Latest News

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  ​Renault Samsung launches EV mobility service for Busan travelers SEOUL -- The South Korean unit of French carmaker Renault has launched a car-sharing service in the southern port city of Busan. Travelers can rent ultra-compact electric vehicles to visit tourist hot spots using the non-face-to-face mobility service. Busan City was upbeat, saying the service targeting MZers will help revitalize its tourism market. According to government data, Busan, famous for its food, culture and beaches, had suffered a critical blow 2021-05-14
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  Debate rekindled over introduction of central bank digital currency in S. Korea SEOUL -- South Korea's central bank rekindled debate over a possible project to issue a central bank digital currency that uses an electronic record or digital token to represent the virtual form of a fiat currency of a particular nation, two years after it suspended a study on commercialization, citing social and economic costs to be caused by institutional changes. A central bank digital currency CBDC is a high-security digital instrument. Like paper banknote 2021-05-14
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  Samsung allows Galaxy smartphone owners to manage cryptocurrency without hardware wallets SEOUL -- Through a system update, Samsung Electronics has allowed its Galaxy smartphone users to manage and trade cryptocurrencies without hardware wallets used by cryptocurrency traders to prevent hacking. Customers can easily access blockchain and cryptocurrency services anywhere, anytime. Cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Etherium can be managed simply by using a web-based trading service. However, such a convenient method is vulnerable to 2021-05-14
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  Woowa's intelligent delivery robot awaits crucial test operation at modern building in central Seoul SEOUL -- An intelligent delivery robot capable of traveling between floors through elevators will make its meaningful debut in June at a 24-story modern commercial and office building stationed by some 4,000 people in central Seoul for a test operation to deliver simple food and drinks from a cafe. A trouble-free operation would open a full-fledged service involving a number of delivery robots and restaurants. The robot developed by Woowa Brothers, the 2021-05-14
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  Naver invests in digital treatment developer startup SEOUL -- D2SF, a startup accelerator operated by South Korea's top web service company Naver, has made an investment into a domestic healthcare startup specialized in the development of digital treatment for degenerative symptoms and diseases. Digital treatment, also called DTx, uses hardware such as artificial intelligence-based voice assistant speakers, virtual reality headsets and smartphones to change the lifestyle and habit of patients. Medical data relea 2021-05-14
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  State project launched to develop mobile medical system based on AI and 5G MEC SEOUL -- South Korea will develop a digital-based mobile medical system based on artificial intelligence and 5G mobile edge computing that enables medical services within 60 minutes in disaster situations or in underserved areas where medical care is vulnerable. The development of a modularized and standardized system will be linked to exports. Based on 5G networks that ensure the fast transmission of data, South Korea is undergoing a major change in its emergency resp 2021-05-14
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  Samsung jacks up investment in semiconductor business to compete with Taiwanese rival SEOUL -- In response to the aggressive expansion of production capacity by its Taiwanese rival, Samsung Electronics will increase investments in System LSI and foundry businesses to 171 trillion won ($151.3 billion), saying the global semiconductor industry faces a "watershed" moment due to competition to secure a competitive edge. The additional investment represents an increase of 38 trillion won from the previous commitment of 133 tril 2021-05-13
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  Samsung SDS reveals smart overseas logistics platform for small enterprises SEOUL -- Samsung SDS, the information technology and logistics wing of South Korea's Samsung Group, has unveiled a smart overseas logistics platform to help small and medium-sized enterprises without dedicated logistics services find the fastest and optimized cargo delivery route and track packages in real-time. According to government data, exports by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) stood at $10 billion in 2020. While it is easy for large co 2021-05-13
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  POSCO E&C utilizes autonomous robot to prevent accidents at tunnel construction site SEOUL -- POSCO E&C, a construction arm of South Korea's top steelmaker, has deployed a legged robot based on Boston Dynamics' dog-like bot at its tunnel construction site to check for cracks and construction errors that could cause disastrous accidents. The autonomous robot was jointly tweaked by the builder and a Yonsei University team to equip high-performance cameras and a lidar system that measures distance by illuminating the target with lase 2021-05-13
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  Parasite director Bong finishes working on animated movie scenario SEOUL -- Bong Jun-ho, the director of the 2020 Academy-winning film "Parasite," has finished working on an animated movie scenario that deals with a story involving deep-sea creatures and humans. It would be a full computer graphics animation. Visual effects will 4th CREATIVE PARTY, a content media company based in South Korea, is responsible for visual effects. Bong's scenario was completed in January. He is curre 2021-05-13
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  KT commercializes AI media platform management system for OTT services SEOUL -- South Korea's top telecom company KT has developed an artificial intelligence-based media platform management system for over-the-top services. Service operators can take preemptive action to prevent malfunctions by predicting critical problems and analyzing hardware and software status. According to data released by Statista, a global market research company, South Korea's over-the-top (OTT) media market is projected to stand at 3.3 trillion won ($2 2021-05-13
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  Samsung shipyard opens test facility to develop and verify technologies for LNG value chain SEOUL -- As the world's top builder of eco-friendly vessels powered by natural gas, Samsung Heavy Industries has opened a test facility to develop and verify key technologies for a liquefied natural gas value chain from production to transportation, storage and supply. Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) opened the LNG pilot test facility at its shipyard in Geoje on May 12 in a ceremony attended by foreign guests from international classificati 2021-05-13
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  [INTERVIEW] Government agency advocates massive food hub to secure food sovereignty SEOUL -- South Korea is on guard against potential threats to food security amid growing uncertainties caused by climate change and a COVOD-19 pandemic that has raised global awareness of food sovereignty. A government agency responsible for storing and exporting agricultural products advocates the operation of a massive food hub in a vast area of reclaimed land created by the world's longest man-made sea barrier to cope with a food cr 2021-05-13
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  Agricultural research institute demonstrates rice seed-sowing drone SEOUL -- An agricultural research institute has demonstrated a rice seed-sowing drone to promote the use of unmanned machines to reduce carbon emissions, work time, and labor costs. The battery-powered drone can sow seeds over a rice paddy that is 991 square meters wide in just 10 minutes while a rice planting machine would take about 80 minutes. Normally, farmers sow rice seeds onto standardized plates so that they can be transferred to paddy fields by hand or using r 2021-05-12
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  S. Korea to conduct full inspection on discharge of factory air pollutants SEOUL -- In a bid to create an accurate database of air pollutants, a state air quality watchdog will conduct a full inspection of facilities that discharge pollutants. The database will be used for working out state guidelines and policies for air management. Particulate matter, or microscopic air pollutants which are also known as fine dust, has become a serious health threat in South Korea as it causes skin irritations, respiratory diseases, and vascular disorde 2021-05-12
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  KT partners with taxi companies to offer AI call check-in tracking system SEOUL -- South Korea's largest telecom company KT has partnered with an association of taxi companies in the southern port city of Busan to provide an artificial intelligence-based call check-in service. The service will help a state disease control body to easily track down passengers for COVID-19 epidemiological surveys. After the first outbreak of COVID-19 in February 2020, South Korea has adopted a variety of methods to trace those who have visited vulnerab 2021-05-12
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  Daewoo shipyard wins order to build wind turbine installation vessel for Monaco company SEOUL -- Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering has secured an order worth $330 million from Eneti, a Monaco-based company specializing in offshore wind farm construction and services, to build a wind turbine installation vessel that would be delivered in the third quarter of 2024. Wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs) have specific needs, different from traditional oil and gas-focused offshore operations. Demands f 2021-05-12
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  Samsung Display selected for state project to develop ultra-high-resolution oxide TFT SEOUL -- Samsung Display, a major flat panel maker in South Korea, will lead a state project to develop an oxide thin-film transistor with ultra-high resolution, which is considered a core technology for next-generation mobile displays. The project is aimed at securing oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) technology, which is 10 times faster in the speed of electron transfer, by 2024. An oxide TFT is a particular kind of field-effect transistor made by 2021-05-12
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  Kakao commercializes indoor positioning system to cover expressway tunnels SEOUL -- The mobility service wing of Kakao, a web service giant in South Korea, has commercialized an indoor positioning system that will help drivers know their whereabouts inside some 1,300 expressway tunnels and other underground road infrastructure across the country. It can reduce ghost bottleneck phenomena that often take place at the ends of tunnels. Smartphone navigation app services based on global positioning system (GPS) are widely used by ab 2021-05-11
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  SK Holdings makes extra investment in Singapore-based developer of lithium metal batteries SEOUL -- The holding company of South Korea's third-largest conglomerate SK Group made an extra investment in SolidEnergy Systems, a Singapore-based developer of lithium metal batteries that are lighter and have greater energy density than lithium-ion batteries widely used for electric vehicles. The investment reflects SK's strong push for the development of next-generation batteries. With an additional injection of 40 billion won ($35 million), S 2021-05-11