Latest News

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  ​Probiotic brand Duolac makes foray into pet market SEOUL -- Targeting South Korea's growing pet market, the lactic acid bacteria brand of Cell Biotech, a Seoul-based probiotic company, made a foray into the pet nutrition market by releasing a pet lactic acid bacteria product. The chewable supplement product can help animals improve internal microbial conditions as the majority of immune cells live in their intestines. Data released by South Korea's agriculture ministry showed that about one out of four South Koreans raise 2023-05-12
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  Foreign brands target S. Korea's $104.8 bln restaurant market SEOUL -- Foreign restaurant brands including American fast food casual restaurant chain Five Guys and American fried wings franchise Wingstop have chosen to make a foray into South Korea with a 139.6 trillion won ($104.8 billion) restaurant market. There are many foreign brands like McDonald's, Burger King, Papa Jones, and KFC that are favored by picky South Korean customers but the majority of the market is shared by domestic restaurant chains and individual restaurant operato 2023-05-12
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  [OPINION] Britain's Royal Ceremony is Important for Them – and Us KENOSHA -- Our close ally Britain has a new head of state. That fellow known for many decades as Prince Charles is now King Charles III, head of state of the United Kingdom (En 2023-05-11
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  BLACKPINK member Lisa achieves Guinness World Record through first solo album LALISA SEOUL -- LALISA, a solo album by Lisa, a Thai member of K-pop girl band BLACKPINK, was streamed more than one billion times on Spotify, the world's most popular music streaming service. The solo album which shows various Thailand's cultural assets been listed in Guinness World Records. Through the album's lead single of the same name, the Thai artist presented how K-pop could be mixed with other cultures by featuring Phanom Rung Stone Castle, a temple complex in Northea 2023-05-11
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  ​Jipyeong Brewery builds Korean rice beer factory with automated brewing facilities SEOUL -- Jipyeong Brewery, a South Korean brewery that produces Korean rice beer Makgeolli, has completed the construction of a factory with automated Makgeolli brewing facilities in the central city of Cheonan. The factory of about 9,900 square meters, which is about the size of 1.3 soccer fields, would be used to produce sterilized Makgeolli targeting global markets including the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Makgeolli, also known as Korean rice wine or Korean rice b 2023-05-11
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  Food deliverymen hold rally in Seoul demanding better work environment SEOUL -- 100 deliverymen who provide delivery services for restaurants affiliated with Baemin, South Korea's largest food delivery service, held a rally near the National Assembly building in Seoul demanding a better work environment including lowered service brokerage fees, increased wages, and registration system for deliverymen. According to South Korea's state statistical service, the country's online food delivery service market stood at 2.7 trillion won ($2 billio 2023-05-11
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  S. Korea likely to declare COVID-19 as endemic disease SEOUL -- After about three years and four months since the first case of COVID-19 was found in South Korea on January 20, 2020, the government is likely to declare the infectious disease as an endemic disease, a disease that regularly occurs within an area or community like flu. According to real-time data released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, a daily average number of 17,033 people were infected between May 5 and May 11. An average number of 30 people were 2023-05-11
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  KT deploys 400 AI-based crime prevention devices at 400 public toilets in central province SEOUL -- South Korea's major telecom company KT has installed artificial intelligence-based crime prevention devices at about 400 public restrooms in the central province of Chungcheong. Users can call the police or facility managers just by touching an emergency bell. In an urgent situation in which users are unable to reach the device, the solution called "SafeMate" can notify human managers as it can recognize abnormal sounds such as screaming. According to data 2023-05-11
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  [INTERVIEW] Russian envoy draws red line over S. Korea supplying weapons to Ukraine SEOUL -- About 15 months after the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out in February 2022, the Russo-South Korean relationship, which had maintained a good mood over the last 30 years, is turning sour as Seoul sided with the United States and its allies that show support for Ukraine. To prevent the situation deteriorate into the worst-case scenario, Russia clearly drew the red line over South Korea supplying weapons to Ukraine. Since the war started, South Korea has maintained i 2023-05-10
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  S. Korea to allow drivers to self-charge hydrogen vehicles through regulatory reform SEOUL -- South Korea will allow hydrogen vehicle drivers to self-charge their vehicles at urban charging stations like ordinary self-charging gas stations by 2024 through regulatory reforms and new safety infrastructure. Currently, the country prohibits drivers from charging their own hydrogen vehicles. In South Korea, liquified petroleum gas stations and liquefied natural gas stations also only allow workers with government-issued certification to charge vehicles. Despite hydroge 2023-05-09
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  S. Korean spacetech company to build offshore space rocket launch platform in Jeju SEOUL -- Perigee, a South Korean private space technology company, will build an offshore launch platform for space rockets or space launch vehicles in the southern resort island of Jeju. The offshore launch platform will be the first of its kind operated by a private company in South Korea. While many space launch vehicles (SLVs) are launched from offshore launch platforms which are basically man-made islands or large-sized floating ships with a launch pad for rockets are used by 2023-05-09
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  S. Korean clean energy vehicle makers target overseas commercial vehicle markets SEOUL -- While many countries around the world are joining a global initiative that aims to achieve net-zero carbon emission by 2050, South Korean clean energy commercial vehicle makers including Hyundai Motor are eyeing overseas markets with electric buses and hydrogen fuel cell commercial heavy-duty trucks. Commercial clean energy vehicles are mainly divided into two sectors -- electric and hydrogen fuel cell -- and while the electric drive system is widely adopted by many countr 2023-05-09
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  KT combines tablet ordering system with restaurant service robots SEOUL -- South Korea's major telecom company KT has connected its restaurant service robots with a tablet ordering system. Customers can order food using a tablet PC on tables and receive their menus delivered by KT's autonomous robots. Many South Korean restaurants have adopted service robots to improve work efficiency and save operation costs. Restaurant owners with such robots do not need to worry about minor mistakes made by human workers. Because there is no need to pa 2023-05-09
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  SK Telecom recreates tourist spots including Seoul Tower through metaverse platform SEOUL -- SK Telecom, a top mobile carrier, has created virtual tourist spots where users can explore Seoul Tower, a famous tourist spot located near central Seoul, and Cheonggyecheon, a stream that flows through the heart of South Korea's capital city, through its metaverse platform "Ifland." Users can also look around trendy regions in South Korea such as Gangnam, a district in southern Seoul known as the capital city's heart of fashion and finance, and Hongdae, the 2023-05-08
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  S. Korean food companies target rapidly growing global alternative food ingredient market SEOUL -- South Korea's major food companies are jumping into the domestic alternative food ingredient product market that is rapidly growing at an average annual growth rate of about 13 percent to reach 280 billion won ($212 million) by 2026. The global alternatives market is predicted to reach $161.9 billion by 2030. Alternative food ingredients are protein-based processed ingredients that are mainly made with vegetable materials to create meat and fish-like textures and flavo 2023-05-08
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  Seoul's southern district to provide medical tourists interpretation service in nine languages SEOUL -- A total of 39 interpreters will help foreign medical tourists accurately communicate with doctors and nurses in Gangnam, a southern district in Seoul well known for rapper Psy's 2012 song "Gangnam Style." The district office will provide an interpretation service in nine languages including English, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic for foreigners visiting hospitals and clinics. According to data released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, about 248,000 forei 2023-05-08
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  ​Japanese leader discusses with S. Korean business leaders for economic cooperation SEOUL -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has met with South Korean business leaders to discuss methods to expand the scope of the economic cooperation between South Korea and Japan. At the meeting at a hotel in Seoul on May 8, the Japanese leader had a tea time with the heads of six South Korean business organizations including SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won who is also in charge of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Kishida has agreed with South Korean President Yoo 2023-05-08
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  Startups target S. Korea's restaurant & cafe industries with serving robots SEOUL -- Various startups are targeting South Korea's restaurant industry with more than 800,000 restaurants, coffee shops, and bars with serving robots that can carry food from the kitchen to customers' tables. Restaurant owners can subscribe to a robot rental service for as little as about 300,000 won ($226.5) per month. Serving robots are often witnessed at restaurants and cafes regardless of their sizes. Some shop owners find autonomous robots, capable of evading obstac 2023-05-08
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  Japanese leader agrees to strengthen cooperation with S. Korea at summit meeting in Seoul SEOUL -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with the South Korean government at a summit meeting held in Seoul. He has become the first Japanese leader to visit South Korea since Yoshihiko Noda, a former Japanese prime Minister who visited Seoul in October 2011. "I am happy that shuttle diplomacy has started in a decisive manner," the Japanese leader said, adding that dialogues have been moving dynamically in less than 2023-05-07
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  Seoul starts demonstration of hydrogen fuel cell-based road sweeper truck SEOUL -- Seoul City's facility management operator has started the demonstration of a hydrogen-powered road sweeper truck to remove extremely small dust particles generated by exhaust gas or car parts from roads in the capital city. The eco-friendly truck that can also help reduce air pollution will be tested in various areas including Olympic-daero, an eight-lane urban expressway that penetrates southern districts in the capital city from west to east. According to data rele 2023-05-04