Latest News

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  Australian mine-to-metal firm partners with S. Korean consortium to create $250mln fund for rare earths project SEOUL -- Australia's critical metal producer Australian Strategic Materials has partnered with a consortium of three South Korean private equity firms to create a $250 million fund for a rare earth and critical metal project. The investment will help South Korean industries gain a stable supply chain for main materials used in the production of electric vehicles and defense instruments. Rare earths are used in the creation of neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) perman 2021-07-21
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  Samsung to showcase next-generation foldable smartphones in August SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics will showcase two types of next-generation foldable smartphones through an online event in August. The smartphones with flexible displays will be the latest versions of Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip released in 2020. "Now more than ever, there is a need for flexible, versatile mobile devices that can keep up with the fast pace of our lives so we can maximize and enjoy every moment," Samsung said in an 2021-07-21
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  Hyundai Mobis unveils new in-cabin healthcare technology to analyze brain waves SEOUL -- Hyundai Mobis, a parts-making unit of South Korea's Hyundai auto group, unveiled a new in-cabin healthcare technology that can measure and analyze brain waves to check drivers' conditions. The technology is expected to prevent accidents that can occur due to drowsy driving or sudden health problems. The new healthcare technology called "M. Brain" will be applied to public buses for evaluation. Hyundai Mobis would expand the demon 2021-07-21
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  State approval given to demonstrate urban hydrogen-electric tram in S. Korean city SEOUL -- An urban hydrogen-electric tram developed by Hyundai Rotem, a train-making subsidiary of South Korea's Hyundai auto group, will be tested in the southeastern industrial port city of Ulsan in 2023 as part of a state program to commercialize hydrogen-powered trains. Hydrogen fuel cell modules for automobiles will be modified to suit trams. The Ulsan city government said it has secured final approval from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energ 2021-07-21
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  Hyundai Steel works on method to recycle shellfish and oyster shell for furnace SEOUL -- Hyundai Steel, affiliated with South Korea's Hyundai auto group, is in the final phase of introducing a method to recycle shellfish and oyster shells that have been an environmental issue due to a huge accumulation of waste mainly along the southern coast. South Korea is one of Asia's biggest oyster farming countries. Adding limestone in the process of sintering iron ore for furnace injection can improve productivity and reduce fuel costs. Hyundai 2021-07-20
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  Seoul adopts ordinance to allow first commercial operation of autonomous shuttle SEOUL -- Through a newly-adopted ordinance, Seoul has opened new roads for the first commercial operation of autonomous shuttles and taxis in a designated area. Autonomous shuttle services have been demonstrated in various cities in South Korea. Commuters think self-driving mini van-type vehicles are convenient as they can carry passengers from residential areas to nearby subway stations. The ordinance for the commercial operation of autonomous vehic 2021-07-20
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  U.S. SMR company NuScale secures additional $60 mln from Doosan and S. Korean investors SEOUL -- Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, a key contractor in South Korea's nuclear power industry, and partners have invested an additional $60 million in NuScale Power, an American small modular reactor company, and agreed to expand cooperation to the field of hydrogen production and desalination. Doosan Heavy and South Korean investors made a $44 million equity investment in NuScale in 2019. Doosan Heavy wou 2021-07-20
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  S. Korea to build pyrolysis recycling center for ocean waste at southern port city SEOUL -- South Korea will build a recycling center that uses the pyrolysis technique to break down plastic ocean waste into fuel. The center will be built at the southern port city of Tongyeong, which has one of the country's biggest fish resources. About 50 percent of ocean waste in South Korea is composed of fishnets and buoys made of plastic. Fishnets that are lost or abandoned cause damage to the marine environment. A pyrolysis process breaks down plastics 2021-07-20
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  U.S. company Group14 to set up silicon-carbon anode material joint venture with SK Materials SEOUL -- Group14 Technologies, an American developer of silicon-carbon anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, will set up a joint venture with SK Materials. The partnership is part of an aggressive strategy by South Korea's third-largest conglomerate SK Group to strengthen its competitive edge in global markets for electric vehicle batteries. With an injection of 60.4 billion won ($52.4 million), SK Materials will control 75 percent of the joint ven 2021-07-20
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  Korean Air leads military program on space rocket launch using civilian aircraft SEOUL -- South Korea's top flag carrier Korean Air will follow the footsteps of Virgin Orbit, a California-based company that provides launch services for small satellites, to analyze the possibility of launching space rockets using civilian aircraft. The development of a projectile launched in the air is possible after Washington lifted restrictions on South Korea's missile development in May. LauncherOne is a two-stage orbital launch vehicle develop 2021-07-20
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  U.S. bio company Speragen partners with GC Pharma to develop enzyme replacement therapy for rare disease SEOUL -- GC Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company in South Korea, tied up with Speragen, a bio company in the United States, to develop enzyme replacement therapy for a rare disease called "succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency (SSADHD). They aim to embark on clinical trials in the second half of 2023. SSADHD is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by an enzyme deficiency in GABA degradation. Symptoms include hypotonia and intellectual disab 2021-07-20
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  ​LG releases premium soundbar targeting music enthusiasts and furnishers SEOUL -- LG Electronics has released a premium soundbar targeting music enthusiasts and home furnishers. The all-in-one speaker box can generate delicate sounds through its beautifully designed body. A soundbar is normally an all-in-one box-shaped speaker unit that consists of multiple speakers and woofers. The speaker device targets consumers who wish to enjoy better sound when they watch a TV or use a computer. "We have brought innovation to our 2021-07-19
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  Hyundai auto group demonstrates urban delivery service using electric trucks SEOUL -- Through a three-month demonstration, Hyundai auto group will make a foray into South Korea's urban delivery service industry using one-ton electric trucks. Fresh goods ordered at Hyundai Department Store, a major department store franchise, will be transported by trucks based on a cold chain logistics network. A cold chain is designed for the safe delivery of perishable products including meats, vegetables, and ready-to-eat meal packs. The del 2021-07-19
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  Doosan Heavy joins hands with POSCO to develop ammonia gas turbine technology SEOUL -- Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, a key player in South Korea's power industry, joined hands with POSCO to develop power generation technologies that break ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen gas through a cracker and burn them to operate a gas turbine. POSCO and the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology (RIST) would develop an ammonia cracker. Doosan Heavy will develop a gas turbine and a combustor that burns decomposed hy 2021-07-19
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  Samsung shipyard's offshore wind turbine floater wins DNV's basic design certification SEOUL -- The basic design of an offshore wind turbine floater developed by Samsung Heavy Industries, a major shipbuilder in South Korea, has obtained certification from DNV, an international accredited registrar and classification society. The floater is a large structure supporting wind power generation facilities, which are similar in design to semi-submersible crude oil production facilities. Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) said its model call 2021-07-19
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  Researchers develop new chip for efficient AI deep reinforcement learning in mobile devices SEOUL -- A South Korean research team has developed a semiconductor chip that allows deep reinforcement learning, which is an artificial intelligence learning method, to be processed in mobile devices. It can be used for autonomous robots and floating-point operations are possible with reduced power consumption. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is a subfield of machine learning that combines reinforcement learning and deep learning. DR 2021-07-16
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  Researchers detect photoelectron from spontaneously formed exciton SEOUL -- An exciton is an electrically neutral quasiparticle that exists in insulators, semiconductors and some liquids. It is regarded as an elementary excitation of condensed matter that can transport energy without transporting net electric charge. Excitons are the main mechanism for light emission in semiconductors at low temperatures. A research team led by Yeom Han-woong at South Korea's state-run Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has detected photoelect 2021-07-16
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  Researchers discover efficient method to obtain high-quality graphene SEOUL -- Researchers have discovered an efficient method to obtain high-quality graphene sheets from mass-producible graphene oxide at relatively low temperatures. They hope the method will accelerate the commercialization of energy production and storage as well as transparent displays. It can be applied to the graphitization of various polymers. Graphene is a crystalline allotrope of carbon with two-dimensional properties. The single, thin layer of graphite is a 2021-07-16
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  S. Korea's upgraded K9 self-propelled guns deployed to front-line island SEOUL -- K9A1, an upgraded version of South Korea's K9 self-propelled gun, has been deployed to a front-line island that was shelled by North Korea's artillery in 2010, killing four people and briefly triggering concerns of a full-scale conflict. There was no publicity or official confirmation on the placement of advanced guns that put North Korea's coast batteries in range. "More than three K9A1 self-propelled guns have been deployed to 2021-07-15
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  Mesh-type open cast receives high patient satisfaction: survey SEOUL -- Patients wearing a new type of cast that is shaped like a fishnet have higher satisfaction than wearing an old-fashioned cast made of plaster or other composite materials including carbon fiber or metal, a survey showed. The new cast is light and waterproof. Casts are used to firmly hold the limbs or other body parts to minimize movements. Traditional casts use plaster or other hard materials to wrap body parts like a bandage. While wounds heal, the skin 2021-07-15