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Actress Lee Hye-ri struck poses for the press on the photo wall of the Buil Film Awards handprinting ceremony at Signiel Busan in Haeundae District. She wore a navy gown with a deep V-neckline, embroidered with white flowers and vines. The event took place on October 7, ahead of the main ceremony of the 35th Buil Film Awards, one of Busan's biggest cultural events. A Red Carpet Look in Navy and White Lee walked the red carpet to the center of the photo wall in a long navy dress with thin straps and a deeply plunging V-neckline. White floral and vine embroidery covered the gown, and layers of sheer white lace were added to the lower part of the skirt. With her long, straight hair worn down, she raised both hands to chest height to make a finger heart and then lightly poked her cheek with one finger, striking the poses back to back. The pre-ceremony handprinting featured major winners from last year's 34th Buil Film Awards. Lee attended as the winner of Best New Actress for the f...

Swiss watch exports to the United States fell 8.3% in the first eight months of 2026 to 3.078 billion Swiss francs, while shipments to China dropped 4.8%. Meanwhile, South Korea grew 3.8% and India surged 31.7%. The shift shows that the growth base of the Swiss watch industry is changing by region, as the world's largest market and the long-time driver of luxury demand both cooled. Divergent Signals From Export Data and Company Results Even as exports to the US declined, some big luxury groups posted strong local sales. Richemont, the owner of Vacheron Constantin, reported that its Americas sales for April to June 2026 rose 27% at constant exchange rates. Jewelry houses such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels sold well, and the specialist watchmaking division also kept growing. In China, Hong Kong and Macau combined, Richemont's sales also increased over the same period. Its specialist watchmaking division, however, declined in that region. These numbers are not directly com...

Some South Korean workers hold 'permanent' contracts and still plan their exit. They are the public service employees, known as gongmujik, who keep local government services running on the ground. On Oct. 20, Lee Gi-dae, a Democratic Party member of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council's Economy and Labor Committee, met with the Gyeonggi Local Government Public Service Workers Council to discuss closing pay gaps across 31 cities and counties. A Push for a Formal Channel and a Tougher Audit Ten council representatives led by chair Kim Young-jun attended, along with six committee members including chair Jang Tae-hwan. They discussed setting up an official line of communication with Gyeonggi Province and holding regular meetings. Lee said wages, benefits and treatment differ considerably by region and job type, even for people doing the same or similar public work. He plans to examine the province's policies during the upcoming administrative audit and demand corrections where ...

A 1967 yellow gold Vacheron Constantin chronograph, Ref. 4072, sold for HK$711,200 at the Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo watch auction in Hong Kong on May 30, 2026. The pre-sale estimate was HK$240,000 to HK$380,000, so the watch finished far above the top of its range. A Dial That Carries Two Names What set this watch apart was its dial, which bears the maker's name alongside that of Italian luxury house Bulgari. It is the only known Ref. 4072 that still carries the retailer's signature, a detail that turns a well-regarded vintage chronograph into a one-of-a-kind collectible. Vacheron Constantin has produced the Ref. 4072, a manually wound chronograph, since 1938. It came in yellow gold, pink gold and stainless steel, with variations in dial layout, scales and movement. The example sold in Hong Kong has a Caliber 492 movement and a 34.5 mm case. Its well-preserved yellow gold case, silver dial and tachymeter scale, combined with the Bulgari signature, gave it co...

Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet is preparing a program to certify and sell its own pre-owned watches, a move that could reshape how luxury watches are distributed. The company is expected to unveil its Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program at the end of this month, though no official launch date or operating terms have been announced yet. A Brand Steps Into the Resale Market Reports first surfaced on October 20 through an international watch outlet. A direct-sales model using brand-run boutiques and AP House venues is considered the most likely format, with online sales also under review. The idea dates back to 2018, when then-CEO François-Henry Bennahmias spoke of buying back and reselling existing watches. Pilot projects followed in Japan, Switzerland and the United States, and in October 2024 Marc Montagne, a former Vacheron Constantin digital and e-commerce executive, joined to lead the business. The timing reflects a booming secondary market. In the first half of 2026, global ...

Decades of hands-on experience from veteran factory workers are being converted into training data for artificial intelligence. As manufacturers digitize this know-how, a debate is growing over how much the workers who provide it should be paid and how new experts will be trained. Companies have begun recording how skilled workers handle equipment, spot defects and respond to unexpected problems. The stated aim is to preserve that experience after veterans leave the floor and make it usable for younger colleagues. The Compensation Gap in Korea's Manufacturing AI Project In October, South Korea's National Assembly raised the issue of compensation in a government-backed manufacturing AI project. The project turns the experience of master craftspeople into data. Of the 30 consortiums taking part, 14 set their research allowances below 20 percent of labor costs, short of the level recommended by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, which oversees industrial policy. The lo...

Incheon City Council Chairman Park Jong-hyuk held a policy meeting on October 22 to discuss how to improve tap water quality for residents. The talks covered aging water pipes in homes and schools, as well as eco-friendly ways to clean up the Gulpocheon stream in the city's Bupyeong District. Pipes, Schools and a Pilot Project The meeting took place at the council chairman's office and included Shim Hak-seop, CEO of Jinhaeng Waterway, and Jang Dae-gyeom, chairman of Gil Co., along with council officials. Water quality depends not only on treatment plants but also on distribution networks, indoor pipes and storage tanks, so old buildings, schools and public facilities can see differences in color and turbidity at the tap. Incheon already runs a roughly 10 billion won program this year to help replace aging indoor water pipes, such as corrosion-prone galvanized steel. Eligible homes can receive up to 80 percent of construction costs, capped at 1.5 million won per household, and s...

A hoodie for 170 dollars and a T-shirt for 105 to 110 dollars: that is what the American label Fear of God charges for its ESSENTIALS Signature pieces. These are the same basics most people already own, yet a brand name changes the price tag. Fear of God's 2026 fall/winter collection shows how today's fashion industry borrows from sports culture and everyday clothing. Sportswear Becomes a Premium Product The brand presented ESSENTIALS Signature alongside NFL ESSENTIALS and NBA ESSENTIALS. The NFL line applies the names of all 32 teams to apparel. The NBA line draws on old basketball uniform graphics, heathered fabrics and a circular logo reminiscent of traditional sports crests. The campaign was shot on the streets of New York, bringing together team history, 1990s style and the everyday outfits of young people in one brand. ESSENTIALS, developed by Jerry Lorenzo, rarely changes the basic shape of its clothes. Hoodies, sweatshirts, T-shirts and pants return each season in simil...

Fear of God's 2026 fall/winter collection returns to hoodies, T-shirts, sweatshirts and shorts, reworking everyday clothes through shape and proportion. ESSENTIALS, the brand's second line, now carries price tags far above its accessible beginnings. The strategy is simple: familiar basics, generous silhouettes, restrained color, and a premium price. Proportion Over Decoration ESSENTIALS launched in 2018 when Jerry Lorenzo introduced it as a lower-priced second line, spreading the brand's signature relaxed fit to everyday wear. In 2026, official US prices tell a different story: the Signature 1990s-style relaxed T-shirt costs 105 to 110 dollars, the Signature Classic hoodie 170 dollars, the Signature Classic shorts 110 dollars, and a bonded nylon jacket 350 dollars. The designs are not complicated. Apart from large logos, decoration is minimal, and the real differences sit in the shoulder line, sleeve fullness, body width and hem length. In the runway looks, a tan hooded jac...

In 2026, Swiss furniture maker Vitra reissued Jean Prouvé's Antony Chair as a global limited edition of 1,000 pieces. A design once meant for university dormitories now carries a price tag of 3.7 million won in Korea, roughly the cost of a premium sofa. From a Paris Purchase to a Museum Icon The story begins in 1984, when Rolf Fehlbaum of Vitra bought an old chair in Paris. It was an Antony Chair, designed in the 1950s by Jean Prouvé, the French designer and metalworking technician. The design pairs a single piece of plywood forming both seat and backrest with a metal frame beneath it, reflecting Prouvé's goal of producing dormitory furniture by industrial methods. That chair became the first piece in the Vitra Design Museum collection. It marked the starting point for collecting and studying Prouvé's furniture, and it influenced Vitra's later decision to work with Prouvé's family to put his past designs back into production. A chair once used by students became a m...

Universities are no longer just for people in their early twenties. Gimpo College, a regional college in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, is widening its role from guiding teenagers to teaching working adults through its Lifelong Education Center. From Teen Career Fairs to Adult Classrooms On the 15th, the 2026 Gimpo Career Education Expo took place at Gimpo Sports Complex, where middle school students tried out college majors for the first time. Park Hae-ryun, head of Gimpo College's Lifelong Education Center, was among the university officials watching. On the same campus, the center runs separate programs for adults. For the 2026 academic year, the center offers general courses, an executive program and part-time courses. The second-half general courses include Korean and Chinese-character calligraphy, urban sketching, vocal music and a certification course for folk painting (minhwa) instructors, with 73 participants in total. The minhwa course runs in both daytime and evening sessions...

Gimpo, a city west of Seoul, is training women who are re-entering the workforce to use artificial intelligence in everyday office tasks. A job-cooperation meeting held on October 21 at the Gimpo Women's New Job Center looked at how to match that training with real hiring needs. AI Plus Office Basics The Smart Office Worker course with AI runs from September 4 to November 4, takes 20 trainees and is free. It covers AI document writing, video and image editing, Excel, the Computer Skills Level 2 certificate, resume writing and interview coaching. Meeting participants raised ideas such as teaching prompt writing, strengthening Excel and ERP basics, and building portfolios from practice work. ERP, or enterprise resource planning, is software that manages a company's orders, inventory and accounting in one place. The program fits the direction of Gimpo's ninth popularly elected administration, which took office on July 1, 2026 and stresses AI-era education, future high-tech ind...

When the New York Knicks opened the NBA season on October 20, 2026, at Madison Square Garden, the lowest resale ticket price briefly hit $2,168, up 106% from three days earlier. The night featured a championship ring ceremony and banner raising to mark the franchise's first title in 53 years, since 1973. Demand was also boosted by LeBron James playing his first regular-season game in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform, and by a separate fan-ring launch from Jason of Beverly Hills. A Title Turned Into Products On the floor, players received championship rings set with about 800 diamonds and sapphires. The ring maker Jason of Beverly Hills used the same day to start selling a commemorative fan ring. The top-tier version, made of white gold and diamonds, is priced at $19,995. Unlike the players' rings, buyers can have their own name engraved on it, and production is capped at 200 pieces. The championship itself came from years of competition by the players, investment by the club, and s...

A US federal court has dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Korean singer Song Ga-in, ruling that it had no jurisdiction over the case. The judge also warned the plaintiff that repeatedly filing poorly drafted, AI-generated legal documents could lead to sanctions. A Korean Song, a California Courtroom The dispute centers on 'Danjangui Miari Gogae,' a classic Korean song. According to Song's agency, JG Star, the federal district court for the Central District of California dismissed the case on August 27, local time, because a case involving a Korean singer and broadcasts in Korea does not fall under US jurisdiction. JG Star announced the ruling in an official statement on October 21. The plaintiff, identified only by his surname Lee, says he is the son of the late composer Lee Jae-ho, who wrote the song, and that he legally inherited the copyright from his mother. He took issue with Song singing the song on Korean television and repeatedly pressed JG Star for ...

K-pop girl group aespa will hold a solo fan meeting titled '2026 aespa Fan Meeting: MY Bogo Sipda ae-ga' on November 28 and 29 to celebrate its sixth debut anniversary. It is the group's first large-scale solo fan meeting since its third-anniversary event in 2023. What to Expect The event takes place at Korea University's Hwajeong Gymnasium in Seongbuk District, Seoul. According to the agency, the members are preparing a dedicated stage and a variety of special segments to thank their official fandom, known as MY, for years of support. The title plays on the Korean phrase for 'I miss you,' with a nod to the fandom's name. Tickets will be sold exclusively through the online platform Melon Ticket. Domestic presales for Weverse membership holders open at 8 p.m. on October 27, followed by a global presale at 8 p.m. on October 28. General sales for any remaining seats begin on October 29. The fan meeting follows a busy year. aespa kicked off its 2026 world tour w...

On October 19, 2026, Elon Musk announced he will give every child in the United States one share of SpaceX stock, with distribution planned for next year. Spread across roughly 72 million Americans under 18, the gift would transfer about $10.5 billion in assets at mid-October share prices, or around 15 trillion won. A Gift That Collides With Musk's Own Vision Musk has said he will keep giving shares beyond this first round, which would turn tens of millions of children into shareholders of a single company. The move sits in an interesting tension with his earlier predictions. Last December, Musk suggested that advances in artificial intelligence and robotics could eventually make saving money unnecessary, because productivity gains would spread material abundance widely. In January, he continued to voice optimism about AI-driven prosperity and universal high income. Now the same entrepreneur is handing children a long-term stock holding, linking his vision of a future economy to to...

On October 24, media artist John Gerrard and electronic musician Richie Hawtin will stage a 24-hour project in Paris, running from noon to noon the next day. Digital installations take over the daytime, and a techno performance carries the program into the night. Contemporary Art Meets the Dance Floor This is how the 2026 REFERENCE FESTIVAL blends contemporary art with electronic music. The main Paris program runs from October 22 to 25 and features artists working in very different media, including Donna Huanca, Gabriel Moses, Dozie Kanu and Pol Taburet. Installations will be placed in several venues, among them the club FVTVR, alongside live performances and talks. The participating artists' work centers on the body and the senses, everyday objects, photography and video, and computer technology. Their practices were developed in museums and galleries, and moving them into a club and multipurpose cultural space changes how audiences look at them. A gallery built for focused viewin...

On October 15, an amateur chorus called The Choir Blue held its fourth regular concert at Guti Gallery in Seocho District, Seoul. Instead of professional singers, everyday people who learn and rehearse music together took the stage in a space usually devoted to art exhibitions. Ordinary Voices in a Gallery Space Conductor Kim Jun-hong faced the singers as they performed in four sections: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Audience members watched from the seats. The scene showed that people who sing, and not only those who listen, are part of performance culture. The Choir Blue was founded in June 2020. It has been led by chairman Park Hee-yeol and conductor Kim Jun-hong, with pianist Kwon Hye-kyung as accompanist. Park also sings tenor, and secretary general Lee Jung-sun sings alto, so the people who run the choir also perform on stage. Singers named for the sections include Monica Oh, Baek Nam-jin and Lee Eun-sil in soprano, and Kang Kyung-eun and Lee Jung-sun in alto. Park Hee-yeol and ...

  Audemars Piguet and the Future of Luxury Watches: How Certified Pre-Owned Sales Could Reshape the Market Audemars Piguet's reported move into certified pre-owned watches signals a potential transformation in luxury watch retail, resale pricing, authentication, and the economics of ownership. The Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet is reportedly preparing to introduce an official Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) programme before the end of October 2026. The initiative could mark a significant change in the luxury watch industry, allowing the manufacturer to participate more directly in the resale of watches it originally produced and sold. According to industry reports published on October 20, the programme may operate through Audemars Piguet boutiques and AP Houses, with online sales also under consideration. As of October 23, the company has not publicly confirmed the official launch date or detailed operating conditions. Why the Luxury Watch Resale Market Matters The luxury watch industr...

  Why Does a £400 Candle Wear a Crown? The Rise of Home Fragrance as Decorative Art Clive Christian Fine Objects and the changing relationship between luxury candles, interior design, and consumer culture in 2027 A candle priced at £400 raises an interesting question about contemporary luxury. How much of its value comes from the fragrance itself, and how much comes from the object that holds it? British fragrance house Clive Christian explores this relationship through its Fine Objects collection, introduced in October 2026. The collection includes five scented candles and four diffuser fragrances available in two sizes. The 300g candles and 250mL diffusers start at £400 in the UK. With crown-inspired designs, metallic finishes, and elaborate decorative details, these products reflect a growing intersection between home fragrance, interior design, and luxury consumption. When Home Fragrance Becomes Interior Decoration Candles and diffusers traditionally serve a practical purpose: ...

  From everyday hoodies to premium streetwear, Fear of God’s Fall 2026 collection reflects the growing commercial value of sports heritage, nostalgia, and cultural identity. Fear of God’s Fall 2026 collection brings together ESSENTIALS Signature, NFL ESSENTIALS, and NBA ESSENTIALS, exploring the relationship between American sports culture, everyday clothing, and contemporary fashion. The collection expands NFL ESSENTIALS to all 32 franchises while drawing on 1990s athletic apparel, vintage basketball graphics, oversized silhouettes, and muted color palettes. Familiar wardrobe staples—including hoodies, sweatshirts, T-shirts, and relaxed shorts—are repositioned within a premium fashion market. With ESSENTIALS hoodies priced around $170 and selected T-shirts at $105–$110, the collection also raises a broader question about the value consumers place on branding, design, and cultural associations. Much of the appeal comes from recognizable silhouettes and sports identities rather than...

Sony has unveiled its top-end Walkman, the NW-WM1ZM3, with a US list price of $5,899. That is about 59% more than its 2022 predecessor, and it raises a pointed question: has the sound improved as much as the price? The player is built around gold-plated, 99.99% pure oxygen-free copper, with upgraded wiring, power circuits and Sony's own S-Master HX digital amplifier. Yet some of the key specs did not move. A Higher Price, Mixed Gains The previous NW-WM1ZM2 listed at $3,699.99, so the new model costs roughly $2,199 more. Sony also sells the aluminum NW-WM1AM3 at $2,999.99, which shares much of the core audio technology. The gap of about $2,899 mostly reflects body material, internal structure and grounding design. Official headphone output is unchanged from 2022: 60mW per channel on the 3.5mm jack and 250mW on the 4.4mm balanced port. The player weighs about 670g, roughly 180g more than before, because copper is denser than aluminum. Battery life dipped in some tests, from 40 to 35 ...

Shohei Ohtani's game-worn jersey from the 2025 MLB opening game in Tokyo sold for $2,055,700 at The Realest, a U.S. auction house, in October 2026. It is the highest public auction price ever paid for a player-worn baseball jersey from a game played in the 21st century. The sale shows how game records and collective memory are becoming scarce assets in the sports collecting market. A Gray Road Jersey Becomes a Collectible On March 18, 2025, the Tokyo Dome hosted a Major League Baseball opener watched by more than 25 million viewers in Japan. It was the first official game Ohtani played in his home country since joining MLB. Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs, he went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, and the Dodgers won 4-1. Few people at the time would have guessed that the gray road jersey he wore would be trading for more than $2 million 19 months later. The final price topped the previous record for a 21st-century game-worn baseball jersey: $1.792 million,...