SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 5, 2026--
The actor-focused fandom platform HIAND welcomed actor Chae Jong-hyeop on February 4th with the launch of his HIAND Star Lounge. This dedicated space will allow him to broaden communication with fans through messages, content, and interactive activities.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260204213498/en/
Chae Jong-hyeop has firmly established himself as a leading actor, earning widespread recognition for his nuanced emotional performances and stable character portrayals in acclaimed works such as ‘Stove League’, ‘Nevertheless’, and ‘Castaway Diva’. He is also set to appear in the upcoming MBC drama ‘In Your Radiant Season’, scheduled to air in the first half of 2026.
Following his recent appearance in the Japanese TBS drama ‘Eye Love You’, Chae has drawn widespread attention and earned affection from Japanese audiences, further expanding his multinational fan base. With its direct messaging service equipped with translation functions, HIAND is expected to serve as a powerful new communication channel for fostering closer connections with international fans.
To celebrate the opening of Chae Jong-hyeop’s ‘Star Lounge’ and the launch of the direct messaging (DM) service, HIAND is currently hosting a special event. All participants who send and verify their first direct message to Chae Jong-hyeop by February 10 will receive a Chae Jong-hyeop digital photocard.
Images of actor Chae Jong-hyeop can be downloaded from https://abr.ge/w8hkso
* DM event: https://abr.ge/yzc4dwu
* Chae Jong-hyeop’s HIAND Star Lounge: https://abr.ge/w8hkso
Actor Chae Jong-hyeop expands communication with global fans via HIAND (Image: HIAND)
U.S. futures were trading modestly lower early Friday following surprisingly strong jobs data from the federal government.
Equities markets are closed for Good Friday, but futures markets were trading into Friday morning, albeit quietly.
Futures for S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.2% and Nasdaq futures were down 0.4%.
American employers added a surprisingly strong 178,000 new jobs last month, rebounding from a dismal February that saw 133,000 job losses. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.3% from 4.4%.
Energy markets were closed Friday following big price surges the day before on fears that the Iran war will drag on longer than expected. U.S. benchmark crude rose 11.4% to $111.54 a barrel on Thursday. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, jumped 7.8% to $109.03 per barrel.
U.S. President Donald Trump late Wednesday vowed the U.S. will continue to attack Iran and failed to offer a clear timetable for ending the conflict in the Middle East.
“A more extended conflict raises the threat to physical infrastructure, extends disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, and will entail a longer postwar recovery period, with price impacts spilling over later into the year,” according to a report from BMI, a unit of Fitch Solutions.
The U.S. relies on the Persian Gulf for only a fraction of the oil it imports, but oil is a commodity and prices are set in a global market.
The situation is very different in Asia. Japan, for example, needs access to the Strait of Hormuz for much of the nation’s oil imports or would need alternative routes. But some analysts say Japan and other nations are counting on an agreement with Iran to allow fuel to be transported through the strait.
Trading was closed in France, Germany and Britain for the Good Friday holiday.
In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 1.3% to finish at 53,123.49. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 2.7% to 5,377.30. The Shanghai Composite sank 1.0% to 3,880.10. Trading was closed in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia and India for the Good Friday holiday.
Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama
Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A currency trader talks on the phone at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
President Donald Trump arrives to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)
Motorcyclists crowd into a filling station as they wait their turn to buy fuel, in Karachi, Pakistan, Thursday, April 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)
A currency trader works near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
