(Photo=Song Mino X) South Korea’s mandatory military service system, which requires nearly all able-bodied men to serve, is drawing renewed scrutiny as a K-pop singer faces sentencing over extended absences during alternative service. Song Mino, a member of WINNER, a well-known K-pop group, admitted in court this week to violating the country’s Military Service Act after failing to report for

Photo=Nongshim Nongshim, a leading South Korean food manufacturer best known for its flagship Shin Ramyun, is stepping up its push into Japan as it targets a top-five position in the country’s instant noodle market. The company said it aims to generate about $330 million in annual sales in Japan by 2030, building on momentum driven by growing demand for spicy

Photo=Mercedes-Benz For Mercedes-Benz, South Korea has become too important a market to treat as secondary—particularly as the company doubles down on its flagship luxury sedans. The automaker’s recent unveiling of the updated S-Class and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class in Seoul underscores that reality. While global debuts took place earlier in Stuttgart and Beijing, bringing the models to Korea signals the country’s strategic

(Photo=Lotte Chemical) Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and disruptions to a critical energy shipping route are forcing chemical producers to rethink how they secure key raw materials, highlighting growing vulnerabilities in global supply chains. Lotte Chemical, one of South Korea’s largest petrochemical producers with an extensive manufacturing network across Asia, has begun reallocating naphtha within its regional operations

(Photo=Daedong Mobility) Daedong Mobility is stepping into Indonesia’s massive motorcycle market, positioning itself for growth in one of the world’s largest and fastest-evolving two-wheeler economies as competition in electric mobility intensifies. The move marks a strategic pivot beyond South Korea, where demand has shown signs of saturation. Indonesia, the world’s third-largest two-wheeler market, offers scale and growth potential, with more