Industry

  • Navers shopping app emerges as Koreas fastest-growing e-commerce platform
    Naver's shopping app emerges as Korea's fastest-growing e-commerce platform SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - Naver’s shopping app, Naver Plus Store, has emerged as the fastest-growing platform in South Korea’s e-commerce market this year, according to market data. Data from Sensor Tower released on Tuesday showed that Naver Plus Store ranked first in both downloads and growth in South Korea between January and October, underscoring the success of Naver’s strategy to launch a standalone, AI-focused commerce application. While Coupang conti December 9, 2025
  • Leverage rises in Korean stock market amid expectations of year-end rally
    Leverage rises in Korean stock market amid expectations of year-end rally SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - South Korean retail investors have pushed margin loan balances above 27 trillion won for the first time, driven by growing expectations of a year-end “Santa rally." As of Dec. 5, outstanding margin loans stood at a record 27.076 trillion won. Margin loans — funds borrowed from securities firms to purchase stocks — are widely seen as a barometer of leveraged retail trading activity. Stock-backed loans also increased sharply, ris December 9, 2025
  • South Korea finds some goose down jackets sold online contain mostly duck feathers
    South Korea finds some 'goose down' jackets sold online contain mostly duck feathers SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - Several padded jackets marketed as "goose down" on major South Korean fashion platforms were found to contain little or no goose feathers, with some products made almost entirely of duck down, the country's consumer watchdog said on Tuesday. The Korea Consumer Agency examined 24 goose down jackets sold on four online fashion platforms — W Concept, Musinsa, Ably and Zigzag — and discovered that five products failed to meet the indu December 9, 2025
  • South Koreas growth could fall to near zero by 2040s: BOK governor
    South Korea's growth could fall to near zero by 2040s: BOK governor SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - South Korea’s potential economic growth rate could fall to near zero by the 2040s without major structural reforms, Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong warned on Tuesday. Speaking at a symposium co-hosted by the BOK and the Korean Finance Association, Rhee said the country’s potential growth rate has slowed sharply from around 5 percent in the early 2000s to below 2 percent in recent years. Rhee attributed the deceleration to a shrink December 9, 2025
  • Police raid e-commerce giant Coupangs Seoul offices in data breach probe
    Police raid e-commerce giant Coupang's Seoul offices in data breach probe SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - Implying full-scale government scrutiny, South Korean police on Tuesday raided Coupang’s Seoul offices over the massive data breach that exposed the personal information of an estimated 33.7 million accounts. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Cyber Investigation Division began the search-and-seizure at around 11 a.m. at Coupang’s offices in Songpa-gu. A 17-member investigative team, led by a superintendent-level chief, was deploye December 9, 2025
  • South Koreas single-person households top 8 million for first time
    South Korea's single-person households top 8 million for first time SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - The number of single-person households in South Korea surpassed 8 million for the first time last year, with people aged 70 and older accounting for the largest share, according to government data released on Tuesday. A report by the National Data Agency showed the country recorded 8.045 million one-person households, representing 36.1 percent of all households. The proportion has risen steadily since 2019. People aged 70 and above accounted for December 9, 2025
  • South Koreas MegazoneCloud expands US push amid AI, cloud services boom
    South Korea's MegazoneCloud expands US push amid AI, cloud services boom SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - South Korea’s MegazoneCloud is accelerating its expansion in the United States, targeting $300 million in revenue next year as demand for artificial intelligence and cloud migration continues to rise. The company said it will deepen cooperation with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and expand its U.S. workforce and sales network to drive growth. U.S. revenue stood at $29 million last year. The expansion plan was unveiled at the annual AWS re:Invent c December 9, 2025
  • K-leggings stretch across Asia as XEXYMIX, Andar accelerate regional expansion
    K-leggings stretch across Asia as XEXYMIX, Andar accelerate regional expansion SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - South Korean athleisure brands known for form-fitting designs tailored to Asian body types are gaining strong traction across Southeast Asia, riding the broader “K-everything” wave sweeping the region. XEXYMIX, led by Chief Executive Lee Soo-yeon, said Tuesday it recently wrapped up a three-day pop-up in Jakarta — a key step in deepening its presence in Indonesia, one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing fitness and wellness market December 9, 2025
  • Ssangyong E&C secures hospital construction project in Singapore
    Ssangyong E&C secures hospital construction project in Singapore SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - South Korea's Ssangyong Engineering & Construction has secured a major hospital construction contract from Singapore’s Ministry of Health. The company said on Tuesday it won a contract worth $580 million to build the outpatient building at Alexandria Hospital, as part of a joint venture in which it holds a 40 percent stake alongside Japan’s Shimizu and Singapore’s Kimly. The project includes a three-level basement and a 12- December 9, 2025
  • South Korea weighs stockpiling as copper prices break records
    South Korea weighs stockpiling as copper prices break records SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - Copper prices have surged to record highs as supply disruptions and rising demand from emerging technologies tighten the global market. The South Korean government plans to secure a 60-day stockpile of key minerals by next year. Lawmaker An Do-geol of the Democratic Party has called for an additional 39,000 tons of copper reserves over the next five years to support expanding power grids and data center infrastructure. According to the London Meta December 9, 2025