SouthKorea

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  S. Korean rescue ship ready to depart and help Indonesia's submarine rescue operation SEOUL -- A South Korean rescue ship is ready to depart if Indonesia requests rescue assistance for a submarine that went missing with 53 crew on board, on special order from Defense Minister Suh Wook. South Korea operates a 3500-ton rescue and salvage ship equipped with a remotely operated underwater vehicle and side-scan sonar. South Korea is willing to support Indonesia's search and rescue activities "by all available means," the defense ministry said, 2021-04-22
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  About 30 percent of S. Koreans keep companion animals: survey SEOUL -- About 30 percent of South Koreans keep at least one companion animal, a government survey showed. Pet lovers preferred dogs over cats. About six million dogs and 2.5 million cats live with human companions who spend an average of 117,000 won ($104) on their pets per month. South Korea's pet industry is rapidly growing mainly due to the increased number of single households and married couples who chose not to have a child. The pet market in 2012 stoo 2021-04-22
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  Provincial government turns telephone booths into battery-sharing stations for electric motorcycles SEOUL -- In a country known for its high smartphone penetration rate, public telephone booths will be turned into battery-sharing stations for electric motorcycles in a provincial government project. Solar charging facilities and convenience facilities will be installed gradually to increase utilization. South Chungcheong Province will work with South Korea's leading telecom company KT and its public phone arm, KT Linkus, to build a battery-sharing network aime 2021-04-13
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  Researchers develop new technology to recycle low-level radioactive waste SEOUL -- South Korea's state research institute has developed an innovative technology to recycle low-level radioactive waste. If commercialized, the technology can reduce the cost of disposing of radioactive waste or purchasing expensive neutron absorbers. The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) said its research team has converted low-level radioactive waste into boron carbide to prevent a chain of fission i 2021-04-13
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  SK Bioscience ready for domestic release of Novavax vaccine in June SEOUL -- SK Bioscience will start producing a protein-based vaccine developed by Novavax for domestic use in June under a technology transfer deal with the American vaccine development company, which has promised to provide doses for 20 million people in South Korea. SK Bioscience, a partner for South Korea's state project to develop COVID-19 vaccines, agreed to produce the antigen of the Novavax vaccine and maintains a production partnership with AstraZeneca PLC, 2021-04-12
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  ​KHNP to build 20MW-class hydrogen fuel cell power plant SEOUL -- Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, the operator of nuclear power plants, will build and operate a 20 megawatt-class hydrogen fuel cell power plant in Gyeongju some 270 kilometers (167 miles) southeast of Seoul. The power plant will be capable of powering about 43,000 households. Hydrogen fuel cell power plants use hydrogen separated from liquefied natural gas (LNG) to fuel power generators. When electricity is generated, it is stored in an energ 2021-04-12
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  New Seoul mayor pushes for introduction of COVID-19 self-testing at home SEOUL -- The newly elected mayor of Seoul who won a landslide victory in a by-election in April as an opposition party candidate rekindled debate over whether South Korea should introduce COVID-19 diagnostic kits for self-testing at home to acquire rapid results. There is no officially licensed method for easy and quick sampling. At a high-level COVID-19 conference that sets the direction of anti-epidemic policies, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon made a strong proposal fo 2021-04-12
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  ​S. Korea to regulate styrofoam buoys at oyster and seaweed farms SEOUL -- In an effort to reduce pollution by foamed polystyrene pollution, South Korea will take steps to regulate the use of high-density styrofoam buoys used widely for aquaculture and promote the use of eco-friendly plastic products that releases less microplastic waste into the ocean. Currently, aquafarmers are allowed to use high-density styrofoam buoys. However, such buoys are easily disintegrated in a short period. When styrofoam blocks are broken down in th 2021-04-05
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  University hospital selected to participate in development of mobile COVID-19 screening center SEOUL -- A university hospital has been selected for a project to develop a mobile modular COVID-19 screening center that will help contain the spread of infectious disease and accelerate diagnosis. The screening center is designed to replace makeshift screening centers set up near multi-use facilities such as subway stations and parks. Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital said it was selected by the Korea Medical Device Development Fund (KMDF), a public interes 2021-03-29
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  Ulsan to build hydrogen fuel charging station for freight trucks SEOUL -- To transform its old transport hub infrastructure based on fossil fuels into an eco-friendly one that uses hydrogen fuel, the southern port city of Ulsan will build a big hydrogen fuel charging station for freight trucks. Ulsan, which serves as the transport hub of South Korea's southeastern region, said in a statement on March 29 that it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Hydrogen Industry Associa 2021-03-29
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  S. Koreans show support for Myanmar protesters thru offline and online campaigns SEOUL -- Thousands of South Koreans, young and old, have joined an online relay campaign to express sympathy and support for Myanmar's "Spring Revolution" that began in early February against a coup by top army commander Min Aung Hlaing. Online protestors used various hashtags including "#미얀마_민주주의" (Myanmar democracy in Korean) and "#DemocracyForMyanmar" to upload posts including images that show a &quo 2021-03-25
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  Provincial government introduces battery-sharing network for electric delivery bikes SEOUL -- In an effort to reduce air pollution, a provincial government will use old telephone booths, which are hardly used, to establish a battery-sharing network for deliverymen who use motorcycles. Street telephone booths will be turned into charging depots where deliverymen can quickly replace depleted battery packs. Such a battery-sharing method is popular in Southeast Asia. Food deliverymen in an urban environment travel a daily average 2021-03-24
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  S. Korea's midsized observation satellite successfully launched into orbit: Yonhap SEOUL -- South Korea's next-generation midsized observation satellite successfully entered its target orbit and made its first contact with a base station on Monday, the science ministry said, marking the country's latest step to boost its space industry. The 540-kilogram satellite made contact with the Svalbard Satellite Station in Norway around 100 minutes after its launch on Russia's Soyuz-2.1a rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 2021-03-22
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  Provincial government proposes civilian space industry cluster in Goheung SEOUL -- Goheung, a southern coastal town that has been the center of South Korea's space program, came up with the idea of creating a civilian space industry cluster in line with a government policy shift to solid-propellant boosters that would deliver satellite payloads to low-Earth orbit. For decades, South Korea's space program has been led by the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The Seoul government is now pushing for a policy shift 2021-03-22
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  Samsung Display installs smart collection boxes for recycling at production base SEOUL -- Samsung Display, a major flat panel maker in South Korea, has set up smart collection boxes for recycling at its production base in the southern city of Asan. Built-in intelligent cameras recognize used cans and plastic bottles and automatically classify them by type. Samsung Display said in a statement on March 21 that smart collection boxes were installed in 11 places in its Asan complex. Users can accumulate mileage depending on their use perform 2021-03-22
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  Resort island Jeju selected for commercialization of floating offshore wind farm SEOUL -- The southern resort island of Jeju, well known for strong winds, was selected for a government project to commercialize a floating offshore wind farm. Jeju will use energy generated by wind farms to power electric vehicle charging stations and commercial facilities such as convenience stores. Jeju said in a press conference on March 19 that the island would participate in the construction of an eight megawatt-class floating wind farm with a state fund of 2.7 b 2021-03-19
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  [INTERVIEW] IVI head advocates global solution and vaccination to 'tame' COVID-19 infection SEOUL -- Rich countries have stepped up efforts to ride out a COVID-19 pandemic through the quick acquisition of vaccines, or sometimes hoarding that sparked vaccine sovereignty and hampered a United Nations campaign to facilitate the transfer of technology and scientific knowledge for global production and vaccination. Several African countries have begun 2021-03-17
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  SK Telecom earns carbon credit thru reduced power usage using telecom technology SEOUL -- SK Telecom has secured carbon emission rights through greenhouse gas reduction for the first time in South Korea's domestic communication technology and equipment industry. The mobile carrier has reduced power usage by integrating and upgrading 3G and LTE network equipment. It has been common to reduce electricity through changes in energy sources. However, SK Telecom (SKT) said it is the first telecom company to win certification from the Mini 2021-03-09
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  Young woman faces trial for eating hamberger and insulting train passenger SEOUL -- A young woman will stand trial on charges of defamation after she snubbed a request from a nearby passenger to stop eating a hamburger and beverage set aboard a high-speed train and pelted insults with her mask taken off. Video footage showing the woman's senseless behavior that apparently violated anti-epidemic rules has spread through social network services, triggering public criticism. On complaints from 2021-03-05
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  Daredevil surfers to be fined for ignoring storm warning SEOUL -- Four daredevil surfers have been caught for riding the waves while a storm warning was in effect. They will be fined for violating a marine safety law that requires permission from local authorities to use marine leisure equipment including surfing boards in bad weather. The coastguard said in a statement on March 3 that the four were caught in the eastern port city of Sokcho. "Interest in marine leisure sports has increased greatly because of the COVID 2021-03-04