Demand for capacity grows on back of hit Netflix shows, online games and moreThe breakout success of the Korean drama Squid Game has prompted a local broadband provider to launch legal action to force the maker, Netflix, to help pay for the huge surge …
Netflix’s Squid Game owes its popularity to anxieties of modern life
It’s the first South Korean drama to top the US TV charts and its core message is ‘can I ever repay this debt?’Squid Game, a Netflix series made in Korea by Hwang Dong-hyuk, was released on 17 September and within 10 days was the platform’s highest ran…
SoftBank-backed Korean edtech startup Riiid acquires Langoo, expands in Japan
Riiid, a South Korea-headquartered AI-powered edtech company, acquired its Japanese distribution partner Langoo to expand its Japan footprint. The acquisition comes after the company’s latest $175 million Series D round from SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 in May. Riiid has said it will continue to fuel its global expansion with the funding. Langoo, Riiid’s partner in […]
K-beauty, hallyu and mukbang: dozens of Korean words added to Oxford English Dictionary
New additions highlight Korean culture wave as interest in the country’s food, fashion and entertainment spreads The Korean culture wave has swept through the editorial offices of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), which has added more than 20 new wo…
Park Ji-sung urges Manchester United fans not to sing chant with ‘racial insult’
United fans reprised chant for Hwang Hee-chan at Wolves gamePark tells club podcast the song still causes him ‘discomfort’The former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung has urged the club’s fans to stop singing a song about him that contains a ne…
South Korean ISP SK Broadband counterclaims against Netflix for bandwidth usage fees
South Korean internet service provider SK Broadband, a subsidiary of South Korean telco company SK Telecom, has filed a counterclaim against Netflix to demand payment for the bandwidth the streaming platform has used for the last three years. This case comes in the wake of the South Korean court siding against Netflix in June in […]
Squid Game: the hellish horrorshow taking the whole world by storm
In the gory thriller that has swiftly become a smash hit on Netflix, competitors play children’s games for huge cash prizes … and if they lose, they die. Can you stomach it?What if winning playground games could make you rich? That’s the basis of Squi…
South Korean president suggests ban on eating dog meat
Moon Jae-in, a dog-lover, says ‘time has come’ for traditional practice to endThe South Korean president, Moon Jae-in, has raised banning the eating of dogs in the country, his office said, a traditional practice that is becoming an international embar…
Coronavirus live news: Covid cases in South Korea top 3,000; Northern Ireland to ease travel rules
Further 3,273 infections added to South Korea’s tally; fully vaccinated travellers in Northern Ireland will no longer need pre-departure test from 4 OctoberSee all our coronavirus coverage 11.18am BST The Netherlands ended social distancing measures on…
Apps to reach record highs in Q3 of 36B downloads and $34B in consumer spending
A new forecast on the state of the app economy indicates the third quarter will see record-breaking revenues spent on apps and games. According to App Annie, consumers worldwide will spend $34 billion on apps and games in Q3, a 20% year-over-year increase on spending. The increase indicates that the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on consumer […]