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Lee Kyung-min

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Tech & Science

Seoul Fintech Week 2026 brings AI finance and startup investment into focus

Seoul is bringing financial technology startups and global industry leaders together this week to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) could reshape personal finance while opening new paths to investment and growth for emerging businesses. Seoul Fintech Week 2026 began Monday and continues through Wednesday at Conrad Seoul and around the International Finance Centre in Yeouido, with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Financial Supervisory Service and Shinhan Financial Group among its co-hosts. Held under the theme “AI-driven digital finance transformation: Finance that knows me,” the event will examine personalized financial services, AI agents and data-driven tools designed to tailor services to individual users. The opening ceremony on Monday included a speech by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and awards for three companies selected through the Finovation Challenge, a city-backed program supporting fintech startups through industry partnerships and real-world technology testing. Six companies — Advisor Lauren, Kleon, Momstay, First Value, Caring and Fairy Tech — were candidates for

Oct 26, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul Fintech Week 2026 brings AI finance and startup investment into focus
Others

Seoul pop-up puts 19 young entrepreneurs' ideas to public test

Nineteen aspiring entrepreneurs will put their business ideas to the test in Seoul’s Ikseon-dong neighborhood Friday, showcasing products and services developed over five months in a city-backed program designed to turn local culture and resources into viable businesses. The Seoul Metropolitan Government said the pop-up event will run from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the first floor of Stage X Ikseon, where visitors can try prototypes, offer feedback and help participants assess market demand. The teams are part of the fifth cohort of Local in Seoul, a program that trains young entrepreneurs to build brands rooted in the character, stories and resources of local neighborhoods. Since their selection in June, participants have prepared business ideas in four local commercial districts: Magok Art Street in Gangseo District, Konkuk Youth Street in Gwangjin District, Noryangjin Mannaro in Dongjak District and Gwanghui Road in Jung District. The projects range from tea-tasting kits inspired by East Asian traditions to interactive activities built around board games, emotion cards and illustrated

Oct 26, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Seoul pop-up puts 19 young entrepreneurs' ideas to public test
Companies

Hyundai Glovis teams up with Shopee to take K-beauty overseas

Hyundai Glovis is joining forces with Shopee to help Korean beauty brands navigate the logistical hurdles of overseas expansion, betting that smoother shipping and customs procedures can turn global demand for K-beauty into a larger business opportunity. The logistics company said Monday it began operating under an end-to-end logistics partnership with Shopee Korea this month, covering the full supply chain for Korean cosmetics brands seeking to sell through the e-commerce platform. Shopee, which has about 700 million users, is a leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan and has a significant presence in Brazil, according to Hyundai Glovis. The partnership will provide sellers with a single point of contact for domestic cargo pickup, air and sea freight, import and export customs clearance, local regulatory approvals and fulfillment services. Hyundai Glovis said the integrated system is intended to shorten delivery times and reduce the burden on cosmetics companies that have traditionally relied on separate providers for different stages of shipping, often creating bottlen

Oct 26, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Hyundai Glovis teams up with Shopee to take K-beauty overseas
Companies

Alibaba platforms generate estimated $10.4 bil. in domestic output

Alibaba Group’s e-commerce platforms generated an estimated 14.17 trillion won ($10.4 billion) in production across Korea’s economy last year through sales of Korean-registered brands to Chinese consumers, according to research released Monday. The study by Choi Seong-jin, a professor at Hanyang University, examined how the Chinese marketplaces Taobao and Tmall, along with other Alibaba platforms, help Korean companies reach overseas customers and expand domestic business opportunities. Transactions involving Korean-registered brands on Taobao and Tmall totaled about 7.1 trillion won in 2025, while sales attributed to Korea after adjustments for overseas distribution and service margins amounted to about 5.43 trillion won, the research found. The estimated domestic value-added effect was 5.06 trillion won, while related employment was estimated at 42,300 jobs. “Overseas sales of Korean brands through global online platforms can expand export opportunities while creating new demand for domestic industries, including raw-material suppliers, packaging manufacturers and logistics servi

Oct 26, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Alibaba platforms generate estimated $10.4 bil. in domestic output
Companies

Nongshim gives Shin Ramyun fine-dining twist with top LA chef

Nongshim is taking Shin Ramyun beyond the instant noodle bowl, teaming up with a celebrated Los Angeles chef to give its signature spicy noodles a fine-dining makeover as the brand marks its 40th anniversary. The Korean food company said it was the only Korean food company participating in the Los Angeles Times’ “101 Best Restaurants in L.A.” event, held from Friday through Saturday at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. The company operated a promotional booth featuring a Korean-inspired tasting lounge, an oversized Shin Ramyun package and anniversary-themed installations designed for photographs. The centerpiece was a pair of dishes developed with Jihee Kim, owner-chef of Perilla LA, a Korean restaurant selected for the Los Angeles Times’ list of the city’s 101 best restaurants for four consecutive years, from 2023 through 2026. One dish, “Shin Ramyun Original with Octopus & Slow-Roasted Tomato,” combines the noodles with octopus, roasted tomatoes and perilla leaves to deepen their savory flavor. The second, “Shin Ramyun Rosé with Burrata & Gim,” pairs the crea

Oct 26, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Nongshim gives Shin Ramyun fine-dining twist with top LA chef
Politics

Korean family groups demand overhaul of national population plan

A coalition of 180 civic organizations is urging the government to rewrite its first national population strategy, saying the plan risks sidelining families even as Korea confronts persistently low birthrates and mounting demographic challenges. The Federation for Korean Families made six demands at a news conference, Friday, at the National Assembly, calling for clearer fertility targets, stronger family support and a dedicated body to coordinate policies on marriage, childbirth, child-rearing and caregiving. The group said the government's first National Population Strategy Basic Plan fails to include a target for raising the total fertility rate, despite a previously announced goal of reaching 1.0 child per woman by 2030. The federation said indicators such as life satisfaction and labor force participation cannot, by themselves, show whether people who want to marry and have children are facing fewer obstacles. It called on the government to pair demographic targets with measures addressing housing costs, child-rearing expenses, work-life balance and access to caregiving time, arguin

Oct 26, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korean family groups demand overhaul of national population plan
Global Community

Korean diaspora network targets export growth for regional businesses

A global network of Korean diaspora business leaders will connect 160 regional companies with overseas buyers this week in an effort to open new export markets for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Overseas Koreans Agency said Monday it would host the two-day World Korean Business Export Consultation on Oct. 27-28 in Wonju, Gangwon Province, and Daejeon, in partnership with the two local governments. About 160 buyers, including 20 members of the OK-Biz business advisory group, will take part alongside 160 SMEs from the two regions. The event will offer tailored, one-on-one business consultations in sectors including food, beauty, information technology and biotechnology, matching companies with buyers based on their industries and commercial needs. The initiative aims to turn connections forged through the 24th World Korean Business Convention into concrete opportunities for regional businesses seeking to expand overseas, drawing on the advisory group's international business networks. The agency has previously worked with local governments, including Busan, Jeonnam-Gwangju S

Oct 26, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Korean diaspora network targets export growth for regional businesses
K-pop

TWICE's Nayeon to make solo return with 'NA-sty' on Nov. 20

Na-yeon of K-pop girl group TWICE will release her new solo project, “NA-sty,” on Nov. 20, marking her first solo comeback in about two years and five months. JYP Entertainment announced the release Monday through the group’s official social media channels, unveiling a logo animation featuring angelic halos and wing-shaped icons that change colors against a moving screensaver. The new single, scheduled to drop at 2 p.m., follows Nayeon’s two previous solo releases, "IM NAYEON" in June 2022 and "NA" in June 2024. The title “NA-sty” blends a play on Nayeon’s name and personal style with the English word “nasty,” giving the project a cheeky edge that reflects her intention to showcase a wider range of attitudes and personalities. The album is expected to highlight both her signature bright, lovable image and a more daring, candid side, according to JYP Entertainment. Na-yeon established herself as a successful solo act with her debut extended play, “IM NAYEON,” and its lead single, “POP!,” which peaked at No. 7 on Billboard’s main albums chart, the Billboard 200,

Oct 26, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
TWICE's Nayeon to make solo return with 'NA-sty' on Nov. 20
People & Events

Volunteers earn hours for future care as Seoul district pioneers exchange model

In the neighborhoods of western Seoul, an hour spent helping an elderly neighbor navigate a smartphone touchscreen could soon buy a ride to a hospital appointment or a helping hand with daily chores down the road. Seodaemun District is preparing to launch a local "time bank" system, allowing residents to earn time credits by volunteering and redeem them later for help from their neighbors. The ambitious initiative aims to transform the traditionally one-way dynamic of municipal welfare into a reciprocal, community-driven safety net. Under the framework, every hour a resident spends assisting someone in the community earns one hour of "time currency." Unlike traditional volunteer programs that draw a strict line between givers and receivers, the time bank operates on absolute equality: anyone can offer a skill they have and request support when they run into daily hurdles. The program comes as urban districts across Korea grapple with declining volunteer participation, an aging population and a sharp rise in single-person households. By creating a formalized neighborhood network for micr

Oct 25, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Volunteers earn hours for future care as Seoul district pioneers exchange model
Companies

Export push seeks to breathe new life into Korea's hollowed-out mining towns

Deep in the rugged, forested mountains of Gangwon Province, the hollowed-out shafts of abandoned anthracite mines stand as quiet monuments to Korea’s industrial birth. During their mid-20th-century heyday, these bustling towns fueled the nation’s postwar economic miracle, powering domestic hearths and heavy manufacturing alike. But as Korea’s energy needs shifted toward oil and gas in the 1980s, the region entered a long, steep decline. While a handful of major mines remained operational into the 2020s, the last state-run mine officially closed its shafts in mid-2025 — leaving behind steep valleys marked by demographic collapse and crumbling local economies. Now, trade officials and local leaders are trying a new approach to revive these quiet valleys: connecting their remaining small businesses directly to overseas markets. Rather than relying solely on local tourism or government aid, a national trade showcase last week in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, brought small-town entrepreneurs face-to-face with international buyers. At the center of the event was a targeted exhibition flo

Oct 24, 2026By Lee Kyung-min
Export push seeks to breathe new life into Korea's hollowed-out mining towns
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