U.S. to reassess environmental permit for Hyundai's Georgia EV plant: report

SEOUL, August 27 (AJU PRESS) - The U.S. federal agency Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to reevaluate the environmental permit for Hyundai Motor's 10 trillion won ($7.6 billion) electric vehicle (EV) plant in Georgia, following concerns raised by environmental activists, AP News reported on Monday. The decision comes after the Army Corps initially deemed the plant's water usage impact as "negligible." The reassessment was prompted by a proposal from Georgia envi

August 27, 2024

Probe finds two Samsung workers exposed to high levels of radiation

SEOUL, August 26 (AJU PRESS) – Two Samsung Electronics employees were exposed to radiation levels up to 188 times the annual safety limit during an incident at the company's plant in May, the nuclear safety authorities said Monday. The Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) unveiled the interim results of its investigation into the incident during a session of the parliamentary science and technology committee. The incident occurred on May 27 at Samsung's Gih

August 26, 2024

HD Hydrogen acquires Finnish fuel cell tech firm Convion

SEOUL, August 26 (AJU PRESS) - HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. (HD KSOE) said Monday its subsidiary, HD Hydrogen, has acquired Finnish fuel cell specialist Convion Oy for about 72 million euros ($80 million). Helsinki-based Convion, established in 2012, is a leading provider of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) technologies, which are considered crucial for hydrogen energy production and utilization. HD KSOE said the acqu

August 26, 2024

Korea to require EV makers to disclose battery suppliers

SEOUL, August 26 (AJU PRESS) – The Korean government will require all electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and importers to disclose their battery suppliers, and introduce an EV battery certification system in October, earlier than scheduled. The measures were announced following Sunday's meeting among high-level officials from the presidential office, relevant government branches and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) to address growing safety concerns after a fire involv

August 26, 2024

Samsung enhances AI appliances with advanced voice control

SEOUL, August 26 (AJU PRESS) - Samsung Electronics has upgraded its artificial intelligence voice assistant Bixby for its Bespoke AI appliances, enabling more intuitive voice commands. The new system can understand multi-intent instructions, maintain context across conversations and provide detailed product information through voice queries, the company said Monday. With the appliances comprehending and executing multiple tasks simultaneously, users can now issue complex commands li

August 26, 2024

GI Innovation partners with MSD for clinical trials combining immunotherapy agents

SEOUL, August 26 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's pharmaceutical company GI Innovation announced Monday it has entered into a Clinical Trial Collaboration and Supply Agreement (CTCSA) with American multinational pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co. Under the agreement, the two companies will evaluate the efficacy of combining GI Innovation's immunotherapy agent GI-102 with MSD's immunotherapy drug Keytruda in clinical trials involving patients with resistant liver cancer, melanoma,

August 26, 2024

Hanwha Aerospace builds first overseas defense production plant in Australia

SEOUL, August 23 (AJU PRESS) - Hanwha Aerospace has built a manufacturing plant in Australia to produce self-propelled howitzers and armored vehicles, the Korean defense firm announced on Friday. The facility, named the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence (H-ACE), is the first overseas production base created by a Korean defense company. Located in Geelong, Victoria, the plant is scheduled to begin mass production of Australian versions of Hanwha's K9 Self-Propelled

August 23, 2024

Korea, Paraguay sign trade, investment framework agreement

SEOUL, August 23 (AJU PRESS) - Korea and Paraguay signed a Trade and Investment Promotion Framework (TIPF) in Seoul on Friday, paving the way for expanded economic cooperation. Paraguay is the second country in Mercosur, the South American trade bloc, with which Korea has signed a TIPF, following Brazil. The agreement was signed by Korea's Minister for Trade Cheong In-kyo (right) and Paraguay's Minister of Industry and Commerce Javier Giménez. Paraguay, which re

August 23, 2024

Survey reveals widespread AI adoption among Korean firms

SEOUL, August 22 (AJU PRESS) - Three out of four South Korean companies have either implemented or are piloting artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, according to a study released Thursday. The survey, conducted in March by data storage company Pure Storage and pollster Embrain, involved IT professionals from 200 domestic firms with over 500 employees. The findings indicate that 34.5 percent of businesses have already integrated AI into specific departments, while 39 percent

August 22, 2024

Korea's scientific output lags behind heavy investments: Nature

SEOUL, August 22 (AJU PRESS) - South Korea's research output is not keeping pace with its substantial investments in science and technology, as gender gaps, a shrinking population and cultural barriers hinder the country's innovation ecosystem, a new report from Nature said. The prominent science magazine released a special edition of Nature Index focusing on South Korea's research landscape on Wednesday. According to the report, South Korea leads major countries in

August 22, 2024