Busan to work with global coffee barista community for coffee certification business

SEOUL -- South Korea's southern port city of Busan partnered with the Specialty Coffee Association, a nonprofit organization that issues global barista certificates, to nurture the city's coffee industry by establishing big data of green, unroasted coffee beans that baristas can access to choose the most ideal type of coffee for their shops. Visiting coffee shops has become an everyday culture in South Korea. It is common to see young students studying or chatting with fri

November 25, 2022

LG's agro-tech wing partners with rural county to accelerate adoption of smart farms

SEOUL -- Farm Hannong, the smart agricultural technology wing of LG Chem, has partnered with a rural county famous for its vast and fertile flatlands ideal for farming, to accelerate the adoption of smart farms and digital farming technology. Smart farming in South Korea with a 30-trillion-won ($22.5 billion) crop-farming sector is at its infant stage, mainly because of the aging population of farmers at an average age of 67 years old. Old farmers prefer to grow crops using traditi

November 25, 2022

BTS Jin urges fans to avoid flocking for farewell gathering near army boot camp

SEOUL -- Jin, the eldest member of K-pop superstar BTS, urged fans to avoid flocking for a farewell gathering on December 13 when he joins the boot camp of a front-line infantry division, which guards the inter-Korean border, to fulfill his compulsory military service. The 29-year-old will receive five weeks of training for his service at the infantry division known for tough training and military service as well as freezing weather in winter. The boot camp is located in Yeoncheon

November 24, 2022

Over 40% of S. Koreans willing to dump Netflix in case of ban on account-sharing: survey

SEOUL -- Netflix, an American subscription streaming service and production company, has gained overwhelming popularity in South Korea with greater support from young users. However, many subscribers here are willing to dump it if the world's biggest over-the-top service bans users from sharing accounts with their family members and friends. South Korea has some 42.8 million over-the-top (OTT) paid subscription users as of September 2022. Netflix is the top player with some 12 m

November 24, 2022

SK on partners with EV charger manufacturer to create battery diagnosis service

SEOUL -- SK on, the battery-making wing of South Korea's SK Group, teamed up with a sister company to develop a battery diagnosis service that would allow customers to diagnose the remaining life of batteries and the level of charging without any separate procedures while charging electric vehicles. The management of EV batteries has become crucial to keep cars in top condition. If batteries are poorly managed, they could combust to cause a fire that is really hard to put out. S

November 24, 2022

Samsung shipyard's autonomous sailing system proves superior performance in test run

SEOUL -- A 9,200-ton ship installed with a remote autonomous system developed by Samsung Heavy Industries, a major shipbuilder in South Korea, has completed its clean and trouble-free test run on a coastal sea route covering about 950 kilometers (590 miles) for four days to prove the superior performance of avoiding collision with obstacles on a long voyage. In its test run that began on November 15 in waster off the southwestern port city of Mokpo, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) sa

November 24, 2022

Aekyung Chemical jumps into bioplastic industry through ties with state research body

SEOUL -- Aekyung Chemical, a chemical company in South Korea, jumped into the bioplastic market in cooperation with a state research body, focusing capabilities on developing and upgrading bioplastic material technologies. The company is a newcomer in the country's bioplastic industry which has seen a rapidly growing demand due to tightening regulations. Under a memorandum of understanding signed on November 24, Aekyung Chemical said it would develop various reactant manufacturi

November 24, 2022

Dog personality test 'DBTI' gains popularity among pet owners in S. Korea

SEOUL -- A dog personality analysis and training platform created by South Korea's mobile carrier LG Uplus is garnering popularity among pet owners. More than 100,000 dogs are registered on the platform which provides personalized training programs depending on the animal's personality. The platform called "For Dong" provides Dog Behavior Type Indicator (DBTI), a psychology test that classifies dogs' personalities into 16 different types. The test with 60 ques

November 24, 2022

Hanwha Q Cells joins EU project to test produce perovskite silicon tandem cells

SEOUL -- Hanwha Q Cells, the solar cell-making wing of South Korea's Hanwha Group, joined a European Union project to test produce perovskite silicon tandem solar cells. The goal is to develop technologies for the mass production of high-efficiency tandem cells for four years by 2026 and develop equipment, processes, and materials that manufacture tandem cell-based modules. With an EU fund of 15 million euros ($15.6 million), the tandem cell test production line will be built

November 24, 2022

SK Inc. expands investment portfolio for sustainable food, strengthens partnership with foreign firms

SEOUL -- In an effort to expand its investment portfolio for sustainable food, a promising next-generation food sector, SK Inc., the strategic investment arm of SK Group, has invested $7 million in Wildtype, a U.S.-based producer of salmon cultivated from cells. Meatless Farm, a Dutch sustainable food company funded by SK Inc. has secured $7 million from a venture capital firm based in Seoul. Wildtype produces cultivated salmon, which stands apart from other seafood alternatives wit

November 24, 2022