[EDITORIAL] Viet Nam continues to be attractive destination for S. Korean entrepreneurs in 2023

SEOUL -- Viet Nam has solidified its position as one of South Korea's key trading partners within the ASEAN region, ranking as the third-largest partner. Likewise, South Korea has become one of Viet Nam's most important economic allies, rank

June 20, 2023

​Convenience store chain CU operator to make foray into Kazakhstan

SEOUL -- BGF Retail, the operator of South Korea's major convenience store franchise CU, has partnered with the convenience store operation wing of Shin-Line, a Kazakhstan-based ice cream manufacturer, to make a foray into Kazakhstan's convenience store market. The first store set to open in the first half of 2024 would become the first South Korean convenience store in the Central Asian country. BGF Retail aims to build more than 500 stores by 2029. According to data relea

June 20, 2023

SK Geocentric adopts blockchain platform to track and manage recycled plastic materials

SEOUL -- South Korea's plastic recycling technology company SK Geocentric has adopted a blockchain-based resource management platform in a bid to accurately track and manage recycled plastic materials. The platform will label batches of recycled plastic to verify the material, source, and end product in which the materials were used. The clear management of recycled plastic materials is very important because secondary plastic processing companies rely on information about wher

June 20, 2023

Number of working S. Korean elderlies higher than young workers in 20s: data

SEOUL -- Recent data released by South Korea's state statistical information service has shown that the number of old people in their 60s is higher than that of young people in their 20s due to the rapidly aging society. The government data showed that about 60 percent of old people are working. South Korea is an aging country where about 30 percent of the population would consist of people aged 75 years and older by 2073. The aging society is accelerated by the record-low birt

June 19, 2023

Hyundai opens EV charging infrastructure quality certification center

SEOUL -- In a bid to boost the overall quality of South Korea's electric vehicle charging infrastructure and related services, Hyundai motor group partnered with the Korea Testing Certification Institute, a private certification agency, to open a certification center for EV charging infrastructure. As of January 2023, there were 205,205 EV chargers across South Korea with some 390,000 registered EVs. Currently, more than 90 percent of installed chargers are slow chargers that t

June 19, 2023

7-Eleven kick-starts delivery robot demonstration to prepare for commercialization

SEOUL -- The South Korean branch of global convenience store franchise 7-Eleven will kick-start the company's third demonstration of autonomous delivery robots in a bid to accelerate commercialization. The company carried out its first demonstration of service robots in 2021. Various types of delivery robots have been commercialized in South Korea over the past five years but they are mainly designed for indoor operations. Robots would stand by at a charging port and move to a

June 19, 2023

Seoul attracts thousands of visitors through multicultural festival in iconic squares

SEOUL -- Two iconic squares in Seoul -- Gwanghwamun Square and Cheonggye Plaza -- were created into event spots where visitors could enjoy food from 42 countries and 16 music performances. Thousands of visitors from South Korea and abroad gathered on the first day of a multicultural festival that showcased various dance groups including the LA Rams Cheerleaders, an American football cheerleading squad. Gwanghwaun Square located near various restaurants and museums is favored by Seo

June 17, 2023

NewJeans' dance song OMG selected as seventh best song by Rolling Stone

SEOUL -- OMG, a dance song by K-pop girl band NewJeans, was ranked seventh among 74 songs of the first half of 2023 by American magazine Rolling Stone. The song featuring electronic dance music and exciting dance rhythms was selected in the monthly magazine's list called "The Best Songs of 2023 So Far." "A throwback to the most blissful moments of Nineties R&B that has a 21st-century appeal, 'OMG' is a pristine pop song with a glowing — and glow

June 16, 2023

Pet healthcare company Daewoong Pet to develop anti-muscle loss material for animals

SEOUL -- Daewoong Pet, the pet healthcare wing of South Korea's major pharmaceutical company Daewoong Pharmaceutical, will work with research institutes to develop a drug for pets with sarcopenia, a type of muscle loss that commonly happens among old animals. Data obtained during the anti-muscle loss material development process can also be used to treat human patients. According to data released by Daewoong Pet, sarcopenia, which deteriorates muscle function, can cause chronic

June 16, 2023

​S. Korea forges partnership with France's L'Oreal Group to support beautytech startups

SEOUL -- South Korea's startup ministry has forged a cooperation agreement with France's personal care company L'Oreal Group to incubate South Korean beauty tech startups and small and medium-sized companies. Beauty tech refers to skin care technology that incorporates artificial intelligence-based devices and solutions that analyze and provide appropriate care accordingly to different skin types. According to Statista, a global market research firm, the global beauty t

June 16, 2023