Latest News

• 
  Travel and leisure platform Yanolja secures $1.7 bln from Softbank Vision Fund SEOUL -- Yanolja, a leading travel and leisure platform in South Korea, has secured a $1.7 billion investment from Softbank, a Tokyo-based holding group that runs Vision Fund, the world's largest technology fund, demonstrating its potential to lead the digital transformation of the global travel and hospitality industry. Yanolja said it has completed a $1.7 billion investment round by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 that would be used to invest in the development o 2021-07-15
• 
  [INTERVIEW] Catack-H shows confidence in technology to recycle carbon fiber reinforced polymer SEOUL -- Catack-H, a carbon fiber composite recycling start-up based in South Korea, showed confidence in its matchless technology, saying it would bulk up its production capacity with plenty of money from investors to become a leading player in global markets through a "quantum jump" in performance and revenue. The company's self-confidence is based on the prediction that strict environmental regulations would spur demands for environmental, 2021-07-15
• 
  KT launches 5G standalone commercial service for smartphone users and businesses SEOUL -- KT, a major telecom company in South Korea, launched a 5G standalone commercial service for smartphone users and businesses that would accelerate the development of new technologies such as autonomous driving and smart factories. South Korea has pushed hard for the rollout of a 5G network that can improve efficiency in massive data traffic and enable ultra-low latency and much higher capacity without resorting to 4G infrastructure. In April 2019, KT and ot 2021-07-15
• 
  S. Korea forms consultative group to promote development of green ammonia technology SEOUL -- South Korea has formed a consultative group to promote the development of green ammonia technologies. The group will research and develop the production, transport, extraction and utilization of green ammonia that does not emit any greenhouse gases during production. Because hydrogen has a very low volumetric energy density, transporting hydrogen in gas or liquid forms is not very efficient. Hydrogen is extremely flammable when it is mixed with very small 2021-07-15
• 
  BLACKPINK to nest in social media fan community operated by BTS' agency SEOUL -- Girl band BLACKPINK will nest in Weverse, a social media fan community operated by BTS' agency Hybe, to communicate with global fans. "We hope the range of communication between BLACKPINK members and their fandom Blink expand through Weverse," YG Entertainment said in a statement on July 14. The four-member girl band will open its social media channel in Weverse on August 2. YG and Hybe forged a partnership in January to collabora 2021-07-14
• 
  S. Korea pushes for localization of technology on ultrapure water production SEOUL -- In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign products especially from Japan, South Korea will push for the localization of technology on the production of ultrapure water, which is commonly used in the semiconductor industry. The Ministry of Environment tied up with K-Water, a state water resource development and management agency, and the state-funded Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) to develop tec 2021-07-14
• 
  SK Telecom launches new metaverse platform to maximize user experience thru diverse virtual spaces and avatars SEOUL -- As a pioneer in South Korea's emerging metaverse market, SK Telecom has launched a new tolerant metaverse platform called "Ifland" that would maximize user experience through diverse virtual spaces and avatars. A more intuitive user interface was applied to allow anyone to enjoy the metaverse in a simple and easy way. The metaverse, which is a collective virtual shared space created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical re 2021-07-14
• 
  Retail giant Shinsegae to start overnight beauty product delivery service SEOUL -- The online shopping wing of South Korea's retail giant Shinsegae will start an overnight delivery service for beauty products. The quick-delivery service targets female consumers in their 30s. Customers can have their purchased items delivered to their doorsteps early in the morning if their online order was made before midnight. Various forms of overnight delivery services are popular in South Korea due to a coronavirus pandemic. SSG.com, Shinsegae 2021-07-14
• 
  S. Korean cases will be referred to international workshop on electronic vaccine certificates SEOUL -- As digital vaccine passports are set to become a prerequisite for travelers to show the digital proof of COVID inoculation, international experts are working on how to facilitate the recognition of vaccination records, prevent forgeries and protect personal information. The European Union has worked out guidelines on a common design of digital certificates that can be stored on a mobile device. 2021-07-14
• 
  Hyundai Motor to test shuttle service powered by autonomous driving and AI SEOUL -- South Korea's Hyundai auto group will launch a two-month pilot operation of its "Robo Shuttle" service powered by autonomous driving and artificial intelligence technology in the central city of Sejong as part of a smart city project. The service will be gradually expanded to other regions. The demand-responsive, high-occupancy vehicle service will begin on August 9 along a 6.1-kilometer route with 20 stops in Sejong, using a van a 2021-07-13
• 
  Samsung unveils automotive image sensor for surround-view monitors or rear-view cameras SEOUL -- As a top mobile image sensor maker, Samsung Electronics unveiled an automotive image sensor optimized for surround-view monitors or rear-view cameras in high-definition resolution. The new image sensor called "ISOCELL Auto 4AC" will be used in vehicles to be released in the second half of 2021. The release of ISOCELL Auto 4AC underscores efforts to expand Samsung's clout in the auto component market. The company has diversified 2021-07-13
• 
  Researchers develop new simple electrode structure for all-solid state battery SEOUL -- South Korean researchers have developed a new electrode structure for an all-solid-state secondary battery that does not have any kinds of electrolytes used to create an electrically conducting solution. The new structure is easier and cheaper to produce. An ordinary all-solid-state battery (ASSB) uses composite-type solid electrolytes instead of liquid electrolytes. ASSBs are considered the future power source for electric vehicles as solid electrolytes 2021-07-13
• 
  LG Electronics unveils new delivery robot capable of moving indoors and outdoors SEOUL -- LG Electronics unveiled a next-generation delivery robot capable of moving indoors and outdoors at a robot seminar. The four-wheeled robot can adjust the gap between its wheels, actively responds to terrain changes and moves in an optimized driving mode. LG said the new robot shown at a seminar in the eastern port city of Gangneung can move with less vibration when it encounters raised spots or uneven roads. The company has developed an integra 2021-07-13
• 
  KT launches 28 GHz 5G demonstration service at professional baseball club stadium SEOUL -- Baseball fans can have real-time hologram fan meetings with favorite club players through a government-sponsored pilot project to demonstrate a 28 gigahertz 5G service launched by KT, a top telecom company in South Korea, at the home stadium of its professional baseball club KT Wiz. The home stadium of KT Wiz, known as the Suwon KT Wiz Park, is in Suwon, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Seoul. KT has established a 28GHz 5G experience center and an inte 2021-07-13
• 
  LG Uplus to set up 5G-connected remote-controlled container crane system at port SEOUL -- South Korea's mobile carrier LG Uplus has partnered with operators of a port in a southern industrial city to set up a 5G-connected remote-controlled container crane system. The system's control tower can operate cranes with very little network latency. LG Uplus (U+) is one of South Korea's top tech companies that digitally transform old infrastructure into a new connected digital hub that can reduce labor costs and i 2021-07-12
• 
  Convenience store chain CU operates vending machine for alcoholic drinks SEOUL -- Through a regulatory sandbox that exempts regulations on new products or services for the quick development and demonstration of new technologies, South Korea's largest convenience store brand CU has started the operation of a vending machine for alcoholic drinks. Unmanned sales of alcoholic beverages could pave new roads for shop owners to introduce fully unmanned convenience stores. There are some 600 unmanned stores, but alcoholic drink sales are proh 2021-07-12
• 
  Kakao's mobility service wing collaborates with Hanjin to roll out parcel delivery service SEOUL -- Kakao Mobility, the mobility service wing of South Korea's web service company Kakao, has partnered with Hanjin, a major domestic logistics service operator, to roll out a parcel delivery service through an all-in-one mobility service app. Kakao T, an integrated mobility service app operated by Kakao Mobility, provides services such as taxi-hailing, car parking reservations, airplane ticket reservations, and long-distance bus ticket reservati 2021-07-12
• 
  SK hynix starts mass production of new mobile microchip using EUV technology SEOUL -- SK hynix, the second-largest memory chip producer in South Korea, has started mass production of a new 8-gigabit microchip for mobile devices, using extreme ultraviolet light technology that would improve productivity and boost cost competitiveness. The new product would be delivered to smartphone manufacturers from the second half of 2021. SK hynix said the low power double data rate 4 (LPDDR4) mobile dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chip is based 2021-07-12
• 
  Indoor robot food delivery service makes commercial debut at residential building SEOUL -- An indoor food delivery service using self-driving robots capable of traveling between floors through elevators made its commercial debut at a new residential building in South Korea, two years after the first pilot operation began in a commercial building. Three robots developed by Woowa Brothers, the operator of South Korea's top food delivery service app Baedal Minjok, were deployed at a 30-story residential and commercial complex with 2 2021-07-12
• 
  State researchers open center for climate monitoring and autonomous technologies SEOUL -- A prominent state research institute located at the southeastern port city of Ulsan opened a research center to play the role of South Korea's incubator for young researchers and novel technologies. The center will focus on the research and development of climate change monitoring and autonomous technologies. The Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) said in a statement on July 9 that about 7.9 billion won ($6.8 million) will be i 2021-07-09