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business2026.03.03

History Made in Manila: 5 Meanings of the Lee-Marcos First Summit After Korea-Philippines FTA Enactment for ASEAN Maritime Power

President Lee Jae-myung held the first summit with President Marcos at Malacañang Palace in Manila on March 3, following the Korea-Philippines FTA's entry into force (December 31, 2024). Amid the 77th anniversary of bilateral ties, with the Philippines as the 2026 ASEAN Chair and amid South China Sea tensions, the two leaders discussed defense, nuclear energy, AI, and maritime security cooperation — a pivotal diplomatic move to advance Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy.

GlobalCommerceAI Economics2026Trends

business2026.03.02

£27M Down the Drain at Old Trafford: Amorim's Coaching Staff Breaks Silence on Man United's 5 Structural Failures

Adelio Cândido, the assistant coach of the dismissed Rúben Amorim, revealed in a public interview on March 2nd that 'the ideas were never fully implemented.' Manchester United spent a total of £27.35m (approx. ₩72 billion) hiring and firing Amorim, earning the worst season in 51 years, before Michael Carrick's interim reign turned things around with 5 wins in 6 games.

BrandStrategyEconomic Analysis2026Trends

business2026.03.02

Export Surge 75%: 5 Reasons K-Beauty Home Devices Are Conquering Japan and the US

K-beauty home beauty device exports surged 75% year-on-year in February 2026, reaching $18.12 million. APR's AGE-R surpassing 6 million units sold and a ninefold explosion in Japan exports signal that the anti-aging boom is thrusting K-beauty to the frontlines of a hardware war.

Global Economy2026TrendsBrandStrategy

business2026.03.02

Strike on the Horizon Despite a Semiconductor Boom: 5 Reasons Samsung Electronics' OPI Bonus Showdown Is Pushing Toward a Second General Strike

Despite record-breaking profits driven by a semiconductor super-cycle in 2026, Samsung Electronics is on the verge of a second general strike. Disagreements over the OPI (excess profit bonus) calculation method led the joint bargaining committee to file for mediation with the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), with the second mediation session on March 3rd as the decisive turning point.

Macroeconomic AnalysisBrandStrategyEconomic Analysis

business2026.03.01

99 Days of Silence, Then an Apology in English: The 5 Prices Coupang's Bom Kim Paid for the 33.7 Million Data Breach

Coupang founder Bom Kim made his first spoken apology 99 days after the personal data breach affecting 33.7 million customers. The trust crisis facing Korea's largest e-commerce platform continues — with Q4 operating profit down 97%, stock price down 34%, a mass user exodus, spillover to Taiwan, and a U.S. House Judiciary Committee hearing.

RetailTrends2026TrendsBrandStrategy

business2026.03.01

Departing on Independence Day, Armed with AI & Nuclear Gifts: 5 Meanings of President Lee Jae-myung's State Visits to Singapore and the Philippines for Korean Diplomacy

President Lee Jae-myung departs on March 1st (Independence Movement Day) for back-to-back state visits to Singapore (~3rd) and the Philippines (3rd~4th). His first ASEAN tour since taking office, with AI infrastructure, nuclear energy, and defense cooperation as the key agenda.

AI TrendsAI EconomicsGlobal Economy

business2026.02.28

The Price of Losing the ₩8 Trillion Orca: 5 Reasons Poland Rejected the Free Transfer of the Jangbogo Submarine

The Korean government offered to transfer the Navy's first submarine, the Jangbogo, free of charge to secure Poland's ₩8 trillion Orca submarine project, but Poland officially delivered its rejection this month. After Poland selected Sweden's Saab, the approximately ₩80 billion maintenance cost burden became the decisive obstacle, exposing the limits of Korea's defense diplomacy strategy.

International TradeEconomic Analysis2026Trends

business2026.02.27

Sober Curious Has Arrived: 21% Drop in Soju Shipments Over 10 Years and 5 Signals of Korea's Great Liquor Market Transformation

The 'Sober Curious' trend, centered on the MZ generation, has spread as domestic liquor shipments fell 21% over the past decade. Korea's top three liquor companies — HiteJinro, Lotte Chilsung, and OB Beer — are pivoting to low-alcohol and non-alcoholic products, while the government has introduced a 30% liquor tax reduction for low-alcohol beverages.

2026TrendsValueConsumptionRetailTrends

business2026.02.27

The 97% Shock and a 4-Minute Apology: 5 Truths Coupang's Earnings Told on the Day Bom Kim Finally Spoke

Coupang Inc. Chairman Bom Kim issued his first verbal public apology on February 26, 2026 over the personal data breach. The Q4 2025 earnings released the same day — a 97% collapse in operating profit and a ₩37.7 billion net loss — laid bare the full impact of the data incident.

RetailTrendsBrandStrategyMacroeconomic Analysis

business2026.02.27

4 Signals from a 4-Day Southeast Asia Diplomacy: What President Lee Jae-myung's State Visits to Singapore and the Philippines Mean for Korea's AI and Nuclear Exports

President Lee Jae-myung will make state visits to Singapore and the Philippines from March 1–4 to discuss AI, nuclear energy, and defense cooperation. This analysis examines the diplomatic and economic implications of the tour—departing on Independence Movement Day—to negotiate supply chain realignment for the post-semiconductor era with key Southeast Asian partners.

AI TrendsGlobalCommerceGlobal Economy

business2026.02.27

7 Hours in the Courtroom: 5 Bombshells Coupang CEO Rogers' U.S. House Testimony Drops on the Korea-U.S. Trade War

Coupang's interim Korean CEO Harold Rogers completed 7 hours of closed-door testimony before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on February 23 (local time). With House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Vice President JD Vance joining the fray, the Coupang issue has emerged as a new flashpoint in Korea-U.S. trade tensions, and the possibility of invoking Section 301 of the Trade Act has become a reality.

ProtectionismGlobal Supply ChainEconomic Analysis

business2026.02.27

Taiwan Was Different: The 5 Critical Differences in How Korean and Taiwanese Governments Responded to the Coupang Data Breach

In Coupang's 33.7 million personal data breach, Taiwan moved swiftly with independent investigations, fines pressure, and victim compensation demands — while Korea lagged behind in both speed and intensity. Today (Feb 27), as Coupang's Q4 operating profit plummeted 97% and turned to a net loss, the legislative follow-up to the newly passed Personal Information Protection Act amendment ('Coupang Prevention Act') is once again heating up.

2026TrendsMacroeconomic AnalysisGlobal Economy