South Korea Faces Retail Real Estate Crunch as Vacancies Surge in Urban Districts
Retail vacancy rates in South Korea hit multi-year highs, with both trendy districts and new apartment complexes struggling to attract tenants.
South Korea's Food Inflation: Economic Pressures Challenge Consumers and Small Restaurants
In South Korea, the sharp rise in food prices is putting a strain on both consumers and small businesses. As inflation persists, many workers are opting for in-house dining, while small eateries struggle with rising ingredient costs, energy prices, and labor shortages.
The Republic of Franchises: Where Every Meal Tastes the Same
What happens when every taste is a brand, every menu is a manual, and every chef follows someone else’s recipe?
The Rise of Franchises and the Fall of Korea’s Independent Bakeries
Franchise bakeries have flourished in Korea. But at what cost? Local flavors, food identity, and cultural diversity are disappearing.
When Healthcare Becomes a Hashtag: The Ethics of K-Medical Exports
Aesthetic care is thriving — but at what price to the country’s healthcare system? Inside the contradiction between cosmetic excellence and essential care collapse.
Why Korea’s Public Delivery Platforms Keep Failing
Once seen as a lifeline for small businesses, publicly funded food delivery apps are shutting down across South Korea. Poor design, weak infrastructure, and lack of sustained strategy reveal a deeper problem: local governments are still treating digital services as short-term campaigns.
The Reality of South Korea’s Empty Knowledge Industry Centers
South Korea’s knowledge industry centers were meant to support startups and SMEs, but oversupply and speculative investment have left thousands of office spaces vacant, driving investors into financial distress.