Four stories defined K-culture in the last 12 hours: a color-cosmetics acquisition aimed at rebuilding a beauty giant, BTS earning a first for Korean groups on Apple Music, Korean agrifood pushing into Vietnam, and a new tvN comedy-drama about comedians who refuse to quit.
K-Beauty & Medical
LG H&H has acquired the remaining 25% stake in VivaWave — operator of color-cosmetics brand Hince — for about 15.4 billion won, taking its holding from 75% to 100%. VivaWave’s revenue rose 36.1% last year to 61.5 billion won and operating profit jumped 153.2%, nearly tripling sales in three years. Hince has just entered about 400 U.S. Ulta Beauty stores, part of an effort to diversify away from a China beauty business that fell 21.1% and swung to an operating loss in the third quarter.
K-POP
BTS’s “SWIM,” the title track of its fifth full album “ARIRANG,” was named to Apple Music’s “Best Songs of 2026” year-end list of 100 tracks — the first time a Korean group has made it. Apple Music said the comeback “redefined the direction of K-pop in 2026.” “ARIRANG” held at No. 62 on the Billboard 200 for a 33rd straight week, while “SWIM” reached No. 28 on the Global 200. BTS opens its “Arirang” world tour in Kaohsiung on Nov. 19, followed by 15 shows across five Southeast Asian cities.
K-Food
Korean agrifood firms generated $9.56 million in export consultations at the Hanoi International Food & Beverage Exhibition (Nov. 4–7). Heat-treated Korean poultry, cleared for export after an April quarantine agreement, was shown to Vietnamese buyers for the first time, alongside Shine Muscat grapes, pears and sweet persimmons. Vietnam is Korea’s fourth-largest agrifood market, with exports of $371.44 million through September.
K-Drama & Cinema
tvN’s new Wednesday–Thursday series “Happy Anding,” starring Kang Hoon, premiered Nov. 11 to a 1.7% nationwide rating. A remake of the 2021 Japanese drama “Life’s Punchline,” it follows three struggling comedians — led by Kang’s Kang Tae-gu, a decade removed from the spotlight — chasing a dream they cannot give up. Meanwhile, Japanese anime “Chiikawa” held South Korea’s No. 1 box-office spot for a fifth straight weekend.
Compiled from Yonhap/K-VIBE, Edaily, Maeil Business, Herald Business, Aju Press, Variety and High On Films. This briefing summarizes the day’s K-culture headlines for English-language readers.
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