Photo=Mesa Networks Premium chocolate makers are increasingly looking beyond department stores to drive growth, betting that wider retail distribution can turn occasional gift purchases into everyday consumer spending. Swiss chocolatier Cailler is bringing that strategy to South Korea, where its decision to prioritize supermarket access over traditional luxury retail offers a case study for U.S. confectionery companies and investors weighing

Photo=Apple Apple’s first foldable iPhone is testing consumers’ willingness to pay luxury-level prices for new smartphone designs, with the top model costing nearly $3,500 and initial preorder inventory selling out within hours. The launch offers Apple a potential new source of revenue growth in a saturated smartphone market, while giving U.S. investors an early test of whether premium foldable devices

Photo=KOTRA North American automakers are raising the bar for suppliers as artificial intelligence, factory automation and early-stage engineering collaboration become increasingly important in sourcing decisions. The shift creates opportunities for South Korean auto parts manufacturers while giving U.S. automakers and investors new options for strengthening supply-chain resilience and accessing advanced manufacturing capabilities. On October 13, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency

(Photo=Netflix) A South Korean medical drama is approaching a 20% television rating despite criticism from doctors over its portrayal of their profession. Instead of backing away from controversial subjects, “Doctor X” has continued exposing corruption and institutional failures within hospitals, drawing increasingly large audiences. The series, starring South Korean actress Kim Ji Won, reached a nationwide rating of 18.5% in

(Photo=National Pension Service) South Korea’s national pension fund, which invests workers’ retirement contributions to help finance future pension payments, has seen an estimated $136 billion wiped from the value of its major stock holdings in just over three months as the country’s stock market plunged. The National Pension Service (NPS) invests in stocks and other financial assets to generate returns