Latest News

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  SPC acquires French sandwich and salad brand 'Lina's' for overseas expansion SEOUL -- South Korean confectionery and bakery giant SPC Group has acquired French sandwich and salad brand Lina's to use it as a bridgehead for its expansion abroad. New food products developed at Lina's will be sold at SPC's bakery brand Paris Baguette. Founded in 1989 in Paris, Lina's operates in four countries -- France, Colombia, Lebanon and South Korea. In 2002, the French brand was introduced in South Korea in the form of master franchising which involves co 2022-06-07
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  State project launched to develop biodegradable marine bioplastic materials using seaweed SEOUL -- South Korea has launched a state project to develop biodegradable marine bioplastic materials using seaweed such as sargassum horneri, a species of brown macroalgae called "devil weed" from China that is detrimental to a foreshore ecosystem and damages sea farms almost every year. Since bioplastics mainly use grain biomass such as corn as raw materials, their production is still insignificant due to economic problems caused by expensive raw materials. The Minis 2022-06-07
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  ADD secures platform technology for automatic generation of high-performance navigation software SEOUL -- South Korea's defense technology development agency has secured a platform technology that automatically generates high-performance and high-quality navigation software needed for the development of new weapons systems such as guided weapons. Navigation software is a key function that determines the accuracy of weapon systems. Mounted on guided weapons or unmanned aerial vehicles, it serves as a guide to accurately find targets and destinations. The Agency for Defense D 2022-06-07
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  Busan's traditional seafood market to adopt digital twin-based safety management system SEOUL -- A digital twin-based safety management system will be adopted at a traditional seafood market in South Korea's southern port city of Busan to provide a safe evacuation route in case of fire. Fire can lead to enormous damage in jammed traditional markets with outdated electronic facilities. A digital twin is a virtual clone of an object or an infrastructure. Digital twins are frequently used as testing grounds for new technologies or other elements to find out the resul 2022-06-07
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  Hyundai Engineering and American partner USNC to develop new micro modular reactor SEOUL -- Hyundai Engineering, a unit of South Korea's Hyundai auto group, will work with its American partner, Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation, to develop a new reactor with significantly higher temperature and output than existing micro modular reactors through technology advancement for the mass production of hydrogen. Small modular reactors (SMRs) have been studied to address the limitations of traditional light-water reactors using low-enriched uranium that cost a lot to repl 2022-06-07
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  Doosan Fuel Cell leads project to set up blue hydrogen fuel cells with carbon capture technology SEOUL -- Doosan Fuel Cell, the clean energy wing of South Korea's Doosan Group, will lead a joint project to replace existing fuel cells with a structure using blue hydrogen, which is favored by industries due to its reasonable production cost compared to green hydrogen based on renewable energy. Green hydrogen uses electrolysis to split water and release only hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen produced by steam reforming is termed grey hydrogen, which is the most common form and is 2022-06-03
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  Notable planetary researcher Lee Yeon-joo selected to lead S. Korea's first Venus research SEOUL -- Lee Yeon-joo, a recognized researcher involved in planetary research projects in Europe and Japan, has been picked to lead South Korea's first project to study the atmosphere of planets in the Solar System. Her research will focus on Venus shrouded by an opaque layer of highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid. The Institute for Basic Science (IBS), a state research body in South Korea, appointed the 39-year-old as chief investigator to head a planetary atmospheres gr 2022-06-03
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  KAL consortium embarks on rocket engine development for civilian use SEOUL -- A consortium led by South Korea's top flag carrier Korean Air has embarked on the development of a high-performance liquid engine for the upper part of a small two-stage space launch vehicle for civilian use with state funding. Korean Air (KAL) and other companies involved in the consortium will complete the development of a 3-ton engine by 2027. The lower part will be equipped with a 75-ton liquid engine used in Nuri, a three-stage indigenous rocket. Korean Air is res 2022-06-03
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  Hanwha Solutions participates in joint investment led by U.S. plastic upcycling startup 'Novoloop' SEOUL -- In an effort to bolster its green energy business, Hanwha Solutions, a chemical and energy company affiliated with South Korea's Hanwha Group, joined in funding by Novoloop, a California-based plastic upcycling startup with a patented technology that decomposes the molecular structure of polyethylene to produce an eco-friendly raw material. The size of Hanwha's investment was not disclosed. Novoloop, which has attracted $21 million from investors, aims to commercia 2022-06-02
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  Protected marine creature bred artificially for discharge in river habitat SEOUL -- Clithon retropictum is a protected species of freshwater and brackish water snail with an operculum. It lives in the estuary of a clean river and eats attached algae or organic matter. It is very vulnerable to the deterioration of water quality or changes in the river environment. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries designated the bracken as a protected marine creature in 2016 and succeeded in developing artificial proliferation in 2021 for the first time in the world in 2022-06-02
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  S. Korean consortium to build green ammonia factory in Abu Dhabi SEOUL -- A consortium of South Korean companies has secured a crucial deal to build a green ammonia factory in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Because no carbon is generated, green ammonia is considered an important part of a sustainable hydrogen ecosystem. Together with Petrolyn Chemie, a UAE-based green ammonia developer, a consortium led by South Korea's state power company, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), will build a green ammonia factory in Abu Dhabi 2022-06-02
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  Giant natural gas carrier makes first transoceanic voyage with self-sailing technology SEOUL -- In a landmark operation monitored by U.S. and South Korean maritime classification societies, a giant natural gas carrier installed with a self-sailing system developed by Avikus, the in-house venture of South Korea's Hyundai shipbuilding group, has made a successful transoceanic voyage for the first time in the world. The Prism Courage, a 300-meter-long super-large liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, has successfully completed its autonomous ocean crossing in a joint 2022-06-02
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  Edible insect Walker shows ability to ecologically decompose organic substances SEOUL -- Ptecticus tenebrifer, or simply known as Walker, has been classified as an edible insect in many countries. However, the insect's beneficial role can be bigger if researchers verify its excellent ability to ecologically eat and decompose organic substances without harming tangerine farms on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju. An agricultural research center in Jeju launched a pilot project to develop organic resource processing technology using ptecticus t 2022-06-02
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  Policymakers endorse massive injection of state money for SMR development SEOUL -- With the blessing of President Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korea's nuclear power industry grabbed a new opportunity to rebound after policymakers endorsed a massive injection of state money for the development of a relatively safe small modular reactor called "i-SMR" that can be operated in an underground water tank and cooled naturally in case of emergency. Yoon, who took office in early May, dumped his predecessor's "nuclear-exit" policy of phasing o 2022-06-02
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  LG Chem establish precursor joint venture with domestic firm to strengthen battery material value chain SEOUL -- LG Chem, a chemical unit of South Korea's LG Group, will establish a precursor joint venture with a domestic company to strengthen its battery material value chain. Precursors are raw materials for cathodes, which are manufactured by combining metals such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and aluminum. KEMCO will own 51 percent of the joint venture, and LG Chem controls 49 percent. The construction of a joint venture plant is to begin in July for mass production in the sec 2022-06-02
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  Vodafon ties up with Hyundai Robotics to develop service robots targeting European clients SEOUL -- Vodafone, a British telecom company, tied up with Hyundai Robotics, a robot maker affiliated with South Korea's top shipbuilding group, to develop service robots targeting European clients. They would test-run quarantine robots at university hospitals in Germany before supplying 5G-based service robots to restaurants, hotels, and nursing facilities. Hyundai Robotics said it has signed a letter of intent with Vodafone at a trade fair in Hanover, Germany, to cooperate on 2022-05-31
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  Seoul expands establishment of EV chargers to hidden spots in residential areas SEOUL -- In a bid to speed up the distribution of electric vehicles, chargers will be installed in hidden spots such as old apartments and hillside residential areas. By the end of June 2022, some 12,000 chargers will be set up in areas selected through a public survey. As a state project to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, Seoul will replace 10 percent of diesel vehicles with EVs by 2026. About 45,000 EVs were registered in Seoul. The number of chargers in Seoul 2022-05-31
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  Hyundai Rotem secures military order to mass-produce wheel-type command post vehicles SEOUL -- Wheel-type command post vehicles that enable military officers to effectively command and control troops while swiftly moving around on battlefields are ready for mass production for field deployment from 2023. The mobile command post will replace tent-type field command posts. The mobile command post was equipped with a modern command and control system. The application of armored plates and equipment that maintains a higher pressure inside greatly improved the survival o 2022-05-31
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  ​Military project approved to develop mine-sweeping marine helicopter based on homemade transport utility model SEOUL -- South Korea's state arms procurement agency won approval to push for the development of a mine-sweeping marine helicopter, based on a homemade transport utility model which has been used by marine troops. The helicopter searches for and destroys mines in the sea and underwater. A conference chaired by Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup has endorsed a military project to develop a helicopter based on Marineon, the amphibious variant of South Korea's homemade transport ut 2022-05-31
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  Plug Power's joint venture with SK E&S supplies water electrolysis equipment for green hydrogen project SEOUL -- A joint venture between Plug Power, an American provider of hydrogen fuel cell turnkey solutions, and its South Korean partner, SK E&S, will supply polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis equipment for a state project to verify the efficiency and safety of a green hydrogen and battery storage system. Water electrolysis technology decomposes water with electricity to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen companies have been testing various methods to improve water electr 2022-05-31