South Korea news and archive

Gentle Monster accuses eyewear brand of copying, takes legal action

South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster and its parent company IiCombined Co., Ltd. is pursuing legal action against a fellow Korean label for allegedly copying its designs. The brand in question was cited in a press release from IiCombined as ‘Company B’, however, Korean media has since reported the identity to be Blue Elephant, another South...

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Klättermusen acquires distribution partner in South Korea

Swedish outdoor brand Klättermusen has acquired its distribution partner AYL in South Korea. Klättermusen has been working with AYL for nine years. It will now establish a subsidiary there with the existing AYL team. “The acquisition is a logical next step after almost a decade of partnership. It leads to closer collaboration between the teams...

Retail

On Running makes retail debut in South Korea with two stores

On has announced the opening of its first retail stores in South Korea. The Swiss sportswear giant has launched in the region with two locations in the capital, Seoul. According to the company, the decision to enter South Korea’s retail market comes on the back of “sustained momentum in the APAC region”, and thus mark the brand’s next phase of...

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Retail

Textiles: Why Korean giant Sae-A is betting on nearshoring in El Salvador and the US

By bringing its production closer to the US market, the group is focusing on responsiveness and logistical control, while reducing its dependence on Asian supply chains. The move is indicative of a broader shift. The global textile industry is refocusing on proximity and industrial resilience. Global player consolidating its regional base...

Retail

Debut in Seoul: Arket opens first pop-up in South Korea

Fashion retailer Arket, part of the H&M Group, is opening its first pop-up shop in South Korea. The temporary store will open its doors from September 6 to 14 in Seoul, Arket announced on Thursday. The pop-up is located in the Musinsa Empty Seongsu, a concept store that offers brands a platform. The brand will present its autumn/winter 2025...

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South Korea's Handsome accelerates expansion in France, plots UK growth

South Korean group Handsome, a subsidiary of Hyundai Department Store Group, is considering continued expansion in Europe, with discussions underway for regular entry into several major French department stores and wholesale contracts with global distributors, including Harrods in the UK. A Handsome official stated: "Paris serves as a...

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Amid legal action: F&F eyes acquisition of TaylorMade

After the launch of what was alleged to be a nonconsensual sales process for TaylorMade, F&F has now announced its intention to pursue a potential acquisition of the US golf brand. The company has appointed Goldman Sachs as its exclusive financial advisor to look into a takeover of TaylorMade, noting that it was assessing an “array of strategic...

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Seoul asks Temu, AliExpress to pull children's products over safety concerns

The Seoul city government has asked online retail giants Temu and AliExpress to suspend sales of certain children's products over safety concerns, saying Friday that some goods far exceeded local limits for hazardous substances. Chinese e-commerce titans like Shein, Temu and AliExpress have seen a surge in global popularity in recent years,...

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F&F considers legal options over “unilaterally initiated sale” of TaylorMade

Two Korean investors are battling over the ownership of golf apparel brand TaylorMade. South Korean fashion company F&F Co. Ltd. has accused private equity firm Centroid of “unilaterally” initiating a sale of the US brand “without obtaining F&F’s prior consent”. The move is “prompting serious concerns”, F&F said in a statement, with the company...

Fairs

Post Archive Faction named guest designer of Pitti Uomo

Florentine trade show Pitti Uomo has announced that South Korean menswear brand Post Archive Faction (PAF) will be a guest designer for the upcoming 108th edition, which will take place from June 17 to 20. The South Korean avant-garde sportswear and outerwear brand, founded by young Korean designers Dongjoon Lim and Sookyo Jeong, will stage a...

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Sephora exits South Korea after yielding to stiff competition

LVMH-owned cosmetics giant Sephora has closed up shop in South Korea after struggling to capture a solid foothold in the market. The closure comes four years on from when the brand first stepped into the region, with the opening of a flagship store in Seoul’s Gangnam district which was followed by five more store openings. The move had initially...

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Allbirds secures distribution deal in Canada and South Korea

Sportswear and footwear brand Allbirds has announced two new agreements with distributor partners in Canada and South Korea as it looks to move towards a third-party model. The company, which had initially adopted a direct go-to-market strategy, made the shift as part of its ongoing Strategic Transformation Plan which it announced earlier this...