartbreak, loss, grievance or conflict — as people mark the birth of Christ in their own idiosyncratic ways. In Rockefeller Center, the annual tree lighting took place on Dec. 3, as it does every year. Thousands of LED lights pierced the Manhattan night, drawing cheers from gathered crowds. But the ritual is far from uniquely American. On Red Square, in front of the historic GUM department store, a lavishly decorated tree stands tall. Russia marks Christmas on Jan. 7 under the Orthodox Julian calendar, yet the festive mood is already in full swing ahead of New Year's Eve on Dec. 31. In downtown Kyiv, an illuminated tree also rises — this year for the third consecutive winter of war following Russia's invasion. 2025 marks another cold season under fire. Yet this year, Ukraine has chosen to officially celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, aligning with the Western calendar. Even amid sirens and uncertainty, people gathered beneath the lights. Across Europe, similar scenes unfolded. In Old Town Square, visitors browsed Christmas markets on the fourth Sunday of Advent. In Skopje's main square in North Macedonia, families watched a New Year's — and Christmas — tree lighting ceremony. For those observing the Orthodox calendar, the tree remains a symbol of community and continuity. In Lebanon's northern town of Zgharta, a 22-meter-high tree wrapped in 4,500 meters of lights was unveiled on Dec. 6, accompanied by fireworks. Amid tensions across the Middle East, people still came together to switch on the lights. Similar scenes appeared in Krakow's Main Market Square, Vilnius, and Athens' Syntagma Square. Germany's city of Dortmund erected a 45-meter-high tree — one of the tallest in the world. In Nantes, France, crowds gathered around a carousel-shaped tree. Across the Atlantic, Mexico City's Zócalo hosted a sprawling light festival that transformed the historic square. The year 2025 has not been an easy one. Conflicts endured, economies strained, and many lives were weighed down by hardship. Yet when Christmas came, trees went up — in city squares and town centers, across cultures, calendars and borders. Beneath the branches, faces softened into smiles. Under warm lights, even on the coldest winter nights, people stood together. As 2026 approaches, the glow of Christmas trees offers a quiet wish: for more light than darkness, more warmth than fear, and more peace than division. May conflicts find resolution, burdens ease, and laughter return more often. At this moment, in cities across the world, the glowing trees cast their magical spell of hope. 2025-12-24 15:55:22

Hate it or not, Coupang remains indispensable to Korean consumers — for now SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - Coupang is facing intensifying scrutiny from regulators in South Korea and the United States, alongside a growing list of civil and class-action lawsuits. Yet despite mounting criticism over its handling of a massive data breach, the e-commerce group remains deeply embedded in daily life for Korean consumers — from shopping and food delivery to streaming. This week, the South Korean government launched an inter-agency task force to investigate what officials now describe as a national crisis rather than a routine corporate incident. The task force brings together 10 ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Personal Information Protection Commission and the Fair Trade Commission. "The government views this not as a simple corporate data breach but as a serious social crisis that has undermined public trust," said Ryu Je-myung, second vice minister of science and ICT, at the task force's inaugural meeting, adding that Coupang's response to date was "deeply concerning." Coupang disclosed on Nov. 29 that a former employee had accessed customer data through overseas servers for about six months starting in late June without detection. The company initially reported the breach to authorities on Nov. 18, estimating 4,500 affected users. That figure later ballooned to 33.7 million — nearly its entire user base. The e-commerce giant drew further criticism for initially referring to the incident as data "exposure" rather than "leakage," and for removing its apology notice from its homepage within days. Founder and executive chairman Bom Kim has yet to appear publicly despite repeated calls from lawmakers and regulators. "Even the heads of far larger global companies such as Meta and Amazon have appeared before congressional hearings," said Rep. Choi Hyung-du of the ruling People Power Party, accusing Kim of showing disregard for Korean consumers. At a Dec. 17 National Assembly hearing, Coupang sent only interim chief executive Harold Rogers, a U.S.-based executive who required an interpreter, prompting bipartisan frustration. Rogers said the breach did not require disclosure under U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission materiality standards — a position now being tested in American courts. A shareholder class action filed on Dec. 19 in California's Northern District federal court alleges Coupang made false or misleading statements and failed to disclose the breach in a timely manner, causing investor losses. The company's shares have fallen about 20 percent since the breach became public, closing at $22.43 on Wednesday. In Seoul, the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee is scheduled to hold a two-day hearing starting Dec. 30 to examine the breach, alleged unfair trade practices and labor conditions. Despite the regulatory and political pressure, industry analysts say Coupang's structural advantages remain formidable. "From its logistics network to bundled services, there is still no competitor that matches Coupang in terms of customer value," said Shin Kwang-su, a professor of e-commerce at Kyung Hee University's Graduate School of Business. "There may be short-term friction, but it will not be easy for rivals to alter this trajectory." Recent precedents support that view. SK Telecom lost about four percent of its subscribers following a SIM-card data breach in April but stabilized within months, maintaining market share in the high-30-percent range. Still, competitors are moving quickly to exploit the opening. Naver has partnered with Market Kurly to launch a premium grocery service aimed at Coupang's Rocket Fresh. Naver Plus Store, its AI-driven shopping app launched in March, has become the fastest-growing e-commerce platform by downloads this year, according to Sensor Tower. SSG.com, the online retail arm of Shinsegae Group, is revamping membership benefits and expanding premium offerings. CJ Logistics, which handles deliveries for Coupang's rivals, saw its shares hit a 52-week high this month on expectations that even a modest shift in consumer behavior could lift parcel volumes. The political dimension adds further uncertainty. President Lee Jae Myung has called for tougher penalties and a more effective punitive-damages regime. The ruling Democratic Party is expected to revive the Online Platform Act after concluding non-tariff negotiations with the United States, potentially placing dominant platforms such as Coupang and Naver under stricter regulatory oversight. For now, hate it or not, Coupang remains the indispensable giant of Korean e-commerce — battered, besieged, and still without a clear successor waiting in the wings. 2025-12-24 15:48:47

Presidential office to move back to Cheong Wa Dae early next week SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - President Lee Jae-myung is set to move into the sprawling compound of Cheong Wa Dae in central Seoul early next week, after vacating the current presidential office in Yongsan, his officials said on Wednesday. The relocation of the presidential office comes roughly three years and seven months after former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached earlier this year, moved it to the nondescript Defense Ministry building in Yongsan on the first day of his inauguration in May 2022. As the presidential office completes its relocation, a symbolic flag representing the country's head of state will be raised at Cheong Wa Dae again starting next Monday. The flag features the national flower mugunghwa or rose of Sharon at the center, flanked by two mythical phoenixes facing each other. 2025-12-24 15:40:13