SouthKorea

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  S. Korea to create fund worth about $211 mln to incubate Korean content SEOUL -- South Korea's culture ministry will create a 240.1 billion won ($211 million) fund in 2022 to help content makers produce globally popular content like Squid Game, a Netflix Original drama series that sparked a global phenomenon after it was released in October 2021. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said in a statement on January 17 that 200.1 billion won will be injected into an adventure investment fund designed to support the content-making industry and 4 2022-01-17
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  Seoul demonstrates online shopping mall for 'rehabilitated' bicycles SEOUL -- Seoul City started a "rehabilitation" program for abandoned bicycles by teaming up with a domestic artificial intelligence and blockchain-based bicycle trading platform startup. Through the platform, Seoul can sell some 15,000 recycled bicycles every year. In Seoul, an annual average of about 16,000 abandoned bicycles are collected by local district governments, but they are normally stored in warehouses due to the lack of sales channels. Previously, a monthly av 2022-01-04
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  Southern industrial city to measure air quality using public buses SEOUL -- Through a 500 million won ($423,000) provincial project, the southern industrial city of Gumi will analyze air quality including the density of particulate matter by installing air pollution sensors on public buses and bus stops. The city will set up new environmental policies based on data collected from smart pollution detectors. Particulate matter is microscopic dust particles with various harmful substances including heavy metal and carbon composites. According to the 2021-12-31
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  All expressway service areas to support non-face-to-face orders in 2022 SEOUL -- To help travelers safely enjoy delicious cuisines without the worry of standing in a long line while keeping social distance rules, all expressway service areas will enforce non-face-to-face orders in 2022 so that customers can make an order using smartphones and pick up food when it's ready. South Korea's service areas have a unique food culture where travelers make a stop to grab snacks or meals. People used to wait in the queue to purchase hotdogs, fried potatoe 2021-12-31
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  Seoul wins approval for demonstration of advertising services using public bicycles SEOUL -- Seoul City won government approval to demonstrate outdoor advertising service using a public bicycle's body frame and wheels. Previously, advertisements attached to bicycles were prohibited due to safety reasons. Through the regulation exemption program, business operators will be able to advertise their products using public bicycles. Seoul City was allowed to demonstrate outdoor advertising services using public bikes' parts through a regulatory sandbox policy 2021-12-30
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  Sudden gust of winds foils launch of sounding rocket built by rocket start-up SEOUL -- A sudden gust of winds foiled the launch of a small liquid-propellant sounding rocket designed by South Korea's first rocket start-up, Perigee Aerospace, which hopes to become a pioneer in the country's fledgling private space industry by developing a larger two-stage orbital launch vehicle called "Blue Whale" capable of putting a small satellite into low orbit through collaboration with a state research university. A sounding or research rocket carries 2021-12-29
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  S. Korea demonstrates video information-based online pork carcass auction SEOUL -- South Korea's agriculture ministry started the demonstration of online pork carcass auction to establish a stable non-face-to-face livestock product trade system that will not be affected by pandemic situations caused by a coronavirus or the African Swine Fever. The new auction system will be officially adopted in 2023 after a test run. An online auction is an ecommerce platform where products are sold to the bidder. A pork carcass is normally a half-section of pig con 2021-12-29
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  S. Korea launches 10-year project to nurture microbiome industry by injecting $968.5 mln state fund SEOUL -- The microbiome is the genetic material of all the microbes -- bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses -- that line on and inside the body of animals. Humans are colonized by many microorganisms. Some co-exist without harming humans and others have a mutualistic relationship with their human hosts. Non-pathogenic microorganisms can harm human hosts. In a project involving nine government agencies, the Ministry of Science and ICT said the government would provide full support 2021-12-29
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  State-run nuclear fuel manufacturing company develops ultrasonic-based radioactive material removal technique SEOUL -- Korea Electric Power Corporation Nuclear Fuel, a state-run nuclear fuel manufacturing company, developed a high-performance ultrasonic-based decontamination technique that can remove radioactive uranium from metallic radioactive waste. The technique is especially effective for removing radioactive materials from complex-shaped waste or for safely tearing down nuclear power plants. Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) Nuclear Fuel said in a statement on December 28 th 2021-12-28
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  Nuclear experts allowed to resume research on spent nuclear fuel processing technology SEOUL -- South Korean nuclear experts were allowed to resume research and development on securing basic and original technologies on spent nuclear fuel processing technology after more than two decades of fruitless research that sparked a never-ending debate over how long taxpayers' money should be spent on acquiring unviable technologies. The green light came at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on December 27. Financial and other support will be provided 2021-12-27
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  'Living lab' adopted for small firms to engage with consumers in product development SEOUL -- South Korea will establish an agora platform called "living lab" where consumers and small-and-medium-sized firms can engage in product development to make attractive, consumer-friendly items. The living lab system is commonly adopted by retail companies to reflect consumers' ideas on products to improve user experience and quality. Conglomerates and retail groups have detailed product planning processes involving consumers and experts to make new items that h 2021-12-27
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  S. Korea develops diagnostic technology to detect Omicron within four hours SEOUL -- The world's first polymerase chain reaction reagent that can detect five major coronavirus variants including the Omicron variant was developed in South Korea. The adoption of the new reagent can identify the Omicron variant within three to four hours. At the end of December 2021, local governments will be able to detect all five major coronavirus variants including the stealth version of Omicron through a single polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that uses the new r 2021-12-24
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  Coastguard introduces surveillance helicopter-type drones to stop illegal Chinese fishing SEOUL -- Seven helicopter-type drones were deployed to South Korean coastguard vessels of more than 1,500 tons for a pilot operation to test their applicability in searching for those missing in the sea or cracking down on illegal fishing by Chinese boats that have caused diplomatic trouble. The battery-based unmanned helicopter can fly for up to 75 minutes using, the Korea Coast Guard said, adding that it can return to its mother ship using an automatic flight function, even if 2021-12-24
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  State-run land information company demonstrates drone-based smart farming technology SEOUL -- Drone-based smart farming technology was demonstrated at an eastern port city to accurately monitor the growth of cabbages in high-altitude areas. The information collected by drones will be used to establish a network of ultra-precision agricultural data. Precision agriculture is a big data-based smart farming technique designed to reduce operational costs and maximize production. Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation (LX Corporation) demonstrated the precisio 2021-12-23
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  S. Korea to recycle coffee grounds into odor-controlling products in livestock farms SEOUL -- Using the microbiome group fermentation technique, South Korea's environment ministry will carry out a pilot project to recycle coffee grounds as odor-controlling products for livestock farms. Currently, farmers use sawdust that is leftover during the process of coffee brewing to reduce the bad smell. According to data released by the National Assembly, the amount of discarded coffee grounds significantly increased by about 37 percent from 93,397 tons in 2012 to 149,03 2021-12-21
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  S. Korea constructs discarded solar panel recycling center to reduce greenhouse emissions SEOUL -- Through an 18.8 billion won ($15.8 million) project, a solar panel recycling center was constructed in the southern county of Jincheon to effectively deal with environmental problems caused by discarded solar modules. The center can recycle up to 3,600 tons of discarded panels every year. A solar panel is made of materials such as glass, aluminum, silicon and copper. It generates direct current electricity using sunlight as a source of energy. The total generation capacity 2021-12-21
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  Seoul creates metaverse-based safety education center for teenage bicyclists SEOUL -- Seoul created a metaverse-based safety education center for teenage users of the city's public bicycle rental service through Roblox, a metaverse platform mainly used by young people. By creating avatars, users can learn about road safety while riding a bicycle in the virtual space. Government data showed that a total of 5,555 bicycle-related safety accidents took place between 2018 and 2020. 21.4 percent of the total accidents involved young cyclists aged between 10 a 2021-12-20
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  State gas company sets up anti-drone task force to protect LNG reservoir SEOUL -- Korea Gas Corporation, a state gas company, has set up a state-military-civil task force to establish an anti-drone system for liquefied natural gas reservoirs. The system will help the gas company defend facilities against drone attacks and help related organizations including the emergency headquarters quickly dispatch personnel. The establishment of the anti-drone defense system was prompted by an incident in November 2021 in which gas company officials found a downed d 2021-12-16
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  State research body unveils real flight model of home-made nanosatellites SEOUL -- After five years of development, South Korea's state space research body has unveiled the real flight model of four homemade nanosatellites weighing less than 10 kilograms that will be launched in 2022 to observe changes in space weather through formation flight. The flight model called SNIPE was disclosed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) on December 15. Nanosatellite refers to an artificial satellite with a wet mass between 1 and 10 kg. Multipl 2021-12-16
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  S. Korea constructs largest drone theme park in western seaside town SEOUL -- Through a 9.5 billion won ($8 million) provincial project, South Korea's largest drone theme park was constructed in a drone regulation-free zone in the southwestern tourist town of Taean to provide a space where visitors can freely operate their drones. The theme park can be also used as a research and development lab for drone developers. Operating drones without permission is illegal in many urban areas including Seoul as it poses a risk of violating people's pr 2021-12-15