TrendingOct 26
in Korea

• 01

  Olive Young's No. 1 goes to hair — Mise-en-scène Perfect Serum takes No. 1, new brand "Situea" debuts at Nos. 3, 15 and 80

  This is the Olive Young sales ranking viewed midday on Oct 26. No. 1 is the Mise-en-scène Perfect Serum (15ml bonus promotion, from ₩9,400). No. 2 is the newly entered Curved Peptide BB Serum, and No. 3 is the Airy Mousse Velvet from new brand Situea, marked as an exclusive new item. Situea placed three products in the top 100: Glint Lip Glaze at No. 15 and Cloud Clay at No. 80. Mediheal Essential Mask Pack, No. 1 on the morning of the 25th, fell to No. 5.

  No. 1Sheet masks
• 05

  Masks — Mediheal falls from No. 1 to No. 5 but is still the top mask, Iso PDRN Peel Mask No. 23

  This is the Olive Young sales ranking viewed midday on Oct 26. Mediheal Essential Mask Pack, No. 1 the day before, fell to No. 5 but is still the highest among masks. Iso PDRN Peel Mask is No. 23, Menokin Bubble Mask No. 42 and Mediheal Hyper Gel Mask No. 45. Be Wants Hydrogel (No. 6 on the 25th) and Biodance (No. 76) were not found in the top 100.

  No. 1Sheet masks
• 99

  Patches — ear jewel patch from No. 16 to out of the top 100, only Care Plus Spot Patch at No. 99 left

  This is the Olive Young sales ranking viewed midday on Oct 26. The WBL Ear Therapy Acupressure Jewel Patch, No. 16 on the 25th, is not in the top 100. The only patch in the top 100 is the Care Plus Spot Patch at No. 99.

  No. 16Ear patches
• 07

  Makeup — Caradium Shadow Stick out of the top 100, Ofra Mini Highlighter No. 7 as top item, Situea lip at No. 15

  This is the Olive Young sales ranking viewed midday on Oct 26. The highest makeup item is the Ofra Slim Mini Highlighter at No. 7. New brand Situea's Glint Lip Glaze is No. 15 and the Ofra Highlighter Stick is No. 18. The Caradium Shining Pearl Shadow Stick (No. 7, the top makeup item on the 25th) fell out of the top 100.

  No. 7Eyeshadow
• 11

  Body — Tielle body cream No. 2 → No. 11, Dove Body Scrub No. 38, Vaseline PDRN No. 79

  This is the Olive Young sales ranking viewed midday on Oct 26. Tielle Perfume Nourishing Body Cream, No. 2 on the 25th, is No. 11. Dove Body Scrub is No. 38 (marked NEW), and Vaseline PDRN Body Lotion fell from No. 66 to No. 79.

  No. 2Body
• 14

  Moisturizing creams — Aestura Atobarrier365 No. 4 → No. 14 as top cream, La Roche-Posay Cicaplast No. 10 → No. 43

  This is the Olive Young sales ranking viewed midday on Oct 26. The highest moisturizing cream is Aestura Atobarrier365 Cream at No. 14 (No. 4 on the 25th). Zeroid Intensive Cream (yellow-tube edition) is No. 20, and La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume fell from No. 10 to No. 43.

  No. 4Season change
• 52

  Hwajamogg: Menokin Mist falls 34th to 98th, Yeonjak Prep Base at 52nd is the top item

  Based on Olive Young sales rankings checked midday Oct 26. The highest-ranked Hwajamogg product is the Yeonjak Prep Base at No. 52. Menokin Mist, which was 34th on the 25th, dropped to 98th.

  #34Makeup prep
• 48

  Sun care: Ataga Sun Serum drops out of top 100, Round Lab Birch 1+1 leads at No. 48

  Based on Olive Young sales rankings checked midday Oct 26. The top sun care item is the Round Lab Birch Sunscreen 1+1 set at No. 48 (43rd on the 25th). Ataga Snow Sun Serum, 31st on the 25th, fell out of the top 100.

  31stSuncare
• 19

  Characters and editions: Senka Onion Kungya 14th to 65th, Elastine 'Yumi's Cells' 19th, Zeroid Nureongi 20th

  Based on Olive Young sales rankings checked midday Oct 26. Among character and edition products, the Elastine 'Yumi's Cells' shampoo is highest at No. 19. The Zeroid Intensive Cream Nureongi edition is 20th and the Joeunneukkim Anpanman edition is 22nd. The Senka Onion Kungya edition, 14th on the 25th, fell to 65th. Sanrio-branded items in the top 100 are at zero for a second straight day.

  No. 14Editions
• 01

  Hair: Mise en Scene Perfect Serum is No. 1, all four Kerastase items are out of the top 100

  Based on Olive Young sales rankings checked midday Oct 26. The hair product Mise en Scene Perfect Serum is No. 1 overall. Anobe Hair Mask (6th), Urbantribe (16th) and Elastine (19th) follow. Kerastase, which had four items in the top 100 on the 25th, is gone entirely, and Labo-H Monchhichi slipped from 41st to 44th.

  No. 12Hair
• 17

  Edibles: Kozaa Plant-Based Melatonin Jelly leads at No. 17, Allderbetter Rice Protein Shake enters at 24th

  Based on Olive Young sales rankings checked midday Oct 26. Among ingestibles, the Kozaa Plant-Based Melatonin Jelly is highest at No. 17. Allderbetter Rice Protein Shake is a new entry at 24th, with Denps at 39th and Delish Shake at 96th. Han Sunhwa PICK Diet Probiotics, 51st on the 25th, is out of the top 100.

  #51Edibles
• 70

  Retinal and retinol: IOPE Retigection out of top 100, Innisfree Retinol Cica Ampoule leads at No. 70

  Based on Olive Young sales rankings checked midday Oct 26. The highest retinol product is the Innisfree Retinol Cica Ampoule at No. 70. Cellimax products sit at 72nd and 85th. IOPE Retigection Serum, 20th on the 25th, fell out of the top 100.

  No. 20Retinal
• 23

  PDRN: Anua PDRN Capsule Serum 9th to 64th, Iso PDRN Peel Mask leads at No. 23

  Based on Olive Young sales rankings checked midday Oct 26. The highest PDRN product is the Iso PDRN Peel Mask at No. 23. Anua PDRN Capsule Mist (Suzy's pick) is 51st, while Anua PDRN Capsule Serum, 9th on the 25th, dropped to 64th. Vaseline PDRN body lotion is 79th.

  No. 9PDRN
• 26

  Cleansing: Senka 14th to 65th, Manyo Factory Soybean Cleansing Oil leads at 26th, Beplain Mung Bean Foam 29th

  Based on Olive Young sales rankings checked midday Oct 26. The highest cleanser is the Manyo Factory Soybean Cleansing Oil at No. 26. Beplain Mung Bean Cleansing Foam is 29th, and the Senka Perfect Whip Onion Kungya edition, 14th on the 25th, fell to 65th.

  No. 14Cleansing
• 01

  Mondies Butt Cleanser stays No. 1 on Hwahae Rising, with COSRX Retinol Cream at No. 2 and Round Lab For Men Lotion at No. 5

  Mondies Butt Cleanser held No. 1 on the Hwahae Rising ranking (updated 2026.10.26). No. 2 is COSRX Retinol 0.1 Cream, No. 3 is Mondies Atopy Lotion, No. 4 is Aestura Atobarrier365 Cream, and No. 5 is Round Lab For Men Birch Lotion. Dictionist Amino Acid Ampoule is a new entry at No. 11.

  No. 1Hwahae
• 04

  Aestura Atobarrier365 Cream stays 4th on Hwahae, but at Olive Young it goes from 4th to 14th

  On Hwahae's trending chart (Oct 25 update), Estra's Atobarrier365 cream (rating 4.68, 19,003 reviews) is No.4, the same as Oct 23. In the Olive Young ranking checked the same morning, the 80ml cream set is No.4 (No.3), so it is again in the top 10 on both charts. The same line's lotion fell to No.71 (No.26) at Olive Young; the Hydro Soothing cream is No.64 and the Hydro Essence No.88.

  No. 4barrier cream
• 09

  S.Nature moisturizer goes 6th to 9th on Hwahae, with the Olive Young-first launch serum out of the top 100 and the moisturizer at 33rd

  On Hwahae's trending chart (Oct 25 update), S.Nature's Aqua Squalane moisture cream (rating 4.58, 43,820 reviews) rose to No.6 from No.9 on Oct 23. At Olive Young the same morning, the brand's new Deep Aqua Squalane barrier serum is No.3 on a three-day pre-launch deal (₩37,000 → ₩19,900), while the cream set is No.47 (No.46). The brand's Aqua Oasis toner slipped to No.20 (No.18) on Hwahae, and Round Lab's birch lotion for men fell to No.8 (No.5).

  No. 6Moisture cream
• 07

  Torriden Dive-In Serum goes 10th to 7th on Hwahae, with the mask at 13th and toner at 20th, and the Olive Young serum bundle unchanged at 37th

  On Hwahae's trending chart (Oct 25 update), Torriden's Dive-In low-molecular hyaluronic acid serum (rating 4.66, 86,874 reviews) is No.10, unchanged from Oct 23. The same line's mask rose to No.14 (No.15) and its toner to No.19 (No.20), so three Dive-In products are in the top 20 again. At Olive Young the same morning, the Dive-In serum set rose to No.37 (No.42), and Torriden's sheet mask 10-pack is No.74.

  No. 10Hyaluronic acid

• All four convenience chains report beauty sales — CU color cosmetics +212.1%, GS25 minis +108.3%, 7-Eleven +18%, Emart24 +20%

  According to IT Chosun (Oct 24), CU's color cosmetics sales rose 212.1% in January–August and total cosmetics 32.5% in January–September, with 70% of mini lip and tint buyers in their teens and 20s; it has about 1,000 beauty-focused stores. Dong-A Ilbo the same day put CU's +212.1% at January–July, so the two reports differ on the period. GS25's mini-size cosmetics rose 108.3% in January–September, and it sells Dongkook's Madeca21 at a flat ₩3,000 on dedicated shelves in about 500 stores. 7-Eleven's beauty sales rose 18% and Emart24's cosmetics 20%. Dong-A also reported that pharmacy platform Baropharm's 'Pharmacy Beauty Zone' passed 200 locations in September, and that Daiso opened a store near Konkuk University with about 80% of its goods in beauty.

  Convenience-store beautyNew

• TONYMOLY moves into convenience stores — in 1,248 emart24 stores, aiming for 2,500 beauty-specialty stores by year-end

  According to Hansbiz (10.23), TONYMOLY said on the 23rd that it has entered 1,248 of about 5,500 emart24 stores nationwide, including the health/beauty/fashion specialty 'All Day Care Lab' store. All Day Care Lab, which first opened in Sinseol-dong, Seoul on October 16, carries 48 color items for lips, eyes, cheeks and cushions, including eight 'Perfect Lips Shocking Lip Mini' shades, plus six sheet masks, while beauty-specialty stores with dedicated beauty shelves sell the eight Shocking Lip Mini shades. The Shocking Lip Mini is a smaller version of the full-size product, with two emart24-exclusive shades, 'Heart Rum Shocking' and 'Coco Balm Shocking', added. TONYMOLY plans to expand to 2,500 emart24 beauty-specialty stores by year-end and then put products in general stores' household-goods corners. The company said convenience stores are emerging as a channel where young people and foreign tourists experience K-beauty. The article gives no prices.

  1,248 storesConvenience storesNew

• Yuhan's eight items join Daiso's "₩5,000 derma" — a 5% panthenol cream, as Daiso's derma sales grow 40%

  According to Financial News and News1 (Oct 22), Yuhan Corp. launched eight items in the Panthenol Barrier line of "Dermaplamin Rx," its derma skincare brand made exclusively for Daiso. The company said the products contain a "Cica Calming Complex" blending panthenol (up to 5%) with centella-derived probiotics, centella PDRN and tea tree oil, and that every product passed sensitive-skin irritation tests so it can be used on skin sensitized after dermatology procedures. The lead items are the Panthenol Barrier Ampoule (50㎖) and a 5% panthenol cream (60㎖), released alongside a low-pH bubble foam, cleansing milk, cream mist, moisture lotion, all-in-one multi-balm and cream mask pack. The articles do not list prices. According to Korea Economic Daily (Oct 18), Asung Daiso's derma-cosmetics sales from January to September rose about 40% from a year earlier, outpacing beauty overall (30%), and related items grew from about 80 to about 150. Sales of small beauty devices rose about 80%. The same article said a niacinamide 10% 30㎖ ampoule that sells online for low-₩10,000s to ₩30,000-range costs ₩5,000 at Daiso with the same concentration and size, and quoted an expert saying quality trust is key for functional products applied to the skin.

  8 itemsDaisoNew

• Even "Mounjaro volume" is a target — Olive Young's Advanced Derma sales +80% from April to August, stores 650 → 1,160

  According to JoongAng Ilbo (Oct 21), Olive Young's "Advanced Derma" high-function skincare category, launched with Korean pharma companies in 650 stores in March, reached 1,160 stores by September, and August sales were more than 80% above April, right after launch. Dong-A Pharm, Dongkook Pharm, Taeguk Pharm and Pharma Research are among the brands. Musinsa Beauty Hongdae, opened Sep 11, devotes its entire basement to "Pharmacy Beauty" linked with Onnuri Pharmacy, and its online store now separates derma from skincare to show some 20 pharma-led high-function brands; its standalone Seongsu beauty store opening next month will also weight derma heavily. Hyundai Department Store opened "Khōde," a functional beauty select shop with 60-odd derma brands, at its Pangyo store on Sep 18. Per Euromonitor, Korea's dermo-cosmetics market roughly doubled in five years from 798.2 billion won in 2020 to 1.5727 trillion won in 2025, and Amorepacific said combined sales of Estra and Illiyoon topped 400 billion won last fiscal year (+67%). The article also cited brokerage analysis that facial volume loss from GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro is spilling over into cosmetics demand.

  +80%DermaNew

• Olive Young vs. Musinsa, beauty round two is Hongdae — Musinsa Beauty Hongdae made 250 million won in three days, Olive Young trims Myeongdong and adds Hongdae

  According to the Financial News (Oct 21), CJ Olive Young runs 8 stores in Myeongdong and 9 in Hongdae. It reshaped Myeongdong around large stores like Central Myeongdong Town, cutting one store from the first half, while opening a new Hongdae store this month with more planned this year. "Musinsa Beauty Hongdae," Musinsa's first standalone beauty store opened last month, made 250 million won in its first three days. It spans B1–2F and 400 pyeong (1,322㎡), in contrast to Olive Young's Hongdae stores, mostly under 100 pyeong. Per Cushman & Wakefield Korea, Hongdae's March sales rose 19% year on year, second only to Myeongdong (33%), and Hongdae drew 6.46 million foreign tourists last year, behind Myeongdong (14.27 million). In Seongsu, Olive Young is preparing another store on Yeonmujang-gil after "Beauty Mansion" in June, which would make seven nearby, while Musinsa runs 13 stores there and adds a standalone beauty store next month. Value beauty select shop Offbeauty opened its first Hongdae store in September, and Shinsegae's Chicor entered Hongdae last December.

  250 million wonHongdaeNew

• SME cosmetics exports hit $2.79 billion in Q3 (+28.6%): online exports double, Canada up 282%

  According to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Q3 SME export trends, reported by Kyunghyang Shinmun (Oct 26), SME cosmetics exports reached $2.79 billion, up 28.6% from a year earlier and the best Q3 on record. The Jan-Sep total is $7.65 billion (+26.4%). Online cosmetics exports rose 97.5% to $360 million. In Q3, exports to Europe were $670 million (+58.6%) and to North America $690 million (+33.1%); by country, Canada rose 282.4% and the UK 166.4%. Total SME exports were $33.4 billion (+8.8%).

  ExportsMinistry of SMEsNew

• Eye patches you wear out of the house: Dior and Chanel logo patches, and Debtie's Zara Larsson 'dolphin' patch on US TikTok Shop

  According to Dong-A Ilbo (Oct 26), under-eye patches are turning into 'show-off beauty' that people wear outside and post on social media. Dior, Chanel, Hailey Bieber's Rhode and Rare Beauty have released patches with logos or shapes. Among Korean brands, Laneige sells a PDRN hydrogel eye patch in the US, and Debtie, from Gudai Global, sells a dolphin-shaped 'Blue Peptide Eye Patch', the symbol of singer Zara Larsson, on US TikTok Shop and Shopify. Biodance and Medicube are also expanding their lines. The article gives no sales figures.

  Eye patchShow-off beautyNew

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• Panasonic EW-DP48 electric toothbrush launches in Korea — ₩379,000, 31,000 lateral strokes plus 20,000 sonic per minute

  According to ETNews (Oct 23), Panasonic launched its premium EW-DP48 electric toothbrush in Korea at ₩379,000. It makes about 31,000 side-to-side strokes a minute plus 20,000 floss-sonic vibrations. It weighs about 95g, fully charges in seven hours, and gives two minutes of use from a six-minute charge. The report does not name retailers.

  PanasonicElectric toothbrushNew

• iPhone Duo's first activation weekend — Star White takes 70%, KT's allocation gone in a minute, and overseas reports of cracks along the hinge

  According to ZDNet Korea (Oct 23), the three carriers began activating pre-ordered iPhone Duos on Oct 23. At KT and LG U+, Star White outsold Night Sky about 7:3; 256GB and 512GB made up 90% of LG U+ orders combined and 6 in 10 at SKT. KT's first and second allocations of 256GB and 512GB were gone within a minute of opening. The 256GB model is ₩3.29 million, with up to ₩450,000 in support on plans of ₩100,000 or more a month. ZDNet Korea (Oct 24), citing MacRumors (Oct 23), reported that an Australian user's screen cracked along the hinge about six hours after purchase and was replaced on the spot at an Apple Store, with similar photos posted from China. The report cites no Korean cases, and Apple has not commented. The phone carries a one-year limited warranty and can be returned within two weeks of delivery.

  AppleOut 10.23

• Galaxy Buds On launches in Korea on the 27th — one color (black), ₩299,000, two 30% accessory coupons

  According to the Samsung Electronics Newsroom (Oct 26), Samsung Electronics will launch the clip-type wireless earbuds "Galaxy Buds On" in Korea on the 27th. It comes in one color, black, at ₩299,000, and is sold on Samsung.com, open markets and Samsung Stores nationwide. Buyers from the 27th to Nov 30 get two 30%-off coupons for Galaxy Buds accessories, usable until Dec 20. It has a shape-memory alloy clip structure and the Buds series' first "sound-leak reduction" feature. A Korean press conference was held in Seoul on Oct 20 (ZDNet Korea, 2026.10.20).

  SamsungOut Oct. 27New

• Canon EOS R8 Mark II on sale in Korea — body ₩2,319,000, adds in-body stabilization three years on

  According to ZDNet Korea (Oct 20), Canon Korea began selling the entry-level full-frame mirrorless EOS R8 Mark II in Korea on the 20th. The successor to the 2023 EOS R8 arrives three years later with a 24.2MP full-frame sensor and DIGIC X processor. Unlike its predecessor, which relied on lens stabilization, it adds in-body image stabilization (IS) to reduce shake in night shots and handheld video, and Dual Pixel CMOS AF II now covers up to 1,053 AF points for stills. It automatically detects people, dogs, cats, birds, horses and vehicles, and gains a thumb-operated multi-controller for moving focus. Canon's official online store lists the body at ₩2,319,000. Buyers through year-end get a choice of a tripod grip, extension grip, battery-and-charger set or department-store voucher, and the camera will be on display at the "Canon Photo Clinic" pop-up in Jongno, Seoul from the 23rd (ZDNet Korea, Oct 20).

  CanonOn sale 10.20New

• Tesla Roadster reservations open in Korea — ₩70.6M or ₩350M to lock one in, with no price or delivery date yet

  According to the Korea Economic Daily (Oct 19), Tesla Korea is taking domestic reservations for its next-generation electric sports car, the Roadster. It comes in three trims — Performance, Thrust and Rocket. For the two-seat Performance, buyers pay ₩5.6 million and must add ₩65 million within 10 days to confirm; the Thrust, fitted with an acceleration thruster, requires ₩350 million within 10 days. The single-seat Rocket is invitation-only, with no deposit or price disclosed. Electronic Times (Oct 19) reported that Tesla’s reservation terms state that any listed price is an estimate to be finalized after specs and options are set, that a reservation is not a purchase contract, and that neither the delivery date nor delivery itself is guaranteed. Tesla unveiled the car on Oct 15 (local time) at SpaceX’s test site in Texas, saying production will start in 2028 and claiming 0–60 mph in under a second and a top speed above 230 mph (about 370 km/h) (Korea Economic Daily, Oct 19). When the Roadster was first shown in 2017, Tesla quoted a $200,000 base price and promised 2020 deliveries. Parodies of the demo’s mid-air stunts have flooded social media: MBC (Oct 19) reported that IKEA ran an ad of a rice cooker taking off in a burst of steam, and that a Korean car YouTuber’s video of the demo topped 2 million views in a day.

  TeslaReservationsNew

• LG PuriCare HydroTower Max launches — ₩2.39M humidifier-purifier that boils water to 100°C before misting it

  According to Electronic Times (Oct 18), LG Electronics announced on the 18th that it had launched the ‘LG PuriCare HydroTower Max,’ a humidifier and air purifier that uses AI to manage humidity and air quality, priced at ₩2.39 million. It uses what LG calls a purified hybrid method: water passes through a filter, is heated to 100°C to sterilize it, and is then misted ultrasonically, with a four-step hygiene system — purifying, sterilizing, cleaning and drying — covering everything from where water touches to where air comes out. A ‘space-tailored AI humidification’ feature analyzes room size and temperature to decide how much moisture to add. The idea is to run humidification and purification together in winter and changing seasons, and use it as an air purifier the rest of the year. LG said it has split its lineup: the existing HydroTower for single rooms, and the Hydro Essential for those who only want humidity control.

  LG ElectronicsHumidifierNew

• NVIDIA RTX Spark laptops launch in Korea — ASUS and MSI first; Lenovo Yoga Pro 9n joins on the 19th

  Per NVIDIA's Korea blog (Oct 8), NVIDIA and Microsoft unveiled the 'RTX Spark' laptop chip at an Oct 7 (local time) event; PCs with it opened for global pre-order that day and went on sale Oct 16. RTX Spark pairs an up-to-6,144-core Blackwell RTX GPU with an up-to-20-core Grace CPU and up to 128GB of unified memory. Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, MSI and Gigabyte are shipping models, and MS showed the 'Surface Laptop Ultra'. Per BetaNews (Oct 8), Dell Technologies said the Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition, the first XPS with RTX Spark, would launch in Korea on Oct 16. iNews24 (Oct 8) listed the new models: Dell XPS 16 Creator Edition, MS Surface Laptop Ultra, ASUS ProArt P14/P16, HP OmniBook Ultra 16, Lenovo Yoga 9n 2-in-1 and MSI Prestige N16 Flip AI+. Per CNET Korea (Oct 14), ASUS also launched the RTX Spark ProArt P16 (16-inch, about 1.77kg, up to UHD+ 120Hz OLED touch) and P14 (14-inch, about 1.48kg) in Korea on the 16th. Per Economic Review (Oct 8), the XPS 16 Creator Edition's US base model (32GB/512GB) is $3,799.99. Neither company gave Korean prices before launch. Per ZDNet Korea (Oct 17), NVIDIA officially launched RTX Spark in Korea at 9 p.m. on the 16th, holding a demo and on-site sales event at COEX in Seoul with ASUS and MSI machines. Among major makers, ASUS and MSI models reach Korea first. In the same article, one maker's official said orders were piling up for 64GB-plus models and supply wouldn't be ample. Lenovo Korea launched the Yoga Pro 9n (about 1.65kg), a 15-inch OLED laptop with RTX Spark, on the 19th; price TBA (ZDNet Korea, Inven, Oct 19).

  NVIDIALenovoOut Oct 16New
• 01

  Dyson Corrale CoolShine straightener launches in Korea — ₩429,000, residual hair heat cut by up to 26%

  According to Newsis (Oct 15), Dyson Korea launched the Dyson Corrale CoolShine hair straightener in Korea on the 15th. It cools the heat left in hair right after styling. Built on the flexing-plate technology of the existing Dyson Corrale, it adds Dyson’s first detachable cooling-pipe tool: sealed distilled water inside a copper pipe absorbs residual heat right after the plates pass. Dyson says it lowers hair temperature after styling by up to 26% and raises shine by up to 154%. It has four heat settings, heats up in 15 seconds, and supports universal voltage, so it works abroad without a converter. On Dyson’s official Korean store it costs ₩429,000 and comes in two colours, Jasper Plum and Ceramic Pink/Rose Gold.

  DysonOut Oct 15New

• First new Apple TV 4K in four years — ₩449,000, launching Nov 13

  Apple unveiled the new Apple TV 4K at its "Welcome Home" event in New York on October 13 local time (ZDNet Korea, Oct 14). According to Apple's official Korean store, pre-orders open in Korea at 10 a.m. on October 15, it launches November 13, and it costs ₩449,000. Per Kbench (Oct 14), it is the first update in about four years: the A19 chip replaces the A15 Bionic, making the CPU up to 50% faster and the GPU up to twice as fast. It supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.1 and Thread, with 128GB of storage. Three far-field microphones in the box let you call Siri without the remote, and the new Siri Remote adds Find My. The U.S. price is $299, $150 more than the 2022 128GB model ($149). The HomeView smart home hub ($299) and HomePod mini 2 ($149) shown at the same event have no sales listing on Apple's Korean site, and seven home devices co-developed with LG Electronics — cameras, a doorbell, a door lock and more — launch first in North America and the UK later this year (Etoday, Oct 14).

  ApplePre-orders Oct 15New

• Apple's second launch event on the 28th — 2 a.m. on the 29th Korea time, touchscreen MacBook Pro expected

  According to ZDNet Korea (Oct 20), Apple announced on Oct 19 (local time) its second launch event of the month, "Apple Experience." It takes place at 10 a.m. PT on the 28th — 2 a.m. on the 29th Korea time — in Los Angeles, and the invitation carries the line "Pro and tell." Earlier this month at its "Welcome Home" event in New York, Apple unveiled the HomeView smart-home display, HomePod mini 2 and a new Apple TV 4K. Foreign media expect 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros with OLED touchscreens and M5 Pro and M5 Max chips as the most likely headliners, with talk of the first Dynamic Island on a MacBook Pro. An OLED iPad mini, an M6 iMac and an entry 14-inch MacBook Pro are also mentioned as candidates (ZDNet Korea, Oct 20). Apple has not officially announced products or prices ahead of the event.

  AppleEvent 10.28New

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• Myeongdong three-way SPA fight: Uniqlo sales hit ₩1.3524 trillion, and foreigners make up 70% of sales at Musinsa's Myeongdong Jungang store

  According to Daily Hankook (Oct 25), FRL Korea, which operates Uniqlo, had sales of ₩1.3524 trillion last year, up 27.5%, and operating profit of ₩270.4 billion, up 81.6%. In May it opened its largest Korean store in Myeongdong at about 1,000 pyeong, and it had 135 stores as of October. Musinsa Standard opened its second Myeongdong location, the roughly 500-pyeong 'Myeongdong Jungang store', in September, and foreigners accounted for about 70% of sales early on. Topten plans to renovate its Myeongdong store and open a new one on Gangnam-daero in the first half of next year.

  UniqloMusinsaNew

• Musinsa Daegu Dongseongro hits 6.62 million cumulative visitors in 3 years: 66% of buyers are in their teens and 20s, 10 Standard stores outside the Seoul area

  According to a Musinsa release reported by Maeil Shinmun (Oct 26), the Musinsa Standard Dongseongro store, which opened in September 2023, has drawn about 3.49 million visitors through this September. Annual visitors were 1.08 million in 2024, 1.11 million in 2025 and about 830,000 in Jan-Sep this year (+8.2%). Musinsa Store Daegu has drawn about 3.13 million, bringing the two to about 6.62 million. Of Store Daegu buyers, 66% are in their teens and 20s, or 81.8% including those in their 30s. Musinsa Standard stores outside the Seoul area have grown to 10.

  MusinsaDaeguNew

• KREAM light padded jackets +193%, padded vests +335% — big daily temperature swings pull the winter rush forward

  According to SME Daily (Oct 25), trading volume for padded jackets and windbreakers on resale platform KREAM rose 117% from the previous month, with value up 135%. By item, padded vests were up 335%, light padded jackets 193% and short puffers 179%, and searches for 'light padding' rose 136%. Musinsa's sports outerwear sales rose 38% on Oct 1–20, and at SSF Shop light-padding buyers rose 101% and cart adds 384% between Aug 20 and Sept 27.

  KREAMLight paddingNew

• Autumn wedding guest-outfit sales double — Ably tweed jackets +202%, blazers +149%, one mall's tweed two-piece +498%

  According to Newsis (10.23), Ably's wedding guest-outfit sales from September 16 to October 15 rose 78% from the previous 30 days, and autumn guest-outfit sales rose 107%. As guest fashion centered on jackets in a season of big daily temperature swings, tweed jacket sales rose 202% and blazer jackets 149%. Tie blouses (+63%) and scarf blouses (+67%) worn under jackets, and matching setups (+41%) and two-pieces (+26%), rose too, with tweed two-pieces up 70% and tweed setups 54%. By mall, Merry Around's 'Classic Round Tweed Jacket' rose 494%, Hotping's 'Melia tweed jacket and skirt two-piece set' 498%, and Cocoblanc's 'Loate tie blouse' 114%. Through the 31st, Ably is running a guest-outfit joint sale with 20,000-plus items from 30-plus malls including Benito, Merry Around and Hotping at up to 80% off.

  +107%guest outfitNew

• Fashion apps head into stores — a third of Zigzag's 6,500 three-day pop-up visitors bought, and Musinsa Bag & Cap Club sits in Lotte's Cheongnyangni mall that opened today

  According to Etoday and Electronic Times (Oct 22), about 6,500 people visited "Zigzag Express," the pop-up Kakao Style's Zigzag ran at Anderson C Seongsu in Seoul's Seongsu-dong from the 16th to the 18th. That was 30% above the 5,000 target, and the roughly 4,000 pre-booked tickets released at noon on the 7th were gone within three hours. As crowds grew, fitting zones were expanded from 10 to 24, and about a third of visitors who tried on items from 50 online shopping malls bought on the spot. Shop Slowlist's store favorites during the event rose 216% from the same weekdays a week earlier, and Flatper's favorites rose 119% and wish-list saves 143%. According to Segye Ilbo and Yonhap (Oct 22), Musinsa opens its second "Musinsa Bag & Cap Club" bag-and-cap select shop on the 23rd on the 2nd floor of the annex at Lotte Mall Valley Town Cheongnyangni (about 125㎡). It's the second standalone store after the first in Seoul Forest in April and the first inside a large retail complex, carrying 94 bag and cap brands for kids through adults, with New Era and JanSport run as shop-in-shops. It also sells Musinsa exclusives such as a New Era running cap and a JanSport × LG Twins bag. From the 23rd to the 25th, first-come customers get a 50% off coupon (up to ₩25,000 on purchases of ₩50,000 or more). According to Kookmin Ilbo (Oct 21), Ably will also open an offline store in Seongsu this year. According to Wolyo Shinmun (Oct 23), Lotte Mall Valley Town Cheongnyangni, home to the Bag & Cap Club, opened on the 23rd. It is Lotte's first new store in Seoul in 15 years since its Gimpo Airport store in 2011, with 50-plus brands across B1 to 4F on about 17,851㎡ (about 5,400 pyeong); about 80% are first entries into retail or the first or largest in northeast Seoul. The 2nd floor is a fashion, sports and beauty floor aimed at young shoppers.

  6,500 visitorsOffline

• Padded jackets at convenience stores too — 7-Eleven clothing +49%, GS25 +33%, CU light padded jacket ₩39,900, Daiso light padded jacket ₩5,000

  According to ZDNet Korea (Oct 20), convenience stores that grew by opening new stores are now building clothing into a new revenue source as growth stalls. Ministry of Trade and Industry data put August per-store sales growth at 1.5%, the lowest this year. From January to September, clothing sales rose 33.4% at GS25, 12.5% at CU and 49% at 7-Eleven, with underwear and socks included in each chain's figures. CU launches three outerwear items — windbreaker, fleece jacket and light padded jacket — on the 22nd, limited to 2,000 per size in 100 and 105, up to 12,000 in total, through pre-orders. According to Korea Economic Daily (Oct 12), prices are ₩22,900 for the fleece, ₩27,900 for the windbreaker and ₩39,900 for the light padded jacket. GS25's convenience-store-only "Musinsa Standard Express" grew from 9 clothing items last year to 17, and 7-Eleven carries about 200 fashion items, 6% more than last year. emart24 brought in light padded jackets for the first time this year. Japan's FamilyMart's in-house clothing brand "Convenience Wear" topped ¥20 billion in sales in fiscal 2025. According to Daehan Economy (Oct 14), Daiso's January–September clothing sales doubled. According to CNB Journal (Oct 22), CU launched the windbreaker, fleece jacket and light padded jacket on the 22nd in two sizes (100 and 105) and one color, black, alongside modal briefs, touchscreen gloves and earmuffs. MBC (Oct 22) reported that Daiso released a ₩5,000 fleece vest and GS25 launched thermal tops and bottoms and a windbreaker with Musinsa Standard. According to the Korea Financial Newspaper (Oct 23), Daiso is selling a women's light long-sleeve padded jacket for ₩5,000, and emart24 brought in a light padded jacket (₩34,900) as a winter item for the first time this year. CU has been rolling out 19 cold-weather apparel items this month, including thermal socks, stockings, touchscreen gloves and earmuffs.

  +49%Convenience stores

• Order today, wear today — Zigzag's fast delivery GMV +20% in H1 with 98% on-time arrival, Ably's "guaranteed arrival" +74% in six weeks

  According to Edaily (Oct 22), Kakao Style's Zigzag saw first-half "Jikjin Delivery" GMV rise 20% year on year. Introduced in 2021, Jikjin Delivery offers same-day, dawn and next-day shipping: in parts of Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Daejeon and Cheonan-Asan, orders before 1 p.m. arrive the same day, and in Seoul orders before 10 p.m. arrive the next morning. The first-half on-time rate was 98%, 99% for same-day, and more than 10,000 stores are enrolled. Malls topping ₩10 billion in annual GMV from Jikjin Delivery alone grew from three in 2024 to seven last year. Ably's next-day "Guaranteed Arrival," launched in June (orders by midnight on weekdays, by 10 p.m. on weekends and holidays), saw week-six GMV up 74% and orders up 68% versus the first week. Musinsa runs "Mubaedangbal," shipping orders placed before 10 p.m. the same day, with an arrival-guarantee rate of about 96%. According to The Fact (Oct 20), Zigzag also opened a "gift" feature covering about 9 million products, delivering the next day — weekends included — if the recipient enters an address before midnight.

  +20%Fast deliveryNew

• "Only here" worth 14 billion won — 29CM's exclusive women's brand collabs Jan–Sep, collabs topping 500 million won up 7x

  According to Newsis and News1 (Oct 21), Musinsa's 29CM sold more than 14 billion won worth of products released exclusively with women's fashion and accessories brands in January–September. The number of participating brands and products each rose more than fourfold from a year earlier, and single collaborations topping 500 million won rose more than sevenfold. 29CM sold brand Orr's spring/summer line exclusively for two weeks in February and its fall/winter cashmere collection last month, the two together passing 1.6 billion won. A "29 Edition" item from brand Ostkaka with creator Kkominji neared 300 million won in three days, and a collaboration between accessory brand Giho and lifewear brand Verish passed 100 million won in two weeks. Since February last year 29CM has run "29 Edition," co-planning products and content with brands, and "29 Limited Order" exclusive drops.

  14 billion wonExclusive collabNew

• j-hope × Nigo Air Force 1 — ₩189,000 in Korea, sold out in five minutes on US SNKRS, $554 on StockX

  According to Star News (Oct 23), the 'Nike x Nigo x j-hope Air Force 1' from BTS's j-hope and Human Made's Nigo sold out in under 30 minutes in a Human Made online presale on the 17th, then launched globally on Nike's SNKRS app and in some stores on Oct 22 (local time). It sold out in 'under 30 seconds' at Nike Brazil and in five minutes on US SNKRS. The Korean price is ₩189,000; on StockX the $150 shoe traded at $554 (about ₩780,000).

  Nikej-hopeNew

• Gen Z wears the 2000s — Ably digital-camera keyrings +3,779%, Zigzag jelly-bag searches +3,798%

  According to Newsis (Oct 24), sales of digital-camera-shaped keyrings on Ably rose 3,779% year on year last month, camera pouches 534%, and buyers of actual digital cameras 35%; digital-camera sales for January–September rose 74%. On Zigzag, jelly-bag searches rose 3,798% and jelly-shoe sales 3,397% between May 10 and June 9. Shinsegae Department Store's fur sales to customers in their 20s and 30s rose 99% in the first half. Hansae MK's Buckaroo reissued 2000s denim, and Reebok re-released the Instapump Fury 94.

  Y2KKeyringsNew

• 'Winter = black padding' is breaking — Zigzag 'purple' searches +740%, 'lemon' 8x, and 2030s buy the same light padded jacket as Dad in a different color

  According to the Segye Ilbo (10.23), colors like lemon, mint and purple are entering winter padding that used to be all black and gray. On Zigzag, July–September searches for 'purple' rose 740% year on year, 'lemon' more than 8x and 'mint' more than 5x, while W Concept's average sales of lemon, olive and purple items rose about 40% and the number of mint items it sold rose 130%. New Balance said padding and down sales rose 31% in the 15th–21st from the previous week and its flagship 'Flying Down' 33%, and released lemon-butter and light-blue light down jackets in a Kim Yuna photo shoot. Red Velvet's Seulgi, aespa's Karina and Winter, and IVE's Jang Won-young have posted eye-catching colored padding on social media, and Vogue named royal purple, butter yellow and electric blue key colors for 2026 FW. The JoongAng Ilbo (10.23) looked at how 2030s, wearing light padded jackets once seen as 'middle-aged men's clothes' as standalone outerwear, are choosing them by color. Musinsa's August light padded jacket sales rose 718% year on year, and Musinsa Standard released its hooded light down in nine colors. The paper also featured a college student who bought the same light padded jacket as his father, one in black and one in mustard, so they can swap. On LF Mall, 'purple' searches rose 53% and 'burgundy' 68% from August 1 to 23.

  +740%color paddingNew

• Light padded jackets are now a battle of "fit" — Musinsa light-padding GMV 2.3x in Oct 1–14, Beanpole Golf women's jumpers +336%

  According to Bridge Economy (Oct 20), Musinsa Store's total padding GMV for October 1–14 rose 70% year on year and light padded jacket GMV grew 2.3 times. Light-padding searches rose 205% over the same period. On 29CM, light and short padding GMV from August 13 to October 14 more than doubled from a year earlier, and padding GMV in its women's FW outerwear pre-sale rose over 130%. Brands are differentiating through design. Black Yak has sold more than 1,300 of its curved-quilt "Stone Master Light Down Jacket" since early August, and LF's Hazzys cut the weight of its women's half-length "Nova" from 530g to 363g, about 31% lighter. MLB launched a curved "Curve Air Shell light hooded padding" with added nylon, Umbro released its "X-RAY" series, Zero Planet added toggle buttons and Duomio added ribbon details. According to Etoday (Oct 22), Samsung C&T's Beanpole Golf said women's jumper sales from September 1 to October 18 rose 336% year on year and men's and women's light down rose 173%, and it is holding a "Fit & Luck" try-on event at stores nationwide through November 30 with gifts for customers who try on a top-and-bottom set.

  PuffersMusinsaNew

• Chiikawa keychain resells for ₩440,000, 16.7x retail — KREAM searches +1,304% after the movie passed 1.8 million viewers

  According to Edaily (Oct 21), Chiikawa-related searches on fashion and resale platform KREAM rose 1,304% from October 1 to 14 versus the same period a month earlier. The Chiikawa movie, released in Korea on September 30, passed 1.8 million viewers and spilled over into merch demand, with queues and open-runs for limited editions at Yongsan I'Park Mall and Seongsu pop-ups. On KREAM, the strawberry-mochi-like "Chiikawa Everyone Together Mascot Strawberry Daifuku Rakko" topped the rising keychain chart, and the "Chiikawa × 9090 Mascot Keychain Usagi," a collab with street brand 9090, hit a top trade price of ₩440,000, about 16.7 times retail. The article noted the top price is a single transaction and not every piece of merch has risen that much. Daewon Media handles domestic rights, licensing and product distribution.

  16.7xKeyringsNew

• Worlds-season cheer gear — Ably sells T1's Worlds jacket through the 27th, and Uniqlo offers K/DA stamp T-shirts from the 23rd

  According to Yonhap (Oct 21), Ably is selling T1's official "2026 LoL international tournament" uniform with men's shopping platform 4910 through the 27th. The four items — Worlds jacket, jersey, pants and DIY kit — are white with gold accents and carry a six-star logo marking T1's six international titles. App events give away a Worlds jacket signed by the players and T1 HQ tour passes. According to Yonhap (Oct 22), Riot Games is teaming up with retail brands for the start of Worlds and the comeback of virtual girl group K/DA. From the 23rd, Uniqlo's Lotte World Mall and Myeongdong stores run "UTme!," where customers pick K/DA design stamps on in-store tablets and print them, and IAB Studio releases a capsule collection inspired by K/DA's new song "FIRESTARTER." 7-Eleven will release seven Pepero Day items with K/DA photo cards on November 11, and pop-ups open at Lotte World Mall (Oct 23–Nov 1) and Trend Pot by Olive Young N Seongsu (Oct 29–Nov 8). The articles do not list prices.

  Through the 27thWorldsNew

• Favorite-character Halloween goods instead of costumes: 90% of Bunjang Halloween searches are character names, trades +18%

  According to Seoul Economic Daily (Oct 25), on Bunjang from Oct 1-20, 90% of Halloween-related searches were character names plus 'Halloween'. Costume searches such as costumes, wigs and capes were 1 in 10. Halloween item trades rose 18% from last year. Sanrio was No. 1 among those in their 20s to 40s, and 1 in 3 purchases by people in their 30s was Sanrio. Teens looked for Demon Slayer goods. Items tagged 'limited' traded at 1.44 times the price.

  HalloweenBunjangNew

Korean Fashion Trends Now — see all →

• "Cheaper than gimbap" burger discount war — Burger King Whopper Jr. ₩2,900, McDonald's Big Arch ₩3,000 off on Baemin

  According to the Korea Economic Daily (Oct 26), Burger King is selling the Whopper Jr. and Bulgogi Whopper Jr. at ₩2,900 instead of ₩5,000 through the 8th of next month, the Cheese Whopper Jr. at ₩3,200 and the Long Chicken Burger at ₩3,500 (single items). The average price of a roll of gimbap in September was ₩3,923 (Chamgaga). Last year's sales were ₩1.431 trillion for McDonald's (+14.5%) and ₩1.1189 trillion for Lotte GRS (+12.4%). According to Economic Review (Oct 26), Baemin (Korea's top delivery app) is taking ₩3,000 off McDonald's "Big Arch" on a first-come basis through Nov 1.

  BurgersDiscountNew

• 'Jang Won-young churros' keep selling out — Paris Baguette's ₩2,900 chewy chocolate churro passes about 3.8 million sold

  According to Edaily (Oct 25), Paris Baguette's chewy chocolate churro (₩2,900), launched Sept 2, sold about 1.5 million in its first month and about 3.8 million cumulatively as of Oct 18. The company says one sells 'every two seconds.' On social media it picked up the nickname 'Jang Won-young churro,' and dipping it in whipped cream or vanilla ice cream has caught on. A store the paper visited in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul had empty shelves, and the owner said they sell out 'as soon as they come out.'

  Paris BaguetteChurrosNew

• Rice-cake desserts sell 6x at department stores — Lotte Jamsil +500% in September, main store +460%; Kurly rice-cake sales double; Godiva mochi waitlist closes by 6 a.m.

  According to the Seoul Economic Daily (Oct 24), Lotte Department Store's Jamsil branch sold 500% more rice-cake desserts in September than a year earlier, and its main store 460% more. Lotte's second 'Rice Cake Pilgrimage' event (Oct 9–15) drew 15,000 buyers. Kurly's rice cake and hangwa sales roughly doubled in June–August, with Changeok's pumpkin injeolmi up 336% to top its rice-cake ranking. Godiva's mochi at Lotte World Mall is limited to 150 a day and the waitlist closes around 6 a.m.; Naver searches hit 83,300 in the past month. GS25's Hanjeongseon yogurt glutinous rice cake has passed 700,000 sold, and a pistachio follow-up is on a 20,000-unit preorder.

  +31.2%Rice cake

• McDonald's Big Arch launched on the 22nd — KRW 12,400 for the burger alone, McDonald's priciest burger; the same week No Brand's KRW 4,900 new burgers sold 100,000 in a week

  According to Herald Economy and Pointe Economy (Oct 22), McDonald's Korea launches its large burger "Big Arch" on the 22nd. It costs ₩12,400 à la carte, ₩13,900 as a set and ₩13,000 as a lunchtime McLunch set, overtaking the ₩9,300 Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese as the most expensive McDonald's burger. It uses two 113g pure-beef patties (226g of patty alone), three slices of white cheddar and a 4.5-inch bun, and is McDonald's Korea's first item with crispy onions. Europe uses poppy seeds on the bun, but Korea swapped them for chia seeds. First launched in Portugal in July 2024, it is sold in 20 countries as of October, and Korea is the second Asian market after Taiwan. It was the No. 1 large burger in France, and in the UK and Ireland it went from limited to regular menu. In Korea it will start as a limited item, with regular status decided by response. According to NewDaily (Oct 22), Burger King launched a ₩10,700 "Black Truffle Cheese Burger" on the 14th, while Shinsegae Food's No Brand Burger "NBB Hook" and "NBB Punch" (₩4,900 each), launched on the 15th, sold about 15,000 a day on average, passing 100,000 cumulative in a week and taking the top two sales spots. Big Arch prices are as reported by the media; we could not confirm them on McDonald's official page.

  ₩12,400BurgersNew

• Starbucks Christmas from the 22nd — 17-drink e-Frequency starts, Toffee Nut Latte ('40 million cups sold') returns

  According to Sports Seoul (Oct 21), Starbucks Korea starts selling Christmas-season drinks, food and merchandise from the 22nd and kicks off its year-end "Winter e-Frequency" promotion. Back are the Toffee Nut Latte, sold more than 40 million cups since its 2002 Korean launch, the Winter Scotch Vanilla Latte and the non-alcoholic Classic Vin Chaud Hibiscus Tea, plus a new Apricot Joyful Medley Tea Latte, a winter take on a summer drink. Food includes a Nutella moist fresh-cream cake, a Nutella baguette salt bread, a Rudolph cookie cheesecake and snowman macarons. Seven food items are 20% off through the 25th, and through the 28th Rewards members get up to three extra Stars for buying four season drinks. The e-Frequency runs to December 31: buy 17 handcrafted drinks including three mission drinks to reserve one of a Lexon "Mino T" portable speaker, a corduroy backpack, a canvas tote or a Moleskine 2027 planner (Newsis, Edaily Oct 15). New this time is a cancellation waitlist: sign up at 7 a.m. and you're notified at 3 p.m. if canceled stock frees up. According to News1 (Oct 15), it's the first such event in five months, and per Segye Ilbo (Oct 15) Starbucks skipped its summer e-Frequency in July.

  Starts Oct 22Christmas

• Whisky outsells soju at E-mart for the first time — 16.3% vs 15.9% of liquor sales in January–September

  According to Segye Ilbo (Oct 24), whisky made up 16.3% of E-mart's liquor sales in January–September, 0.4 points ahead of soju (15.9%) — the first time whisky alone has overtaken soju. Whisky sales rose 11.1% and soju 2.0% over the period. In convenience stores, GS25 is selling a third batch of 50,000 bottles of Teacher's at around ₩10,000; the sell-out of the first two batches was a figure reported in March.

  WhiskyNew

• Convenience-store gimbap goes bite-size — CU mini gimbap passes 4 million, 7-Eleven maki 300,000 in six weeks, GS25 gimbap sales +36.2%

  According to Segye Ilbo (Oct 25), CU's 'get Morning mini gimbap,' launched in January, passed 4 million sold as of Oct 15, and the share of CU gimbap sales made between 5 and 9 a.m. rose from 18.6% last September to 21.7% this September. 7-Eleven's three 'All New Maki' rolls, out in late August, passed 300,000 in about six weeks (crispy sausage maki ₩2,100). GS25's Buldak cheese omelet gimbap (Sept 16) sold 500,000 in a month, and GS25 gimbap sales were up 36.2% year on year for Oct 1–15.

  GimbapNew

• After Dubai chewy cookies and butter rice cakes, 'pizza jeolpyeon' — CU ₩3,800; pizza rice-cake mentions go from under 100 in April to 10,000+ in September

  According to Segye Ilbo (Oct 25), CU launched 'pizza jeolpyeon' (₩3,800) on the 8th as a permanent item — a flat rice cake topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni. Sometrend data cited by CU shows social-media mentions of 'pizza seolgi' went from under 100 in April to about 2,000 in August and over 10,000 in September. CU's Dubai chewy glutinous rice cake sold about 1.1 million in last year's fourth quarter and about 2.8 million in total; GS25 has a Dubai castella version. Shinsegae Food's butter rice cake is ₩10,980 for six.

  CUPizza rice cakeNew

• Gimcheon Gimbap Festival draws 160,000 in three days — winner "pepper steak gimbap" heads to CU on the 27th

  According to Kyongbuk Ilbo (Oct 25), up to 160,000 people (Gimcheon City estimate) visited the Gimcheon Gimbap Festival over three days, Oct 23-25. CU launches the contest-winning "Chinese-style pepper steak gimbap" on the 27th. The winners of the first two festivals each sold 500,000 cumulative at convenience stores. GS25's Buldak Cheese Omelet Gimbap sold 500,000 in one month.

  100K unitsGimbapNew

• Seongsu craft burgers hit convenience stores — SPC Samlip x Zesty Saloon 4 burgers nationwide today

  According to Newsquest (10.23), SPC Samlip launched four burgers made with Seongsu-dong craft burger brand Zesty Saloon in convenience stores nationwide on the 23rd. They rework Zesty Saloon's signature menu for packaged food: the 'Zesty 2X Cheese Burger' with layers of cheese and a beef patty, the 'Zesty Chipotle Burger' with spicy chipotle sauce, the 'Zesty Garlic Ranch Burger' with garlic ranch sauce, and the 'Zesty Egg & Hash Burger' with egg and hash brown. They use a glazed bun and beef patty. Zesty Saloon won awards at the 2026 Korea Burger Championship and the World Burger Championship. The article gives neither prices nor which convenience-store chains carry them.

  4 itemsBurgersNew

• Captain Q stock searches hit 300,000 — 15% of all 7-Eleven app stock lookups; single bottles at ₩9,900 since the 21st

  According to Segye Ilbo (Oct 24), searches for Captain Q stock in the 7-Eleven app passed 300,000 on Oct 9–16, 15% of all stock-finder searches. 7-Eleven has sold single 360ml, 35% bottles at ₩9,900 since the 21st. The 12,000 treasure-box sets released on the 14th sold out in a day; 1,980 of them held a pure-silver coin. Asia Economy (Oct 25) reported posts on secondhand apps offering ₩50,000 for the coin alone.

  Sold outNewtro

• Japan trip souvenir snacks hit convenience stores — CU's exclusive ₩5,000 "Langrie Salt Milk Sand," and Meiji's Takenoko no Sato sold 30,000 in a week

  According to Korea Economic Daily and Yonhap (Oct 22), CU launched Japanese premium cookie brand Langrie's "Langrie Salt Milk Sand" (₩5,000) as an industry exclusive. It's a langue de chat — thin cookies sandwiching cream — known as a souvenir Koreans often bring back from Japan. On the 28th, "Langrie Choco Cream Sand" and "Langrie Uji Matcha Sand" made with Uji matcha join the lineup. CU is also bringing in five items from Belgian royal-warrant biscuit brand Jules Destrooper (₩7,700 each) — Butter Waffles and Butter Waffles Choco on the 28th, then Original Waffles and Crisp & Cream vanilla and chocolate on the 4th of next month — with a mix-and-match 2+1 across all five throughout November. Meiji's "Takenoko no Sato" chocolate snack (₩4,500), launched on the 14th, sold 30,000 in a week to rank fifth in sales among 300-plus biscuits, and last year's limited 160,000 "Hokkaido soufflé pudding" sold out within a month. CU said it is targeting Pepero Day, the college entrance exam and year-end gift demand.

  ₩5,000Imported snacksNew

• The National Museum costume contest's "carp" heads to convenience stores — emart24 collab products with the grand-prize and top-prize winners due mid-next month

  According to an exclusive report by Bridge Economy (Oct 22), emart24 is developing collaboration products with Jeon Eun-seul, grand-prize winner of the National Museum of Korea costume contest, and webtoon artist Lee Dae-yang (Dr. Ber), who took the top prize. Jeon was a favorite from the finals with a carp costume recreating a white-porcelain carp-shaped water dropper, and after winning appeared on "You Quiz on the Block" and elsewhere. Lee drew attention with a costume resembling the gilt-bronze pensive Bodhisattva. Product and merch ideas are still being drawn up, with release planned for mid-next month, and an Social media comment event asking for "products you'd like to see as relics" runs through the 27th. emart24 said it is also preparing merch introducing relics like the carp-shaped water dropper and the pensive Bodhisattva. According to the same article, CU's tourist items have grown to more than 110, GS25 will expand its "K-Station" displays in tourist areas to 200 stores this year, and 7-Eleven will expand tourist-specialty stores to 250 this month. Product lineup and prices have not been announced.

  Mid-NovemberNational MuseumNew

• GS25 steamed-bun sales +75.2% in five days — "Anpanman chestnut red-bean bun" and "Currypanman curry bun" on the 21st, with 100 stickers

  According to Newsis (Oct 21), GS25's steamed-bun sales on Oct 15–19 rose 75.2% from the same weekdays the week before, as morning lows fell below 10°C. On the 21st GS25 launched two exclusive buns made with the character Anpanman, an "Anpanman chestnut red-bean bun" and a "Currypanman curry bun," at 1,900 won each or 5,700 won for a 3-pack. On the 22nd five shelf-stable Anpanman bakery items follow, including a Shokupanman cream sandwich and a Baikinman deep chocolate pie (2,400 won each). Each collab item holds one of 100 random stickers, and 3-packs paid with GS Pay are buy-one-get-one through the 31st. Single buns such as Samlip's classic red-bean bun now come individually wrapped without a tray and can be microwaved in the pack.

  +75.2%Steamed bunsNew

• Japan's Kaku Highball cans hit all four convenience chains on Nov 4 — first official sale, 4,500 won for 350ml, six per store

  According to an exclusive by Newspim (Oct 21), Suntory's Kaku Highball cans go on limited sale at CU, GS25, 7-Eleven and Emart24 from Nov 4. It is the first time Suntory officially brings the cans through Korean retail, and it is a test sale to gauge each channel before a full launch next year. 7-Eleven has sent franchisees a notice titled "Kaku Highball 2-SKU test operation," with pre-orders on the 26th and main orders from 9:30 a.m. on Nov 3, capped at six per product per store. The two sizes are 350ml (4,500 won) and 500ml (5,500 won); all four chains charge the same and run bundles of four 350ml cans for 13,000 won and three 500ml cans for 12,900 won. Suntory allocates different volumes per chain, so when and how many each store actually gets may vary.

  On sale Nov 4HighballNew

• Foreign tourists' evening chicken sales up 341% — 7-Eleven adds a ₩3,500 wing to the 'convenience-store chicken' run on the way back to the hotel

  Newsis (Oct 20) reported that 7-Eleven Korea said chicken sales to foreign customers rose 63% year over year in January–September, against 19% growth for chicken overall. Between 6 and 11 p.m., chicken sales to foreign customers jumped 341%, while non-alcoholic beer rose 153% and highballs 143% in the same window. The chain reads this as tourists picking up chicken and drinks on their way back to their lodging after a day of sightseeing and shopping. Its 'Spicy Crumble Whole Wing' (₩3,500), launched Oct 9, extends its drumstick-heavy fried-chicken-by-the-piece range to whole wings (drumette, flat and tip). Since last month 7-Eleven has run a discount 'Chicken Day' on the third Friday of each month; on the second one, Oct 16, hot-case chicken sales were 76% above the Oct 1–18 daily average, and the third is on Nov 20.

  341%ChickenNew

• CU's third beer with YouTuber 'Sul-ikneun-jip,' Seoul Hopfenweisse, lands Oct 21 — the first two sold 400,000 cans combined

  The First Media (Oct 19) reported that CU will release 'Seoul Hopfenweisse' on Oct 21, developed with Seoul Brewery and liquor YouTuber Sul-ikneun-jip. It is a hoppy-weizen style — a German wheat beer with added hop aroma — sold in 500 ml cans at 5.2% ABV. Sul-ikneun-jip has 870,000 subscribers, and this is their third collaboration beer with CU. The first two, 'Seoul Korean Rice Lager' and 'Seoul California Common,' launched in May and have sold 400,000 cans combined. Through its app's 'KCBC ultra-fresh beer project,' CU this month also launched Ulleung Brewery's 'Dokdo Swimming Lager,' which customers can pick up at any CU store within seven days of production. The article gives no price.

  400K cansBeerNew

• emart24 rolls out 7 'The Remarried Empress' webtoon foods — from cream pasta to an 'imperial' crepe cake, with a Seongsu pop-up through Nov 16

  IndustryNews (Oct 19) reported that convenience chain emart24 is releasing seven ready meals and desserts this month using the IP of the webtoon 'The Remarried Empress.' The lineup: Mushroom Cream Pasta (₩4,300), Secret Twist Egg Sandwich (₩4,200), Royal Milk Tea Cup (₩2,000), White-Chocolate-Coated Old-Fashioned Donut (₩2,400), Salted Caramel Mochi Roll (₩3,900), Macarons, 2-pack (₩2,900) and Imperial Chocolate Crepe Cake (₩3,600). Paying with Hyundai Card, Woori Card or KakaoPay gets 30% off through Oct 31. A themed pop-up zone runs at emart24's 'Trend Lab Seongsu' store through Nov 16. It is emart24's first IP collaboration since signing an agreement with the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) in July.

  7 itemsWebtoonNew

• Convenience stores start winter up to a month early — CU hand warmers +400%, GS25 tights +1,073%, and Emart24 now sells light puffer jackets

  According to Kyunghyang Shinmun (Oct 13), convenience stores pulled their winter season forward by up to a month this year and widened it from roasted sweet potatoes, fish cakes and steamed buns to cold-weather clothing such as light padded jackets. emart24 sold seven items such as tights and leggings from September 18, expanded winter clothing and accessories to 20 items in October and added a ₩34,900 light padded jacket. It will release an exclusive steamed bun at the end of the month. CU launched 19 clothing items including a light padded jacket (₩39,900), fleece jacket (₩22,900) and windbreaker (₩27,900), and from October 1 to 7 its hand-warmer sales rose 400.3% from the week before, stockings 74.8%, fish cakes 69.8% and roasted sweet potatoes 56.1%. GS25 started selling fish cakes about two weeks earlier than last year; on days averaging under 15°C it sold 74% more than on days of 15°C or above, and 12 times more than on days above 20°C. 7-Eleven started roasted sweet potatoes on September 14, about eight days earlier than last year. The same article noted September's daily temperature range was 10.3°C, 0.5°C wider than usual, and cited the industry view that stores turned to winter goods after August convenience-store sales grew only 0.8%. According to Yonhap (Oct 9), GS25's tights sales from the 1st to the 7th rose 1,072.7% and hand warmers 1,033.7%. According to Choice Economy (Oct 13), Samlip announced on the 13th 20 new products with actor Gong Myoung as its new model, including taco, basil cheese and brown-sugar red-bean buns plus spicy ones like Buldak, and emart24 is preparing a steamed bun with Samlip. Prices and launch dates weren't in the article. According to Segye Ilbo (Oct 18), CU launched corn pie and apple pie (₩2,000 each) cooked in in-store fryers with a 2+1 deal this month, and after adding hot breads like heated and wood-fired sandwiches last month, related sales rose 117.3%. 7-Eleven will sell roasted sweet potatoes from the new domestic variety Hopungmi through November, then switch in December to Beniharuka aged about three months. According to CNB Journal (Oct 22), CU has been selling four freshly steamed buns — red bean, sweet potato, vegetable and pizza — from in-store bun warmers since the 6th.

  +400%Hand warmersNew

• Convenience-store rice cake three-way race — GS25 "Sulbing Pizza Seolgi" 5,000 reservations, CU rice cake sales +158.9% in October, 7-Eleven pumpkin injeolmi on the 29th

  According to Yonhap News (Oct 26), GS25 launches a frozen "Sulbing Pizza Seolgi" (pizza toppings on steamed white rice cake) on the 26th and takes limited pre-orders of 5,000 on the Wooridongne GS app through the 31st. Nationwide store sales start Nov 5. CU released a "Mochi Pave Chocolate Matcha" on the 22nd; CU rice cake sales rose 96.5% in Jan-Sept and 158.9% in Oct 1-22, after the "Raw Chocolate Mochi" came out. 7-Eleven releases "pumpkin injeolmi rice cake" and "black sesame rice cake" on the 29th. 7-Eleven rice cake sales rose 62% in Jan-Sept, and foreigners' rice cake sales rose 80%.

  Rice cakeConvenience storesNew

New Food Trends in Korea — see all →

• Bank lending gets harder in Q4 — BOK lending attitude index −11, household credit risk +28

  According to the Bank of Korea's Survey on Lending Behavior of Financial Institutions as reported by the Hankyoreh (Oct 26), the Q4 lending attitude index for domestic banks is −11, meaning banks plan to lend more strictly. Large firms are −8, SMEs −19, general household loans such as credit loans −8 and mortgages 0. The loan demand index is +6, with mortgages at +14. The credit risk index is +29, higher than in Q3, with households +28 and SMEs +31. The survey covered 203 financial institutions, including 18 banks, from Sept 2 to 16.

  Bank of KoreaLoansNew

• Coupang Eats charges commission on the pre-discount price — an effective 10.4% on a ₩20,000 order; CEO admits rejecting the regulator's recommendation

  According to ZDNet Korea (Oct 23), lawmakers at the Oct 23 parliamentary audit said Coupang Eats charges commission on the price before merchant discounts. If a merchant sells a ₩20,000 dish at ₩5,000 off, the 7.8% fee is still taken on ₩20,000 — ₩1,560, or 10.4% of the ₩15,000 actually paid. The total platform cost burden including delivery was put at 27.6%. CEO Kim Myung-kyu admitted the company had not accepted the Fair Trade Commission's corrective recommendation and said he would join a co-prosperity council.

  Delivery appsNew

• Lotte Home Shopping's 'Gwangkeul Festival' draws 1.2 million orders — a record 1.4 million visitors in a day; Choi Yu-ra show sells ₩10 billion

  According to News1 (Oct 25), Lotte Home Shopping's 'Gwangkeul Festival' sale logged 1.2 million orders, and daily visitors hit a record 1.4 million. Half of first-day entrants to its prize draw were in their 30s and 40s. The North Face sold ₩3.4 billion and the Choi Yu-ra show ₩10 billion. The company will hold a 'Gwangkeul Concert' at KINTEX on Nov 14–15 for 13,000 invited guests.

  Home shoppingNew

• Lotte opens its first new Seoul mall in 15 years — 'Lotte Mall Bellytown Cheongnyangni' opens on the 23rd, 80% of brands are firsts for northeast Seoul

  According to ZDNet Korea (10.22), Lotte Department Store said on the 22nd that it will open the urban mall 'Lotte Mall Bellytown Cheongnyangni' on the 23rd, on basement 1 through the 4th floor of the Lotte Castle SKY-L65 landmark tower in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. It is the chain's first new store in the Seoul area in 15 years, since Gimpo Airport in 2011. Sales space is 5,400 pyeong; rather than going big, it focused on gathering 50-plus crowd-drawing brands, about 80% of which are the retailer's first or the first/largest in the northeast Seoul market. The 1st floor has a Terarosa hand-drip bar and Gentz Bakery's first Seoul branch; the 2nd floor Musinsa Bag & Cap Club and a 150-pyeong running-focused Decathlon; the 3rd floor Dongdaemun-gu's largest Daiso and VIPS; the 4th floor Korea's largest Bandai Namco Korea Fun Square and figure shop Best Hobby's first Korean store. Haidilao opens in November and a 600-pyeong Musinsa Standard in December. Lotte is targeting northeast Seoul demand, expecting more than 30,000 new households by 2030 in the Cheongnyangni redevelopment and the Imun-Hwigyeong and Jeonnong-Dapsimni new towns, and public-transit users rising to 300,000 with GTX and other lines. It plans to link the mall with the existing Cheongnyangni store to create a third 'Lotte Town' in Seoul after Myeongdong and Jamsil, and the Bellygom events and a Nintendo Pikmin pop-up run until the 8th of next month.

  RetailShopping mallNew

• E-mart goes Daiso — ultra-cheap "Wow Shop" opens on the 22nd, everything ₩1,000–₩10,000, 60% under ₩2,000

  According to Yonhap (Oct 21), E-mart said on the 21st it will fully launch "Wow Shop," an ultra-low-price household goods store. The first two stores, about 330㎡ each, open on the 22nd at Starfield Market Wolgye and E-mart Eunpyeong, selling every item at flat prices from ₩1,000 up to ₩10,000, with 60% priced at ₩2,000 or less. After a pilot since last December with about 1,300 directly imported household items, E-mart is adding some 12,000 new products, stocking 7,000–8,000 per store. Beyond kitchen and living goods it sells beauty, health supplements, stationery and toys, and electronics. Headline items include a ₩5,000 Happycall frying pan, a ₩2,000 Lock&Lock food container, a ₩5,000 quilt and ₩1,000 wired earphones, plus about 790 health-and-beauty items such as basic skincare under ₩5,000 and supplements like vitamins and magnesium from ₩1,000. An air fryer, coffee maker, single electric blanket and cabin suitcase sell at ₩10,000 in limited quantities. It plans five mid-to-large Wow Shops this year, including Starfield Market Gunsan on the 30th. Yonhap read it as a response to the popularity of Daiso-led ultra-cheap stores.

  RetailUltra-cheapNew

• Store brands are 30% of convenience-store sales, sub-₩1,000 items 17% — GS25 launches ₩900-range 'Haru Hanjum' nuts

  According to Yonhap (Oct 23), GS Retail said on the 23rd that its convenience-store chain GS25 launched three 'Haru Hanjum' (a handful a day) nut packs under its private brand YOUUS, priced in the ₩900 range. GS25 runs about 1,300 items centered on its Private label lines YOUUS and Real Price, and the Private label share of total sales has risen every year: 27.3% in 2022, 28.0% in 2023, 29.1% in 2024 and 30.0% in 2025. As of September this year, Private label items priced at ₩1,000 or less make up only 6.5% of Private label products but 17% of Private label sales. GS25 said that as high prices drag on, more shoppers look for value in things they buy every day.

  Convenience storesPrivate labelUltra-cheapNew

• Overhyping 'AI inside' is deceptive advertising — FTC draft 'AI washing' guidelines, with AI virtual doctor and deepfake investment ad cases

  According to ZDNet Korea (10.22), the Korea Fair Trade Commission released a draft of 'guidelines on AI-related labeling and advertising' on the 22nd and is taking comments from companies, consumers and experts until the 11th of next month. The draft includes criteria for unfair AI-related labeling and advertising, 16 cases and self-check items for businesses. The main type is 'AI washing' — advertising a whole product as if it runs on AI when there is no real AI technology or its use is simple or auxiliary — and the FTC said it will look at whether learning, inference or judgment functions are actually used, rather than the mere fact that the technology is built in. Even when AI is really used, leaving out operating conditions and performance limits can be deceptive — for example, if an AI robot vacuum needs an app to recognize objects or struggles with thin cables or socks, that must be disclosed. Cases also include an AI-generated virtual plastic surgeon presenting ordinary food as if it removes aging cells, and deepfake investment ads impersonating real investment experts. The guidelines are not legally binding, and from Nov 27 a rule banning ads that make AI-generated virtual doctors or experts appear to recommend or endorse products takes effect.

  AdvertisingAINew

• Undisclosed ads posing as "bought it myself" reviews: 108,709 in five years — restaurants and salons top the list, AI virtual influencers now watched too

  According to Yonhap (Oct 21), data the Fair Trade Commission gave Rep. Park Sung-hoon (People Power Party, National Policy Committee) show the FTC monitored 108,709 undisclosed-ad Social media posts over the five years 2021–2025. The count rose from 17,020 in 2021 to 21,037 in 2022 and 25,966 in 2023, then stood at 22,011 in 2024 and 22,675 last year. These are posts that received payment but pass as genuine user reviews without saying they are ads; the FTC refers them to the Korea Internet Advertising Foundation to get them taken down. By category last year, other services including restaurants and hair salons led with 5,791 (25.5%), followed by clothing, textiles and personal goods 3,725 (16.4%), health and hygiene products 3,500 (15.4%), food and luxury goods 2,219 (9.8%), and culture and entertainment services 1,914 (8.4%). The FTC also treats ads in which an AI-generated virtual person recommends a product without making clear it is virtual as a monitoring target, and requires disclosure of both the paid relationship and the virtual identity.

  AdvertisingParliamentary auditNew

• Twenty-somethings cut deposits 34% and grew stocks 139% — Shinhan Card tracks the ₩100M–₩1B "mass affluent" for 20 months

  According to Yonhap (Oct 21), Shinhan Card's Big Data Lab released results on the 21st from tracking customers' financial assets (Shinhan Bank plus Shinhan Securities) from the end of December 2024 through August this year using group-wide data. Total financial assets rose about 29%, but by 9% for customers with under ₩100M, 27% for the ₩100M–₩1B "mass affluent," and 54% for those above ₩1B — the more assets, the faster they grew. The mass affluent clearly cut bank time deposits and added stocks, most of all in their 20s, where time deposits fell 34% and stock holdings rose 139%. The 30s (deposits −28%, stocks +124%), 40s (−29%, +107%), 50s (−22%, +113%) and 60s (−11%, +129%) followed suit, while only those 70 and older grew both deposits (+10%) and stocks (+151%). Shinhan Card added that people in their 20s and 30s also grew demand and installment savings rather than going all-in on stocks.

  FinanceBig dataNew

• 340 million dormant accounts holding ₩14.19 trillion nobody has claimed — account count up 29% in four years

  According to Yonhap (Oct 20), data that Rep. Park Sung-hoon of the People Power Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Political Affairs Committee, obtained from the Financial Supervisory Service show that long-inactive, unclaimed and dormant financial accounts totaled 341.91 million at the end of last year, up 29.3% from 264.4 million at the end of 2021. A long-inactive account typically means one with no transactions for three years or more. Of these, 195.03 million were long-inactive or unclaimed accounts — 124.83 million deposit and savings accounts, 69.27 million brokerage cash accounts and 940,000 insurance accounts — and long-inactive brokerage cash accounts grew 61.8% over four years. Balances in long-inactive or unclaimed accounts came to ₩14.1857 trillion: ₩7.4342 trillion in deposits and savings, ₩5.1895 trillion in insurance payouts and ₩1.562 trillion in brokerage cash. Dormant-asset accounts numbered 146.88 million, with dormant securities accounts rising from 73.11 million to 109.92 million, about 75% of the total. Financial firms returned ₩548.8 billion in dormant assets (about 8.3 million accounts) last year, yet dormant accounts still grew by roughly 5.12 million.

  FinanceParliamentary auditNew

• Seoul bibimbap tops ₩12,000 on average for the first time — gimbap at ₩3,923 as the consumer agency compares 12 convenience-store gimbap

  According to Yonhap (Oct 19), the Korea Consumer Agency’s price portal Chamgagyeok shows the average bowl of bibimbap in Seoul cost ₩12,000 in September, up ₩77 from August (₩11,923) and in the ₩12,000 range for the first time. Statistics Korea’s consumer price index shows September prices up year on year by 2.3% for rice, 12.5% for mushrooms, 6.6% for domestic beef and 1.1% for eggs. In the same month, jajangmyeon (black-bean noodles) in Seoul rose from ₩7,731 to ₩7,808 and a kimchi-stew set meal from ₩8,769 to ₩8,846, while a roll of gimbap (Korean seaweed rice roll) held at ₩3,923. Review Times (Oct 19) noted gimbap is up ₩300 (8.3%) from a year earlier (₩3,623) and reported the agency’s comparison test of 12 gimbap products from 7-Eleven, CU, GS25 and Emart24. Among four tuna gimbap, tuna made up 16.5–21.9% of the weight; 7-Eleven’s ‘All New King Tuna Gimbap’ was highest at 21.9% (55.6 g, ₩3,300), while CU’s ‘Private labelICK THE KITCHEN Tuna Gimbap’ had 19.7% (53.8 g) and was the cheapest of the four at ₩3,100. A single roll contained up to 70% of the daily sodium reference.

  Eating-out pricesGimbapNew

• Only 886 used-phone ‘safe trade’ certificates in 16 months — 0.01% of 2.24M annual trades, and 39.7% have never heard of it

  According to Yonhap (Oct 19), data that Rep. Han Jun-ho of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly’s science and broadcasting committee, obtained from the Ministry of Science and ICT show that only 886 used-phone transaction certificates were issued from the scheme’s launch on May 28 last year through the end of September this year. This year’s 570 already exceed last year’s 316, but against the roughly 2.24 million person-to-person used-phone trades estimated by the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI) last year, uptake is around 0.01%. The government budgeted ₩1 billion a year for promotion in both years, yet a Gallup Korea survey of 1,014 users in the first half found just 11.1% said they ‘know the scheme well’ and 39.7% had ‘never heard of it.’ Among retailers, 31.9% said they knew nothing about it. The certificate is meant for cases where a seller falsely reports a phone lost or stolen to collect insurance and the device gets blocked: a buyer who purchased it legitimately can use the certificate to request that the block be lifted.

  Used phonesParliamentary auditNew
• 01

  Store-bought kimchi instead of kimjang — napa cabbage down 10% but salted shrimp up 32.5%, small packs up 39%

  According to Money Today (10.19), by Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT) data, the retail price of napa cabbage on the 16th was 5,557 won per head, 10.33% lower than a year earlier, but salted shrimp rose 32.5% to 20,269 won per kg and anchovy fish sauce rose 3% to 6,268 won. With side-ingredient prices up even as cabbage got cheaper, the burden of making kimchi remains, and more people are buying packaged kimchi. Kurly’s packaged kimchi sales in Q3 (July–September) rose 35%, and small 100g–1kg products rose 39%. Lotte Mart’s packaged kimchi sales for January–September rose about 5%, and Emart’s 1kg-or-less products rose 6.6%. Premium kimchi is selling too: ‘Chosun Hotel Geotjeori Kimchi’, launched last month by Shinsegae Live Shopping at about three times the price of regular products, beat its sales target by 20% and sold out. In a Korea Rural Economic Institute survey, households planning to make their own kimchi fell 2.2 percentage points to 62.3%, while those planning to buy packaged kimchi rose to 32.5%; the top reason was ‘being able to buy only as much as needed’ (39.5%). The agriculture and oceans ministries will expand kimjang ingredient supply and hold discount events from Nov. 9.

  +32.5%KimjangPackaged kimchi

• 'Bring back Bokkeum Neoguri' worked — searches up from 63,000 to 100,000 in two years, Nongshim relaunches it for a limited time on the 27th

  According to Etoday (Oct 14), Nongshim is bringing back Bokkeum Neoguri (stir-fried Neoguri), which it discontinued in 2024. First launched in 2017, it topped the comeback requests Nongshim received over the past two years. AI analytics firm NuenAI says searches for it nearly doubled, from about 63,000 in 2024 to about 100,000 through August this year. Fans even started an Instagram account, the Bokkeum Neoguri revival campaign HQ, and it was the best seller among export-only products at Nongshim’s Seongsu store, Shin Ramyun Bunsik. The new version adds mussel and squid for a seafood flavour, and the cup version uses a new microwave cooking method. It rolls out across online and offline channels nationwide from the 27th in limited quantities for about a month. A pre-sale of 3,000 sets of 16-pack bags opened on Nongshim Mall on the 14th. Nongshim has not decided whether to make it permanent.

  Searches doubledComebackNew

• Temporary and daily workers at 5.727 million, a Q3 low in 31 years — construction daily workers are 74.6% of the drop

  According to Yonhap News (Oct 25), based on National Data Agency data, temporary and daily workers in Q3 this year numbered 5.727 million, down 95,000 in a year. That is the lowest for a Q3 since 1995. Construction daily workers fell 28,000 to 381,000, accounting for 74.6% of the overall drop in daily workers. By age group, those in their 50s fell the most, by 21,000.

  EmploymentConstructionNew

• "Daiso instead of moving" — "storage items" mentions up 314.9%, tension rods and pantry bins sold out

  According to the Korea Economic Daily (Oct 25), Some Trend analysis shows that over the past month (Sep 22–Oct 23) mentions of "storage items" rose 314.86%, "storage" 159.33% and "organizing items" 109.45%. On Daiso's online mall, tension rods, shelves, fridge organizers and pantry bins temporarily sold out. As background, the article noted that floor area per person in young-adult households fell to 31.1㎡ from 32.7㎡ a year earlier, and the average monthly rent for a Seoul apartment rose ₩218,000 in a year to ₩1.661 million.

  DaisoStorageNew

Korean Consumer Trends Now — see all →

• Iron Man over the Han River on Halloween night — 2,000 drones for the Oct 31 Ttukseom "Marvel Special," this year's last drone show

  According to Yonhap News (Oct 25), Seoul City will hold "Marvel Special," this year's last Hangang Drone Light Show, at Ttukseom Hangang Park at 8:30 p.m. on the 31st. 2,000 drones will draw Marvel characters including Iron Man. An "Avengers: Doomsday" photo zone and a costume parade will also be held. Because it falls on Halloween, safety staff are being increased, extra subway trains will run at Jayang Station, and trains will skip the stop if it gets crowded. It may be canceled depending on the weather.

  HangangDrone showNew

• Seokchon Lake Luminarie opens on the 30th — 122 days, 2.89 million visitors last year (+27%)

  According to Yonhap News (Oct 26), Songpa District will hold "Lake Autumn and Winter, and Luminarie" at the east and west lakes of Seokchon Lake for 122 days, from the 30th to Feb 28 next year. It is the 5th edition, and the last one drew 2.89 million visitors (+27%). Tunnel and arch gates and a heart-shaped "The Sphere" sculpture will line the 2.5km walking path. The opening ceremony at 6:30 p.m. on the 30th includes a Forestella performance, the lighting and fireworks. The lights are on daily from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

  Seokchon LakeLight festivalNew

• Korean Air and Asiana booking data leaked — partner Amadeus account hacked, suspected breach window Aug 2023 to Sept 2026

  According to ZDNet Korea (Oct 24), Korean Air and Asiana Airlines said on the 23rd they had confirmed that customer booking data leaked after an account at partner Amadeus was hacked. Booking details including reservation numbers were exposed; payment data such as card numbers was not. The suspected breach window runs from August 2023 to September 2026. Korean Air was notified at 10:44 p.m. on the 20th. The number of affected customers has not been disclosed, and no secondary damage has been confirmed so far.

  Korean AirData leakNew

• Foreign visitors hit 17.11M through September (+21.5%) — last year’s annual record to fall this month; card spending up 47.7%

  According to Yonhap (10.22), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s ‘September 2026 inbound tourism trends’ show 17.11 million foreign visitors in January–September, up 21.5% from 14.08 million a year earlier. That is 90.3% of last year’s full-year 18.94 million, and the ministry expects the annual record to be passed this month. September alone brought 2.06 million (+21.1%), and monthly arrivals topped 2 million five times this year: 2.05M in March, 2.03M in April, 2.09M in July, 2.25M in August and 2.06M in September. By country, China led with 5.47M (+29.2%), followed by Japan 3.12M (+16.9%), Taiwan 1.86M (+32.4%) and Hong Kong 0.55M (+18.6%); the Americas sent 1.62M (+12.0%) and Europe 1.19M (+20.0%). Foreigners’ tourism card spending in January–September reached 15.9416 trillion won, up 47.7%, far outpacing visitor growth. Entries through regional airports such as Gimhae, Jeju, Cheongju and Daegu rose 37.4% to 3.24M, and through regional seaports such as Busan, Jeju and Yeosu 14.5% to 1.58M, together making up 28.2% of arrivals. Earlier, Money Today (10.19) reported Yanolja Research’s forecast of about 23.57 million visitors this year, noting that strained China–Japan relations early in the year sent travelers from both countries to Korea. Per the tourism organization, medical tourism spending through September was about 1.8398 trillion won, up 57.9%.

  17.11MInbound tourism+47.7%

• Busan draws 3.43 million foreign visitors in 8 months (+45.9%) — Korea’s only pick on Expedia’s ‘2027 Destinations of the Year’

  According to News1 (10.21), the Busan Tourism Organization’s foreign-visitor report shows 3,434,620 foreign tourists visited Busan in January–August, up 45.9% from the same period last year (2,354,267). August alone saw 506,946, up 44.5% — about 1.9 times the national growth rate for foreign visitors that month (23.3%). In eight months Busan reached 94.3% of last year’s full-year total (3,643,439) and has already passed 2019’s pre-pandemic full year (2,687,743). By nationality, China led with 719,260, just 947 ahead of Taiwan (718,313), followed by Japan (407,038), the U.S. (289,382) and the Philippines (124,356). China and Taiwan each surpassed last year’s full-year totals in eight months. By route, 1,467,473 (42.7%) entered via Gimhae Airport, 1,415,963 (41.2%) came via other regions of Korea and 551,184 (16.0%) via Busan Port, which grew fastest at 57.8%. Paradise Hotel Busan’s share of foreign guests reached 37% in September, up from the 20% range in past years. According to The Fact and Yonhap (10.20), Expedia Group named Busan one of 10 ‘2027 Destinations of the Year’ in its trend report ‘Unpack ’27’ released on the 20th — the only Korean pick. Flight and lodging searches for Busan rose 50%, the fifth-highest growth among the picks (Sept. 1 last year–July 27 this year vs the prior period), behind South Lake Tahoe (195%) and Hyogo (95%) among others. By Busan City’s count, American visitors rose 76.1% and French visitors 111.3% in January–August.

  +45.9%BusanNew

• ‘Bite-size trips’ — 95% of Koreans plan a one-night hotel stay, and the top reason is celebrating (48%)

  According to Yonhap (10.20), Hotels.com on the 20th released Expedia Group’s annual travel trend report ‘Unpack ’27’, naming ‘bite-size trips’ — light one-night getaways from daily life — as a key trend for next year. The report draws on Expedia and Hotels.com search data, a survey of 26,000 travelers in 16 countries including 1,000 Koreans, and social media analysis. Hotels.com searches for one-night stays worldwide rose about 10% year on year. 95% of Korean respondents said they plan to book a one-night hotel stay for leisure, and 55% said their interest in weekend one-nighters grew over the past year. Reasons were ‘celebrating a birthday or anniversary’ (48%), ‘a short recharge between long trips’ (38%) and ‘enjoying hotel amenities like spas and pools’ (31%), and the most important factor was price and deals (59%). 82% of Koreans were interested in ‘gothic-mood’ stays with castle-like or historic atmospheres, and L’Escape Hotel in Seoul made the ‘2027 gothic-mood hotels’ list of 10. 50% of Koreans said they would go to a theme park with other adults.

  95%Hotel staysNew

• Cruise visitors to Korea reach 1.28 million through August — 2 million in sight this year, 57.7% from China

  According to Yonhap News (Oct 25), 1,280,158 foreigners came to Korea by cruise in Jan–Aug, up 12.0% from a year earlier, per the Korea Tourism Data Lab. With 148 port calls and 638,905 passengers scheduled for Q4, the annual total could pass 2 million. By nationality, China is 57.7%, the Philippines 8.9% and Indonesia 8.1%. In August, Seogwipo Port took more than half of port calls and Busan Port took 27.0%. Cruise tourists brought in by Lotte Tour Development have already passed 100,000 this year.

  100K peopleCruiseNew

• Foreign-card payments on the Seoul subway hit 179,000 in September — up 13.2% in three months, Seoul Station up 30%

  According to Yonhap (Oct 19), Seoul Metro said on the 19th that foreign-issued card payments on the Seoul subway reached 179,483 in September, up 13.2% from June (158,553). The daily average rose from 5,285 to 5,983, and the amount paid grew 14.5%, from about ₩822.98 million to about ₩942.46 million. At Seoul Station, which connects to the airport rail line, foreign-card payments rose 30.4%, from 21,351 to 27,835, and the top five stations by September payment amount were Seoul Station, Hongik University, Myeong-dong, Dongdaemun and Euljiro 1-ga. Seoul Metro introduced foreign credit cards and mobile payments at ticket kiosks in March, and from Oct 1 added American Express, so kiosks now take five brands: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, UnionPay and AMEX. Over the same period mobile-pay transactions fell 23.8%, from 97,280 to 74,083, which the operator attributed to lower top-up demand after the 30-day Climate Card pass was discontinued.

  Inbound tourismSubwayNew
• 01

  Foreign medical tourists pick dermatology and pharmacies over plastic surgery — pharmacy spending 229.8 billion won (+196%)

  According to Hankyung (10.18), foreign tourists’ medical spending in Korea (estimated from credit card payments) for January–September this year was 1.8398 trillion won, up 57.9% year on year, by the Korea Tourism Organization’s Korea Tourism Data Lab. By category, pharmacy payments rose 196.1% and dermatology 63.8%, while plastic surgery grew only 24.5%. Plastic surgery’s share fell from 36.33% in 2023 to 23.88% last year and 19.35% this year, while dermatology reached 55.72% and pharmacies 12.49% (6.66% last year). According to Asia Economy (10.19), pharmacy payments came to about 229.8 billion won, and the number of pharmacy transactions rose 105.3% to account for 68.97% of medical payments. Because transactions grew faster than spending, the average medical payment per transaction fell about 6.6%. An analysis of reviews on the foreigner payment app WOWPASS found 72% of pharmacy visits were to buy beauty and health products, with repair creams, acne care products, supplements and artificial tears mentioned most. According to Ministry of the Interior and Safety public data, 23 pharmacies opened in Myeong-dong in January–September this year, more than double last year’s total of 11. At Mega Factory’s Seoul store, Korea’s first warehouse-style pharmacy, which Hankyung (10.21) visited on the 18th, shoppers push carts and pick products from shelves sorted by purpose; cold medicines such as Fytuben (2,000 won) and Coldaewon (2,500 won) cost about half what ordinary pharmacies charge, and Combat, 5,000 won at Daiso, sold for 3,500 won. There was also a section for products popular with foreigners and tax-refund signage. Per the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, foreign patients’ pharmacy spending in the first half rose 87.9% year on year. The Korean Pharmaceutical Association has raised concerns about misuse given the bulk display of medicines at warehouse pharmacies.

  +196%K-beauty tourismNew

• 6,481 reports of taxi overcharging foreigners, only 3.1% punished — ₩480,000 from Myeongdong to Gimpo Airport, complaints at a record

  According to Asia Economy (10.19), data that Rep. Mo Kyoung-jong (Democratic Party) of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee obtained from Seoul City show 6,481 reports of taxi overcharging of foreign tourists from 2021 to August this year. Only 204 (3.1%) led to administrative penalties — 176 warnings, 26 license suspensions and 2 revocations — while 4,368 (67.4%) were closed internally without action. The share closed for ‘other’ reasons rose from 38.8% in 2023 to 60.7% as of August this year. A reward of up to 500,000 won is available to reporters when a penalty is imposed, but not a single claim or payment has been made. In June, a Taiwanese tourist posted on social media that she paid 690,800 won including tolls for an Uber taxi from Jayang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul to Incheon Airport Terminal 2, a trip that normally costs around 70,000 won. Tourism complaints filed with the Korea Tourism Organization in January–July this year totaled 1,753, already surpassing last year’s 1,744, and 84.3% of complainants were foreigners. By type, general lodging accounted for 500, shopping 376, airports and airlines 186 and taxis 182. JoongAng Ilbo (10.21) reported that by Korea Tourism Data Lab figures, 2,057 complaints from foreign tourists were filed nationwide in January–September, double 2019’s full-year total (1,023) and above last year’s full year (1,593) (the count differs from KTO’s because the criteria differ). A Japanese tourist recently paid ₩480,000 for a taxi from Myeongdong in Seoul to Gimpo Airport, a route that usually costs around ₩30,000; the driver turned out to have run with the meter off and keyed in the fare manually. Other cases included an American tourist billed a separate ₩15,000 ‘tableware and side-dish fee’ at a restaurant and lodging that demanded extra charges on confirmed bookings.

  3.1%Rip-off₩480,000

• November fuel surcharge at level 27 — consumer group says “Korean Air short-haul passengers paid 30% too much”

  According to Munhwa Ilbo (10.18), Korean Air said on the 17th that it set fuel surcharges on international tickets departing Korea issued Nov. 1–30 at 55,600–408,100 won one way, up from 49,000–362,600 won in October — 6,600 won more at the low end and 45,500 won more at the top. The round-trip surcharge for U.S. East Coast routes such as New York and Washington is 816,200 won, 91,000 won more than in October. One way, it is 55,600 won for Fukuoka and Qingdao, 76,000 won for Tokyo and Beijing, 185,800 won for Bangkok, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, and 370,100 won for London, Paris and LA. Asiana Airlines set 62,400–351,100 won one way, with 702,200 won round trip on its longest routes. The average Singapore jet fuel price (MOPS) during the calculation period (9.16–10.15) was $173.89 a barrel, up 9.7%, lifting the level from 23 in October to 27 — the third straight monthly increase since September. For domestic flights, according to Travel Times (10.6), Korean Air and Asiana will raise the one-way surcharge from 20,900 won to 25,300 won from Nov. 1. Surcharges are based on the ticketing date, not the flight date. According to Segye Ilbo (10.20), tickets for December trips issued by the 31st get October’s level (23), so a family of four flying one way to Bangkok pays ₩93,600 less than if they ticket in November. The same article said Modetour’s bookings for December departures (taken Oct. 1–11) were up 138.2% from the same period in September, led by Southeast Asia (36.8%), Japan (30.6%) and China (19.7%). According to Yonhap (10.21), the price-monitoring center of the Korea National Council of Consumer Organizations announced on the 21st that Korean Air’s short-haul passengers are paying 30% or more extra in fuel surcharges. Analyzing 426 flights on the Fukuoka, Qingdao, Shanghai and Tokyo routes flown between July 16 and August 15 at an assumed 80% load factor, it estimated one-way surcharges based on current fuel prices at $18.41 for Fukuoka, $22.05 for Qingdao, $29.20 for Shanghai and $38.26 for Tokyo, or 57.5–87% of the amounts actually charged. The group pointed out that the rate table, which should reflect changes in fuel efficiency and load factors, has not been updated since 2016. The won amounts announced for April–September were also higher than conversions at the average exchange rate.

  Level 27Fuel surcharge30% extra

• Foreigners' "K-hiking" — 2.05 million foreign visitors to national parks (+132%), The North Face White Label payments up 111%

  According to department-store credit card spending compiled by the Korea Economic Daily (Oct 16) on its alternative-data platform Hankyung Aicel, spending on The North Face White Label (Youngone Outdoor) rose 111% year over year in September and 525% in August. Sold only in Korea and unavailable through overseas direct purchase, the line has become a must-buy for foreign tourists, and it opened a second Myeongdong flagship on Oct 7. Kolon Sport spending rose 16% in September, and 98% of foreign visitors to its Myeongdong flagship, opened earlier this year, were Chinese. Arc'teryx (about 50%) and Patagonia (45%) also grew, which the article attributes to shifting domestic tastes. These growth rates are not foreign-only figures. More foreigners are hitting the trails, too: foreign visitors to national parks rose 132%, from 890,000 in 2024 to 2.05 million in 2025, far outpacing overall visitor growth (6.5%), and the Korea Tourism Organization and Korea National Park Service are targeting 3 million by 2028.

  K-hiking+132%New

• ₩410 billion next year for 5 regional airport tourism zones — Cheongju, Gimhae, Daegu, Yangyang and Muan, targeting 5 million arrivals by 2029

  According to Chungcheong Maeil (Oct 14), the government unveiled a plan on Oct 14 at the Government Complex Seoul — at an economic ministers' meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance and Economy Minister Lee Hyung-il — to build five tourism zones around regional airports. The aim is to steer foreign tourists who land at Incheon and stay in the Seoul area out to the regions: the Cheongju zone (Cheongju, Gongju, Buyeo, Iksan, Jeonju), Gimhae (Busan, Gyeongju, Ulsan, Geoje, Tongyeong), Daegu (Daegu, Gyeongju, Andong), Yangyang (Yangyang, Gangneung, Sokcho) and Muan (Muan, Mokpo, Gwangju, Yeosu). About ₩410 billion in national and local funds next year will go to 27 projects across eight ministries, covering entry via regional airports, ports and cruises, easier transport, lodging and payments, and AI multilingual interpretation pilots, with a goal of 5 million arrivals in the five zones by 2029. Korea Airports Corporation data cited by iNews24 (Oct 13) show Cheongju Airport handled 3,903,291 passengers in January–September, up 18.0% year over year, with international passengers up 33.7% to 1,740,454. According to the culture ministry’s ‘September 2026 inbound tourism trends’, 3.24 million foreigners entered through regional airports such as Gimhae, Jeju, Cheongju and Daegu in January–September, up 37.4%, and together with 1.58 million (+14.5%) arriving via regional seaports, regional entries made up 28.2% of the total (Yonhap 10.22).

  ₩410BRegional airportsNew

• Euro −6.2%, yen −4.7% in a month — ¥100 at ₩838, making Europe and Japan cheaper

  Using Export-Import Bank of Korea reference rates compiled by Travel Times (Oct 23), ¥100 fell from ₩879.84 on Sept 22 to ₩838.26 on Oct 22 (−4.7%) and the euro from ₩1,587.10 to ₩1,488.60 (−6.2%). The Australian dollar fell 5.6%, the Thai baht 5.3% and the US dollar 4.2%, from ₩1,384.30 to ₩1,325.50.

  Exchange ratesNew

• Half of Korean outbound trips go to Japan or China — 49.6% in September; Guam −51.3%, Thailand −33.1%

  According to Justice Ministry figures compiled by Travel Times (Oct 23), 2,269,402 Koreans left the country in September, up 1.4% year on year. Japan (823,544, +26.5%) and China (301,024, +11.0%) together took 49.6% of departures, up from 41.2% a year earlier. Departures to everywhere else fell 13.0%: Vietnam −14.3%, Thailand −33.1%, the Philippines −25.8% and Guam −51.3%. Departures for January–September totaled 22,093,213 (+1.9%).

  DeparturesNew

• 842,000 Koreans visited Japan in September, a record — No. 1 among visitors as Chinese arrivals fell 44.5%

  According to Seoul Economic Daily (10.22) and Kyongbuk Maeil (10.21), the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) announced on the 21st that 842,300 Koreans visited Japan in September, up 25.6% from a year earlier. That was the largest of any country or region and a record for September. Taiwan followed with 595,600 (+13.0%), and seven countries and regions including Korea and Taiwan set September records. Chinese visitors, by contrast, fell 44.5% to 430,800, the 10th straight monthly decline, after China–Japan relations cooled following Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remarks last November hinting at intervention in a Taiwan contingency. Total visitors in September dropped 5.0% to 3,103,700, a second straight monthly decline, and January–September arrivals fell 2.9% to 30,730,200. Even so, foreign tourists spent ¥7.0574 trillion (about 59.0865 trillion won) in Japan in January–September, up 1.9% and a record for the period, which is attributed to the weak yen easing the cost of local spending.

  842K visitorsJapanNew

• French protests escalate — Korean Air and Asiana waive refund and change fees on Paris tickets through end-November

  According to Newsis (10.22), Korean Air decided to waive refund and rebooking fees on Paris-bound tickets as mass protests across France turned violent. The waiver covers Paris-bound tickets bought from Korean Air before the 21st for departures between October 21 and November 30. Foreign media reported that on the 17th (local time) protests against rising living costs and cuts to public services broke out in Paris, Lyon, Marseille and other cities, with clashes between protesters and police and arson and looting in some areas. French authorities arrested more than 2,400 people nationwide and imposed night curfews in parts of major cities. Groups linked to the ‘yellow vest’ movement have announced another rally in Paris on the 24th, and the CGT union has called for a general strike from November 5. Travel communities are filling with posts showing canceled Paris tickets or weighing whether to cancel trips. Korean Air said, “There are no problems operating the Paris route, but we decided this considering local safety because customers have asked to change or refund tickets.” According to Hankyoreh (10.23), Asiana Airlines posted the same notice. The protests, started last month by students demanding better school conditions, widened to the cost of living, drawing 550,000 people (government estimate) on the weekend of the 17th, and another large protest is planned for the 24th. Europe-travel forums are filling with posts from people weighing — or already making — cancellations of November Paris honeymoons.

  Fee waiverParisNew

• Japan and China routes up 20%+ in Jan–Sept — double the international average (9.9%), with LCCs heading to smaller cities like Kagoshima and Hakodate

  According to the Korea Economic Daily (Oct 19), Jeju Air, a Korean low-cost carrier, said on the 19th that passengers on its Incheon–Hiroshima and Incheon–Shizuoka routes rose more than 40% year on year in January–September. Per the transport ministry’s aviation data portal, Incheon–Hiroshima carried about 184,000 passengers, 42% more than the same period last year (about 129,000), while seat supply grew 21% — passenger growth was double the capacity growth. Incheon–Shizuoka rose 41%, from about 126,000 to 178,000, far outpacing its 12% seat increase. Incheon–Matsuyama grew 11% (169,000 to 188,000) and Incheon–Oita 12% (47,000 to 53,000). Passengers across Jeju Air’s small and mid-sized Japanese city routes went from about 610,000 in 2024 to about 760,000 last year, and this year already passed 700,000 by the end of the third quarter — over 90% of last year’s total. The airline said high oil prices and a weak won have made travel pricier, boosting demand for relatively cheap short- and medium-haul trips and interest in lesser-known Japanese cities. According to Global Economic (10.22), MOLIT Air Portal data show Japan-route passengers for January–September at 23,957,423 (+20.5%) and China routes at 15,419,550 (+22.9%), more than double the 9.9% growth of all international routes. The weak yen for Japan and visa-free entry for Koreans in China drove demand, and higher fuel surcharges are also seen pushing people toward nearby destinations. Flights rose to 132,124 for Japan (+19.0%) and 99,151 for China (+8.8%). Jeju Air resumes Incheon–Kagoshima from the 25th and Incheon–Hakodate from Dec. 1, both 7 a week, and Air Busan adds 3 weekly Busan–Kagoshima charters from the 25th. According to Yonhap (10.22), Shanghai data show 515,000 Korean visits in the first half, the most of any foreign country. MTN (10.22) reported that Korean air passengers rose 7.4% to a record in January–September, but Korean Air (+6.8%) and Asiana (−2.6%) combined grew only 3.1%.

  JapanChinaLCC

• Koreans visiting the U.S. down 25% — 102,000 in September, the steepest drop among the top 20 countries

  According to the September 2026 advance data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) based on U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrival records, 102,040 residents of South Korea visited the U.S. in September, down 25.0% from a year earlier. Korea ranked 7th among the top 20 source countries but had the steepest decline. In the same month, the U.K. fell 5.8%, Germany 10.2% and France 15.5%. Korean visitors for January–September totaled 953,665, down 19.7%. By mode of transport, air arrivals fell 26.2% to 91,193. Total overseas visitors to the U.S. (excluding Canada and Mexico) in September were 2,703,912, down 4.3%. These are advance figures and the final numbers may differ.

  -25%U.S.New

• Jeju's international flights have already passed all of last year — Korean visitors in October down 14.1% while foreign visitors' spending is up 44%

  According to Travel Times (Oct 12), the 'Jeju Spending Trends Brief: Q1–Q2 2026' released by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju Tourism Organization using BC Card spending data showed tourist spending in the first half of the year rose 6.4% year over year to ₩1.3141 trillion. Spending by foreign tourists rose 44.4% (Q1 +63.1%, Q2 +34.5%), while spending by Korean tourists fell 1.5%. Korean tourist spending rose 6.1% in Q1 and then fell 7.7% in Q2. In Q2, foreign spending was led by Greater China at ₩85.1 billion (45.8%), followed by other Asia at ₩33.1 billion, North America at ₩31 billion, Europe at ₩22.8 billion and Japan at ₩8 billion. Quarter over quarter, Europe rose 220.1% and North America 134.7%. Visitors from Greater China spent heavily at cosmetics, soap and fragrance shops (₩11.6 billion, +51.3%) and Korean restaurants (₩6.6 billion, +55.8%), while duty-free spending fell 1.2% to ₩6 billion. European visitors' car-rental spending rose 64.5%. Among Korean tourists, people in their 50s (₩130.6 billion) and 60s (₩127.5 billion) spent the most. According to JIBS (Oct 15), international passengers at Jeju Airport, counted by Korea Airports Corporation, reached 3,031,529 on Oct 10 — already above last year's full-year total of 3,029,280. Meanwhile, preliminary Jeju Tourism Association figures show Korean visitors on Oct 1–14 fell 14.1% (72,702 people) year over year to 442,145; foreign visitors rose 29.2% in the same period, but total visitors fell 7.6%. This year's planned domestic seat supply is also 651,394 seats (about 3.7%) below last year.

  +44.4%JejuNew

• Overseas trip bookings for Nov–Dec: Japan second at 27.4% — Southeast Asia 33.2%, and within Japan, Osaka and Fukuoka

  According to the Korea Economic Daily (Oct 26), Modetour's share of overseas trip bookings for Nov–Dec departures was Southeast Asia 33.2%, Japan 27.4%, China 24.2%, Europe 7.2% and the Americas and South Pacific 6.2%. Within Japan, Osaka is 27.3%, Fukuoka 27%, Sapporo 12.3%, Okinawa 10.6% and Tokyo 8%. The Korea Economic Daily (Oct 24) reported that 35% of Koreans who went abroad in August went to Japan. The November fuel surcharge is based on the ticketing date, so ticketing by the 31st avoids the increase.

  JapanYear-end travelNew

How Koreans Travel Now — see all →

• 01

  new trick — ROSÉ

  #1 on Instagram rising audio. 15K reels.

  No. 1Up
• 02

  Wacky Bubbly Cutie Adorable — Rich Rich

  #2 on Instagram rising audio. 9.9K reels.

  No. 2Down
• 03

  right here — i don't like mirrors

  #3 on Instagram rising audio. 37K reels.

  No. 3New
• 04

  It's so Nice to Be Happy — Futemys

  #4 on Instagram rising audio. 86K reels.

  No. 4Up
• 05

  Original audio — nctwish_official

  #5 on Instagram rising audio. 53K reels.

  No. 5Down
• 06

  Spinning Round and Round — Nami

  #6 on Instagram rising audio. 3.1K reels.

  No. 6Up
• 07

  Break It Down — Young Tak

  #7 on Instagram rising audio. 1.4K reels.

  No. 7Up
• 08

  Floral breeze sessions — sueyalike

  #8 on Instagram rising audio. 14K reels.

  No. 8Down
• 09

  REVENGE (Super Slowed) — 1HXSX, wnorg17

  #9 on Instagram rising audio. 920K reels.

  No. 9Up
• 10

  Seriously, I'm Speechless — BGM President

  No. 10 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 15K reels.

  No. 10Down
• 11

  Fall or Autumn — Kokoro_mom

  No. 11 on Instagram's trending audio list. Used in 5.5K Reels.

  No. 11Down
• 12

  best day ever — Oscar Anton, Blanks

  No.12 on Instagram's rising audio list. Used in 63K Reels.

  No. 12Down
• 13

  Let Me Know #JerseyClub (Slowed) — Jiandro, Salako

  No. 13 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 805 reels.

  No. 13Up
• 14

  Yummy Little Day — emilogue

  No.14 on Instagram's rising audio list. Used in 200K Reels.

  No. 14Down
• 15

  EVERYTHING — The Black Skirts

  No. 15 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 120K reels.

  No. 15Up
• 16

  Original audio — arin__0507

  No. 16 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 1.5K reels.

  No. 16New
• 17

  Original audio — widwo

  No. 17 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 345 reels.

  No. 17New
• 18

  Usagi Rap (Solo Version) — Ari Ozawa, Saeko Oki, Ayaka Nanase

  No. 18 on Instagram's trending audio list.

  No. 18New
• 19

  All I want is #JerseyClub (Slowed) — whyslow, Carpe

  No.19 on Instagram's rising audio list. Used in 1.4K Reels.

  No. 19Up
• 20

  Death of Me — EVAN

  No. 20 on Instagram's trending-audio list. Used in 2K reels.

  No. 20Up
• 21

  You Make My Dreams (Come True) — Daryl Hall & John Oates

  No. 21 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 750K reels.

  No. 21Down
• 22

  Upside Down (Original CHIC Mix) — Diana Ross

  #22 on Instagram rising audio. 140K reels.

  #22Down
• 23

  For You, Whose Every Day Is Filled with Happiness — E:um

  No. 23 on Instagram's trending audio list. Used in 1.9K Reels.

  No. 23New
• 24

  Original audio — feel_plist

  #24 on Instagram rising audio. 640 reels.

  #24Up
• 25

  From This Star — IU

  #25 on Instagram rising audio. 2.3K reels.

  #25Down
• 26

  Guitarist — D.O.

  No. 26 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 4.7K reels.

  26thDown
• 27

  Original audio — dump__456

  No. 27 on Instagram's trending-audio list. Used in 650 reels.

  27thDown
• 28

  The Garden Is Laughing Today — Avore music

  No. 28 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 16K reels.

  28thDown
• 29

  Nicole Kidman — ADÉLA

  No. 29 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 100K reels.

  No. 29Down
• 30

  L O V E — Michael Bublé

  No.30 on Instagram's rising audio list. Used in 720K Reels.

  No. 30Up
• 31

  Shark in the Cold Tub (feat. Black Nut) — Superbee

  No. 31 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 3.7K reels.

  31stNew
• 32

  You're the Best — YS Block

  No. 32 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 452 reels.

  No. 32New
• 33

  blue — yung kai

  No. 33 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 1.66M reels.

  No. 33Down
• 34

  It's Art — PSY

  #34 on Instagram rising audio. 43K reels.

  #34New
• 35

  Lil Boo Thang — Paul Russell

  #35 on Instagram rising audio. 2.3M reels.

  #35Down
• 36

  Koi — Gen Hoshino

  #36 on Instagram rising audio. 46K reels.

  #36Up
• 37

  Pajama Parties no Uta — パジャマパーティーズ

  #37 on Instagram rising audio. 62K reels.

  #37Up
• 38

  Happy times — Nebubu

  #38 on Instagram rising audio. 8K reels.

  #38Down
• 39

  Jumper — Waterflame

  #39 on Instagram rising audio. 3.5K reels.

  #39New
• 40

  LOVE ATTACK — RESCENE (RESCENE)

  No. 40 on Instagram's trending-audio list. Used in 66K reels.

  40thNew
• 41

  fish song — Tenorio S.

  No. 41 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 56K reels.

  No. 41Down
• 42

  You — SYSTEM SEOUL, ycs

  No. 42 on Instagram's rising audio chart. Used in 1.6K reels.

  No. 42New
• 43

  Ruins摇 (律动氛围版) — One叶儿

  #43 on Instagram rising audio. 1.1K reels.

  #43New
• 44

  ENOuGH — Hongjoong (ATEEZ), Bazzi

  #44 on Instagram rising audio. 1.2K reels.

  #44New
• 45

  Four Seasons, and You — Lee Chang-sub

  #45 on Instagram rising audio. 285 reels.

  #45New
• 46

  Pinball — RESCENE (RESCENE)

  #46 on Instagram rising audio. 4.8K reels.

  #46New
• 47

  Beggin' — Måneskin

  #47 on Instagram rising audio. 1.68M reels.

  #47New
• 48

  Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1 - Morning — BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

  No. 48 on Instagram's rising audio chart.

  48thDown
• 49

  Last Night on Earth — Green Day

  #49 on Instagram rising audio. 20K reels.

  #49

• Charts meet Reels — two RESCENE songs enter

  RESCENE's "LOVE ATTACK" (#40, 66K reels) and "Pinball" (#46) entered side by side. The same day, "LOVE ATTACK" is #1 on Spotify Korea.

  Cross-signal

• Three slowed and Jersey club edits

  "REVENGE (Super Slowed)" (#9, 920K reels), "Let Me Know #JerseyClub (Slowed)" (#13) and "All I want is #JerseyClub (Slowed)" (#19) are all rising.

  Remix

• Old pop still owns the usage counts

  "You Make My Dreams" (#21, 750K reels), "L O V E" (#30, 720K), "Beggin'" (#47, 1.68M, new) and "Upside Down" (#22) lead on total usage.

  Old pop

• Five hashtags max — and sometimes none is better

  Hashtags are now capped at five per post, and one dataset shows posts with no tags reaching 23% further than heavily tagged ones.

  Max 5 tags

• There is no public hashtag ranking

  Instagram does not publish hashtag usage rankings. The "Rising" audio list inside the Reels editor is the only ranking visible in the app.

  No public data

Trending Instagram Reels Audio in Korea — see all →

• 01

  #Hangul Day

  No. 1 on TikTok Creative Center's Korea 7-day chart: 1.8K posts, 4.7M views. On Oct 16 it was No. 2 (2K posts, 4.7M views). Category: News & Entertainment. Hangul Day (Korea's alphabet day) was Oct 9. Last week's No. 1, #theweeknd, dropped out of the top three.

  No. 1News & Ent
• 02

  #Momonga

  New at No. 2 on TikTok Creative Center's Korea 7-day chart: 1K posts, 5M views, no category listed. Momonga is the flying-squirrel character from Chiikawa. Last week's No. 3, #meonjakgwi (Chiikawa's Korean nickname), dropped out of the top three.

  No. 2Anime
• 03

  #Storytime

  New at No. 3 on TikTok Creative Center's Korea 7-day chart: 1.5K posts, 17.8M views — the most views of the three. Category: News & Entertainment. Storytime is the format where you talk to the camera about something that happened to you.

  No. 3News & Ent
• 01

  #TikTokLifeworkContest

  No. 1 on TikTok Creative Center's Korea 30-day chart: 30.6K posts, 166.2M views — about 3,900 more posts and 18.8M more views than on Oct 16 (26.7K posts, 147.4M views). No category listed.

  No. 1Contest
• 02

  #Chuseok

  No. 2 on TikTok Creative Center's Korea 30-day chart: 18.4K posts, 68.5M views. Posts are down from Oct 16 (18.7K posts, 68.5M views). Category: News & Entertainment.

  No. 2News & Ent
• 03

  #VarietyShowPicks

  New at No. 3 on TikTok Creative Center's Korea 30-day chart: 11.6K posts, 82M views — more views than No. 2 #chuseok. Category: News & Entertainment. Last week's No. 3, #zoro, dropped out.

  No. 3News & Ent

Trending TikTok Hashtags in Korea — see all →

• 01

  PSY - GANGNAM STYLE M/V

  #1 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #7 across Asia overall.

  No. 1Music video
• 02

  KATSEYE "Animal" Official MV

  #2 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #9 across Asia overall.

  No. 2Music video
• 03

  Jeonghan X Joshua (SEVENTEEN) '12 o'clock' Official MV

  #3 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #11 across Asia overall.

  No. 3Music video
• 04

  KATSEYE 'Hootie Frutti' Official MV

  #4 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #12 across Asia overall.

  No. 4Music video
• 05

  ILLIT ‘It’s Me’ Official MV

  #5 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #13 across Asia overall.

  No. 5Music video
• 06

  LE SSERAFIM x ILLIT x KATSEYE 'ICONIC BY MISTAKE' Official MV

  #6 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #22 across Asia overall.

  No. 6Music video
• 07

  BTS '2.0' Official MV

  #7 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #28 across Asia overall.

  No. 7Music video
• 08

  KATSEYE "Gameboy” Official MV

  #8 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #40 across Asia overall.

  No. 8Music video
• 09

  BTS 'Dynamite' Official MV

  #9 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #50 across Asia overall.

  No. 9Music video
• 10

  ENHYPEN 'Bloody Paradise' Official MV

  #10 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #53 across Asia overall.

  No. 10Music video
• 11

  TUIDE ‘SUN KISS’ Official MV

  #11 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #56 across Asia overall.

  No. 11Music video
• 12

  LE SSERAFIM 'BOOMPALA' OFFICIAL PERFORMANCE FILM

  #12 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #66 across Asia overall.

  No. 12Music video
• 13

  ILLIT ‘Magnetic’ Official MV

  #13 among Korean-artist videos on kworb Asia realtime; #95 across Asia overall.

  No. 13Music video

Trending YouTube Videos in Korea — see all →

• 01

  A2O — NEON (w/ A2O LITE)

  #1 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  No. 1No change
• 02

  Jimin — Who

  #2 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  No. 2No change
• 03

  RESCENE — LOVE ATTACK

  #3 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  No. 3No change
• 04

  Jung Kook — Seven (w/ Latto)

  #4 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 5위 ▲1No. 4+1 vs yesterday
• 05

  SOYEON — I’m gonna TOESA

  #5 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 4위 ▼1No. 5-1 vs yesterday
• 06

  Stay — The Adult I Dreamed Of

  #6 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  No. 6No change
• 07

  Redoor — Forever Has Always Been

  #7 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 10위 ▲3No. 7+3 vs yesterday
• 08

  CORTIS — REDRED

  #8 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 7위 ▼1No. 8-1 vs yesterday
• 09

  RESCENE — Deja Vu

  #9 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  No. 9No change
• 10

  ATEEZ — BAD

  Spotify Korea daily chart No. 10.

  지난주 14위 ▲4No. 10+4 vs yesterday
• 11

  IVE — Looks Can Kill

  Spotify Korea daily chart 11th.

  지난주 8위 ▼3No. 11-3 vs yesterday
• 12

  PLAVE — Star Trace

  Spotify Korea daily chart 12th.

  지난주 15위 ▲3No. 12+3 vs yesterday
• 13

  HANRORO — 0+0

  Spotify Korea daily chart No. 13.

  No. 13No change
• 14

  RESCENE — Pretty Girl

  Spotify Korea daily chart 14th.

  지난주 16위 ▲2No. 14+2 vs yesterday
• 15

  aespa — LEMONADE

  Spotify Korea daily chart 15th.

  지난주 12위 ▼3No. 15-3 vs yesterday
• 16

  ALLDAY PROJECT — CRASH

  Spotify Korea daily chart No. 16.

  지난주 11위 ▼5No. 16-5 vs yesterday
• 17

  Nerd Connection — If I have you only (My love X Nerd Connection)

  Spotify Korea daily chart 17th.

  No. 17No change
• 18

  HANRORO — Landing in Love

  Spotify Korea daily chart No. 18.

  No. 18No change
• 19

  WOODZ — Drowning

  Spotify Korea daily chart No. 19.

  No. 19No change
• 20

  BIG Naughty — Nostalgia

  Spotify Korea daily chart No. 20.

  지난주 21위 ▲1No. 20+1 vs yesterday
• 21

  BESTie — Love Options

  Spotify Korea daily chart No. 21.

  지난주 20위 ▼1No. 21-1 vs yesterday
• 22

  Hearts2Hearts — RUDE!

  #22 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  #22No change
• 23

  KiiiKiii — Pop Off Pop Off

  #23 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 24위 ▲1No. 23+1 vs yesterday
• 24

  ILLIT — It's Me

  #24 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 25위 ▲1#24+1 vs yesterday
• 25

  HANRORO — Let Me Love My Youth

  #25 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 31위 ▲6#25+6 vs yesterday
• 26

  PLAVE — GGUN

  Spotify Korea daily chart 26th.

  지난주 43위 ▲1726th+17 vs yesterday
• 27

  PLAVE — Sweet Rain

  Spotify Korea daily chart 27th.

  지난주 32위 ▲527th+5 vs yesterday
• 28

  JANNABI — for lovers who hesitate

  Spotify Korea daily chart 28th.

  지난주 39위 ▲1128th+11 vs yesterday
• 29

  Post Malone — Sunflower - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (w/ Swae Lee)

  Spotify Korea daily chart No. 29.

  지난주 40위 ▲11No. 29+11 vs yesterday
• 30

  PLAVE — The Answer Is Yes

  #30 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 26위 ▼4No. 30-4 vs yesterday
• 31

  Nerd Connection — ‎Good Night Good Dream

  Spotify Korea daily chart 31st.

  지난주 33위 ▲231st+2 vs yesterday
• 32

  NMIXX — Birthday Wish

  #32 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 29위 ▼3No. 32-3 vs yesterday
• 33

  NCT WISH — I SPY

  #33 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 28위 ▼5No. 33-5 vs yesterday
• 34

  Hearts2Hearts — Lemon Tang

  #34 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 42위 ▲8#34+8 vs yesterday
• 35

  RESCENE — Runaway

  #35 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 37위 ▲2#35+2 vs yesterday
• 36

  Lim Young Woong — ToTo

  #36 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 34위 ▼2#36-2 vs yesterday
• 37

  I.O.I — Suddenly

  #37 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 35위 ▼2#37-2 vs yesterday
• 38

  KiiiKiii — 404 (New Era)

  #38 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  #38No change
• 39

  Damons year — yours

  #39 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  #39+7 vs yesterday
• 40

  Epik High — Mise en scène (w/ DAVICHI)

  Spotify Korea daily chart 40th.

  지난주 30위 ▼1040th-10 vs yesterday
• 41

  The Black Skirts — Ling Ling

  Spotify Korea daily chart No. 41.

  지난주 47위 ▲6No. 41+6 vs yesterday
• 42

  K/DA — FIRESTARTER (w/ League of Legends, i-dle, Mimi Webb, Sophie Powers, MIYEON, SOYEON)

  Spotify Korea daily chart No. 42.

  지난주 23위 ▼19No. 42-19 vs yesterday
• 43

  A2O — SUPERSTAR (w/ A2O SOUL)

  #43 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 41위 ▼2#43-2 vs yesterday
• 44

  RESCENE — Pinball

  #44 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 45위 ▲1#44+1 vs yesterday
• 45

  PLAVE — Born Savage

  #45 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  #45+9 vs yesterday
• 46

  Crush — seesaw (Feat. IU) (w/ IU)

  #46 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 27위 ▼19#46-19 vs yesterday
• 47

  YENA — Catch Catch

  #47 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 48위 ▲1#47+1 vs yesterday
• 48

  Hearts2Hearts — FOCUS

  Spotify Korea daily chart 48th.

  지난주 44위 ▼448th-4 vs yesterday
• 49

  PLAVE — Rewind

  #49 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  #49+2 vs yesterday
• 50

  NMIXX — Heavy Serenade

  #50 on the Spotify Korea daily chart.

  지난주 49위 ▼1#50-1 vs yesterday

Top Songs in Korea Right Now — see all →

• 01

  Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island

  Released 2026.09.30. No. 1 in daily admissions (KOFIC ticketing data).

  No. 1
• 02

  Assassin(s)

  Released 2026.09.23. No. 2 in daily admissions (KOFIC ticketing data).

  No. 2
• 03

  Paradise Lost

  Released 2026.10.21. No. 3 in daily admissions (KOFIC ticketing data).

  No. 3
• 04

  Tazza: Song of Beelzebub

  Released 2026.09.23. No. 4 in daily admissions (KOFIC ticketing data).

  지난주 5위 ▲1No. 4
• 05

  Clayface

  released 2026.10.21. #5 by daily admissions (KOFIC ticketing data).

  지난주 4위 ▼1No. 5
• 06

  The Odyssey

  released 2026.08.05. #6 by daily admissions (KOFIC ticketing data).

  지난주 7위 ▲1No. 6
• 07

  Still Shining

  Released 2026.10.21. No. 7 in daily admissions (KOFIC ticketing data).

  지난주 6위 ▼1No. 7
• 08

  Look Back

  released 2026.10.08. #8 by daily admissions (KOFIC ticketing data).

  No. 8
• 09

  Verity

  released 2026.10.22. #9 by daily admissions (KOFIC ticketing data).

  No. 9
• 10

  Killing Time

  Released 2026.10.21. No. 10 in daily KOBIS ticketing data.

  No. 10

Korean Box Office Today — see all →

• 01

  League of Legends

  MOBA from Riot Games. No. 1 overall, combining portal trends, PC-bang usage, streaming viewers and user votes.

  No. 1MOBA
• 02

  FC Online

  Sports from EA Korea Studio. No. 2 overall, combining portal trends, PC-bang usage, streaming viewers and user votes.

  No. 2Sports
• 03

  Valorant

  FPS from Riot Games. No. 3 overall, combining portal trends, PC-bang usage, streaming viewers and user votes.

  No. 3FPS
• 04

  PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

  FPS from Krafton. No. 4 overall, combining portal trends, PC-bang usage, streaming viewers and user votes.

  No. 4FPS
• 05

  Overwatch 2

  An FPS run by Blizzard. No. 5 overall in a ranking combining portal trends, PC bang access, game-stream viewers and user votes.

  No. 5FPS
• 06

  MapleStory

  An MMORPG run by Wizet Studio. No. 6 overall in a ranking combining portal trends, PC bang access, game-stream viewers and user votes.

  No. 6MMORPG
• 07

  Lineage

  An MMORPG run by NCSOFT. No. 7 overall in a ranking combining portal trends, PC bang access, game-stream viewers and user votes.

  No. 7MMORPG
• 08

  Sudden Attack

  FPS from Nexon GT. No. 8 overall, combining portal trends, PC-bang usage, streaming viewers and user votes.

  No. 8FPS
• 09

  Roblox

  Role-playing game from Roblox Corporation. No. 9 overall, combining portal trends, PC-bang usage, streaming viewers and user votes.

  No. 9RPG
• 10

  Lost Ark

  An MMORPG run by Smilegate RPG. No. 10 in the composite ranking of portal trends, PC-bang access, stream viewership and user votes.

  No. 10MMORPG
• 11

  StarCraft

  An RTS run by Blizzard. No. 11 in the composite ranking of portal trends, PC-bang access, stream viewership and user votes.

  No. 11RTS
• 12

  Aion 2

  MMORPG from NCSoft. No. 12 overall, combining portal trends, PC-bang usage, streaming viewers and user votes.

  No. 12MMORPG
• 13

  MapleStory Worlds

  Other from Nexon. No. 13 overall, combining portal trends, PC-bang usage, streaming viewers and user votes.

  No. 13Other
• 14

  Dokkaebi World

  An MMORPG run by Supercat. No. 14 overall in a ranking combining portal trends, PC bang access, game-stream viewers and user votes.

  No. 14MMORPG
• 15

  Dungeon & Fighter

  Action RPG run by Neople (Dungeon & Fighter). No. 15 overall, combining portal search trends, PC bang (gaming cafe) traffic, game-stream viewers, and user votes.

  No. 15Action RPG
• 16

  Minecraft

  An adventure game run by Mojang. No. 16 overall in a ranking combining portal trends, PC bang access, game-stream viewers and user votes.

  No. 16Adventure
• 17

  Eternal Return

  Strategy shooter from Nimble Neuron. No. 17 overall, combining portal trends, PC-bang usage, streaming viewers and user votes.

  No. 17Strategy / Shooter
• 18

  Lineage 2

  An MMORPG run by NCSOFT. No. 18 overall in a ranking combining portal trends, PC bang access, game-stream viewers and user votes.

  No. 18MMORPG
• 19

  World of Warcraft

  An MMORPG run by Blizzard. No. 19 overall in a ranking combining portal trends, PC bang access, game-stream viewers and user votes.

  No. 19MMORPG
• 20

  Warcraft III

  An RTS run by Blizzard. No. 20 overall in a ranking combining portal trends, PC bang access, game-stream viewers and user votes.

  No. 20RTS

Most Popular Games in Korea — see all →

• 01

  Bukangi 'Guarantee self-determination': the placard meme becomes a real petition, cumulative visitors 1.6 million

  According to SBS (Oct 26), photos of placards reading "Guarantee Bukangi's right to self-determination" and "How dare you force an eviction" spread on social media, and amid questions about whether they were AI-generated, a petition asking authorities to stop guiding it to open sea was actually filed on the government petition site Cheongwon24. Cumulative visitors since its first appearance total 1.6 million. According to Herald Business (Oct 26, citing Yonhap News), Bukangi was spotted off the pier of the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal for two straight days, Oct 24-25, and a livestreaming YouTuber who rented a boat to get close was caught by the Coast Guard. An expert expected it to head out to sea after about a week of adjusting. According to Yonhap News (Oct 25), the National Institute of Fisheries Science confirmed on the 24th that Bukangi was swimming healthily in a harbor near the Busan Port International Passenger Terminal, about 2 km from where it was last seen. The institute described it as "widening its range and adapting to a new environment". From 2 PM on the 26th, Busan City will give 16 emoticons (usable for 30 days) titled "Sharpluencer Bukangi Came to Busan!" to the first 50,000 people to newly add its official KakaoTalk channel. More than 1.6 million visitors have come to see Bukangi so far. The same day, Yonhap [Social+] reported that photos of the "Guarantee Bukangi's right to self-determination" placard spread, and that a petition filed on Cheongwon24 on the 21st to stop guiding it to open sea had 297 likes as of the afternoon of the 23rd. Sea Life Busan Aquarium's "Our shark is pretty too" video passed 1.53 million views.

  Herding haltedIn and out1.6M visitors

• Tesla’s flying Roadster — a flood of ‘K-parodies’, from Han Moon-chul TV to commuter buses and kimchi jars

  According to Yonhap (10.21), Tesla on the 15th (local time) released a demo video of its two-seat Roadster fitted with thrusters at SpaceX’s test site in McGregor, Texas. In the video the car drives up a ramp, does a full flip in midair and lands, and clears five cars in one jump. Korean netizens are pouring out generative-AI parodies that drop it into everyday scenes. On the 18th an online community post put a car shooting into the air on a screen from ‘Han Moon-chul TV’, a channel of viewer-submitted traffic-accident clips, with the caption “Abroad they argue about dreams and innovation; in Korea we look for Han Moon-chul first.” Also circulating: a fake breaking-news graphic of a ‘three-car pileup during a flip above Yangjae IC’, Roadsters driving on the ceiling of Umyeonsan Tunnel under a ‘₩70,000 toll’ sign, a video of a car leaping over a tollgate (330,000+ views), a double-decker commuter bus lifting off as the ‘Bus 7790 Roadster’, and a ‘Roadster delivery in 2036’ clip of food handed through a high-rise window. A text-message parody shows a man rejected in 2018 with “I’ll go out with you the day cars fly” messaging her again eight years later. The official Instagram of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City posted a ‘2026 Gwangju Kimchi Festival’ promo in which a giant kimchi jar rides up a ramp spraying kimchi. KBS (10.20) said the same kind of AI parodies are flooding social media worldwide and companies are joining in for marketing. The demo was unmanned on a controlled test site, however, and Tesla plans to mass-produce the Roadster from 2028. Brands piled on too, according to News Spirit (10.21). BBQ released a parody in which its Golden Olive Chicken leaps and lands like the Roadster, and when Jeju Air appeared amid the flying-car memes, comments followed along the lines of “we can’t join this meme because we already fly.” Abroad, McDonald’s Czech unit posted a drive-thru image of a car hanging upside down from the restaurant ceiling to order.

  AI parodyHan Moon-chulBrand marketing

• Chiikawa: No. 1 at the weekend box office for a third straight week, 2.24 million cumulative and 320,000 in the weekend alone

  In KOBIS figures for Sunday, Oct 25, the Chiikawa movie was No. 1 with 135,454 admissions in a day, for a cumulative 2,248,137. According to Newsis (Oct 26), it held No. 1 at the weekend box office for a third straight week with 320,309 over Oct 23-25, and it also leads advance sales on the morning of the 26th with about 44,700. Chiikawa and Toy Story 5 are the only two animated films to pass 2 million this year. According to Hankook Ilbo (Oct 24), the Chiikawa movie passed 2 million at 8:04 AM on the 24th, 25 days after release. That is faster than The First Slam Dunk (29 days) and similar to Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc (24 days), making it the No. 2 animated release of the year and putting it in the all-time top 10 Japanese animated films in Korea. By KOBIS, Saturday the 24th drew 145,109 admissions, for a cumulative 2,112,687. Dong-A Ilbo (Oct 24, Newsis) reported that videos singing along to, or teaching how to do, Usagi's rap of sounds like "Yaha", "Ura" and "Pururu" are trending, with several reels topping 4 million views. CGV booking analysis shows about 45% of the audience is in their 20s.

  1.92M viewersSold out at DaisoMeonjakgwi

• "NEON" from 'unmarried and non-marriage' to 'gastritis and rhinitis': Sunny's composite video hits 8 million views, and even a word, 'Sumancore', is born

  According to Hankook Ilbo (Oct 25), "NEON" hit No. 1 on the Melon TOP100 on the night of the 14th, about 29 hours after release, and held it for eight straight days through the 22nd, also winning No. 1 on The Show on the 20th, Show Champion on the 21st and M Countdown on the 22nd. After people said the chorus 'Neon and beyond' sounds like 'unmarried and non-marriage' in Korean, lyric-swap memes like 'gastritis and rhinitis' followed. According to Kyunghyang Shinmun (Oct 24), the video in which Girls' Generation's Sunny composited Lee Soo-man and Yoo Young-jin into the choreography passed 8 million views, and the one in which Jung Jun-ha put himself and Park Myeong-su in passed 3.33 million. Dailian (Oct 26) reported that a new word, 'Sumancore', has even emerged. It is also No. 1 on the Melon TOP100 at noon on the 26th. "NEON", the debut song of nine-member girl group A2O Light created by producer Lee Soo-man, hit No. 1 on the Melon TOP100 29 hours after release (Xports News Oct 18), and was still No. 1 at 10 AM on the 19th. According to Women's Economy (Oct 19), AI compositing was added to the two-person intro choreography shown at the Oct 12 debut stage, and videos of celebrities and acquaintances dancing the same dance are trending on social media. Girls' Generation's Sunny posted a video on the 15th compositing the faces of her uncle Lee Soo-man and composer Yoo Young-jin, and versions with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hotel Shilla President Lee Boo-jin and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, plus versions with actors from "The Glory" and "Oldboy", are also circulating. Dedicated sites such as 'Neon AI Dance' make a 15-second video from two photos and charge $9.90 for 10 credits (one video); the operator said it has no connection to A2O Entertainment. The terms ban uploading photos without consent or photos of public figures, but how consent is actually verified is not disclosed, raising concerns about the consent of the face owner. According to Xports News (Oct 18), a lyric meme of mishearing the original lyric 'NEON AND BEYOND' as 'unmarried and non-marriage' and 'gastritis and rhinitis' also spread, and A2O Light's official account shared Sunny's video. On the 20th, Korea Economic Daily's Cheonjachilum column introduced the story of the chorus 'Neon and beyond' sounding like 'unmarried and non-marriage' as a mondegreen, the mishearing of similar sounds as different words, and noted that the game of picturing the wrong lyrics, replaying and sharing added to the addictiveness. It was also No. 1 on the Melon TOP100 as of 8 AM on the 21st. Maeil Business (Oct 21) reported that many of these videos are made with Higgsfield AI's 'Genjutsu'. The tool uses AI in place of motion capture, and producers Lee Soo-man and Park Jin-young, chairmen Lee Jae-yong and Chey Tae-won, and even the cast of "Infinite Challenge" are being turned into a two-person dance duo. In Circle Chart week 42 (Oct 11-17) from the Korea Music Content Association, "NEON" took No. 1 on both the Digital Chart and Global K-pop Chart, ending HUNTR/X's 15-week run at No. 1 on the Global K-pop Chart (Singlelist Oct 22). It was also No. 1 on the Melon TOP100 as of 11 AM on the 22nd. According to Xports News (Oct 22), TV personality Jung Jun-ha posted a composite video made with his own and Park Myeong-su's faces, and producer Na Young-suk posted an AI dance video titled 'Married Man, 50', saying outright that it was made with AI. But as more third parties use others' faces without permission, concerns about deepfake misuse are also being raised. Dailian (Oct 23) noted that "NEON", a 3 min 28 sec song with a cappella, high notes and a dance break, broke the formula of 15-second hook-centered short form and spread through covers and AI memes. It was also No. 1 on the Melon TOP100 at 10 AM on the 23rd.

  AI compositeMelon No. 1Lyric meme

• ‘Let’s go reward them with money’ — lines at the heroes’ restaurants, while next door “some days we didn’t sell a single bowl”

  According to Asia Economy (10.16), on the afternoon of the 13th a 59-year-old man went on a stabbing rampage at a mixed-use mall in Guwol-dong, Namdong-gu, Incheon, injuring citizens; the owner of an udon restaurant in the second-floor food court threw a tray and chased him, and ssambap restaurant owner Shin In-su and other citizens threw chairs to block him until he was caught. From the 15th, posts with both shops’ details and calls to ‘reward them with our money’ spread on social media. In a field report, Kyeongin Ilbo (10.18) said that around 11:30 a.m. on the 16th the ssambap restaurant was crowded with customers and the Japanese restaurant’s kitchen was busy nonstop. Related posts have thousands of ‘likes’. Other restaurants on the same floor and first-floor shops were quiet, though, and merchants worry the area, which had been recovering since the basement Homeplus reopened two months ago, will shrink again after the attack. Incheon City plans a campaign encouraging public servants and staff of affiliated agencies to eat at the mall, and the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency plans staff spending drives. According to Nocut News (10.18), comedian Kim Dae-beom shared the ssambap restaurant’s name on social media, then posted a photo after eating there, calling it “the best value-for-money restaurant”, and police had been considering rewards for five citizens who confronted the attacker with chairs. According to Segye Ilbo (10.21), the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency said on the 20th it paid arrest rewards to those five citizens. When Yonhap News TV (10.20) visited the food court a week after the attack, empty seats filled quickly at lunchtime and customers took proof photos before eating. Posts like “went right after work” keep appearing online. Ssambap restaurant owner Shin In-su said, “Only the places that were on TV are doing well and the others less so… I wish everyone did equally well.” When Kyeonggi Ilbo (10.21) visited the building’s second-floor food court around noon on the 21st, the restaurants run by the merchants who subdued the attacker were crowded with Incheon city officials, police officers and citizens, but the restaurants right next to them were quiet even at lunchtime. One noodle-shop owner said “customers have dropped even further since the attack, and some days I didn’t sell a single bowl,” and a snack-shop owner said people “are flocking to only a few shops,” adding that sales had fallen more than 70% since the incident. Inha University consumer studies professor Lee Eun-hee said local authorities should use discount events and improvements to the building so that visitors spread across the whole commercial area.

  DonjjulLinesEmpty next door

• ‘Ghost discipline’ — a 5-year-old taken to be scolded stood in front of the ghost: “Daddy, run!”

  According to Asia Economy (10.13), the Korean Folk Village is holding its autumn festival ‘Gwisinsaba Ghost Play’ from Sept. 12 to Nov. 15; when parents tell the ghosts about a child’s picky eating or tantrums, a ghost confronts the child, scares them and asks if they will behave from now on. Such videos spread under titles like ‘The end of a 5-year-old who feared nothing’, giving rise to the phrase ‘ghost discipline’ (SBS 10.13), and parents posted that children who wouldn’t eat had changed (MBC 10.14). Now a story in the opposite direction is spreading. According to Asia Economy (10.19), a father’s message to a ghost actor spread on social media on the 19th. When the ghost approached saying it would eat the father, his 5-year-old son burst into tears, blocked the ghost and shouted “No! Daddy, run!”; the father wrote, “I went to experience a ghost and came back having discovered the bravest son in the world.” The actor replied that he felt “a heavy sense of responsibility and gratitude as an actor.” Alongside the laughs, concerns that it may be too frightening for children keep coming up. At the folk village Cheonji Ilbo (10.22) visited on the 12th, parents asked the ghosts to fix everything from picky eating and tantrums for a smartphone to hitting other people, and each session ended when the child made a pinky promise with the performer. Park Eun-seo, who plays the ‘black nine-tailed fox’, said she was first asked to scold a child who wouldn’t eat while playing a bride ghost last year, and similar requests kept coming after that video spread. The performers said they read each child’s reaction to adjust the intensity, stop immediately if the child is badly scared, and then calm them with snacks or tricks. The outlet also noted a 2016 case in which the Chuncheon District Court fined a daycare teacher 1.5 million won for forcing a three-year-old who wouldn’t nap to watch a goblin video. According to Yonhap (10.23), the ghost ‘Eodukshini’ takes the habits parents whisper to it, claims it “can control people” and has the parents raise their hands and feet in an improvised skit until the child promises to behave. As the videos spread on social media it earned the nickname ‘Oh Eun-young of the dark’, and on weekends crowds jam the roads around the Folk Village.

  Korean Folk VillageParentingHeartwarming story

• “Never thought an AI would comfort me” — singerless song ‘Did You Become the Adult You Dreamed Of?’ climbs one more spot to No. 2 on Melon

  According to Kyunghyang Shinmun (10.16), Meomureu’s "Have You Become the Adult You Dreamed Of?" was made by entering prompts into the AI music tool SUNO; people wrote the lyrics, but AI handled the basic composition and vocals. It was made by Glory Wave (Lee Yong-seok and Choi Seong-hyeok), a songwriting team that has worked with singers such as Gilgu Bonggu and Hwang Chi-yeul for over a decade. The song entered the Melon TOP100 early this month, peaked at No. 3 and is still No. 3 as of 10 a.m. on the 19th. Glory Wave has not registered it with the Korea Music Copyright Association, so it isn’t receiving standard lyric and composition royalties. According to Dong-A Ilbo (10.18), the song reached No. 2 on YouTube’s Korea top songs chart, and its comment section is full of listeners sharing their own stories. Covers by real singers and AI covers in other singers’ voices have also appeared. JoongAng Ilbo (10.17) said its average Melon rating is a low 3.1 out of 5 but it has over 32,000 ‘likes’, calling it a ‘ratings battlefield’ where one-star reviews saying ‘AI? Disgusting’ face five-star reviews saying ‘Never thought I’d be comforted by AI.’ According to Nongmin Shinmun (10.21), Spotify said on the 20th (local time) that it had removed more than 50 million low-quality or spam tracks from recommendations this year alone and deleted over 75 million that repeatedly broke its rules. AI-generated virtual artists get a separate badge and are excluded from recommendations unless the listener follows them directly. In August, KOMCA set a standard allowing AI-assisted music to be registered if a human creator substantially took part, but withdrew it after 22 days. ‘Have You Become the Adult You Dreamed Of?’ is No. 3 on Melon TOP100 as of 11 a.m. on the 22nd.

  AI singerMelon No. 2New

• SOYEON ‘I’m Quitting’ — 4 music-show wins, but now 3rd on Melon behind an AI song too

  It’s ‘I’ll Quit (Narr. Kian84)’, the title track of (G)I-DLE Soyeon’s first full album ‘An Amazing Life’, released on September 7. Its theme and lyrics about quitting your job struck a chord with office workers. According to Media Pen (Oct 5), it hit No. 1 on Melon, Genie and Bugs real-time and daily charts, YouTube Music’s weekly top songs, FLO, VIBE and iChart for a perfect all-kill, and won Mnet’s ‘M Countdown’ on October 1 and SBS’s ‘Inkigayo’ on October 4. According to News1 (Oct 6), it also held No. 1 on Genie Music’s weekly chart (Sept 28–Oct 4), and according to Star News (Oct 6), it placed 2nd in Melon’s Weekly Popularity Award with 65.65 points, behind Lim Young-woong’s ‘Ddo Ddo’ (70.32). According to Edaily (Oct 6), after broadcast promotions ended, fancams from university festival stages spread again as short-form clips, and recently generative AI videos that swap your own face onto her music show performances, as if you were on stage yourself, have been popular on Social media. It also drew attention as an homage to Ixi’s ‘Please Take Care of Me’, the 2005 MBC University Song Festival grand-prize song. According to TopStar News (Oct 8), Soyeon rose 84 points from the previous day to 2,529 points and 5th place on the Musician100 chart, and ‘I’ll Quit’ held No. 1 on five music platforms. According to Ilgan Sports (Oct 11), Soyeon took No. 1 on SBS’s ‘Inkigayo’ on the 11th with 5,366 points, beating ATEEZ’s ‘Bad’ and RESCENE’s ‘Love Attack’, for her fourth music show win after ‘M Countdown’ on October 1, ‘Inkigayo’ on the 4th and MBC’s ‘Show! Music Core’ on the 10th. As of 6 p.m. that day it was also No. 1 on Melon’s TOP100, HOT100 and daily charts. According to Topstar News (Oct 12), about 26,000 short-form videos used the song as of the 12th (the article doesn't give the platform or counting method). It was still No. 1 on the Melon TOP100 as of 10 a.m. on the 14th. The parodies spread to football too. According to Korea Economic TV (Oct 13), a YouTube Short rewriting the song as ‘I'll Retire Now’ with Kim Min-jae, Hwang In-beom and Hwang Hee-chan composited in had 4.86 million views as of 7 p.m. on the 13th. It held No. 1 in Circle Chart’s streaming category for a fourth week in week 42 (Oct 11–17) (Slist 10.22).

  4 music show winsOffice workers

• "Bung-eun-woo" hits 2.2 million views on Threads — "I only got an offer, I have to grill my fish pastries"

  According to Yonhap News TV (Oct 26), "Bung-eun-woo" opened a Threads account on the 22nd and, as of 9 a.m. on the 26th, had about 4,200 followers and roughly 2.2 million total views. Asked whether he would enter a trot audition show, he answered, "I only got an offer. I have to grill fish-shaped pastries, so when would I have time to sing?" Maeil Business (Oct 24) reported 2 million views and 15,000 likes within two days of opening the account, with waits approaching two hours. According to Kyeonggi Ilbo (Oct 19), Mr. A, who runs a bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastry) stall in Cheolsan-dong, Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi, earned the nickname "Bung-eun-woo" (the fish-pastry seller version of actor Cha Eun-woo) for his resemblance to the actor, and a video of him hit 2.3 million views on Instagram. The Korea Economic Daily (Oct 18) reported that he also drew attention for his friendly service, sightings and photos spread across online communities, and customers swarmed the stall. Visitors left reviews like "I waited in line for about 2 hours" and "Even on weekday evenings the wait is an hour" (Kyeonggi Ilbo, Oct 19). On the 17th, Mr. A posted on Instagram that "a district office employee visited yesterday and we talked" and that "I never imagined so many people would come in two days," announcing that he was closing. He also cited "too much physical strain" because he works another job alongside the stall (Newsis, Oct 19). According to Newsis (Oct 19), he posted on social media on the 19th that "I plan to start selling again from today," reopening after a day. The specific reason a district office employee visited was not disclosed. According to Money Today (Oct 20), on the 20th a post circulated as if it were his notice, saying "so many complaints came in that the district office contacted me, I can't sell at my usual spot from today, I'm looking for a place in Sillim-dong." He replied on Instagram, "That's not me," explaining that it was a post written about two years ago by someone who used to sell fish pastries elsewhere. He said he would sell only red bean and custard for now, and might be able to offer sweet potato and cheese from the 21st depending on ingredients.

  BungeoppangLookalikeNew

• Captain Q silver coin hits ₩180,000 on Danggeun — the souvenir now costs more than the liquor

  According to Korea Economic TV (Oct 26, citing the Korea Economic Daily), "Captain Q's Treasure Chest," which bundles two 360ml bottles with a glass and a commemorative coin, sold at convenience stores for ₩19,800 in a limited run of 12,000 sets, while the commemorative silver coin alone was listed on Danggeun (Korea's secondhand marketplace) for ₩100,000, ₩170,000 and ₩180,000 (certificate included). Seven-Eleven's 1,300 pre-order sets sold out, CU owners' order of 1,200 sets closed the same day, and GS25 sold about 98% of its Oct 14–19 stock. Cooky News (Oct 26) reported that about 99% of Lotte Mart's stock sold on its Oct 15 launch day. According to Kyunghyang Shinmun (Oct 8), Lotte Chilsung Beverage brought back "Captain Q," discontinued in 2015, after 11 years. It debuted in 1980 as Korea's first rum-type spirit and came with the joke "no hangover the next day, because you wake up the day after that." The new product is 360ml, 35% ABV and ₩9,900, and the limited "Treasure Chest" set with two bottles, a glass and a commemorative coin is 12,000 units. According to Edaily (Oct 13), CU franchise pre-orders of 1,200 sets closed in one day. According to JoongAng Ilbo (Oct 19), YouTube ads recreating 1980s commercials with comedian Lee Sun-min (the "teaser," "pre-launch" and "launch" episodes) reached 7 million cumulative views as of the 18th, with comments like "I thought it was a real old commercial." The "Treasure Chest" pre-orders sold out, and posts appeared on the secondhand market offering ₩50,000 for the silver coin alone. That article grouped it with the Nongshim Bokkeum Neoguri relaunch and the GS25 x Taegeukdang collaboration as part of the food industry's 1970s–80s retro wave. According to Newsis (Oct 23), the relaunch news set off a stream of posts in online communities and on social media, from the old catchphrase "no hangover, because you wake up the day after next" to jokes like "if you drink it just before the weekend, you might not make it to work Monday."

  ComebackSold outRetro

• ATEEZ's "let's all die part" — San's choreography goes viral as a short-form challenge, "BAD" reaches No. 8 on Melon

  According to SPOTV News (Oct 24), San's choreography in the chorus of ATEEZ's "BAD," nicknamed the "let's all die part," is spreading in short-form video, with challenges and parodies following. Ten days after release, "BAD" became the first ATEEZ song to enter Melon's daily TOP100, and it is still holding a top-10 spot. It is No. 8 on Melon TOP100 at noon on the 26th. ATEEZ releases their 15th mini album on Nov 13.

  ATEEZchallengeNew

• 'It's so Jang Won-young' — the opposite of 'bamti,' and the idol herself says friends told her to Google it

  According to OSEN (published by Korea Daily on Oct 23), 'Jang Won-young-ida' is used as the opposite of 'bamti,' slang for something tacky or ugly. On the YouTube show 'Today's Joo Woo-jae,' Jang said, 'I didn't know either until friends told me,' adding that they told her to Google 'the opposite of bamti.' The same week, Edaily (Oct 25) reported that Paris Baguette's chewy chocolate churro had been nicknamed the 'Jang Won-young churro' on social media.

  SlangBamtiNew

• ‘Donisal’ — “Do-young, I live because of you”: a Gwangju catchphrase makes it all the way to a National Assembly audit

  According to Mudeung Ilbo (2024.6.11), ‘Donisal’ is short for ‘Do-young-a, ni ttamsi sareoya’ (Gwangju dialect for ‘Do-young, I live because of you’). A fan’s sketchbook sign caught on camera became a meme among KIA fans, and Kim Do-young even set a photo of the sign as his Instagram profile picture. It flared up again in this fall’s postseason. According to Hankyung (10.21), at a National Assembly audit of regional prosecution offices on the 20th, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Jie-won asked Gwangju’s chief prosecutor Ko Kyung-soon whether she knew the most popular phrase in Gwangju, then introduced ‘Donisal’, explaining it means “Do-young, I live because of you.” Park also cited how the stands filled with red the day after Kim mentioned a dress code (Dailian 10.21). The same day Kim hit a second-inning grand slam (estimated 145.8 m) in Game 3 of the semi-playoff against LG and was voted series MVP with 84 of 97 votes (SPOTV News 10.21).

  KIAGwangju dialectNew

• ‘Yareu’ — thought to be teen slang, it’s 20 years old; Lee Min-jung says “I got 400 DMs”

  According to Yonhap (9.30), online communities buzzed after a post on X showed that ‘yareu’, the slang today’s teens and twenty-somethings use when they feel great, appears word for word in 2009 making-of footage from the drama ‘Boys Over Flowers’, where actress Lee Min-jung asks a child actor, “You know ‘yareu’, right?” The record goes back even further: actor Bong Tae-gyu said on SBS radio in May that he first used ‘yareu’ as an ad-lib in the 2003 film ‘A Good Lawyer’s Wife’; a January 2006 entry in Naver’s Open Dictionary describes it as “used among teens to mean ‘good’”; and Jeong Hyeong-don shouts “yareu” on MBC’s ‘Infinite Challenge’ in 2008. Where it used to be only an exclamation like “yes!”, today’s teens and 20s also use it as a predicate, as in “this food is so yareu” or “the vibe is yareu.” Yonsei University Korean literature professor Nam Gil-im explained that digital records such as broadcast clips and portal dictionaries now let old slang be picked up again. Per Sports Kyunghyang (10.21), Lee posted a Short titled ‘The taste of the original yareu(?)’ on her YouTube channel ‘Lee Min-jung MJ’ on the 21st, saying she had “received 400 DMs” and that “we all used this word 20 years ago, and if I’m called the original now, I feel sorry to the friends who used it with me.”

  SlangRevivalNew

• After "tteok-open-run" comes "tteokjisunrye" — pizza seolgi from 200 to 6,000 a day

  According to the Seoul Economic Daily (Oct 26), a new word, "tteokjisunrye" (a pilgrimage to famous rice cake shops), has spread. A rice cake shop in Incheon's Bupyeong General Market went from making 200 pizza seolgi (steamed rice cakes) a day to as many as 6,000 in two months. The Changeok Tteok pop-up at The Hyundai Seoul drew about 10,000 people in a week with waits of up to five hours, and the "tteokjisunrye" pop-up at Lotte Jamsil drew more than 20,000. CU rice cake sales rose 158.9% for Oct 1–22. KBC Gwangju Broadcasting (Oct 19) reported that coined words are spreading among young people: "tteok-open-run" (lining up before a rice cake shop opens), "tteok-getting" (buying popular rice cakes like ticketing for a concert), and "tteokjisunrye." At the Godiva store in Lotte World Mall, Jamsil, Seoul, visited by Newsworks (Oct 19), the line for the "fruit mochi," limited to 150 a day, was cut off before opening, and one buyer said, "I arrived around 10:30 last night and there were already people waiting ahead of me." Godiva opened its Lotte World Mall store on Sept 10 and launched the mochi exclusively there, priced at ₩7,500–9,000 each depending on the filling. The rice cake dessert shop across the way, "Hanjeongseon," also couldn't handle the on-site waiting and switched to mobile waitlist registration, with mochi at ₩3,500–6,500. KBC reported that a video of the pumpkin injeolmi from Changeok Tteok in Gwangju spread on social media and brought a steady stream of visitors to Gwangju. According to Some Trend, posts mentioning rice cakes as a "dessert" from January to August this year rose more than 40% from the same period last year, E-mart frozen rice cake sales (Jan 1–Sep 17) rose 155%, and Lotte Mart (Mar–Aug) rose 90% or more (KBC, Oct 19). Newsworks reported that per-person rice consumption last year was 53.9kg, the lowest since records began, yet rice use by rice cake manufacturers rose 32.1%. In Yonhap News (Oct 20) video reporting, a man cut in line during an overnight mochi open-run that began the previous evening, refused to back off despite protests, shouting broke out and police were called, and a long line was still there at 4 a.m. when the reporter visited. According to the Korea Economic Daily (Oct 22), Knotted launched seven donut mochi flavors (₩5,500 each) at its Lotte World Mall store on the 20th, and a long line formed in front of the store on launch day. Even though Godiva's chocolate mochi costs ₩9,000 each, lines start before dawn, and social media reviews say "you have to be there by 4 a.m. to be safe." Shared "custom routes" even have people queue at Godiva, then move to Hanjeongseon and Knotted, making Lotte World Mall a "mochi holy site."

  Rice cakeOpen runNew

• "Geoje Yaho~" became an honorary citizenship — Ricenne, the first entertainers named honorary citizens of Geoje

  According to Newsis (Oct 26), Ricenne received honorary citizenship of Geoje on the 24th at Hanwha Resort Geoje Belvedere. It is No. 70 and the first for entertainers, in recognition of spreading the "Geoje Yaho!" meme. At noon on the 26th, "LOVE ATTACK" is No. 4 on Melon TOP100. "Yaho" here is not a shout from a mountain but the Japanese youth greeting "yahho (yahho)," so it means "Hi, Geoje~." According to News24 (Jul 8), the original scene is from a YouTube shoot where Wonyi, who is from Geoje, told Japanese member Minami, who was dressed as a gyaru, "If you go to Geoje like that, you'll be in trouble," and Minami fired back in gyaru speech, "Geoje~ yaho~!" According to Daily Ian (Jun 29), the video hit several million views in two weeks, Ricenne's YouTube subscribers jumped from the 100,000 range to over 700,000 in a little over a month, and their 2024 song "LOVE ATTACK" surged back up the charts. According to Sports Donga (Oct 6), on Oct 5 the KBS2 show "Malja Show" featured the impressionist who imitated "Geoje yaho" in G-Dragon's voice and was mentioned by G-Dragon himself, and who admitted to being hit with malicious comments from netizens worldwide. According to Seoul Shinmun (Oct 5), the "Ricenne bread" CU launched on Sept 17 sold about 600,000 units by Sept 30, with 69.1% of buyers men: men in their 30s (22.7%), 40s (18.6%) and 20s (15.8%), in that order. According to Sports Kyunghyang (Oct 9), Minami featured on rapper Loco's new song "TATA," released Oct 15 at 6 p.m., and Loco hinted at it on the 8th by posting an emoji of Minami's signature pose on social media. Ricenne returns in November with 4th mini album "PULSE." According to Ilgan Sports (Oct 11), their 2024 song "LOVE ATTACK" was even a No. 1 candidate on SBS "Inkigayo" on the 11th. Ads continue too. According to Nocut News (Oct 12), Domino's Pizza unveiled its second brand campaign with exclusive models Ricenne on the 12th, "Let's do everything we want to do," and the first ad in July passed 160 million cumulative YouTube views across horizontal and vertical versions. They are also releasing Shorts in turn that add memes to each member's personality. The numbers followed too. According to BNT News (Oct 14), Ricenne beat BTS and ATEEZ for No. 1 in the Korea Business Reputation Research Institute's October idol group brand reputation ranking. According to Top Star News (Oct 13), Ricenne will release 4th mini album "PULSE" on Nov 3 and began pre-orders on the 13th. A stage was set in the hometown of the catchphrase, too. According to Hansan Shinmun (Oct 14), Ricenne, Geoje's city ambassadors, appear at Hanwha Ocean's "Geoje Yaho-! Ocean Harmony with Ricenne" on Oct 24 at 7 p.m. at the Geoje Ocean Plaza external parking lot, and 500 priority seats for Geoje residents open for online lottery applications from 10 a.m. on the 16th. On Melon TOP100 as of 10 a.m. on the 14th, "LOVE ATTACK" was No. 2, "Deja Vu" No. 4 and "Pretty Girl" No. 6. According to Seoul Economic Daily (Oct 16), an analysis the city of Geoje commissioned from the Gyeongnam Big Data Center at the Gyeongnam Research Institute, using SKT floating population data and NH Nonghyup Card sales, found that teens and 20s from outside the area visiting Geoje between Jul 25 and Aug 10 rose 6.6% from a year earlier, and the districts where they increased widened from 4 to 12 (out of 18). Okpo 2-dong, home to Dukpo Beach, rose 32.1% and Jangseungpo-dong 29.4%, and individual card sales around Dukpo Beach in the holiday season jumped 134.4% from ₩8.73 million to ₩20.46 million. However, card sales across Geoje fell. According to bnt News (Oct 21), in the Korea Business Reputation Research Institute's October idol individual brand reputation, Wonyi ranked No. 1, BTS's Jimin No. 2 and Jena No. 3, and Wonyi's keywords included "Hello it's Wonyi please take care of me," "Remine" and "photocard." The share of tourism and travel words in portal searches for Geoje rose from 16.6% in March to 27.7% in August, and tourism words appeared alongside 40.1% of Ricenne-related posts.

  SlangRESCENENo. 1 brand reputation

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