Photoism Operator Seobuk Joins Korea-China Business Forum as Economic Delegation

Provided by Seobuk Corporation

Seobuk Corporation, which operates Photoism, accelerated its global expansion by participating as part of the economic delegation at the Korea-China Business Forum held at Diaoyutai in Beijing, China, on January 5. The forum, which resumed after about nine years, was made more meaningful by the participation of major companies and institutions from both countries.

At this forum, Seobuk signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the content sector with Beijing Aitou Culture Media Co., Ltd., agreeing to pursue a joint content business based on K-pop intellectual property (IP).

Beijing Aitou Culture Media Co., Ltd., established in 2016, is a local Chinese company focused on the fandom economy and Korea-China entertainment and cultural exchange projects. Its platform, Yizwi, is a leading fandom service channel in China, highly trusted by both Chinese fans and major Korean entertainment agencies.

The two companies plan to introduce photo content and fan experience-based services utilizing K-pop artist IP to the Chinese market, expanding their business centered on the local fandom community.

Photoism had already entered the Chinese market stably last year and currently operates more than 100 stores. Through limited-edition frames and pop-up stores in collaboration with numerous K-pop artists, Photoism has received an enthusiastic response from the Chinese public and fans, rapidly expanding its presence. Industry insiders expressed high expectations, stating, "This MOU marks a turning point for Photoism to actively target the Chinese K-pop fandom market."

Seobuk's technological foundation is also drawing attention. With its self-developed AI-based integrated management system, the company remotely controls and operates thousands of global kiosks, providing stable services despite differences in regional and national network environments. By integrating its proprietary color correction engine and cloud server-based data linkage technology between stores, Seobuk has enabled a consistent photo quality experience anywhere in the world. This technological internalization is regarded as a competitive edge that allows the company not only to operate but also to directly build and manage global infrastructure.

Based on this growth potential and technological capability, Seobuk was selected as a preliminary unicorn company for 2025. In the venture investment sector, firms such as Stick Ventures, IMM Investment, and SV Investment participated in funding, acknowledging Seobuk's strong growth prospects.

An industry official commented, "With its selection as a preliminary unicorn and its technological foundation, Photoism is expected to continue aggressive expansion and growth in the Chinese market, where the scale of the K-pop fandom is overwhelming, through this partnership. The strategy of evolving beyond simple photography into a global IP platform will become even more visible."

Currently, Seobuk is rapidly expanding its global network beyond Asia to Europe and the Americas, continuing its leap forward as a next-generation global photo and IP platform that combines K-content and technology.