From Beijing startup to global powerhouse: China's ByteDance rewrites rules of social media Editor's Note: This article is the 34th installment in our series on Asia's top 100 companies, exploring the strategies, challenges, and innovations driving the region's most influential corporations. SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - When Zhang Yiming founded ByteDance in a modest Beijing apartment in 2012, his goal was deceptively simple: build software that could serve people the information they didn’t know they wanted. A decade later, his company has become the world’s most powerful social media empire, eclipsing even Silicon Valley’s titans. In the second quarter of 2025, ByteDance’s revenue surged to $48 billion, outpacing Meta’s $42.3 billion. TikTok, its short-video app born out of the $800 million acquisition of Musical.ly, now commands more than 1.6 billion monthly users and has redefined how people, especially young ones, spend their time online. The company’s valuation, bolstered by employee share buybacks, has swelled to more than $330 billion. ByteDance’s rise has been fueled by an uncanny ability to predict — and shape — what people want to watch. Its AI-powered recommendation engine, endlessly feeding users with tailored clips, has been hailed as one of the most sophisticated algorithms in tech. For many, TikTok is not just another app but a cultural engine: a place where pop songs take off, comedians launch careers, and political debates are reframed in seconds-long bursts. Yet the company’s ascent has also thrust it into the center of geopolitical fault lines. In Washington, where lawmakers worry that TikTok could be used as a tool of influence by Beijing, Congress passed legislation ordering ByteDance to sell its U.S. operations. U.S. President Donald Trump extended the deadline for a sale to Sept. 17, with investment firms including Susquehanna International Group, General Atlantic and KKR circling as potential buyers. The standoff has cast doubt over TikTok’s future in its most lucrative foreign market. For now, the company is thriving. Its revenues flow from advertising, live commerce, and creator partnerships, with TikTok Shop alone recording $33.4 billion in merchandise sales last year. Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew, who oversees global operations, presides over a sprawling but flat organization that prizes experimentation and data-driven decisions. ByteDance is also looking beyond social media. The company has made forays into education technology, enterprise software, and e-commerce, while pledging to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. It has rolled out youth protection measures and content moderation systems, even as critics say they do little to blunt the addictive pull of its apps. The story of ByteDance is, in many ways, the story of a new era of the internet — one where Chinese companies are no longer content to imitate Silicon Valley but are setting the pace of global innovation. From Zhang’s original news aggregation app Toutiao to TikTok’s global dominance, ByteDance has shown that a Chinese startup can capture the world’s attention, and hold it. As the Sept. 17 divestment deadline looms, the company’s future in the United States hangs in the balance. Whether it emerges as a fractured giant or a stronger, more globalized enterprise will help define not only ByteDance’s trajectory, but also the future of social media itself. 2025-09-04 10:50:01

PHOTOS: Severe drought in Gangneung SEOUL, September 04 (AJP) - Amid a severe drought, the city of Gangneung and its surrounding region in Gangwon Province have been forced to implement drastic water conservation measures. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Obong Reservoir, the primary water source for the area, has seen its water levels drop to critical lows. In response, the city has closed 47 public restrooms and suspended operations at three swimming pools. To combat the crisis, the government has mobilized a total of 112 vehicles and pieces of equipment, including 71 fire trucks and four military water tankers, to shuttle water to the reservoir. Additionally, officials have stockpiled 1.41 million bottles of water for residents, with supplies being delivered to schools and senior care facilities. 2025-09-04 10:00:36

Kim Jong-un's appearance at Beijing parade with Xi and Putin draws US criticism SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stood alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Beijing's "Victory Day" parade on Wednesday, a rare display that United States lawmaker Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) called "provocative," while drawing close attention in Seoul. The parade, held at Beijing's Tiananmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, showcased China's military power and its narrative of resilience against foreign aggression. Xi, in his keynote speech, hailed China's wartime victory as "building a Great Wall of flesh and blood" and said humanity again faces a choice between "peace and war, dialogue and confrontation, win-win cooperation and a zero-sum game." Though he did not mention the U.S., the remarks were widely seen as a veiled challenge amid escalating U.S.-China rivalry. For the first time in 66 years, the three leaders linked by Cold War-era ties appeared together on the same stage. In Washington, Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) described the display as "provocative" and said Kim's appearance with Xi and Putin reflected what she called the "Unholy Alliance" of authoritarian regimes. “When Kim Jong Un rallies with like-minded authoritarian regimes, it raises serious questions about his willingness to negotiate with the United States,” she told AJP in a written interview. President Donald Trump, writing on Truth Social, urged Xi to recognize America's role in World War II, saying “Many Americans died in China’s quest for Victory and Glory" and should be honored for their sacrifice. Kim's trip marked his first visit to China since January 2019 and his first appearance on a multilateral diplomatic stage since assuming power in late 2011. South Korean experts said Kim's presence amounted to a successful debut on the multilateral stage. Cheong Seong-chang, vice president of the Sejong Institute, said Kim received protocol second only to Putin, walking to Xi's left during the procession and sitting in a prominent position on the Tiananmen reviewing stand. The treatment, he said, exceeded what then-South Korean President Park Geun-hye received when she attended the 2015 parade. Cheong also pointed to Kim's history of meeting Xi before engaging Washington. In both 2018 and 2019, he traveled to Beijing shortly before holding summits with Trump. This suggests Kim may again be seeking leverage before potential talks, though it was unlikely to have been the central focus of his visit. Kim's daughter Ju-ae accompanied him to Beijing but was absent from the parade. Her presence abroad nonetheless reinforced speculation that she is being groomed as his successor. The rare display underscored what some see as a widening geopolitical divide, placing China, North Korea and Russia on one side and Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. on the other. While speculation has mounted over a possible trilateral meeting, experts say bilateral talks are more likely. Indeed, Kim and Putin held a bilateral summit on the day of the military parade, after attending a banquet and traveling together to the meeting venue. At the meeting, Putin thanked North Korean troops for fighting in Ukraine and described ties between Moscow and Pyongyang as "friendly and reliable," Russia's Tass news agency said. It was their third meeting in less than two years, following summits in Russia in September 2023 and in Pyongyang in June 2024. 2025-09-03 17:20:01

[[K-Pop]] K-pop dominates Netflix and Billboard with 'Demon Hunters' SEOUL, September 3 (AJP) - Netflix's animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" has become the global streaming giant's most-watched both film and show, while its main soundtrack topped Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart for a third consecutive week. According to Netflix's ranking website Tudum on Wednesday, the film logged 266 million cumulative views as of this week, overtaking the first season of "Squid Game" (265.2 million) and "Wednesday" (252.1 million). Released on June 20, the film depicts a fictional K-pop girl group protecting the world from evil spirits with music, blending South Korea's music industry with its shamanistic elements. Since Netflix tallies views within the first 91 days of release, the film still has two weeks remaining in its counting period, giving it room to extend its lead. At the same time, the film's soundtrack "Golden" retained its No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 for a third week, beating American singer Alex Warren's "Ordinary." It follows K-pop boy band Stray Kids' full-length album "Karma" topping the Billboard 200 this week, marking the first time in five years that K-pop acts have simultaneously led the singles and albums charts, last achieved in December 2020 by K-pop juggernaut BTS with their mini-album "BE" and its title track "Life Goes On." Released on the same day as the film, "Golden" debuted at No. 81 on the Hot 100 and then climbed steadily, remaining on the chart for 10 consecutive weeks. It also became the third K-pop song to hold the No. 1 spot for three weeks or more, following BTS's "Butter" (10 weeks) and "Dynamite" (3 weeks). Along with "Golden," three other songs from the film's soundtrack, "Your Idol," "Soda Pop," and "How It's Done," also placed in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week. Ian Eisendrath, the song's producer, said the success shows "people are connecting with the song in two ways, some fell in love with the film and that drove the song's popularity, while others discovered the song first, which in turn boosted the movie." 2025-09-03 17:16:44

Marriages with foreigners rise in South Korea, even as overall unions decline SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - South Korea is seeing a growing share of marriages involving foreign nationals, even as overall marriage rates have nearly halved over the past three decades, according to new government data released Wednesday. Statistics Korea said that marriages with foreign spouses rose 54 percent from 13,500 in 1995 to 20,800 in 2024. Such unions accounted for 9.3 percent of all marriages last year, up from 3.4 percent three decades earlier. Both Korean men marrying foreign women and Korean women marrying foreign men saw significant increases, rising 50.7 percent and 64.2 percent, respectively. The trend contrasts sharply with broader declines in marriage. Total unions peaked at 434,900 in 1996 before falling to 191,700 in 2022, the lowest in 30 years. The number has since inched up to 222,400 in 2024 but remains far below historic levels. South Korea’s demographic transformation extends beyond marriage. The number of newborns plunged from 715,000 in 1995 to 238,000 in 2024, with the total fertility rate dropping from 1.63 children per woman to just 0.75, among the lowest in the world. Average ages at first marriage climbed to 33.9 years for men and 31.6 years for women. Family patterns are shifting as well. First-born children now make up more than 60 percent of births, reflecting the rise of single-child households. Births outside of marriage, while still limited, grew nearly fivefold over the same period, reaching 5.8 percent. Parents are older on average, with mothers giving birth at 33.7 years and fathers at 36.1 years in 2024. Multiple births, including twins, also became more common, rising to 5.7 percent of all deliveries. 2025-09-03 17:10:26

Samsung's processor shows big leap, closing in on Qualcomm SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics’ next-generation Exynos processor has posted benchmark scores close to those of Qualcomm’s top chip, raising expectations that the company’s in-house silicon could return to its flagship smartphones next year. According to results released Wednesday by Geekbench and industry reports, the Exynos 2600 recorded a single-core score of 3,309 and a multi-core score of 11,256. Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite second-generation chip posted slightly higher results of 3,393 and 11,515, respectively. The results mark a sharp improvement from earlier Exynos 2600 tests, which had averaged 2,575 for single-core and 8,761 for multi-core performance. Industry analysts said the gains could clear the way for Samsung to reintroduce its own chips in the Galaxy S26, after leaving them out of the Galaxy S25 because of production issues. Samsung has been gradually expanding Exynos use across its product line. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is powered by the Exynos 2500, while the upcoming Galaxy S25 FE is expected to run on the Exynos 2400. Earlier this year, the company also shipped the Galaxy S24 with a mix of Snapdragon and Exynos processors, reviving its proprietary chip line after a two-year hiatus. Beyond smartphones, Samsung has secured design wins that could bolster its semiconductor business. Recent contracts include supplying Tesla with its next-generation AI6 chip and producing image sensors for Apple. The Exynos line is developed by Samsung’s System LSI division and manufactured by its foundry unit, both part of the Device Solutions arm, creating opportunities for synergy within the company’s chip operations. Strong chip sales are expected to lift earnings. Analysts forecast Samsung’s third-quarter operating profit at about 9 trillion won, with Kiwoom Securities projecting the Device Solutions division to post 4.2 trillion won — a more than seven-fold increase from the prior quarter, aided by Exynos 2500 shipments and growing demand for image sensors. 2025-09-03 16:13:54

South Korea signals fresh push to join Asia-Pacific trade bloc SEOUL, September 3 (AJP) - The South Korean government said on Wednesday that it would consider joining a sweeping Asia-Pacific trade pact, reviving long-dormant discussions as the country looks to diversify export markets amid heightened uncertainty over U.S. trade policy. The announcement came during an economic ministers’ meeting led by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol, where officials also outlined support measures for exporters hit by recent tariff negotiations with Washington. The government said it would “review CPTPP membership to secure an economic alliance network with like-minded countries.” South Korea first weighed joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, in 2021 under former President Moon Jae-in. The effort stalled in the face of fierce opposition from farmers worried about an influx of agricultural imports. The renewed interest reflects Seoul’s growing unease over its dependence on the United States and China, its two largest trading partners, as tensions between the superpowers deepen and protectionist policies spread. Officials say that large-scale free trade agreements are becoming more important for safeguarding access to global markets. The CPTPP, which took effect in 2018 after the United States pulled out of its predecessor pact, now counts 12 members including Japan, Canada, Australia, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Together, they represent about 14 percent of global economic output. Securing entry would not be straightforward. All existing members must approve new applicants, and Japan holds particular influence. While ties between Seoul and Tokyo have warmed under President Lee Jae Myung, longstanding disputes — including South Korea’s ban on Japanese seafood imports following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster — remain major obstacles. At home, agricultural groups are also expected to resist any move toward membership. For now, officials stressed that the government is only beginning a review process, with any formal application requiring extensive consultations and approval at the highest levels. 2025-09-03 15:27:28

LG Energy Solution lands major battery deal with Mercedes-Benz SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - LG Energy Solution said Wednesday that it had signed a major supply agreement with Mercedes-Benz to provide electric vehicle batteries for the German automaker’s European and U.S. operations. The deal, disclosed in a regulatory filing, covers two contracts. In Europe, LG Energy Solution will deliver 32 gigawatt-hours of batteries from August 2028 through late 2035. In the United States, it will supply 75 gigawatt-hours beginning in July 2029 and continuing through the end of 2037. Though financial terms were not revealed, industry analysts estimated the contracts’ value at roughly 15 trillion won, or $10.8 billion, based on their scale. The agreement is the second between the two companies. In October 2024, Mercedes signed a deal with LG Energy Solution for 50.5 gigawatt-hours of batteries. Under the new contract, the South Korean firm is expected to provide Mercedes with its 46-series cylindrical cells, a format gaining traction in the industry for its energy efficiency. Analysts said the agreement underscores LG Energy Solution’s ability to compete against Chinese rivals such as CATL and Farasis, which have been expanding aggressively with lower-cost offerings. 2025-09-03 15:21:47

Hyundai, Kia power Korean EV market to strong rebound SEOUL, September 03 (AJP) - South Korea’s electric vehicle market is showing signs of revival this year, fueled by a wave of new models from Hyundai and Kia after several years of declining sales. From January through July, registrations of new electric vehicles reached 118,047, according to data released Wednesday by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The figure represents a 46.7 percent increase from the same period a year earlier and pushed cumulative registrations past the 100,000 mark in just seven months. The rebound follows three years of contraction. Annual new registrations slipped to 164,324 units in 2022, then to 162,507 in 2023 and 146,734 in 2024. If momentum continues through the second half of the year, analysts say, annual sales could surpass 200,000 units for the first time. Domestic automakers remain at the center of the surge. Hyundai and Kia accounted for nearly 63 percent of new registrations in the first seven months of 2025, propelled by the launch of high-profile models including Hyundai’s Ioniq 9 and Ioniq 6, and Kia’s EV3 and PV5. Industry analysts credit the fresh lineup with restoring consumer confidence in the market, noting that competitive pricing and extended driving ranges have helped boost demand. 2025-09-03 14:40:45

South Korea's economy rebounds on strong exports, consumer spending SEOUL, September 3 (AJP) - South Korea’s economy returned to growth in the second quarter, lifted by a revival in consumer spending and a surge in exports, the central bank said Wednesday. Gross domestic product expanded 0.7 percent from the previous quarter, according to revised figures from the Bank of Korea. That was slightly higher than the 0.6 percent preliminary estimate issued in July and a reversal from the 0.2 percent contraction recorded in the first three months of the year. Private consumption rose 0.5 percent, fueled by higher spending on automobiles and medical services, while government outlays climbed 1.2 percent, largely because of health care expenditures. Exports jumped 4.5 percent, driven by strong global demand for semiconductors and petrochemical products. Still, weaknesses persisted in investment and construction. Facility investment slid 2.1 percent as companies cut spending on machinery and transportation equipment, including semiconductor manufacturing tools. Construction investment fell 1.2 percent, reflecting a slowdown in civil engineering projects. Manufacturing output advanced 2.5 percent, led by electronics and optical products. Services grew 0.8 percent as wholesale, retail, accommodation and transportation sectors recovered from first-quarter declines, even as the information and communication industry contracted. Overall construction activity contracted sharply by 3.6 percent, while output in electricity, gas and water supply tumbled 5.4 percent. Agriculture, forestry and fisheries shrank 1.2 percent. Domestic demand contributed 0.4 percentage points to growth, compared with a 0.5 percentage point drag in the first quarter. Net exports added 0.3 percentage points. Real gross national income rose 1 percent, outpacing GDP growth, as improved trade conditions offset weaker income from overseas, the central bank said. 2025-09-03 14:36:43