Latest News

• 
  [OPINION] President's Washington visit underscores South Korea importance KENOSHA -- President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea has just completed a six-day visit to Washington D.C. The relatively lengthy visit by the head of government underscores both 2023-05-04
• 
  ​S. Korea to push replacement of CNG-based commuter buses to hydrogen-based vehicles SEOUL -- South Korea will collaborate with various companies and organizations including Hyundai Motor and the Korea Chartered Bus Mutual Aid Association to accelerate the replacement of compressed natural gas-based commuter buses operated by corporates to hydrogen-powered vehicles. Currently, public buses in South Korea mainly use compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) as their main fuel to reduce air pollution. However, many buses owned by private companies a 2023-05-04
• 
  Samsung showcases smartwatch-based sleep-care solution SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics has showcased a smartwatch-based sleep care service capable of providing tips to establish better sleep habits such as reducing caffeine consumption. Users can check the time and quality of their sleep every day through their sleep score displayed on watches. The service also suggests personalized exercise programs depending on users' physical conditions. Samsung said in a statement that the solution called "One UI 5 Watch" was disclosed 2023-05-04
• 
  Kakao in discussion over turning 'Daum' web portal service into subsidiary through separation SEOUL -- In a bid to increase flexibility and efficiency in decision-making processes, Kakao, South Korea's web service giant, is currently engaged in discussions over whether the company should turn "Daum," a web search portal platform division, into a company-in-company through separation. Daum was launched in 1995 and became South Korea's top web search portal in the late 1990s. However, the web search service operator was overtaken by Naver, a web portal ser 2023-05-04
• 
  Japan could provide support for victims of forced labor issues during colonial era: report SEOUL -- Japan's major news agency Kyodo News analyzed that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has the intention to provide support for South Korean victims of forced labor during the Japanese colonial rule era (1910~1945). Since the liberation after World War II, South Koreans have demanded a sincere apology and rightful compensation from the Japanese government. Although South Korean civic movement groups have demanded an apology, Tokyo has insisted colonial-era issues w 2023-05-03
• 
  S. Korea warns state science institutes about data leak risk of using Chat GPT SEOUL -- South Korea's science ministry has sent out an official document to its sub-organizations including state research institutes to warn that using generative artificial intelligence services including Chat GPT could lead to disastrous situations such as data leaks. Chat GPT is an AI-based chatbot service that engages with users in a natural conversation. The AI robot provides on-demand answers and solutions for various demands by users in surprisingly accurate and effici 2023-05-03
• 
  CJ Cheiljedang to nurture young Korean food experts through global chef incubation project SEOUL -- In a bid to popularize Korean dishes, CJ Cheiljedang, a key subsidiary of South Korea's food and entertainment conglomerate CJ Group, will start a chef incubation project to nurture young Korean food experts. The company will provide financial support for talented cooks so they can study at prestigious cooking schools abroad. National culinary artists will be sponsored to participate in an international culinary competition. The project is led by Lee Sun-ho, the so 2023-05-03
• 
  Samsung urges employees not to use generative AI services to prevent data leak SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics has banned its employees from using generative artificial intelligence services in a bid to stop data leaks and protect company secrets. The South Korean tech giant would develop its own AI solution models to help its workers automate and simplify their work processes. Generative AI services including Chat GPT, a chatbot service, use machine-learned data to provide solutions and answers for users. The AI services collect and analyze data inserted by use 2023-05-03
• 
  SK geo centric partners with Canada's Loop Industries to build plastic recycling factory SEOUL -- Through a joint venture with Canadian plastic technology company Loop Industries, SK geo centric, a chemical company affiliated with South Korea's SK Group, will build a plastic recycling factory in South Korea's southern industrial city of Ulsan. The joint venture will establish the plant capable of recycling 70,000 tons of plastic every year using the Canadian firm’s depolymerization technology. Depolymerization is a process that decomposes the polymerizati 2023-05-03
• 
  S. Korea to set new standards and guidelines on copyrights of AI-generated content SEOUL -- In an effort to minimize public confusion and disputes over intellectual property rights of artificial intelligence-generated content, the South Korean government will set new standards and guidelines on content generated based on machine-learned data by September 2023. The government's action was taken swiftly after President Yoon Suk-yeol urged related administrative bodies to come up with new guidelines and orders that will be ideal for the future digital age. Thank 2023-05-03
• 
  Girl band NewJeans listed on 100 most influential Asians in US SEOUL -- K-pop girl band NewJeans was included in the list of 100 most influential Asians in the United States by Gold House, a nonprofit organization that supports Asian and Pacific artists and creators. The five-member band that captivated global fans through dance songs such as Attention, Ditto, and OMG was listed along with American fashion designer Anna Sui and Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese baseball pitcher. "Just like a pair of jeans that has been a staple of every wardrobe 2023-05-02
• 
  Seoul launches virtual pet service through metaverse world SEOUL -- Seoul has created a metaverse world where users can adopt pets and raise them in the virtual space. Using an avatar, anyone can choose one animal among 10 different kinds including a dog, a cat, a rabbit, and a lizard. Users can receive points after completing training missions and purchase various items such as headbands and shoes. Metaverse enables humans to engage in different social, cultural, and economic activities in simulated virtual spaces. The virtual world, whic 2023-05-02
• 
  Japanese Prime Minister to visit Seoul for summit meeting on May 7 SEOUL -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will be in Seoul for two days for a summit meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on May 7, the presidential office said. Kishida will be the first prime minister to visit South Korea since Yoshihiko Noda, a former Japanese prime Minister who visited Seoul in October 2011. According to the presidential office on May 2, Kishida will visit Seoul with his wife Yuko Kishida for two days starting May 7. Yoon and Kishida will disc 2023-05-02
• 
  Kakao Talk adopts AI solution capable of providing nutritional information based on food pictures SEOUL -- South Korea's favorite smartphone messenger app Kakao Talk has adopted an artificial intelligence-based solution capable of providing nutritional information based on pictures of food. The solution called "FoodLens" also suggests various types of recipes depending on dietary goals and eating habits. To add the dietary management function to Kakao Talk, domestic AI startup Upstage has worked with Doing Lab, an AI healthcare startup that developed FoodLens. If a 2023-05-01
• 
  S. Korea's exports in April 2023 declines 14.2% year-on-year SEOUL -- South Korea’s total exports have declined for seven consecutive months while domestic firms suffer from a steep fall in exports of semiconductors. The country has also experienced a trade deficit for 14 months since March 2022. Data released by South Korea's trade ministry showed said that exports this month were tallied at $49.62 billion, down 14.2 percent from the same period in 2022. Exports of semiconductors plunged 41 percent and information technology-relat 2023-05-01
• 
  ​Vietnamese envoy participates in lecture designed to encourage interpreter trainees in S. Korea SEOUL -- At a lecture designed to encourage interpretation school students, Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea Nguyen Vu Tung lectured that trust between humans plays a key role in interpretation even in an era in which translator devices are gaining popularity. The ambassador interacted with students majoring in Korean-Vietnamese at a graduate school in southern Seoul. "The ambassador told students that demands for talented human interpreters will be still high as artificia 2023-04-28
• 
  President Yoon pledges S. Korea would play role of 'compass for freedom' at US Congress SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk-yeol has told members of the U.S. Congress that South Korea would play the role of "compass for freedom" along with the United States. The statement was made during a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress designed to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the two nations' alliance in Washington, DC. The keyword of Yoon's speech on April 27 was "freedom," which was mentioned a total of 45 times. Yoon said during the speech: "T 2023-04-28
• 
  LG Electronics shows off good performances in home appliances and electric parts to record earnings surprise SEOUL -- LG Electronics has recorded an earnings surprise in the first quarter of 2023, thanks to good performances in the home appliances and electric parts sectors, the company said during an earnings call. This is the first time LG Electronics' quarterly operating profit overtook Samsung Electronics' since 2009 when South Korea adopted the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The South Korean electronics maker, well known for its refrigerators and televisi 2023-04-28
• 
  BTS agency to showcase collaboration project with AI voice synthesis tech startup Supertone in May SEOUL -- During an exclusive interview with Billboard, BTS creator Bang Si-hyuk announced that he would showcase a collaboration project with Supertone, an AI voice synthesis technology startup in South Korea. The AI company earlier acquired by Hybe has provided sound technology for Disney+'s drama series "Big Bet" to reproduce the voice of Choi Min-sik, a 60-year-old veteran actor who was playing a role of a young character in his 30s. In an interview released on Apr 2023-04-27
• 
  S. Korea recovers number of domestic travelers 1Q 2023 compared to pre-pandemic era: survey SEOUL -- A survey showed that the number of South Koreans who traveled to at least one tourist spot in South Korea in the first quarter of 2023 has recovered to the level of the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period while the number of those who have traveled overseas has not reached the half of the people who traveled abroad before the pandemic in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Consumer Insight, a domestic market research firm, analyzed that overseas travelers' satisfaction rate was also low due to 2023-04-27