Global esports competition 'World Cyber Games' to be held in Busan

SEOUL -- The World Cyber Games, also known as the "Olympics of esports," will take place in South Korea's southern port city of Busan for three days starting on July 28. A total of 72 professional gamers from 10 countries including China, Mexico, and South Korea will compete in 15 different games such as League of Legends, StarCraft 2, and Warcraft 3. The game tournament that began in 2000 was held in various countries such as the United States, Germany, and China. During

July 18, 2023

BLACKPINK completes encore concert at Paris stadium

SEOUL -- K-pop girl band BLACKPINK has attracted about 55,000 fans through its encore concert in Paris. The concert took place at Stade De France, a stadium mainly used for national athletic events such as soccer and rugby games. The four-member band has performed various hit songs such as Pink Venom, How You Like That, and Pretty Savage at the stadium on July 15, YG Entertainment said. The stadium with a capacity of some 80,000 seats was built to host the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The en

July 18, 2023

Türkiye extends condolences to S. Korea after losses in heavy rains

SEOUL -- Through a statement, the Turkish government has extended condolences to South Korea after 50 people died or went missing due to catastrophic accidents caused by heavy rainfall. The Turkish Embassy in South Korea sent out Türkiye's message of condolences on July 18 by saying: "It is with deep sorrow that we have learned the loss of lives due to the extensive rains causing floods and landslides across the ROK." The strong relationship between South Korea

July 18, 2023

Korean language-based songs become third most popular music in US: market data

SEOUL -- Korean language-based songs became the third most popular music in the United States after English and Spanish-based music in the first half of 2023, data released by Luminate, a U.S.-based entertainment data provider, showed. The U.S. is currently the second largest K-pop album importer in the world with an import amount of $25.5 million. In a report titled "2023 Midyear Report," Luminate said Korean songs accounted for 0.9 percent of the top 10,000 most streamed mu

July 18, 2023

50 people dead or missing in lethal disasters caused by heavy rainfall in S. Korea

SEOUL -- A series of torrential rainfalls, caused by dense rain clouds that moved slowly through the central and southern regions of the Korean Peninsula, caused dozens of catastrophic lethal accidents that left 50 people dead or missing over a period of nine days between July 9 and July 18, 2023. Normally, South Korea experiences a rainy season called "Jangma" in July and August every year. However, this year's Jangma season was different. During previous rainy seaso

July 18, 2023

SK Signet to supply more than 1,000 ultra-fast EV chargers to US EV charging network operator

SEOUL -- SK Signet, an electric vehicle charger manufacturer affiliated with South Korea's conglomerate SK Group, has secured an order to provide more than 1,000 electric vehicle chargers with a capacity of more than 400 kilowatts to Francis Energy, an Oklahoma-based EV charger operator. Through the contract, the South Korean EV charger maker will receive subsidies from the United States government pushing for the national electric vehicle infrastructure (NEVI) project. The U.S. go

July 17, 2023

Samsung shipyard wins $3.1 bln contract to build 16 methanol-powered container ships

SEOUL -- Samsung Heavy Industries has won a contract worth about four trillion won ($3.1 billion) from an Asia-based client to build 16 methanol-powered container cargo ships. The vessels will be delivered to the client by the end of 2027. Unlike natural gas which requires high pressure and cryogenic temperatures, methanol is easy to store and transport even at room temperature and general atmospheric pressure. It is relatively less expensive to build an initial infrastructure. Methano

July 17, 2023

Seoul holds healthcare promotion event in Kazakhstan to attract more medical tourists

SEOUL -- Seoul has promoted South Korea's medical technology in Kazakhstan to attract more medical tourists through a two-day healthcare event in Almaty, Kazakhstan's heart of trade. South Korean medical experts participated in the event to provide healthcare tips for local patients and promote their medical know-how. According to data released by Seoul, the number of Kazakhstani medical tourists in the capital city skyrocketed to 4,019 in 2022 from 1,546 in 2021. As of 2021, 2

July 17, 2023

​BTS member Jungkook tops Spotify Global Top Songs chart with first solo single 'Seven'

SEOUL -- Jungkook, the youngest member of K-pop band BTS has topped the global song chart of Spotify, one of the world's most popular online music streaming services, with his solo debut song "Seven." The 25-year-old became the sixth member of BTS to release his very first solo album on July 14. When Jungkook's song was released, it topped the charts on various online music services including YouTube, Apple's iTunes, and Spotify. According to Spotify on July 1

July 17, 2023

VR solution startup YoYo Interactive to develop VR-based firefighting drone training system

SEOUL -- YoYo Interactive, a South Korean virtual reality solution company, will work with a fire department in South Korea's southern port city of Ulsan to develop a virtual training system where firefighters can carry out missions using drones. Drones are widely used for firefighting operations in South Korea's mountainous areas. They can also help rescuers save shipwrecked victims using their advanced aerial search functions. In August 2021, drones were used to save two peo

July 17, 2023