SouthKorea

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  S. Korea to demonstrate smartphone alarm service to warn citizens about nearby sex offenders SEOUL -- South Korea will demonstrate a smartphone alarm service that can warn users about the presence of nearby sex offenders. When a person shakes his or her smartphone three times, location information will be uploaded onto a control tower so that monitoring agents can look for offenders wearing digital ankle bracelets in the vicinity of 20 meters (65 feet). According to the Ministry of Justice, there are some 4,830 sex offenders wearing ankle bracelets equipped with a GPS track 2021-07-26
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  S. Korea to build pyrolysis recycling center for ocean waste at southern port city SEOUL -- South Korea will build a recycling center that uses the pyrolysis technique to break down plastic ocean waste into fuel. The center will be built at the southern port city of Tongyeong, which has one of the country's biggest fish resources. About 50 percent of ocean waste in South Korea is composed of fishnets and buoys made of plastic. Fishnets that are lost or abandoned cause damage to the marine environment. A pyrolysis process breaks down plastics and vinyl to conve 2021-07-20
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  S. Korea earmarks $35.38 bln investment by 2030 in battery industry SEOUL -- In a bid to take the upper hand in the global battery war, South Korea will spend some 40.6 trillion won ($35.38 billion) by 2030 on securing an unchallengeable production base and the release of next-generation products ahead of China and other countries. The government pledged full support for the development of technologies. The strategy was unveiled in a rally chaired by President Moon Jae-in at the battery plant run by LG Energy Solution (LGES), the battery-making 2021-07-08
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  S. Korea launches project to establish AI-based smart sewer system SEOUL -- South Korea has selected some 33 locations to set up artificial intelligence-based smart sewerage systems in a bid to prevent overflowing and reduce sewer smell and gases that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Sewer gases are a byproduct that builds up during the breakdown of natural human waste inside a sewer system. Such gases include hydrogen sulfide and ammonia that cause awful smells. Research data showed that sewer gases contribute to greenhouse gas emissions wh 2021-07-07
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  S. Korea embarks on development of eco-friendly fishing boats powered by hybrid engine SEOUL -- South Korea has launched a state project to develop an eco-friendly and power-efficient hybrid propulsion system for small coastal fishing boats that would generate positive environmental benefits, reduce maritime greenhouse gas emissions and improve the working environment of fishermen. The most probable design is a combustion engine combined with battery power. With an injection of 28.9 billion won ($25.5 million) until 2025, a consortium led by the state-run Korea Instit 2021-07-06
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  S. Korea raises obligatory mixing ratio of biodiesel for automotive diesel engines SEOUL -- South Korea revised rules on the obligatory mixing ratio of biodiesel for automotive diesel engines. Biodiesel is made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat, soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil with alcohol, producing a methyl, ethyl, or propyl ester. It is usually blended with petrodiesel typically to less than 10 percent since most engines cannot run on pure biodiesel without modification. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said that a bill to revi 2021-06-22
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  Government green campaign reactivated to kick out disposable cups in Jeju SEOUL -- Starbucks will join a government green campaign to kick out disposable cups on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju. The campaign began in 2018 when coffee shops in Seoul were ordered to provide mug cups or renewable cups for customers drinking inside. However, the ban was lifted temporarily in 2020 due to a COVID-19 pandemic. The environment ministry signed a cooperation agreement with Jeju Island, Korea Airports Corporation, Starbucks, SK Telecom (SKT), CJ Log 2021-06-02
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  New launchpad for S. Korea's space rocket put into final testing at state space center SEOUL -- A new launchpad for South Korea's three-stage space rocket was put into final testing after engineers erected a qualification model at a state space center. Various performance verification tests will be carried out for one month for the launchpad that would be used for an actual flight model in October. The certification test for the newly constructed second launch pad with a height of 48 meters began at the Naro Space Center in the southern coastal town of Goheung, ac 2021-06-01
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  KAERI verifies low enriched uranium fuel at Belgian high-performance nuke reactor SEOUL -- South Korean and Belgian nuclear research bodies will conduct joint research to verify the performance of high-density low enriched uranium nuclear fuels at a high-performance research reactor. Upon successful verification, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) will be qualified to export nuclear fuel. KAERI said it would work with Belgia's nuclear research institute, SCK CEN, on a five-year study to verify the performance of high-density low-enriched ura 2021-06-01
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  ​S. Korea starts construction of greenhouse-type smart farm in Kazakhstan SEOUL -- South Korea has started the construction of a greenhouse-type smart farm in Kazakhstan. The smart farm optimized for tough climate environments such as heavy rain and snow will be used as a demonstration site for the promotion of South Korean smart farm technologies to the global market. A smart farm is an automated indoor farm. Because it protects crops from the outside environment, farmers can stably grow plants without having to worry about bad weather and vermin. Resear 2021-05-25
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  [FOCUS] Seoul unafraid of China's retaliation in pushing for free missile development SEOUL -- South Korea was apparently unafraid of a potential backlash from China in securing U.S. consent on the termination of a 42-year-old missile pact to push for the free development of long-range weapons that could destroy inland targets across the Yellow Sea. The ostensible reason was an ever-growing international race to develop space technologies. It was attributable to a U.S. strategy to check China and establish a triangular security alliance as deterrence against Beijin 2021-05-24
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  Seoul to commercialize smart street poles for enhanced safety SEOUL -- After a three-month demonstration, Seoul has chosen to increase the number of smart street poles that would improve the safety and convenience of citizens. Such poles can be used for other purposes such as base stations for lifesaving drones and disaster-monitoring posts. The demonstration of 26 smart street poles equipped with lights, free WiFi service broadcasting devices, various internet of things (IoT) sensors, and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras began in cr 2021-05-20
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  Firefighters develop light fire hose reel backpack for mountain operation SEOUL -- A backpack equipped with a light fire hose reel has been developed for operations in mountainous areas. The backpack containing a 100-meter-long hose weighs only nine kilograms (19 pounds). ​Commercialization will be done by the end of 2021 for deployment at fire stations. To put out fires in mountains or alleyways between buildings where fire trucks cannot reach, firefighters should carry 200-meter-long fire hose reels that weigh 56 kg each. The fire hose consists of short 2021-05-20
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  S. Korea reveals roadmap for development of smart logistics technologies SEOUL -- South Korea has revealed a roadmap to accelerate the development and commercialization of smart logistics service models. Demonstration complexes will be set up to test services such as autonomous parcel delivery and automated logistics center management systems. The roadmap comes on the heels of quick growth in the domestic parcel logistics market. According to data released by the National Logistics Information Center, South Korea's private parcel logistics market sto 2021-05-20
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  ​Coastguard deploys unmanned helicopter to patrol southern seas SEOUL -- South Korea's coastguard has deployed an unmanned surveillance helicopter to a 1,500-ton patrol boat for monitoring shorelines and lifesaving operations. The robot chopper has built-in cameras and sensors, making it more versatile for marine operations than multi-copter drones. The National Maritime Police Agency said in a statement on May 17 that an unmanned helicopter called "VELOS V2" was deployed to a patrol boat operated by its regional headquarters in th 2021-05-17
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  Agricultural research institute demonstrates rice seed-sowing drone SEOUL -- An agricultural research institute has demonstrated a rice seed-sowing drone to promote the use of unmanned machines to reduce carbon emissions, work time, and labor costs. The battery-powered drone can sow seeds over a rice paddy that is 991 square meters wide in just 10 minutes while a rice planting machine would take about 80 minutes. Normally, farmers sow rice seeds onto standardized plates so that they can be transferred to paddy fields by hand or using rice planting m 2021-05-12
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  S. Korea to conduct full inspection on discharge of factory air pollutants SEOUL -- In a bid to create an accurate database of air pollutants, a state air quality watchdog will conduct a full inspection of facilities that discharge pollutants. The database will be used for working out state guidelines and policies for air management. Particulate matter, or microscopic air pollutants which are also known as fine dust, has become a serious health threat in South Korea as it causes skin irritations, respiratory diseases, and vascular disorders. According to 2021-05-12
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  Seoul to launch special education program for familiarizing elderies with digital service SEOUL -- Seoul will launch a special education program to familiarize old people with digital services such as digital kiosks at restaurants. Some 100 old people would be hired as teachers to offer personalized education at libraries, community centers and senior citizen shelters. South Korea with a rapidly aging society is one of the world's most digitalized countries. Some 51.8 million smartphone users are hooked onto nationwide 4G and 5G mobile communication networks. The ad 2021-05-06
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  National treasures, masterpieces among late Samsung chairman's art collection to be donated: Yonhap SEOUL -- The vast art collection that heirs of the country's biggest conglomerate Samsung pledged to donate has turned out to be a treasure trove of national treasures and masterpieces by renowned artists here and abroad. Late Samsung Group chief Lee Kun-hee's family announced that they would pay more than 12 trillion won ($10.7 billion) in inheritance taxes, the largest amount in the country's history. They also unveiled plans to donate one trillion won to support the o 2021-04-28
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  New ferry launched for operation on sea route suspended by 2014 Sewol disaster SEOUL -- A 27,000-ton ferry equipped with various safety facilities was launched for operation on a sea route which was suspended following the tragic 2014 sinking of a ship packed with high-school students. The new ferry named "Beyond Trust" maximized resilience with low-weight and low-center design. The new Ro-Pax ferry built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in the southeastern port of Ulsan will be delivered to its owner, Hydex Storage, in September for operation on the route 2021-04-27