Latest news with #Kwon
Hypebeast
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Thug Club SS26 Explores 'K-Dark Nostalgia'
Summary Thug Clubhas officially unveiled itsSpring/Summer 2026collection, titled 'K-Dark Nostalgia.' Marking director Kwon Jiyool's first solo season, the collection draws deeply from his formative years — a time when menswear stirred genuine excitement and personal exploration. As a student, Kwon pored over style forums and fashion archives instead of textbooks and video games, forming a connection with early 2000s European and Japanese menswear that remains a lasting source of inspiration. 'K-Dark Nostalgia' pays homage to that era and to the creatives who shaped it — many of whom Kwon still reveres today. Consistent with Thug Club's rebellious, grungy DNA, the SS26 lineup pushes further with distressed denim, weathered leather and an elevated sense of edge. The brand's signature trench coat returns in new materials and colorways, reinforced with biker-inspired shoulder pads and hardware-heavy detailing. Black sweatpants and hoodies also make a comeback, this time punctuated with scarlet cutout motifs running down the sides and sleeves — a nod to early 2000s rawness, reinterpreted through Kwon's deeply personal lens. This collection serves as an intimate and honest narrative: a tribute to a time when fashion felt elusive, raw and endlessly aspirational. In an age before algorithm-fed trends, discovering style required patience and curiosity. For Kwon, those after-school hours spent scouring the internet for rare pieces were the beginning of his 'real world.' That emotional connection fuels this season's collection, which celebrates subculture and underground aesthetics with a post-hardcore twist. Preview Thug Club's SS26 collection in the gallery above.
Korea Herald
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Deutsch Automobile Group aspires to become total mobility platform
Korean auto dealer ramps up multibrand strategy with new partnerships across EV, luxury segments Deutsch Automobile Group, one of the biggest dealers in Korea's auto import industry, is zeroing in on becoming a total mobility platform company based on customer-oriented data and technology over the next decade. 'Going beyond the traditional concept of simply selling cars and doing repair works, my vision is to expand into a total mobility platform that can account for daily life of mobility such as (auto) sharing, subscription, finance, charging and digital experiences,' said Kwon Hyeok-min, vice chairman of Deutsch Automobile Group, in an interview with The Korea Herald at the firm's headquarters in Seoul on Thursday. 'In a macroscopic environment with relentless changes and challenges, I believe that our group's strategy to increase core capabilities through an open network through our value chain to make Deutsch Automobile Group move forward unwaveringly is going to be the foundation to realize that vision.' Kwon has focused on revisiting the group's traditional business of auto dealerships, setting up mid- to long-term goals to further solidify the trust between customers, shareholders and employees since he became the vice president of Deutsch Automobile Group in November. As a result of customer-focused retail strategies, diversification of business portfolio and strengthening the efficiency of internal operations, Deutsch Motors, the holding company of Deutsch Automobile Group, posted 578.2 billion won ($423.2 million) in revenue and 7.9 billion in operating profit in the first quarter of this year, up 21.5 percent and 52.9 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Kwon noted that he expects this year to bring meaningful returns from the company's multibrand strategy, which has expanded the auto import brands it deals from six — BMW, Mini, Jaguar Land Rover, Porsche, Audi and Lamborghini — in 2023 to nine this year with the additions of Aston Martin, BYD and McLaren. Being one of the six local dealers for Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD, the chief of Deutsch Automobile Group pointed out that the performance of BYD cars exceeded his expectations and was very satisfactory. 'We want to discuss with BYD Korea to offer more competitive prices for customers so that they can experience the brand's vehicles,' said Kwon. 'Because each customer knows very well about (cars), products without fundamentals cannot be delivered. As we have confidence in BYD's product, we are aiming to provide experiences to feel the brand and its strengths.' As for McLaren, the latest super luxury partner brand Deutsch Automobile Group represents in Korea, Kwon said a rebranding ceremony slated for early July will offer a more up-close experience for potential customers. 'We will have a VIP coming to Korea (for the rebranding ceremony) from McLaren headquarters,' he said. 'Our goal is to deliver the brand's philosophy and give a unique brand experience, which is more personal and private for high-end customers to establish close ties.' Cars after sale Kwon pointed out the importance of covering the full life cycle of vehicles, including the sectors of used cars and recycling auto parts, for Deutsch Automobile Group. Deutsch Autoworld's Charancha and DT Innovation were mentioned as two key pillars to that end. Based on Deutsch Autoworld — the world's largest single car dealership building verified by the Guinness World Records in 2019 with 167,046 square meters of showroom area capable of displaying about 12,000 cars at once — in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Characha is looking to go beyond an online used car platform to make the used car market more transparent, according to Kwon. 'As for Charancha, we are working on a project based on Web3 with partners to advance it into a mass platform that handles all transportation services such as used cars, rentals and car deliveries,' said Kwon. 'We signed (a memorandum of understanding) with SK Speedmate to develop an extended warranty service for used cars. With the extended warranty, customers can visit an SK Speedmate center for repair works, and we are going to manage records through blockchain technology to make tampering impossible. In this way, Charancha customers have nothing to worry about cars having a tampered maintenance history.' On top of keeping a car's maintenance history secured, Kwon also underscored that Charancha is preparing to launch a drive-to-earn, or D2E, service based on Web3 technology. The envisioned D2E service will offer various types of rewards to drivers depending on how safe, efficient and long they drive. While Characha takes care of a vehicle's lifetime on the road, DT Innovation deals with the afterlife of a vehicle as it works in the downstream part of the auto industry through recycling. DT Innovation's current business areas include recycling parts of used cars, auctioning damaged cars, and selling and buying used car parts with the intention to expand into recycling used batteries from electric vehicles in the future. 'We launched a service called DT Auction early this year to offer a more convenient way to deal with auto parts for retailers and individuals,' said Kwon. 'To this end, we took over an auto salvage yard in South Gyeongsang Province to bolster the trading of used auto parts. DT Innovation's objective is to create maximum value from decommissioned cars and a sustainable circular economy.' As Deutsch Automobile Group progresses towards becoming a total mobility platform, Kwon emphasized that its highest value will always be about customer satisfaction under the company's philosophy of righteous business administration. 'We are looking to offer active support and growth opportunities to employees so they can become global talents in a fast-changing industry environment,' he said. 'Through this, Deutsch Automobile Group aims to become a name that is trusted both at home and in the global market as a main company that advances technology, customers, humanity and society in a sustainable mobility ecosystem.' The Top 100 Global Innovators series spotlights the trailblazers shaping Korea's future across a range of industries — from bold entrepreneurs and tech pioneers to research leaders — whose innovations are making a global impact beyond Korea. More than a celebration of success, the series offers a deeper exploration of the ideas, breakthroughs and strategies driving their achievements. — Ed.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Doctored image targets Lee Jae-myung's women supporters
"Even if the candidate is a criminal, dictator or thug, these people say they'll support Lee Jae-myung even if they're ripped apart," reads part of a Korean-language Facebook post shared on June 2, 2025. "Regardless of the martial law (declaration) or impeachment, we cannot hand over the country's fate to these kinds of people." The post includes an image of someone holding up a sign that reads, "Even if our genitals are ripped apart, we will support Lee Jae-myung." The language used on the purported sign appears to reference a controversy involving Lee, stemming from a leaked 2012 phone call in which he used explicit language while speaking with his sister-in-law (archived link). Lee says that while he regrets the comments, he had been quoting profanities used by his brother (archived link). The image was shared a day before South Korea's snap presidential election on June 3, which Lee won with 49.4 percent of the popular vote. According to the election results, he secured over 60 percent of the vote among women in their 20s and 30s (archived link). The same image was also repeatedly shared elsewhere in similar Facebook posts from conservative users as well as in forums, with commenters mocking Lee's women supporters. "They've really gone insane, haven't they? They'd really sacrifice their genitals for Lee?" read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "This goes to show just how extreme his supporters are, they should be put in an asylum." The image, however, was doctored. A reverse image search on Google led to the original photo, showing a sign without any explicit language, published in an online report by labour-related news outlet Workers' Solidarity from April 12, 2022 (archived link). The sign reads, "Desperately Jae-myung". The outlet's photo editor Lee Mi-jin told AFP the image was taken from a Facebook post shared by former ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Kwon In-sook a day ahead of the previous presidential election on March 8, 2022 (archived link). Lee ran in the 2022 election as the Democratic Party's candidate, losing by a razor-thin margin to Yoon Suk Yeol (archived link). Kwon's post, which included various photos of a rally attended by Lee, called on his supporters to unite ahead of the vote. A keyword search on YouTube found Kwon's photos matched footage of a rally held at Yeouido in central Seoul on the same day (archived link). Similar signs matching those in Kwon's photos can be seen at the YouTube video's 13:38, 22:06 and 22:48 marks; no signs containing the explicit language seen in the misleading social media posts can be spotted. AFP previously debunked multiple false claims surrounding Lee's presidential campaign.
AFP
11-06-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Doctored image targets Lee Jae-myung's women supporters
Warning: graphic language in paragraph four "Even if the candidate is a criminal, dictator or thug, these people say they'll support Lee Jae-myung even if they're ripped apart," reads part of a shared on June 2, 2025. "Regardless of the martial law (declaration) or impeachment, we cannot hand over the country's fate to these kinds of people." The post includes an image of someone holding up a sign that reads, "Even if our genitals are ripped apart, we will support Lee Jae-myung." The language used on the purported sign appears to reference a controversy involving Lee, stemming from a leaked 2012 phone call in which he used explicit language while speaking with his sister-in-law (archived link). Lee says that while he regrets the comments, he had been quoting profanities used by his brother (archived link). Show Hide Content warning Show Image Screenshot of the misleading Facebook post, captured on June 10, 2025 Hide The image was shared a day before South Korea's snap presidential election on June 3, which Lee won with 49.4 percent of the popular vote. According to the election results, he secured over 60 percent of the vote among women in their 20s and 30s (archived link). The same image was also repeatedly shared elsewhere in similar Facebook posts from conservative users as well as in forums, with commenters mocking Lee's women supporters. "They've really gone insane, haven't they? They'd really sacrifice their genitals for Lee?" read a comment on one of the posts. Another said: "This goes to show just how extreme his supporters are, they should be put in an asylum." The image, however, was doctored. 'Desperately Jae-myung' A reverse image search on Google led to the original photo, showing a sign without any explicit language, published in an online report by from April 12, 2022 (archived link). The sign reads, "Desperately Jae-myung". The outlet's told AFP the image was taken from a Facebook post shared by former ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Kwon In-sook a day ahead of the previous presidential election on March 8, 2022 (archived link). Show Hide Content warning Show Image Screenshot comparison of the doctored image (left) and the photo posted by former lawmaker Kwon In-sook in 2022 (right) Hide Lee ran in the 2022 election as the Democratic Party's candidate, losing by a razor-thin margin to Yoon Suk Yeol (archived link). Kwon's post, which included various photos of a rally attended by Lee, called on his supporters to unite ahead of the vote. A keyword search on YouTube found Kwon's photos matched footage of a rally held at Yeouido in central Seoul on the same day (archived link). Similar signs matching those in Kwon's photos can be seen at the YouTube video's 13:38, 22:06 and 22:48 marks; no signs containing the explicit language seen in the misleading social media posts can be spotted. AFP previously debunked multiple false claims surrounding Lee's presidential campaign.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India to be a global AI powerhouse: OpenAI executive after India academy launch
ChatGPT developer OpenAI and the IndiaAI Mission on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to launch the US-based company's educational platform, OpenAI Academy , to promote artificial intelligence skills in India. This makes it the first international rollout of OpenAI's online learning platform. India has the second largest user base for ChatGPT. 'The (AI) tools and the latest development frameworks should be available to all the startups and researchers so that new apps can be developed, new solutions can be created at population scale,' union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a virtual message at the launch in New Delhi. The initiative is expected to further strengthen India's resolve to democratise technology and contribute to the IndiaAI Mission, he said. The mission, which is also supporting the building of Indian foundational models, is receiving interest to do so from the likes of Essential AI cofounder Ashish Vaswani and Two AI founder Pranav Mistry, an official said on the sidelines of the event. Live Events Both are Indian-origin computer scientists and entrepreneurs in the US. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories The takeaway is that the IndiaAI Mission is attracting talent and entrepreneurs back to India, the official said. OpenAI chief strategy officer Jason Kwon said India is becoming a 'global AI powerhouse', and understands that maximising AI's benefits requires significant investments in core infrastructure and cultivating AI talent. 'By leading in these areas and empowering people to harness frontier intelligence, India can accelerate that growth and discover scientific breakthroughs and develop solutions to some of society's hardest challenges,' Kwon said. India's vast and growing pool of AI talent, vibrant entrepreneurial spirit and strong government support to expand critical infrastructure mean the country is poised to succeed in all areas of the AI stack, he added. 'As demand for AI professionals is expected to reach 1 million by 2026, there's a significant opportunity and a need to expand AI skills, development and make sure people from every part of India can participate and benefit,' Kwon said. Through the partnership, OpenAI will contribute educational content and resources to IndiaAI's 'future skills' platform and to the iGOT Karmayogi civil servant capacity building platform. It will also provide up to $100,000 worth of API credits to 50 IndiaAI Mission-approved fellows and startups. 'I am sure with this partnership, we will be able to strengthen our educational ecosystem, we will be able to empower all our students, we will be able to support our entrepreneurs and our engineers in building state-of-the-art AI applications and models,' IndiaAI Mission chief executive Abhishek Singh said. OpenAI will help train a million teachers in the use of generative AI . It will also conduct hackathons in seven states to reach 25,000 students and webinars and workshops delivered by its domain experts and partners in six cities, the company said.
