SouthKorea

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  S. Korea's coastguard considers adopting non-lethal handgun with high accuracy in windy waters SEOUL -- To efficiently overpower smugglers and illegal Chinese fishermen without using excessive force, South Korea's coastguard is considering the adoption of a "smart" revolver capable of firing non-lethal bullets which are less affected by strong winds. It is more effective than tasers or gas guns, which are difficult to use at sea. The non-lethal handgun brand-named "STRV-9" was developed by SNT Motiv, a leading firearms manufacturer in South Korea. STRV 2022-09-29
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  Passenger boarding notification devices installed at 103 bus stops in western port city SEOUL -- To prevent drivers from accidentally passing by a city bus stop without recognizing the presence of passengers, South Korea's western port city of Incheon will operate a notification system that informs whether there are any passengers waiting through a light-emitting diode display. The device displays a notification phrase using solar power as its energy source. Incheon said that solar power-based LED devices have been installed at 103 bus stops. Once a passenger pres 2022-09-26
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  Majority of S. Koreans support BTS' substitute service in lieu of tough military conscription SEOUL -- BTS members fall into an awkward situation whenever a social debate erupts over their military service. It has been an extremely sensitive social issue with military officials reluctant to give them special treatment for fear of a backlash from young men in the run-up to military duty in South Korea still technically at war with North Korea. So far, discussions have focused on whether BTS members should be exempted from compulsory military service. In South Korea, all able 2022-09-16
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  Research center succeeds in vertical cultivation method for watermelons SEOUL -- A state-run agricultural research center in South Korea has vertically cultivated watermelon, a prostrate vegetable that grows horizontally allowing vines to crawl on the ground, using supports and ropes to raise vines upward. Vertical growing allows farmers to effectively prevent pests as it is advantageous for ventilation and lighting between watermelon leaves. The Chungcheongbuk-do Agricultural Research and Extension Service (CBARES) has tested its vertical watermelon c 2022-09-14
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  Guzzi allowed to go ahead with rare fashion event at S. Korea's royal palace in November SEOUL -- Gucci, a high-end luxury fashion house in Italy, will not miss a rare opportunity to hold a fashion show at South Korea's tradition royal palace with the consent of a hesitant government agency charged with preserving cultural heritages and escaped falling victim to a public uproar triggered by Vogue Korea's photo shoot. The green light came from the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), which has scratched its head over whether to approve Gucci's Cosmogonie 2022-09-08
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  Number of foreign tourists to S. Korea in July surpasses 263,000, up 218% on-year SEOUL -- The number of foreign tourists in South Korea soared 218 percent on-year in July 2022 thanks to the eased quarantine regulations. South Korea lifted quarantine measures for all foreign tourists who tested negative for COVID-19 at the airport regardless of vaccination status in June 2022. According to data released by the Korea Tourism Organization on August 31, the number of foreign tourists in July reached 263,986, up 218 percent from 83,000 in July 2021. American tourist 2022-08-31
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  Popular food delivery service Baedal Minjok to test-use reusable food containers SEOUL -- South Korea's top food delivery service Baedal Minjok will test-use reusable food containers in Gangnam District, Seoul's heart of finance and fashion, as part of the capital city's project to reduce the use of disposable containers. Seoul said about 54 million disposable containers were used for delivery per month in 2021. Data released by the Korea Consumer Agency on February 2022 showed that an average consumer who often eats delivered food generates about 1 2022-08-29
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  [FOCUS] S. Korea's nuclear power industry regards Russia-Ukraine war as rare opportunity to bounce back from path of decline SEOUL -- South Korea's nuclear power industry regards a war between Russia and Ukraine as a rare opportunity to bounce back from the path of decline, buoyed by a crucial deal to join the construction of Egypt's first nuclear power plant at the hands of a Russian state company without being bounded by U.S.-led international sanctions. The paradoxical twist was cautiously put forward by policymakers when Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), the operator of 24 nuclear pow 2022-08-26
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  Eerie contest of staring into void regains popularity after being suspended by COVID-19 SEOUL -- A reception desk for applicants to participate in a river-side "space out" contest in South Korea was forced to shut down early due to high competition. The fun event has been almost forgotten for two years since it was suspended due to a COVID-19 pandemic. The contest to be held on September 4 in a park near a bridge over the Han river that flows across the center of Seoul is designed to break the stereotype that doing nothing is worthless. Indeed, it can help im 2022-08-25
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  Researchers discover moisturizing effect of agar partially hydrolyzed with enzyme SEOUL -- Hyaluronic acid is an anionic, nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan distributed widely throughout connective, epithelial, and neural tissues. As a chief component of the extracellular matrix, it contributes significantly to cell proliferation and migration. The amount of hyaluronic acid decreases with aging. Hyaluronic acid is decomposed by an enzyme called hyaluronidase. By inhibiting the activity of hyaluronidase, skin moisturization can be maintained along with the effect of p 2022-08-24
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  Researchers develop eco-friendly method to slow down embankment collapse caused by unexpected flood SEOUL -- Due to climate change, unexpected torrential rains are more frequent than before, heightening the risk of floods. To slow down or prevent the collapse of river and stream embankments, South Korean researchers have developed a technology to reinforce the surface of embankments by mixing aggregates and eco-friendly biopolymers extracted from plants. Biopolymers act as an adhesive and coating agent to secure strength and prevent soil loss even at high water pressure and fast 2022-08-23
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  Cryogenic vacuum chamber shipped for ground test of NASA's space telescope SEOUL -- A cryogenic vacuum chamber produced by South Korea's national research institute for NASA's space telescope project has been installed at a U.S. ground test site to verify the performance of SPHEREx, a near-infrared space observatory that will use a spectrophotometer to perform an all-sky survey. The chamber is an important device in the SPHEREx project. It has been developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). SPHEREx, which is designed to 2022-08-17
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  About 70 percent of S. Koreans regard smartphones as essential medium: survey SEOUL -- About 70 percent of South Koreans consider smartphones as an essential medium for daily life because of various content such as over-the-top and video-on-demand services. Those in their 30s and younger regard smartphones as alternatives to TVs, while smartphones and TVs are complementary for the elderly. A survey of 6,834 people aged 13 or over showed that 70.3 percent chose smartphones as an essential medium for daily life in 2021, up from 55.5 percent in 2016. About 27 2022-08-16
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  Shinsegae's ready-to-cook frozen bakery products garner popularity among younger generations SEOUL -- Frozen bakery products released by Shinsegae Food, a food company affiliated with South Korea's retail giant Shinsegae Group, are gaining popularity thanks to the increasing number of South Korean millennials and generation Z who prefer bakery products to rice. Rice is regarded as South Korea's staple food. Data released by Euromonitor, a market research firm, showed that South Korea's bakery market grew from 3.7 trillion won ($2.86 billion) in 2015 to 4.3 tri 2022-08-08
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  Pest control drone demonstrated on corn field in northeastern county SEOUL -- A pest control drone designed to reduce labor costs and time was demonstrated on a corn farm in the northeastern county of Yeongwol famous for crops such as corn, chili pepper, and potatoes. The demand for pest control drones is rapidly increasing in Yeongwol, an aging county suffering from manpower shortages. Yeongwol with a population of some 38,000 is a super-aging society in which about 22 percent of the population consisted of elderlies aged 65 or older as of August 2 2022-08-05
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  Researchers implement photonic quantum engine driven by super-radiance SEOUL -- In quantum optics, superradiance is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of N emitters, such as excited atoms, interact with a common light field. The performance of nano and microscale heat engines can be improved with the help of quantum-mechanical phenomena. Heat reservoirs with quantum coherence have been proposed to enhance engine performance, but no physical realizations have been achieved so far. South Korean researchers have implemented a photonic quantum engine 2022-07-22
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  Researchers develop smart shading control system to reduce lighting and cooling energy at school buildings SEOUL -- South Korean researchers have developed a smart system that can reduce lighting and cooling energy by automatically controlling the brightness of indoor lighting equipment according to the amount of light while appropriately blocking direct sunlight. An optical sensor dimming control system was linked with an automatic indoor shading control to save indoor lighting energy, according to the Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI). The system has reached a control accur 2022-07-11
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  New energy roadmap sounds death knell of 'nuclear-exit' policy in S. Korea SEOUL -- South Korea's broad new energy roadmap was unveiled to jack up the ratio of electricity generated by nuclear power plants in South Korea's energy mix to more than 30 percent by 2030, tolling the death knell for a "nuclear-exit" policy adopted by the previous liberal government to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. The new energy roadmap endorsed at a cabinet meeting on July 5 highlighted internal and external uncertainties such as the Russ 2022-07-05
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  Pterosaur footprints provide evidence for gregarious gathering in mixed-age groups SEOUL -- An assemblage of pterosaur footprints from the early Upper Cretaceous track site in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula provided new evidence for gregarious behavior, hinting at the possibility that pterosaurs gathered in mixed-age groups some 90 million years ago. The Seoyuri track site in Hwasun, some 260 kilometers (161 miles) southwest of Seoul, yielded numerous footprints made by individuals ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 meters in wingspan, representing a not yet kno 2022-06-28
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  Ariane rocket carries satellite into space for S. Korea's accurate location information service SEOUL -- South Korea took an important step to provide accurate location information services with the successful launch of a rocket carrying the first satellite for its independent satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) that can correct GPS errors in real-time. European heavy-lift space launch vehicle Ariane carrying the satellite blasted off at a space center in French Guiana. South Korea has leased Malaysia's MEASAT-3d communication satellite for its satellite-based augme 2022-06-23