Soop teams up with LoL legend Faker for ad campaign
Soop has partnered with esports organization T1 to launch a brand advertising campaign featuring League of Legends world champion Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, the Korean streaming platform announced Wednesday.
Soop, formerly AfreecaTV, has been strengthening its platform competitiveness by launching global services and exploring new business areas such as artificial intelligence.
T1 players have for years showcased their gameplay and communicated with viewers by livestreaming on Soop. In particular, Faker made a name for himself on Soop behind his streaming nickname "Gojeonpa" before making his professional debut.
'T1 players, among many (League of Legends Championship Korea) players, are partners who have created content together while navigating both professional player and streamer domains,' said Soop.
'Their approach of producing diverse content and consistently communicating with users aligns perfectly with Soop's platform direction.'
Soop uploaded a 12-second teaser video ahead of the full-scale advertisement campaign, featuring only Faker and the date of May 16. Before the main promotional video drops, Soop plans to release behind-the-scenes footage from the advertisement filming process on May 7.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
36 minutes ago
- Korea Herald
LG supports Korean War veterans in Ethiopia, US, Thailand
LG Electronics said Monday it had provided food, daily necessities and financial support to 54 surviving Korean War veterans in Ethiopia, the only African nation that dispatched ground troops to the 1950-53 war. Since 2013, the Korean tech giant has provided scholarship for 230 descendants of Korean War veterans in Ethiopia. It has been also operating the LG-KOICA Hope Technical and Vocational Education and Training College in the country's capital, Addis Ababa, with the Korea International Cooperation Agency. Established in 2014, the vocational school provides free training and IT and electric engineering education, along with lunch and transportation so that students can focus on their studies. A total of 541 students, including many descendants of the war veterans, have graduated the school so far and have either secured jobs or launched startups, according to LG Electronics. This year, 70 students are expected to graduate. LG's support for Korean War veterans extends beyond Africa. In the US, LG's manufacturing plant in Tennessee donated washing machines and dryers and provided financial aid to 30 veteran families since 2020. In Thailand, LG donated air conditioners to a housing assistance project for local Korean War veterans, in partnership with the South Korean Embassy in Thailand and Thai-Korean War Veterans Association. In Korea, the company's 'Life's Good' volunteer group has used artificial intelligence to restore old photos of war veterans to bring their youthful appearances back to life, and presented the imags to the Korean War Veterans Association. The company is also developing an AI-powered interactive chatbot that introduces foreign veterans from 12 countries, including the Netherlands, Denmark and the Philippines, and their involvement in key battles and operations. 'Through social responsibility efforts that combine technology and compassion, we will remember and thank the noble sacrifices and dedications of Korean War veterans,' said Yoon Dae-sik, senior vice president of external relations at LG Electronics.
Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Korea Herald
Hanwha teams up with Northrop Grumman for next-gen air defense
Hanwha Systems has partnered with Northrop Grumman, a US-headquartered aerospace and defense technology powerhouse, to join forces in developing next-generation integrated air and missile defense, or IAMD, systems, the Korean company said Monday. According to a memorandum of understanding, the two sides will discuss core technologies related to integrated air defense command and control and explore new business opportunities in Korea and overseas. 'Hanwha is undergoing a bold transformation to become a leading global defense company,' said Park Sung-kyun, vice president and business director of the defense electronics division at Hanwha Systems. 'Our partnership (with Northrop Grumman) reflects our ambition to lead the development of next-generation weapons systems and strengthen our position in the global market.' Northrop Grumman is the developer of the integrated battle command system, or IBCS, a cutting-edge command and control system designed to integrate various sensors and interceptors across the air, land and sea. The IBCS, which is currently used by the US Army, has been undergoing evaluation for expansion into Europe and other areas as it enables seamless data sharing and optimized threat engagement across diverse weapon systems. Hanwha Systems and Northrop Grumman plan to bring together their respective strengths in radar and battle management technologies for more advanced and resilient air defense solutions. 'This MOU with Hanwha demonstrates our strong desire to collaborate with Korean industry in exploring opportunities to provide innovative and cost-effective air and missile defense solutions that enhance Korean homeland defense,' said Kenn Todorov, vice president and general manager of command and control and weapons integration at Northrop Grumman.
Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Korea Herald
AESC delay opens door for Korean battery trio in BMW's US EV plans
LG, SK emerge as top contenders, with local production, tariff resilience, advanced 46-series tech Faced with shifting US policy and trade risks, AESC — a Japan-based battery maker majority-owned by China's Envision Group — has paused its $1.6 billion battery cell factory project in South Carolina, originally intended to supply BMW electric vehicles. The move underscores Korean battery firms as potential alternatives for the German automaker, given their accelerated push to expand US-based production. 'Due to policy and market uncertainty, we are pausing construction at our South Carolina facility at this time,' AESC said in a recent statement. While no timeline was given, the company said it would 'resume construction once circumstances stabilize' and reiterated its pledge to invest $1.6 billion and create 1,600 jobs. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster noted that AESC is navigating potential fallout from the loss of federal EV subsidies and tax incentives, as well as tariff risks linked to US President Donald Trump's return to power. AESC said it has already invested $1 billion in the Florence facility — its second US production site after an ongoing project in Kentucky. The company had earlier scaled back plans to build two plants in South Carolina, saying one would suffice to meet BMW's projected demand. Despite AESC's construction pause, BMW confirmed it will proceed with the opening of its $700 million battery assembly plant in Woodruff, South Carolina, by 2026. The automaker had originally planned to use AESC's 46-series cylindrical cells — 46 millimeters in diameter — in its next-generation EV lineup, including the 'BMW Vision Neue Klasse.' By 2030, BMW aims to produce at least six all-electric models in the US. Industry insiders say the disruption in AESC's US supply could open doors for Korean battery makers. Among them, Samsung SDI began supplying the larger cylindrical batteries to a US carmaker for the first time in March. LG Energy Solution is set to begin mass production in the latter half of this year, while SK On has completed its development process. 'AESC, acquired by Hong Kong's Envision Group in 2018, managed to bypass US trade barriers targeting the Chinese EV supply chain due to its Japanese origins,' said Park Cheol-wan, an automotive engineering professor at Seojeong University. 'Its pause could signal a cautious approach amid trade tensions — or a strategic pullback by BMW in its US EV plans.' Yang Min-ho, an energy engineering professor at Dankook University, noted, 'Given BMW's commitment to the US market and the likelihood that it will need to expand local production under Trump's protectionist trade stance, the automaker will likely seek to fill the gap in its battery supply chain.' He added that BMW could turn to LG Energy Solution or SK On, both of which have US production sites and carry less tariff risk. As of June, LG Energy Solution and SK On are operating or building seven and four facilities, respectively, in North America, including joint ventures with major automakers. BMW's tariff woes Before the Trump administration's shifting tariff policies targeting both allies and adversaries, BMW's US EV strategy relied on importing vehicles assembled in Europe — primarily Germany — while ramping up its production capacity in North America. BMW's key battery suppliers in Europe, Samsung SDI and China's CATL, signed long-term contracts in 2019 extending through 2031. These deals played a crucial role in BMW's European EV push and allowed the automaker to allocate part of its European output to the US. Meanwhile, BMW had also looked to cost-competitive battery producers like AESC for US supply. But after facing a 27.5 percent tariff on passenger cars imported from EU countries, the company has been under growing pressure to increase domestic production. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently announced plans to offset US tariffs by equalizing the value of automobile trade. The proposal would allow duty-free imports of US-made cars into Germany in exchange for equivalent tariff waivers on German cars shipped to the US. However, based on the recent US–UK tariff arrangement — which limits 10 percent tariffs to just 100,000 vehicles from the UK — Germany's roughly 400,000 annual car exports to the US may only benefit from partial tariff relief. 'Even though Germany has more at stake than the UK, Trump is unlikely to offer full waivers on German cars,' said Yang.
