People

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  Romanian labor law expert advises S. Korea to rebuild work-life balance environment SEOUL -- Corneliu Bente, the president of Romania's national labor law expert union, has urged that South Korean firms should create a work culture that places importance on work-life balance. The president, who is also a lecturer at Romania's labor relations expert training center "LexAcademy Romania," said low fertility rate would be maintained if citizens are excessively focused on their career. Currently, South Korea's labor law allows 40 hours of regular 2023-05-26
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  [INTERVIEW] Turkish envoy hopes Türkiye to become bridgehead for S. Korean businesses SEOUL -- Despite two massive earthquakes that took the lives of more than 50,000 Turkish people, Türkiye is ready to play a role of a bridgehead for small and medium-sized South Korean companies seeking to expand their business scope from the Asian markets to markets in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Turkish envoy to South Korea Salih Murat Tamer confidently said that the "blood brother country" of South Korea will welcome business partners with attractive benefits 2023-05-18
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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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  [INTERVIEW] ​Vietnamese envoy calls for South Korea's wider market opening, technology transfer SEOUL -- Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea Nguyen Vu Tung has suggested Asia's fourth-largest economy open its market wider to Vietnamese goods and promote technology transfer to help address the trade imbalance between the two countries. “The two sides attach greater importance to tackling the trade deficit issue. This involves greater access to the Korean market for Vietnamese goods,&rdqu 2023-03-08
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  Shinsegae Group de facto head makes fresh challenge with Jrilla character business SEOUL -- Chung Yong-jin, the de facto head of South Korean retail giant Shinsegae, who is well known for ingenious ideas, is making a fresh challenge with Jrilla, a character resembling himself, to launch a character business, starting with a golf fashion brand. Shinsegae Food, the food business arm of Shinsegae Group, said it has released golf wear targeting young golfers to expand its character business using Jrilla, through cooperation with an online golf select shop. Sales wi 2022-10-14
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  Former Olympic figure skating champion Kim selected to promote Hanbok's beauty SEOUL -- Former Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yuna will take on a new job to promote the beauty of Hanbok, the traditional Korean attire, in a state project led by the Korea Craft & Design Foundation, a public organization that promotes Korea's craft and design culture. The 31-year-old will plans hanbok products and engage in promotion and marketing with 10 hanbok companies to be selected through an open bid, according to the Korean Ministry of Sports, Culture and To 2022-06-10
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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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  SM Lab founded by UNIST professor attracts attention over possible battery deal with Volkswagen SEOUL -- Cho Jae-phil, a professor of energy and chemical engineering at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), was thrown into the spotlight due to unconfirmed news reports that his startup has reached an agreement German motor vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen to develop new materials for electric vehicle batteries together. There was no confirmation from Volkswagen and Singular Materials Laboratory (SM Lab), a startup founded by Cho in 2018, but South Korean me 2022-04-29
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  Yonsei University professor selected to lead S. Korean team in joint 6G project with U.S. SEOUL -- Chae Chan-Byoung, an Underwood distinguished professor in Yonsei University's school of integrated technology, was selected to lead South Korea's research team in a joint project with U.S. researchers to develop and commercialize 6G mobile telecommunication. Chae's team will work with an American team led by Robert Heath, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the North Carolina State University. As prominent experts in wireless communication, Cha 2021-12-27
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  (INTERVIEW) KAICD head emphasizes government role to expedite use of AI technology by pharmaceutical companies SEOUL -- Artificial intelligence reduces high development costs and analyzes data at a quick speed. However, the introduction of AI technology in the pharmaceutical industry is slow. Especially in South Korea, it is not easy to advance AI technology because data collected by medical institutions cannot be exchanged between pharmaceutical companies and public institutions due to institutional limitations. As pharmaceutical companies are hesitant to introduce AI, the government should 2021-12-07