Millions of Korean men between the ages of 18 and 29 grew up in the shadow of their tradition-minded parents who preferred conservative daily newspapers and equally straightjacket lifestyles. In the past decade, however, intriguing signs began to appear: unlike their no-style-is-better fathers, younger Korean men, twentysomethings in particular, realized the importance of what they wear, eat and buy.
The so-called men's lifestyle magazines led by "GQ" and "Esquire" put themselves on the publishing map, creating a new market for magazine readers and advertisers. Fashion brands, watchmakers and IT manufacturers find such magazines a valuable communications (and sales) channel for detecting new style trends favored by younger men, and often creating a trend that they hope will drive up sales.
The new development suggest that more of Korea's generation X, or MTV Korea generation, is turning 30, and they want to get more sophisticated lifestyle information. Strangely, the country's leading magazines are targeted at Korean men in their 20s.
"Luel", an upscale lifestyle magazine for men interested in fashion, grooming and lifestyle, focuses on the oft-neglected segment of men in their 30s or older, sniffing out a chance to absorb a growing number of Korean professionals willing to spend money on upscale suits, watches, digital gadgets, imported cars and other luxury items as long as they meet or justify their need for age-appropriate lifestyle.
Moon Il-wan, editor in chief of "Luel", says in an interview that thirtysomethings have been sidelined in Korea's publishing market. In contrast, 30-year-olds are exercising greater influence in the Japanese magazine industry, Moon says, adding that about 10 new titles led by "Leon" have sprouted up, explicitly aiming to feed customized style information to readers in their 30s and 40s.
In Korea, a magazine for 30-year-olds has plenty of options because there is no precedent. New maps are being drawn but there is no clear guidepost yet. To chart the course, striking a balance between informative content and trendy culture is the key, says Moon, a veteran in the men's magazine business.
Readers in their 30s or older who bother to buy style magazines are highly sophisticated - a double-edged sword for magazine publishers. As many of the potential "Luel" readers have long sharpened their fashion edge by reading "GQ" and "Esquire", they are unlikely to be impressed by the same fashions and styles. Conversely, what impresses the picky readers may pay off nicely in terms of advertising revenue because thirtysomething professionals have real buying power.
To stand out among domestic men's magazines, Moon says he places top priority on a subtle mixture of expert-level information and lifestyle insights. "For instance, we do not want a conventional auto expert's review of a luxury car because other magazines are already producing plenty of similar articles. We want a piece combining excellent car information and its relevance as a style item for men", he says.
The founding of "Luel" comes at a delicate time when the overall magazine industry is facing off against a growing online media that has gobbled up ad revenues in recent years. Moon remains optimistic about the outlook for magazines, however. He says that unlike other print media, specialized magazines maintain an advantage in visuals that can cultivate readers. "People read upscale magazines to enjoy refined visuals and sophisticated content, which is lacking in online media", he says.
Hachette Ein*s Media, the publisher of "Luel" and other fashion magazines such as "Elle", also looks beyond Korea, an emerging regional center of fashion style, fueled by the "Korean Wave". The company plans to publish the magazine in Japan and China following the launch of the Korean version.
Prior to the Asia-wide expansion, however, the magazine has to prove that there are enough style-conscious Korean men. The expectations are high; its print run for the first issue, which goes on sale on Friday, is 60,000 copies. After all, creating an entirely new lifestyle monthly for thirtysomethings is a "stylish" experiment that can liven up today's drab magazine business.
By Yang Sung-jin
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