Korea JoongAng Daily - Daily News from Korea

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

Seoul is a city of duality, where the old and the new coexist: the tranquillity of centuries-old palaces and soaring mountains set against the restless energy of a megacity and its fast-paced culture.

82Major, a K-pop act named after Korea's calling code, has positioned itself as a standout in the cutthroat industry by building its identity on this dichotomy.

At its two-and-a-half-hour concert, "Bebeom: Be the Tiger," taking place in the heart of the city, the six-piece boy band opened with distinctly Seoul-like spectacles — tradition and trend seamlessly woven together into contemporary pop — powered by the members' strong live performances.

By the finale, however, it was its fandom that filled the venue to its fullest, their roof-raising chants creating the sense of collective unity that defines K-pop culture.

The two-day Seoul kickoff of 82Major's latest tour, which marks its fifth concert series, took place at Blue Square SOL Travel Hall in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Saturday and Sunday.

The concert's title, "Bebeom: Be the Tiger," is witty wordplay: bibeom in Korean means "extraordinary," and beom means "tiger," an animal of cultural significance in Korea's national identity.

"Since today's title is 'Bebeom,' I'll go with a roar instead of a meow," declared member Park Seok-joon at the beginning of the night.

82Major debuted in 2023 under Great M Entertainment and consists of six members: Park, Cho Seong-il, Kim Do-gyun, Nam Seong-mo, Hwang Seong-bin and Yoon Ye-chan. The group has consistently incorporated traditional Korean elements into its visuals, such as taekwondo uniforms, as seen in the critically acclaimed "Stuck" (2024) music video.

True to the title, the Sunday show opened with a stage design filled with traditional motifs. At the beginning of the evening, six vertical light-emitting diode (LED) panels on stage served as wooden-and-paper doors of a traditional Korean structure. As the "doors" lifted, bamboo groves swayed against a deep red backdrop, accompanied by a fashion-show-like bass line, fusing heritage with modernity.

Black ink then spilled and spread across the screen like an ink wash painting in progress, followed by members emerging between the vertical center LED panel, dressed in outfits inspired by traditional Korean clothing, or hanbok, before launching into "Heroes" (2025).

The motif continued with "Passport" (2025), during which a solitary pine tree stood framed within the outline of a traditional palace door.

The set list continued into "Thorns" (2024) and then "Stuck" and "Choke" (2025). The intense run took a brief turn toward a romantic, slower mood with "Say More" (2025) and "Face Time" (2024), before the tempo surged again with "Takeover" (2025) and "Trophy" (2025).

82Major's musical identity centers on hip-hop, with the members actively involved in production and rap-writing. As with other self-producing groups, those strengths came sharply into focus in a live setting.

Starting with Yoon's DJing session, the energy further escalated with the unreleased track "Muri," as the six members gathered around a white pin light, stepping into it one by one to deliver fierce rap verses in a charismatic performance.

The first highlight of the night came with "Need That Bass" (2025), where the crowd and the performers traded the chorus line, "I need that bass," truly turning the audience into part of the act.

The track was followed by Nam's solo track "Pinterest Luv" (2025), which features singer Moon Su-jin in its original version. While Moon appeared as a guest on Saturday, Kim took her place on Sunday with a wig and cap, singing the female verse in its original key — an unexpected, playful surprise that drew cheers for commitment.

During the encore, 82Major kept its words to go into full-acceleration mode, launching into unreleased tracks "Fire" and "Overheating," alongside unit performances. At fans' enthusiastic re...

This article is by Woo Ji-won and read by an artificial voice.

Several online travel booking platforms on Monday showed lodging prices in Jongno and Jung districts climbing to as much as five times their usual weekend rates for the night before and the day of the performance, March 21.

Four-star Koreana Hotel near Gwanghwamun Station, which charges an average of 225,000 won ($156) for a Saturday-night room in Feburary, listed the same rooms at 1.35 million won for March 21. President Hotel listed rooms for March 21 at 443,000 won, double this Saturday's price of 205,000 won.

Some hotels, including the five-star Four Seasons hotel, have already sold out, despite some listing prices more than double compared to regular weekends.

"We are gradually seeing more reservations after the news broke out that BTS will perform at Gwanghwamun Square," said an official from Nine Tree By Parnas Seoul Insadong.

Motels nearby are seeing similar trends. A motel in Jongno saw its standard Saturday rate rise from around 130,000 won to 480,000 won on the night of the performance, while another motel increased its usual 210,000 won room to 630,000 won.

The surge comes as the Gwanghwamun performance will mark BTS's first appearance as a full group in three years and nine months. The free event will also serve as the launch stage for the group's fifth full-length album, "Arirang."

To what is described as so-called "rip-off pricing," the city government has been working to counter the price gouging problem.

"Starting today, we are conducting inspections of accommodation facilities in Jongno and Jung districts, jointly with our tourism division and district offices," a Seoul city official told Korea JoongAng Daily. The inspections cover approximately 280 accommodation facilities in Jongno and 411 in Jung, both located near the performance venue.

On-site inspections focus on whether businesses have properly listed their room rates within their posted rates and whether prices have risen excessively.

Under the Public Health Control Act, accommodation providers such as hotels and motels are required to publicly post their official prices. Charging more than the posted rate can result in administrative penalties, beginning with corrective orders and escalating to eventual closure for repeated violations.

However, the effectiveness of such measures is limited, as accommodation providers are legally allowed to revise their posted prices. And with no legal cap on room rates, as long as businesses charge within their self-posted price categories, even if prices surge by three or five times their usual level, it remains difficult to impose penalties, according to government officials.

"The purpose of these inspections is to encourage voluntary restraint," the Seoul official said. "It is also meant to signal that authorities are monitoring the situation and that accommodation providers should refrain from charging excessively high rates."

A Jung District official said the district is also monitoring online travel agency platforms and sending official notices to accommodation providers in an effort to ease the problem.

A similar price-gouging pattern has also emerged in Busan, after the news broke that BTS World Tour concerts will take place in the port city on June 12 and 13. According to industry sources, some accommodation providers there have raised prices by as much as tenfold.

At one property in Dongnae District, a room priced at 68,000 won on June 10 jumped to 769,000 won on June 12 and 13. Another accommodation in Gijang County raised its rate from 99,000 won on June 10 to 790,000 won on June 12 and June 13. With the Busan concert venue yet to be finalized, accommodation prices across the city have risen overall.

In response to price spikes, Busan city authorities are seeking to expand incentives for "Good Price" establishments — a program run by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and local governments that rewards accommodation providers and res...

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

What's your New Year's wish? It's okay to be a little "delulu" — for Gen Z K-pop girlies KiiiKiii, manifesting wildly unrealistic dreams is the whole point.

"As we mark the beginning of the year with a new album, we prepared this EP as if we were making a wish," said member Sui during a press showcase held at Yes24 Live Hall in eastern Seoul on Monday, ahead of the release of the quintet's second EP, "Delulu Pack."

"The core concept of the album starts with us dreaming of making our unique and fun wishes come true," she added.

KiiiKiii's second EP, "Delulu Pack," comes about five months after the digital single "Dancing Alone" (2025) and 10 months after the group's debut EP.

The six-track album, which draws its name from online slang "delulu" meaning delusional, features the lead track "404 (New Era)," along with B-sides "Delulu," "Underdogs," "Mungnyang," Dizzy" and "To Me From Me," a song produced by Epik High's Tablo.

The music video for the song continues to build KiiiKiii's distinct musical narrative of unapologetic self-confidence, after the group's music video for "I Do Me" (2025) was named Music Video of the Year at the 2025 Melon Music Awards.

Opening with casual footage of the members hanging out in a practice room while waiting for the New Year's countdown, the video slips into a montage of their childhood memories, transitioning into wish-fulfillment fantasies where the members jump between personas — from a Miley Cyrus-style 2000s pop star to a Jazz Age vintage singer to a charismatic rock frontwoman.

KiiiKiii — consisting of Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haum and Kya — debuted in March of last year with its first EP, "Uncut Gem," as Starship Entertainment's first new girl group in three years since IVE.

Its debut track "I Do Me" gained significant traction, topping MBC's weekly music program "Show! Music Core" (2005-) and winning multiple accolades such as rookie awards at the 2025 Seoul Music Awards and 2025 Asia Artist Awards.

KiiiKiii has been billed by Starship Entertainment as the "Gen Z-core" girl group, highlighting a musical narrative centering on paving one's own path with confidence and individuality.

"It might seem like our concepts have been changing constantly from our debut album, but the essence of our message has remained unchanged: believing in ourselves and continuing to move forward with confidence," said Kya. "I hope that message can be delivered to listeners through our music."

After a strong first year in the industry, KiiiKiii is setting its sights on larger stages.

"One of our big goals is to perform on more diverse stages, such as at global festivals," said Sui. "Just like how IVE performed at Lollapalooza and Summer Sonic, we would love the opportunity to perform at major festivals overseas."

This article is by Cho Mun-gyu and read by an artificial voice.

Singer and actor Cha Eun-woo, who is currently facing allegations of dodging more than 20 billion won ($14 million) in taxes through a company registered under his mother's name, could be referred to prosecutors if intent is proven, according to a tax law expert. Advertisers, as always, have been quick to react.

Attorney and accountant Kim Myung-gyu offered a detailed breakdown of the case on Sunday in a social media post with a title that translates roughly to "A Friendly Guide for Non-Experts." He explained that the 20 billion won figure cited in media reports likely includes not just unpaid taxes but also penalties for underreporting and interest.

"From the public's perspective, people might think, 'How much money did he make if his taxes reach 20 billion won?'" Kim said. "But this figure isn't all original taxes owed. It likely consists of around 10 billion to 14 billion won in principal taxes, with the rest made up of a 40 percent underreporting penalty and interest."

Kim noted that Korea's National Tax Service (NTS) imposes additional fines when it determines that taxpayers intentionally concealed income.

"If the tax office decides you lied, they can add 40 percent of the principal as a penalty," Kim said. "The NTS also adds interest for late payment, meaning Cha may be paying between 6 billion and 10 billion won as a penalty for alleged misreporting."

Investigation Bureau 4 of the NTS Seoul Regional Office is handling the case — a unit that typically investigates suspected criminal tax evasion rather than conducting routine audits.

"Investigation Bureaus 1 and 2 are more like the ones saying, 'Please revise this,'" Kim said. "But Bureaus 4 handles cases that the NTS treats as potential crimes — it's like saying, 'You've been caught. This is a crime.'"

Not a unique play in the entertainment industry

Kim said the core of the case appears to involve a tax-saving structure used by many entertainers: establishing a one-person corporation to pay the lower corporate tax rate of 10 to 20 percent instead of the personal income tax rate, which can reach up to 45 percent.

"Actors often do this to reduce their tax burden," Kim wrote. "But for the structure to be valid, the corporation must have substance. That means it needs staff, a real office and actual operations. If the company is under a family member's name and its office is registered to a parent's restaurant or to a residence, the NTS may conclude that it lacks substantive business activity. The NTS can then revoke the tax benefits and treat the income as personal."

He described such a case as "a desire to receive benefits without the burden of actual costs," which he said had now "returned as a massive boomerang in the form of 20 billion won."

Kim, however, noted that the involvement of Investigation Bureau 4 does not automatically mean wrongdoing.

"If investigators fail to prove intent in Cha Eun-woo's case, the matter could end with a simple reassessment," he said. "This is still at the stage of allegations."

Not a simple mistake, most likely

Still, Kim said the case appeared to contain clear signs of careful planning.

"The evidence is too clear," he said. "The structure is too intentional to be explained away as a mistake."

He pointed to signs of intentional structuring: converting the corporation into a limited liability company to avoid external audits and registering the company's address to a grilled eel restaurant in Ganghwa Island instead of a location in Gangnam District to avoid higher property taxes.

"This doesn't look like a simple mistake," Kim said. "It looks like a setup involving professionals — organized and deliberate."

He emphasized that the most critical issue is not the tax amount.

"The key question isn't how much additional tax he will pay," Kim said. "It's whether authorities can prove he intended to conceal income. If they conclude the scheme was designed to evade taxes, Cha cou...

This article is by Kim Ji-ye and read by an artificial voice.

Warning: This article may contain spoilers.

While global viewers fell for the character of Cha Mu-hee, the lovable character at the center of the newly released Netflix rom-com series "Can This Love Be Translated?," actor Go Youn-jung, who played Cha, revealed that she too grew deeply attached to her role, saying the series holds a "special" place for her.

"It really felt like I'd lived in a beautiful, heart-fluttering, almost fairy-tale world," said Go during an interview with reporters at a cafe in central Seoul on Friday. "It even made my reality suddenly feel so dull. And I was also so immersed in Cha Mu-hee that I honestly wished I could live as her just a little longer."

Go also reached 10 million followers on Instagram on Thursday — mirroring Mu-hee's milestone in the series. The coincidence became a buzz among fans, further fueled after her co-star Kim Seon-ho, who plays romantic interest and multilingual interpreter Joo Ho-jin, commented, "Congratulations, Ms. Cha Mu-hee!" to which Go replied, "Mr. Joo Ho-jin... Is this a dream?"

Reflecting on the moment, Go said, "It felt kind of surreal. Of course, if I kept working hard and my following continued to grow, I knew hitting 10 million could happen someday. But reaching that moment through this project, just like Mu-hee, made it hard not to read meaning into it, even though I'm not usually someone who does that."

Directed by Yoo Young-eun, the series follows the unexpected romance between Mu-hee, a globally famous actor, and Ho-jin, a multilingual interpreter, whose communication styles, including how they approach love, are completely different.

The series was penned by renowned screenwriters Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran, known as the Hong sisters, who have written numerous hit series, such as "Hotel del Luna" (2019) and "Alchemy of Souls" (2022-23), the latter of which also starred Go.

While the first half of the series depicts Mu-hee's rise from unknown actor to fame, the narrative takes a dramatic turn with the emergence of Do Ra-mi, a breakout character that Cha portrays in a hit zombie film. Playing her brings Mu-hee to stardom, but Do Ra-mi also later becomes a figure in her mind, criticizing and haunting her.

Go admitted she was unaware of the shift when she first accepted the role, having only received scripts for the first four episodes at the time.

"I had no idea the story would take that turn, so when I first read the script, it felt like a really fresh shock," Go said. "It even felt like the genre was shifting. And it made me realize I needed to prepare even more."

Portraying two emotionally distinct characters — Mu-hee, who is indirect and unstable, and Do Ra-mi, who is blunt and expressive — required careful balance. Instead of drastic shifts, Go differentiated them subtly through their communication styles, calling Do Ra-mi "an interpreter" for Mu-hee's thoughts and emotions.

"Though Mu-hee and Do Ra-mi may appear like completely separate characters, I thought that if the gap between them became too big, it might be hard for viewers to accept and for me to play as well," Go said, explaining that their common ground lies in their shared instinct to protect Mu-hee. "So, I focused on changing just one key point and approached them as the same person while acting."

And between the two roles, Go noted that Do Ra-mi felt closer to her own personality.

"I'm not very good at speaking indirectly, and I'm also not good at picking up on it when others do either," she said. "So, a lot of Mu-hee's lines were pretty challenging for me, since she tends to talk in such a roundabout way. I spent a lot of time breaking down what she really meant beneath the words. Because of that, Do Ra-mi actually felt easier to play. She's more straightforward, consistent and simple."

In a romantic comedy, the chemistry between the two leads is crucial. Prior to the premiere, concerns were raised over the 10-year age ga...

This article is by Kim Ji-ye and read by an artificial voice.

Warning: This article may contain spoilers.

While global viewers fell for the character of Cha Mu-hee, the lovable character at the center of the newly released Netflix rom-com series "Can This Love Be Translated?," actor Go Youn-jung, who played Mu-hee, revealed that she, too, grew deeply attached to her role, saying the series holds a "special" place for her.

"It really felt like I'd lived in a beautiful, heart-fluttering, almost fairy-tale world," said Go during an interview with reporters at a cafe in central Seoul on Friday. "It even made my reality suddenly feel so dull. And I was also so immersed in Cha Mu-hee that I honestly wished I could live as her just a little longer."

Go also reached 10 million followers on Instagram on Thursday — mirroring Mu-hee's milestone in the series. The coincidence became a buzz among fans, further fueled after her co-star Kim Seon-ho, who plays romantic interest and multilingual interpreter Joo Ho-jin, commented, "Congratulations, Ms. Cha Mu-hee!" to which Go replied, "Mr. Joo Ho-jin... Is this a dream?"

Reflecting on the moment, Go said, "It felt kind of surreal. Of course, if I kept working hard and my following continued to grow, I knew hitting 10 million could happen someday. But reaching that moment through this project, just like Mu-hee, made it hard not to read meaning into it, even though I'm not usually someone who does that."

Directed by Yoo Young-eun, the series follows the unexpected romance between Mu-hee, a globally famous actor, and Ho-jin, a multilingual interpreter, whose communication styles, including how they approach love, are completely different.

The series was penned by renowned screenwriters Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran, known as the Hong sisters, who have written numerous hit series, such as "Hotel del Luna" (2019) and "Alchemy of Souls" (2022-23), the latter of which also starred Go.

While the first half of the series depicts Mu-hee's rise from unknown actor to fame, the narrative takes a dramatic turn with the emergence of Do Ra-mi, a breakout character that Cha portrays in a hit zombie film. Playing her brings Mu-hee to stardom, but Do Ra-mi also later becomes a figure in her mind, criticizing and haunting her.

Go admitted she was unaware of the shift when she first accepted the role, having only received scripts for the first four episodes at the time.

"I had no idea the story would take that turn, so when I first read the script, it felt like a really fresh shock," Go said. "It even felt like the genre was shifting. And it made me realize I needed to prepare even more."

Portraying two emotionally distinct characters — Mu-hee, who is indirect and unstable, and Do Ra-mi, who is blunt and expressive — required careful balance. Instead of drastic shifts, Go differentiated them subtly through their communication styles, calling Do Ra-mi "an interpreter" for Mu-hee's thoughts and emotions.

"Though Mu-hee and Do Ra-mi may appear like completely separate characters, I thought that if the gap between them became too big, it might be hard for viewers to accept and for me to play as well," Go said, explaining that their common ground lies in their shared instinct to protect Mu-hee. "So, I focused on changing just one key point and approached them as the same person while acting."

And between the two roles, Go noted that Do Ra-mi felt closer to her own personality.

"I'm not very good at speaking indirectly, and I'm also not good at picking up on it when others do either," she said. "So, a lot of Mu-hee's lines were pretty challenging for me, since she tends to talk in such a roundabout way. I spent a lot of time breaking down what she really meant beneath the words. Because of that, Do Ra-mi actually felt easier to play. She's more straightforward, consistent and simple."

In a romantic comedy, the chemistry between the two leads is crucial. Prior to the premiere, concerns were raised over the 10-year a...

This article is by Lee Jian and read by an artificial voice.

[INTERVIEW]

Tony-winning director Rachel Chavkin candidly stood by her musical "Lempicka" on Thursday, saying that the show — centered on a female artist — received a mixed critical reception on Broadway in part because misogyny shapes audiences' expectations of theater narratives.

"There are a number of great male characters in the show, but none of them are centered as either the hero or the antagonist," Chavkin told the Korea JoongAng Daily during a roundtable interview at the Gangdong Arts Center in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul. "There isn't really an antagonist for [the protagonist] Tamara, other than time and the limits of her own appetite. I think a lot of male reviewers — and certainly some female reviewers as well — weren't able to see her story because we're so used to men functioning in particular ways within a woman's narrative.

"[The point of the story] was genuinely missed by many people because they didn't know how to watch [the musical]."

Now, two years after its short-lived New York run, Chavkin is enthused for "Lempicka" to begin a second life at NOL Theater Coex in Gangnam District for three months starting March 21. This marks the show's first international production.

"There are so many artworks that, when they first come out, people don't necessarily know how to receive them," she said. "Over time, as audiences begin to understand what a work is aiming toward, they also learn how to watch it. I'm thrilled that this show, which I believe in deeply, gets to begin its next life."

"Lempicka" is a sprawling biographical musical that spans nearly 60 years in the life of Polish bisexual painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980). With her works having been collected by other trailblazing artists, including Madonna and Barbra Streisand, Lempicka was a formidable modernist who turned to painting as a means of survival after fleeing the Russian Revolution with her husband and child and settling in Paris.

While her work was rediscovered amid a renewed interest in Art Deco in the late 20th century, Lempicka's work may still be unfamiliar to many, as she fell into relative obscurity following World War II.

But at the height of her popularity, Lempicka was best known for her commissioned portraits — particularly of women — and for a signature style shaped by cubism and neoclassicism. Her works' geometric forms, bold colors and sleek modern aesthetic celebrate the Machine Age (roughly 1880-1945), a period defined by rapid industrialization, mass production and electrification. Her sharply contoured figures and lacquered surfaces reveal not only formidable technical control but also the psychological tensions simmering beneath a meticulously constructed facade.

The musical, much like the artist who inspired it, has proven resistant to easy categorization. Though "Lempicka" earned three Tony nominations — for Lead Actress in a Musical, Featured Actress in a Musical and Scenic Design — it received mixed reviews from both critics and audiences, ultimately closing after just 41 performances in May 2024.

The question, then, is whether the show might fare differently in Korea. And, is a Broadway success the final verdict on a musical's worth?

When a production is translated and restaged with a new cast in another country, the material can resonate very differently with viewers. Korea, while broadly conservative as a society, is more permissive inside its theaters. Musical audiences here tend to be younger and predominantly female, with a demonstrable appetite for female-centered historical narratives, as seen in the sustained popularity of works such as "Mata Hari" and "Frida Kahlo."

Chavkin's earlier productions have already been successful in Korea. Both "Hadestown" and "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" have had two runs, which suggest familiarity with and receptiveness to her sleek theatrical language.

Chavkin won the Tony Award for Best Director ...

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

It's a cycle where one form of art fuels another. Singer G-Dragon's JusPeace Foundation, best known for its antidrug advocacy, has extended its vision into the visual arts, partnering with a local gallery in Seoul to stage an exhibition that places environmental consciousness at its core.

On a frigid Thursday afternoon in Yongsan District, central Seoul, Conte B art gallery felt almost airless as artists, influencers and visitors packed into the underground space for the opening of "S.O.P." The exhibition marked the inaugural chapter of the latest collaborative project between Conte B and the JusPeace Foundation.

Despite the bitterly cold winter air on the streets, the atmosphere in and around the venue was lively, as guests from the art and entertainment industries filled the tight space to exchange greetings and take in works on view.

The "S.O.P" project, which stands for "Sounds of Peace," is based on a memorandum of understanding signed between Conte B and the JusPeace Foundation for a collaborative art project framed around the idea of art as a vehicle for social value.

The project will unfold in two themes. The first installment, which runs through March 2, centers on the environment and contemporary lifestyle — as well as the relationship between the two — interpreted through the works of three artists: Lee Sang-won, Kim Sun-woo and Yoo Na-ul, who is also known as singer Naul of the R&B trio Brown Eyed Soul.

The second installment, which will take place from March 5 to April 5, will shed light on up-and-coming artists, prioritizing artistic potential over established careers. Revenues from both exhibitions will be used to support young and emerging artists, according to Conte B.

The gallery space invites close looking rather than grand spectacle.

Upon entering, visitors are confronted by Lee's large-scale oil painting "Floating People" (2025), which draws eyes with its vivid cyan tones. The work depicts figures drifting through what appears to be pristine ocean waters, viewed from above. Thick, heavily layered oil paint — a signature of Lee's works — protrudes across the canvas like ripples, evoking the gentle movement of waves and giving the surface a tactile depth.

Lee's works explore the symbiotic rhythm between humans and the natural environment through moments of leisure, such as skiers gliding down snowy mountains or figures lying on sandy beaches.

"While people are talking about K-arts a lot these days, it feels like the art scene remains much more stagnant compared to other fields of arts," Lee told the Korea JoongAng Daily on Thursday.

"The visual art scene often moves in tandem with other cultural forms of the same era, such as films and music, driven together as part of the broader cultural industry," he added. "G-Dragon has taken part in other collaborative projects in the past, and I believe such initiatives give a boost to the art scene by increasing visibility for art to the general public."

This article is by Park Young-woo and read by an artificial voice.

Luck alone didn't make Samsung Electronics the world's No. 1 TV producer. The company and its employees poured nearly four decades of effort into experiments as small as adding a single inch to the screen, then into innovations that fused design and technology.

Since 2007, Samsung TVs have held the top spot for more than 18 years in both revenue and shipments. Now, the business is facing its first management audit in a decade.

Samsung Electronics' Visual Display (VD) Business began a management diagnosis in October 2025, the first such review since 2015, according to the electronics industry on Monday. The division leads the company's TV operations.

The management diagnosis is a form of internal audit aimed at revamping weakened business competitiveness. The review is said to have examined the TV business's structure and costs, organizational operations and overall new-business efforts, and even considered a possible portfolio reshuffle.

But even three months after the diagnosis began, no clear breakthrough has emerged that has won internal consensus.

Many credit Samsung TV's rise to product innovation built during the management era of the late former Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee. By expanding the screen ratio from 4:3 to 12.8:9 at the time, it shifted the yardstick of TV competition toward size and overall completeness.

The "Bordeaux LCD TV," introduced in 2006, is widely seen as a turning point in Samsung's TV history. With a wine glass-inspired design and strong technical performance, the product helped reposition TVs from mere broadcast receivers to objects in the living space, analysts say. It also became a decisive moment behind Samsung's climb to No. 1 in the global TV market.

But the formula behind past successes is increasingly seen as no longer working. Behind the management diagnosis is the fast-closing gap by Chinese TV makers. Their push has moved beyond the midrange market into premium territory, including mini-LED and ultra-large TVs, raising questions about the limits of Samsung's existing strategy. A slowdown in global TV demand is also adding pressure on profitability.

Samsung Electronics' global TV shipment share fell to 17.9 percent in the third quarter of 2025 from 19.8 percent in 2021, according to market researcher Omdia. Over the same period, China's TCL rose to 14.3 percent from 11.5 percent, and China's Hisense climbed to 12.4 percent from 8.7 percent.

"The volume offensive by Chinese makers is directly pressuring Samsung's premium-centered strategy," industry watchers said.

In its 2024 executive reshuffle, Samsung appointed Yong to spearhead innovation through a generational shift, naming him the youngest chief among Samsung's core affiliates to date. But amid weakening demand for home appliances, intensifying competition and policy variables, the business has struggled to gain momentum.

The difficulties are showing up clearly in the results. Samsung reports TV and home appliances together under the VD and Digital Appliances (DA) segment, and revenue fell steadily from 14.5 trillion won ($9.82 billion) in the first quarter of 2025 to 14.1 trillion won in the second quarter and 13.9 trillion won in the third quarter.

Operating profit also dropped from 300 billion won to 200 billion won over the same period, then slipped into a loss of around 100 billion won in the third quarter. The securities industry estimates that Samsung also likely posted an operating loss of between 100 billion won and 300 billion won in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The outlook is not particularly bright, either. Analysts expect operating profit for Samsung's VD and DA segment in 2026 to fall by more than 20 percent from 2025. Revenue may edge up, but defending margins will be difficult amid falling average selling prices and intensifying competition, they say.

"Given the intensifying competition, weakness in the VD and home appliance business is likely to ...

This article is by Michael Lee and read by an artificial voice.

By the time North Korean defector Park Eun-hee decided to write her life story, she had already risked death once.

She had done so by crossing the Yalu River into China, driven by what she later called "the courage to die," which became the title of her self-published memoir. For her, nothing in her repressive homeland — not even the threat of imprisonment or execution — could hold her back from pursuing a better life.

At first glance, little suggests that Park, who bears almost no trace of her native northern accent, might be different from other young women in South Korea struggling to balance personal aspirations with the pressures of work and social expectations.

But behind her decision to release an autobiography in English was a conviction that her countrymen on both sides of the peninsula, and the wider world, should draw lessons about freedom and personal agency from her escape and resettlement.

Released last year, "The Courage to Die: A North Korean Woman's Escape and Rebirth in Freedom" traces Park's rocky childhood and early adulthood in the North, her defection in September 2012, and the long, uneven process of rebuilding her life in South Korea and abroad.

Park, who has worked as a public orator and advocate for defectors, wants not only to claim ownership of her narrative but also to challenge the tendency to view North Koreans solely through the lens of victimhood.

"I wanted to show my life as a defector who overcomes, who gets back on her feet time and time again, and who is the main driving force of her own life," she said in an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily on Wednesday.

'Freedom is not free'

Park's story broadly follows the familiar arc of suffering, escape and post-defection struggle that characterizes other defector narratives. At the same time, her autobiography does not shy away from the pain of family separation and discrimination by South Koreans. In particular, she returns repeatedly to the idea that freedom represents neither a clean break from the past nor a final resolution of hardship.

That realization deepened as she traveled beyond South Korea.

"In Washington, I saw the phrase 'Freedom is not free' inscribed on the Korean War Memorial," she said. "It made me understand that even after gaining freedom, I would have to endure immense pain and effort to protect it."

Reminders of the cost of her freedom are constant for Park, who left behind her entire family in the North.

"Even simple pleasures, like eating a good meal, weigh heavily on me when I think about how much I want to share them with my loved ones," she said.

She described her time on a working holiday visa from September 2017 to April 2018 in Australia — which had just legalized same-sex marriage — as another shock to her evolving worldview.

"When I first saw a lesbian couple kissing in a park, and no one reacted at all, I was shocked," she recalled, noting that she "saw people wearing whatever they wanted with no judgment from others."

What shook her over time, she said, was not Australia itself, but how much of North Korea still lived inside her.

"I realized how much conservatism I still carried inside me," she said. "Even in South Korea, people are so attached to the idea that they have to go to university, get a job, marry and have children by a certain age. After living in Australia, I started asking what externally imposed burdens I and other people are carrying inside."

Overturning the defector archetype

Some of the most painful ordeals of Park's life, including rape and sexual violence, are described in "Courage to Die" with restraint — a choice she said reflected both internalized shame and a determination not to be pigeonholed as a victim.

"When a broker raped me during my escape, I thought it was something I had to endure to gain freedom," she said. When she was sexually assaulted while working part-time in South Korea, she likewise believed she was ...