Apple Treats K-Pop Fans to Spatial Audio Experience at New Gangnam Store, South Korea (2024)

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Apple Treats K-Pop Fans to Spatial Audio Experience at New Gangnam Store, South Korea? ›

The new store will be located in the central Gangnam district of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, and in a promotional event on Wednesday, Apple set up a pop-up studio inside the new store where visitors could listen to an exclusive version of NewJean's hit song "OMG" recorded in spatial audio.

Customers can enjoy fast and easy service in the dedicated Apple Pickup area inside Apple Hongdae. Apple opened its first store in South Korea, Apple Garosugil, in 2018. Since then, Apple has expanded its presence in the country by opening stores in Yeouido, Myeongdong, Jamsil, Gangnam, and Hanam.

Of these countries, Japan has the highest amount of Total On-Demand streams at 9.7 billion, followed by the United States at 9.2 billion.

Samsung vs Apple by the numbers

Samsung represents 66 percent of the smartphone market share in South Korea, nearly triple that of Apple, which sits at only 29 percent.

At present 69% of Korean adults own a Galaxy phone, with Apple's iPhone in second place with 23%. Where a huge shift is now occurring is with younger millennials and Gen Z as noted in the survey chart below.

The country with the cheapest iPhone 15 Plus (128GB) is the United States (1,233,777 won). It is followed by Japan (1,260,167 won) and China (1,278,498 won). Korea (1.35 million won) ranks sixth. The new model is 9.4 percent more expensive in Korea than the United States.

As of May 2023, the K-pop entertainment HYBE Corporation achieved the highest market cap in the South Korean stock exchange market, at around 11.37 trillion South Korean won. HYBE Corporation, formerly known as Big Hit Entertainment, is home to globally popular K-pop group BTS.

The Dark Side of K-pop Industry

The report argues that K-pop agencies must be held accountable for abuse, suicide, slave labour agreements, demanding training schedules, “no dating” conditions, sexual assault, and sexualization of youngsters.

McDonalds Korea just increased their prices for 13 menu items by an average of 3.7%! (11/2/2023). So now, a Big Mac costs ₩5,500!!! For a combo meal, ₩6,900! .

Is Apple popular in Korea? ›

In South Korea, 69 percent of adult smartphone users use a Samsung device, while only 23 percent use iPhones, a Gallup survey of 1,001 adults found. But the survey reveals a starkly different trend in one demographic: younger millennials and Gen Z.

The music coming from all directions will transport you right into the studio or to your favorite artist's live show. With tracks handpicked by Apple Music editors, this playlist invites you to enjoy K-pop on a whole new level.

We asked South Korean consumers about "Most popular smartphone brands" and found that "Samsung" takes the top spot, while "Xiaomi/Mi" is at the other end of the ranking. Find this and more survey data on most popular smartphone brands in our Consumer Insights tool.

For idols who produce their own music/content, the entire Apple ecosystem makes it probably more convenient to own an iPhone. It's trendy and a status symbol. In SK perhaps previously not having a Samsung limited the things you could do, but not much anymore. Apple Pay is also soon to be introduced in Korea.

It is easy to notice that a few major developed countries don't have any Apple store yet, including Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Norway, Finland, Denmark. It probably has something to do with Apple's retail strategy focus.

Apple Surpasses 25% Market Share in South Korea for First Time.

In South Korea, 69 percent of adult smartphone users use a Samsung device, while only 23 percent use iPhones, a Gallup survey of 1,001 adults found. But the survey reveals a starkly different trend in one demographic: younger millennials and Gen Z.

According to Numbeo, a database platform on the world's cost of living, Korea ranked as the world's most expensive not only in the category of apples but also in potatoes and bananas. It ranked second in terms of onions. The skyrocketing fresh produce prices add to Korea's concerns over sticky inflation.