SouthKorea

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  S. Korea to replace and remove 208 outdated public rapid chargers for EVs SEOUL -- South Korea's environment ministry will replace and remove outdated public rapid chargers for electric vehicles. Some electric vehicle drivers have trouble using outdated rapid chargers that were installed about nine years ago because some old machines were left without maintenance. Data released by the environment ministry showed that there are some 10,830 public and private rapid chargers for electric vehicles (EVs) in South Korea as of August 2021. In January, about 2021-10-26
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  Megastore franchise Homeplus operates special shopping area for vegans SEOUL -- South Korea's megastore franchise Homeplus will attract vegans by opening a special shopping area called "Vegan Zone." Vegan products such as bread made with plant-based ingredients and alternative meat, also known as artificial meat, will be sold in the area. To meet demands from the rapidly increasing vegan population of some 2 million, South Korea's alternative meat market is steadily growing. According to data released by Euromonitor, a market researc 2021-10-26
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  Busan to test-operate eco-friendly reusable cup rental service SEOUL -- To reduce the use of disposable cups made of plastics at coffee shops, a pilot project designed to promote the use of eco-friendly cups will be conducted in the southern port city of Busan. The multi-use cups made of renewable materials will be collected and cleaned by a reusable cup cleaning company. The test operation of multi-use cups will start in Busan on October 26, the port city government said in a statement. Each reusable cup will have a QR code so that customers c 2021-10-25
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  Busan to open upcycling center in renewable industry complex by 2024 SEOUL -- South Korea's largest upcycling center will be built in the southern port city of Busan through a 4.4 billion won ($3.78 million) project. To maximize synergy effects with nearby resource circulation infrastructure, the upcycling center will be built in a renewable industry complex that houses more than 10 related facilities and companies specializing in waste recycling and resource disposal. While recycling only focuses on collecting discarded materials and turning the 2021-10-21
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  Seoul to build integrated water sports center on Han River SEOUL -- Through a 15.7 billion won ($13.37 million) project, Seoul City will build an integrated water sports center that can house some 220 water sports equipment such as yachts, canoes and kayaks on Han River where visitors can enjoy extreme water sports. Seoul said in a statement on October 21 that the city government will open the water sports center in the first half of 2023 near the Nanji Hangang Park in western Seoul. The center will consist of a dock that will serve as a pa 2021-10-21
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  Majority of S. Koreans favor working at virtual workplace: survey SEOUL -- When the first wave of a coronavirus hit South Korea, many companies created remote working environments so that employees can reduce the chance of being infected by COVID-19. As telecommuting became a common form of work, a majority of employees favored working in virtual offices even after life returned to normal. Remote offices were established through online conference sessions to maintain a continuous workflow. Phone calls and emails have been the main communication me 2021-10-18
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  Electric double-decker buses adopted by Seoul's satellite cities to help commuters SEOUL -- Six double-decker buses will carry commuters from Gimpo, a western satellite city of Seoul, to Gangnam, a southern business district, and back. The double-decker bus can carry more passengers on a single trip because it has 70 passenger seats while normal buses have 44 seats. Data released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2019 showed that about 1.3 million people commute from Gimpo and the western port city of Incheon to Seoul using public transporta 2021-10-15
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  Seoul to demonstrate particulate matter reduction technology for building construction SEOUL -- Seoul will demonstrate technologies such as the reduction of photocatalyst-based particulate matter and safety analytics to measure the tensile strength of old prestressed concrete that has been used for bridges at urban motorways. Particulate matter, also known as fine dust, is a cloud of microscopic pollution particles that stay in the air. Such air pollution includes nano-sized pallets of heavy metal and other substances that can pose health hazards. Fine dust is mainly 2021-10-15
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  Daegu launches metaverse-based education program for schools SEOUL -- Metaverse-based classes will be offered to elementary, middle, high and special-education schools in a provincial city for students grounded due to a coronavirus pandemic. Students will be able to explore various club activities through the simulated digital world platform. Education authorities in Daegu some 240 kilometers (149 miles) southeast of Seoul said in a statement on October 12 that 10 schools would conduct metaverse-based classes and develop new curriculums based 2021-10-12
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  (INTERVIEW) New wind created by 'Moyamoya about Korea-Japan relationship and me as a college student' SEOUL -- A new prime minister took office in Japan on October 4, but expectations for improvement in relations with South Korea can't be seen, with key cabinet posts filled with those associated with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The prevailing view is that relations, which have deteriorated in recent years, will remain sluggish. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida served as foreign minister for about four years and eight months in a row during the Abe administration. He was the p 2021-10-08
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  Seoul Library starts automated book rental service at subway station SEOUL -- Seoul Library, operated by Seoul City, opened an unmanned library at a subway station where citizens can borrow books through an automated system. The robot librarian is always online so that book lovers can borrow and return books at any time. People can visit the automated library late at night or early in the morning to avoid coming in contact with crowds of people. Data released by Statistics Korea in September 2021 showed that public libraries were open for an average 2021-10-07
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  Seoul to team up with Itgreen to replace 54 mln disposable containers with reusable containers SEOUL -- Seoul City will work with Yogiyo, a South Korean food delivery service app, and Itgreen, a company specializing in cleaning and resupplying food containers, to encourage restaurants to use reusable food containers made of metal and other durable materials for food delivery services. Currently, almost every restaurant uses disposable products such as styrofoam containers and plastic forks for delivery orders because it is a laborsome and time-taking job for shop owners to retri 2021-10-07
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  Daegu to adopt ordinance to prevent electric scooters from being left unattended on sidewalks SEOUL -- Daegu City will adopt an ordinance to prevent electric scooters from being left unattended on sidewalks. Scooter rental companies will be slapped with a fine of up to 13,000 won ($11) per scooter to ensure the safety of pedestrians in Daegu some 240 kilometers (149 miles) southeast of Seoul. Last-mile mobility services involving electric scooters and bicycles were first introduced by mobility service startups in Seoul and its satellite cities in 2016. Some 90,000 scooters a 2021-10-06
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  S. Korea to accelerate localization of salmon aquafarming techniques thru 150 mln dollar project SEOUL -- To boost the localization of salmon aquafarming techniques in South Korea, the country's conglomerates will team up with small and medium-sized aquafarms through a 178.1 billion won ($150 million) state project. The country's maritime ministry will build three aquaculture facilities and a fish disease prevention laboratory to demonstrate the production and boost the domestic Atlantic salmon market to about 420 billion won. Data released by the Ministry of Oceans and 2021-10-05
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  FILA to launch shoes made with recycled materials SEOUL -- FILA, a Seoul-based global apparel brand, will release eco-friendly shoes made with recycled materials. Recycled materials are widely used by South Korean apparel makers. K-pop band BTS gained public attention in September 2021 while delivering an inspirational speech at the 76th United Nations General Assembly for wearing "RE;CODE," a suit made with recycled fabric. The suit was produced by Kolon FnC, a fashion and lifestyle wing of South Korea's fabric maker 2021-09-29
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  Nuclear experts resume activities to check feasibility of spent fuel processing technology SEOUL -- South Korean nuclear experts resumed activities to check the feasibility of 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. As a nuclear accord between Washington and Seoul effectively restricts the development of reprocessing facilities to acquire enriched uranium as fuel, South Korea has conducted research int 2021-09-29
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  S. Korea demonstrates ultra-fast public 5G Wi-Fi service in subway trains SEOUL -- South Korea's science ministry teamed up with the country's three major mobile carriers to demonstrate a 28 gigahertz 5G public Wi-Fi service that can provide super-fast internet access inside subway trains in Seoul. The capital city's subway train operator said the new public internet service will ease the financial burden of communication costs among citizens who frequently use subway trains. South Korea has focused on installing wireless access points (AP) i 2021-09-29
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  Heat pumps help seaweed processing companies reduce electricity bills SEOUL -- South Korea's seaweed processing companies reduced their electricity bills by 51 percent on average in 2021 from a year earlier and also increased production with energy-saving facilities called heat pumps. The maritime ministry will provide more heat pumps for dried seafood processing companies to help them cut operational costs and save energy. Through the refrigeration cycle, a heat pump transfers thermal energy from a cooler space to a warmer space. Heat pumps use 2021-09-28
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  SK Telecom to develop more accurate disaster notification system SEOUL -- South Korea's top mobile carrier SK Telecom will upgrade the country's public disaster notification system to deliver emergency alert messages more accurately. The company will work with the government to selectively send notifications to people in a small area. In South Korea, disaster notifications are sent out to all mobile phones in a designated area for rapid evacuation and counteraction. To prevent the spread of a COVID-19 pandemic, disaster notifications are 2021-09-28
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  Chungju to operate S. Korea's first electric sightseeing boat SEOUL -- South Korea's first electric sightseeing boat will start its commercial operation in Chungju some 100 kilometers (62 miles) southeast of Seoul. The electric boat named Tangeum has been certified as an eco-friendly zero-carbon electric boat. Chungju City said in a statement that the sightseeing boat with a boarding capacity of 72 people will begin its operation on Chungju's Tangeum Lake. The electric ship will carry tourists through a 5-kilometer (3.1 miles) round tr 2021-09-23