Korea-Based Food Producer to Launch ‘Heung-Bu Duo’ Bread Celebrating Famous LAFC Duo Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga;
Partnership to Include Domestic Product and Merchandise launches, Plus U.S.-Focused Marketing Campaigns

LOS ANGELES and SEOUL, South Korea, Dec. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Starting in 2026, fans of Paris Baguette and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) will be able to find products inspired by the “Heung-Bu Duo” (Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga) at Paris Baguette.

Paris Baguette’s partnership with LAFC of Major League Soccer (MLS) marks the first such partnership by a company in Korea’s food and foodservice sector with a U.S.-based sports team. The partnership is Paris Baguette’s third global sports collaboration, following partnerships with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2023-2024 and Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League in 2025.

Through this partnership, Paris Baguette will roll out LAFC-themed bakery products and merchandise starting in 2026, along with a variety of customer engagement programs such as Meet & Greet event and ticket giveaway.

“Sports are powerful content that connects fans around the world and enables closer engagement,” Jin Soo Hur, Vice Chairman of Paris Baguette, said. “Through our partnership with LAFC, we will offer a variety of activities that allow customers to share joyful moments and special experiences with our bread.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Paris Baguette, a global bakery brand loved by consumers in the United States and around the world for its delicious, high-quality offerings,” Larry Freedman, LAFC Co-President said. “This partnership will elevate each of our brands as we bring people together through the shared experiences of the beautiful game and wonderful food.”

LAFC is a Los Angeles–based club that debuted in 2018 and currently boasts star players such as Son Heung-Min, Denis Bouanga and Hugo Lloris on its roster. With the recent addition of Son, the club has garnered world-wide attention, rapidly expanding its fan base in Korea and internationally.

By combining bakery and sports in a unique way, Paris Baguette continues to expand its touchpoints with global sports fans and customers through activities such as launching club- and player-themed products and merchandise, running customer promotions, and conducting stadium advertising. The brand has gained attention with innovative campaigns, including displaying a Korean-language LED billboard message reading “Hello! Paris Baguette” at PSG home matches and producing videos featuring PSG star players enjoying Paris Baguette bread. These efforts earned the company the “Marketer of the Year Award,” selected by the Korea Advertisers Association. Paris Baguette also serves its coffee at Tottenham Hotspur’s home stadium.

Paris Baguette continues to expand its global presence, operating approximately 3,400 stores in Korea and around 700 stores across 15 countries in the United States, Europe, and Asia, for a total of more than 4,100 stores worldwide. In North America, including the U.S., the company aims to operate 1,000 stores by 2030 and has recently strengthened its operations by commencing construction on a local baking plant in Texas.

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Source: Sleemon Healthy Sleep Technology Co.,Ltd.

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-Advances smart homes through Ambient AI that understands user context and delivers proactive services

-Leverages a single camera and proprietary on-device LLMs to enhance privacy protection and product competitiveness

-Targets the North American smart home market with a global product launch planned for Q1 2026, with NAVER D2SF providing active support for global expansion

SEONGNAM, South Korea, Dec. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — NAVER D2SF, corporate venturing(CV) arm of NAVER, announced a new investment in Sorcerics, an Ambient AI startup developing autonomous AI home solutions. Sorcerics has built an AI-powered home system that understands users’ situations, intentions, and contextual signals to proactively deliver services, and is preparing for a global product launch in North America in the first quarter of 2026.

Guided by the philosophy of Ambient AI—where technology blends naturally into everyday environments—Sorcerics aims to transform smart homes into spaces that “take care of users on their own.” While conventional smart home systems operate passively by responding only to explicit commands, Sorcerics pursues a fully autonomous AI home that adapts to users and delivers services proactively based on contextual understanding.

Sorcerics’ AI home solution combines a single camera with its proprietary large language model (LLM) to analyze user gestures, behaviors, and environmental cues, enabling a nuanced understanding of user intent and the delivery of optimal services. For example, instead of simply turning off the lights when a user lies down, the system interprets the user’s readiness for sleep and adjusts lighting levels accordingly. By running up to five AI models simultaneously on-device, the solution enhances privacy protection while maintaining high performance. In addition, Sorcerics has secured product competitiveness by developing aesthetically refined hardware at approximately one-quarter of the cost of comparable solutions.

The Sorcerics founding team, led by CEO Hyeonjong Ryu, brings strong engineering expertise and execution capabilities, with more than a decade of experience in core product development and research at global technology companies including Google. The company is currently conducting beta tests in North America and is targeting a Kickstarter launch in the first quarter of 2026. Sorcerics also plans to participate in CES 2026 to showcase its product to global consumers and potential partners.

Although approximately 48% of households in North America already own at least one smart device, the market still lacks proactive, integrated solutions capable of meeting rapidly growing user expectations. Sorcerics plans to address this gap swiftly, aiming to establish a strong market position and build durable entry barriers. To support this growth, the company is actively recruiting top talent across AI, software, hardware, business, and marketing functions.

Yang Sang-hwan, Head of NAVER D2SF, stated, “The true value of technology lies not in users having to understand and learn it, but in technology understanding users and delivering services naturally. Sorcerics has the potential to overcome the limitations of existing smart home solutions and create truly convenient smart environments for users.” He added, “With more than 80% of NAVER D2SF’s portfolio companies actively expanding into global markets, we will continue to support capable technology startups as they pursue meaningful growth on the global stage.” (END)

About NAVER
Founded in 1999, NAVER is Korea’s largest Internet company and one of the world’s top tech companies. Leading cutting-edge technologies, NAVER operates No.1 search engine in Korea and holds various business portfolios encompassing commerce, fintech, cloud, AI and robotics, as well as other global online services such as LINE mobile messenger, Webtoon and Webnovel publishing, SNOW video camera app and ZEPETO metaverse platform.

NAVER recorded sales of KRW 10.74 trillion (USD 7.5 billion) in 2024. TEAM NAVER continues to enhance its business portfolio and expand its global presence across Japan, North America, and Europe, while pursuing innovation through continuous research and development in future technologies.
To learn more, visit www.navercorp.com/en

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SYDNEY, Dec. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Australia’s sauna market experienced strong growth in 2025, reflecting a broader shift toward preventative health, recovery and long-term wellness investment. According to SDS Australia, one of the nation’s leading premium sauna retailers, demand has accelerated across both residential and commercial sectors.

Across the country, saunas are now increasingly being integrated into private homes, architectural builds, hospitality venues and high-end wellness spaces. Industry observers say the rising awareness of heat therapy’s health benefits, combined with a growing appetite for considered lifestyle design, has driven this expansion.

As the category grows, SDS Australia’s CEO, Michael Doubinski, says the market is becoming increasingly divided between mass-produced sauna imports and premium, European-made systems. Construction quality, material integrity and long-term performance have emerged as key points of differentiation – particularly for consumers focused on consistent, reliable health outcomes over time.

“The increase in demand has been significant, but what’s more notable is how much more informed buyers have become,” said Doubinski. “Customers are no longer just asking what a sauna looks like. They want to understand how it’s built, how consistently it performs, and whether it’s designed to support regular, long-term use as part of a genuine health routine.”

The rapid influx of factory-produced saunas into Australia has expanded consumer choice but also introduced new challenges. Many entry-level systems are designed for speed and scale, often relying on thinner timbers, adhesive-based construction and generic components. Over time, these products can struggle to deliver consistent thermal performance or durability – particularly in Australia’s varied climate conditions.

At the same time, buyers are becoming more discerning. Rather than focusing solely on price or appearance, consumers are increasingly asking where saunas are manufactured, how materials are treated, whether independent certification is in place, and how systems are designed to perform over years of use.

European sauna manufacturing continues to set the global benchmark. Producers operating in Nordic and Baltic regions have the advantage of being able to draw on generations of sauna expertise, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern engineering and material science. High-quality European-made saunas are typically defined by solid, architectural-grade timbers, chemical-free thermal modification processes, precision-engineered heaters and independently tested performance standards.

Doubinski said SDS Australia has aligned its offering exclusively with European sauna manufacturers in response to this shift. “As the market matures, we’re seeing a clear preference for saunas that prioritise longevity, transparency and engineering integrity, rather than short-term cost savings,” he said.

Looking ahead, industry analysts expect Australia’s sauna market to continue expanding, with education playing a greater role in purchasing decisions. While overall demand remains strong, the next phase of growth is expected to be driven less by volume and more by informed choice.

As the market moves into 2026, buyers are paying closer attention to how saunas are built, where they are made, and how they are designed to perform over time – signalling a maturing category where construction quality and long-term performance are increasingly central to decision-making.

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