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Lee Kyung-min

Korea Times AI content 2 team Reporter

Value context and insight. lkm@koreatimes.co.kr

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Companies

Nexen Tire ramps up European logistics footprint

Nexen Tire is expanding its logistics footprint in Europe, opening a larger automated warehouse at its manufacturing plant in Zatec, Czech Republic, as the company seeks to strengthen supply stability and respond more quickly to customer demand across the region. The company said Thursday that the expanded finished-goods warehouse has begun full-scale operations at its European production facility. The investment comes as Nexen Tire increases production capacity in Europe and looks to build a more efficient supply chain for customers across the continent. Nexen Tire launched the first phase of operations at the Czech plant in 2019 and expanded the site with a second production facility in 2024. The plant now has annual production capacity of about 10 million tires, prompting the company to expand its storage and logistics infrastructure to accommodate rising output and growing regional demand. Construction of the expanded warehouse began in October 2024. The new facility has a total floor area of 7,104 square meters and stands 51 meters tall. With the expansion, tire storage capacity increa

Jun 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Nexen Tire ramps up European logistics footprint
Travel & Food

Korea rebrands as weekend getaway to draw returning Chinese tourists

A growing number of Chinese travelers are turning Korea into a weekend destination, and tourism officials are moving quickly to capitalize on the trend with new marketing campaigns aimed at encouraging shorter but more frequent trips. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it is strengthening promotions tied to expanded multiple-entry visa programs, highlighting weekend travel, regional tourism and solo travel experiences for visitors from China and Southeast Asia. Since March 30, Korea and the Ministry of Justice have eased visa requirements for travelers who have previously visited Korea, issuing five-year multiple-entry visas to eligible Chinese and Southeast Asian nationals and 10-year multiple-entry visas to residents of 14 major Chinese cities, the ministry said. According to data from Korea Visa Application Centers in China, the number of general tourism multiple-entry visas issued in April rose 10 percent from March following the policy change. Chinese online travel platform Ctrip also recorded an 80 percent increase in multiple-entry visa applications in April compared

Jun 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea rebrands as weekend getaway to draw returning Chinese tourists
People & Events

K-pop’s biggest stars head to Incheon as Seoul Music Awards goes global

Incheon is set to become the center of the K-pop world Saturday as many of the industry’s most prominent acts gather for the 35th annual Seoul Music Awards. The ceremony, a long-standing fixture of the Korean music calendar, is expected to reach audiences in some 150 countries through an ambitious global livestreaming operation. Local officials and the Incheon Tourism Organization said the event will take place at the Inspire Arena, a sprawling venue widely recognized as the country’s largest indoor entertainment complex. For the western port city that has spent years developing its infrastructure to capture a larger share of the lucrative international event market, the awards show represents a high-profile test of its municipal capabilities. The ceremony, hosted by newspaper Sports Seoul and overseen by the event’s organizing committee, determines its winners through a metric-driven formula that balances digital streaming data, physical album sales, panel evaluations by industry experts and popular sentiment gathered through global fan voting. This year’s lineup features a gen

Jun 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
K-pop’s biggest stars head to Incheon as Seoul Music Awards goes global
K-pop

BTS expands world tour to 88 shows, adding Jakarta, Bulacan

BTS has added two concerts to its ongoing “BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG,’” expanding the trek to a total of 88 performances, the group said through global fan platform Weverse. The newly announced dates include additional shows in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Dec. 29 and in Bulacan, the Philippines, on March 16 next year. The Jakarta stop had originally been scheduled for Dec. 26 and 27 at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, but demand prompted organizers to add a third night on Dec. 29, according to the announcement. In Bulacan, the group had been set to perform on March 13 and 14 at Philippine Sports Stadium before adding the March 16 concert. The latest additions continue a series of expanded stops across the tour as BTS draws strong demand in multiple markets. The group previously added one extra performance each in Tampa, Florida; Stanford, California; and Las Vegas in the United States, as well as in Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Melbourne, Australia. BTS recently completed its stop at Busan Asiad Main Stadium on Friday and Saturday, performing for approximately

Jun 18, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
BTS expands world tour to 88 shows, adding Jakarta, Bulacan
South Korea

Korea unveils plan to transform regional universities into tech hubs

d Korea’s push to rebalance growth beyond the capital region took a major step forward Wednesday as the government unveiled a plan to select three flagship national universities for intensive support, aiming to transform them into regional powerhouses tied directly to strategic industries and artificial intelligence (AI). The Ministry of Education said that it finalized its 2026 package support university selection plan during an interagency meeting at Government Complex Sejong. The initiative is part of the government’s “10 Seoul National Universities” strategy, which seeks to strengthen flagship national universities as hubs linking industry, academia, research institutions and local governments. Under the plan, three universities will be chosen this year for concentrated support across undergraduate education, graduate programs and research institutes connected to regional growth engines and AI development. The ministry said the selected universities, together with partner institutions participating in a regional university-sharing system, are expected to receive roughly 100 bi

Jun 17, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korea unveils plan to transform regional universities into tech hubs
People & Events

Busan prepares to turn its main stadium into global K-pop hub

Busan is preparing to turn its main stadium into a weeklong showcase of K-pop, regional culture and global fandom as it celebrates the 10th anniversary of its flagship festival, a milestone that organizers say signals the city’s evolution into a major cultural export hub. Busan Metropolitan City said Wednesday that the 2026 Busan One Asia Festival with NOL will be held across multiple venues beginning Friday, with a headlining “Big Concert” scheduled for June 27 and June 28 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium. The festival, which launched in 2016, has grown into one of Korea’s largest K-pop-centered cultural events, combining live performances with exhibitions and interactive cultural programming designed to attract international visitors. A separate “Park Concert” will take place Friday at Hwamyeong Ecological Park, offering a free daytime program featuring local musicians and mainstream artists performing against the backdrop of the Nakdong River. The Big Concert will bring together a broad lineup of K-pop artists over two nights, including AKMU, Yunho of TVXQ, Treasure, Haechan of

Jun 17, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Busan prepares to turn its main stadium into global K-pop hub
Travel & Food

Munich’s iconic Oktoberfest is coming to Seoul — with official approval from Germany

The spirit of Munich’s world-famous Oktoberfest is set to arrive in Seoul this fall, as organizers prepare to bring Germany’s celebrated folk festival to the Korean capital, with official authorization to use the Oktoberfest name. Deutsche Oktoberfest Korea said Wednesday that Oktoberfest Seoul 2026 will take place from Sept. 11-20 at the Oil Tank Culture Park in Seoul’s Mapo District. The organizer said it recently obtained approval from the City of Munich to use the “Oktoberfest Seoul” name, marking a significant step in its effort to recreate the traditions and atmosphere of Germany’s largest cultural festival. The event is intended to introduce the heritage of Oktoberfest, one of Bavaria’s best-known cultural traditions, while expanding cultural exchanges between Korea and Germany. Visitors will be able to sample beers associated with Munich’s Oktoberfest, including Paulaner, alongside traditional Bavarian foods such as schweinshaxe, or pork knuckle, pretzels and weisswurst, or white sausage. The festival will also feature German folk music performances, appearances by

Jun 17, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Munich’s iconic Oktoberfest is coming to Seoul — with official approval from Germany
Companies

Kia’s PV5 electric van wins top UK honor

Kia’s PV5 Passenger, an electric multipurpose vehicle that blurs the line between family transportation and commercial mobility, has been named Best Large Car at the 2026 Autocar Awards, a recognition that underscores the company’s growing influence in the global electric vehicle market. Kia said Wednesday that the PV5 Passenger received the award from Autocar, one of Britain’s best-known automotive publications, which praised the vehicle’s futuristic design, refined driving experience and efficient use of interior space. The judges said the model establishes a new benchmark for electric multipurpose vehicles and light commercial vehicles by combining strong performance, competitive driving range and value for money on Kia’s dedicated E-GMP.S platform. Autocar also highlighted the vehicle’s innovative interpretation of commercial mobility, pointing to its advanced styling, intelligent cabin layout and overall quality. Mark Tisshaw, editor of Autocar, said the PV5 delivers an exceptional mobility experience through its spacious and versatile interior while offering a surprisin

Jun 17, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Kia’s PV5 electric van wins top UK honor
Companies

Taihan Cable lands $97 mil. deal as Korea overhauls its power grid

Taihan Cable & Solution has secured a 146.3 billion won ($96.5 million) contract for a key national power transmission project, strengthening its position in the fast-growing high-voltage direct current, or HVDC, market as Korea pushes to expand long-distance electricity networks. The company said Wednesday that it won an order for the second phase of Korea Electric Power Corp.’s 500-kilovolt HVDC Donghaean-Dong Seoul transmission project. Under the turnkey contract, Taihan Cable will manufacture, supply and install 500-kilovolt HVDC XLPE cables and related equipment for the project. The Donghaean-Dong Seoul HVDC network is designed to transport electricity generated by nuclear, thermal and renewable energy facilities along Korea’s east coast to the Seoul metropolitan area, where power demand remains concentrated. As part of the project, Taihan Cable will supply and install approximately 86 kilometers of 500-kilovolt HVDC XLPE cable systems. The contract marks another milestone in the company’s effort to expand beyond conventional transmission systems and deepen its presence in adva

Jun 17, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Taihan Cable lands $97 mil. deal as Korea overhauls its power grid
Lifestyle

Everland’s famous twin pandas become Korea's newest travel guides

Korea’s obsession with its resident giant pandas is moving out of the bamboo enclosures and onto the open road. Everland, the country’s largest theme park, announced Wednesday the launch of “Rui & Hui’s Journey Across Korea,” an expansive, monthslong marketing campaign that aims to convert raw fandom into domestic tourism. The initiative centers on the park's beloved twin giant pandas, Rui Bao and Hui Bao, positioning the animals as fictional travel guides spearheading a nationwide tour of six distinct provinces. By blending regional storytelling with limited-edition merchandise, the project seeks to entice urbanites into exploring the country's lesser-known locales. The introductory leg of the campaign strikes a deeply nostalgic chord for the twins' massive following. The tour begins in Jeolla Province — the hometown of Kang Cheol-won, the veteran Everland zookeeper affectionately known by fans as "grandpa panda." Timed to capitalize on the summer vacation season, this opening chapter embraces the trend of "chonkangseu," a trendy Korean portmanteau that combines the word ch

Jun 17, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Everland’s famous twin pandas become Korea's newest travel guides
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