Hanwha Ocean considers establishing factory capable of simultaneously building two naval ships

SEOUL -- Hanwha Ocean, a major shipbuilder in South Korea, is thinking over a large-scale investment to establish an indoor manufacturing plant that can build two naval vessels at the same time. Without being affected by hard weather conditions such as hurricanes or heavy rain, the facility can help the company complete the manufacturing process and deliver products within the scheduled delivery date. The shipbuilder aims to use the new facility to build the fifth and sixth FFX Batch,

July 6, 2023

​Arms procurement agency to adopt anti-drone system for key government facilities

SEOUL -- In a bid to set up a comprehensive anti-drone system that could prevent North Korean unmanned aerial vehicles from spying on key government facilities, South Korea's arms procurement agency will kick-start a 48.5 billion won ($37.2 million) project. Anti-drone systems are mostly used to detect drones and neutralize them before aerial vehicles reach the country's key facilities. According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), five North Korean drones flew in

July 6, 2023

S. Korea to restrict foreign workers' rights to change workplaces

SEOUL -- Starting on July 9, foreign labor workers in South Korea with the non-professional employment visa "E9" will only be allowed to change their workplaces within the same regional area where their previous workplace was located, except for very few special cases. The country aims to help South Korean employers in rural areas struggling with labor shortages due to the frequent turnover of migrant workers. E9 visa is mainly provided for those in the manufacturing sector.

July 6, 2023

LG Energy Solution and Stellantis to resume construction of EV battery factory in Canada after subsidies deal

SEOUL -- A joint venture between South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution and American carmaker Stellantis will resume the construction of a five-billion Canadian-dollar electric vehicle battery plant in Ontario, Canada after the companies reached a financial deal with the governments of Canada and Ontario. LG Energy Solution (LGES) and Stellantis announced their joint Ontario battery plant investment in March 2022 but things changed when the United States passed the Inflation Red

July 6, 2023

JM. Wave wins state approval to convert internal combustion engine trucks into electric vehicles

SEOUL -- JM. Wave, a South Korean carmaker specializing in electric vehicle conversion, won government approval to convert internal combustion engine trucks into electric models. The company will dismantle various old and damaged trucks weighing about one ton (1,000 kilograms) to recreate them into electric trucks. It has been difficult for the South Korean car manufacturer to carry out electric vehicle (EV) conversion businesses due to government restrictions. Through a regulatory san

July 5, 2023

​S. Korean action-comedy film 'The Roundup: No Way Out' attracts fans to watch prequels via IPTV services

SEOUL -- Amid hype caused by South Korean action-comedy film "The Roundup: No Way Out," directed by Lee Sang-yong, fans of the film series are attracted to watch the original film and sequel via internet protocol television services. The film series starring Ma Dong-seok, an action star known by the English name of Don Lee, captivated action film fans in 2017 with the original film "The Outlaws," depicting a team of detectives investigating organized crime cas

July 5, 2023

SK bioscience to transfer influenza vaccine production technology to Thailand's state-run drugmaker

SEOUL -- SK bioscience, the developer of South Korea's first homemade COVID-19 vaccine, will transfer production technology for cell-based influenza vaccine to a state-run pharmaceutical firm in Thailand. After completing the transfer process, the Thai company aims to utilize SK biosciences technology called "SKYCellflu" for a national immunization project. Cell-based flu vaccines, created using mammalian cells such as kidney cells from monkeys and dogs, are considered to

July 5, 2023

S. Korean foreign minister to meet Japanese counterpart to discuss Fukushima water discharge

SEOUL -- Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will meet his South Korean counterpart Park Jin at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related foreign ministers' meeting scheduled to be held in Indonesia in mid-July to seek understanding of the discharge of contaminated water, referred to as "treated water" by Japan, into the sea of Fukushima, according to Japanese daily newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun. Hayashi will also meet his Chinese counterpart through an individua

July 5, 2023

Convenience store chain Emart24 opens third store in Singapore

SEOUL -- The convenience store chain of South Korea's retail giant Shinsegae has opened its third store in Singapore less than seven months after the launch of its first store in December 2022. Visitors can enjoy various types of South Korean snacks including instant noodles known as Ramyeon and Tteokbokki, finger-sized rice cakes simmered in fiery-red spicy chili sauce. The store also has a dining spot where consumers can eat meal kits. Emart24 said in a statement on July 5 th

July 5, 2023

​BTS' Jungkook tops iTunes song charts in 83 countries with 'Still With You'

SEOUL -- "Still With You," a self-composed by BTS' Jungkook, has topped iTunes song charts in 83 countries including the United States, Canada, Germany, and France. The 25-year-old has expressed his feelings towards his loved one through the new track featuring jazz-style melodies. Big Hit, the agency of BTS, said Still With You was ranked first in 83 countries. The agency added that "My You," another song self-composed by Jungkook, also topped iTunes song chart

July 4, 2023