McDonald's installs voice guidance kiosks for visually impaired

SEOUL, July 02 (AJU PRESS) - McDonald's Korea said Tuesday it has installed kiosks with voice guidance functions at all stores nationwide to assist visually impaired customers. "Visually impaired customers can now access product information and freely order their menu items through voice guidance at any McDonald's store across the country," the company said in a press release. The kiosks can be connected to earphones, allowing visitors to easily select their foo

July 2, 2024

LG Energy Solution secures first major LFP battery order from Renault

SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) - LG Energy Solution has signed a large-scale supply contract for electric vehicle LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries with Renault's electric vehicle division, Ampere, the Korean battery maker said Tuesday. Under the agreement, signed at Renault's headquarters in Paris on Monday (local time), LG will supply about 39GWh of battery cells, enough to power 590,000 electric vehicles, for five years from late 2025 to 2030. LG became the first Korea

July 2, 2024

Japanese operator of Line denies imminent Naver stake sale amid regulatory pressure

SEOUL, July 2 (AJU PRESS) – The operator of Japan's popular chat app, Line, has ruled out the possibility of Naver, Korea’s largest internet company, selling down its stake in the company anytime soon, as ordered by the Japanese regulators, industry sources said. Line Yahoo Corp. (LYC) on Monday submitted a report to the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications regarding its administrative guidance that directed Line operator’s parent company, A

July 2, 2024

Recycling specialist Dowon partners with Vietnamese logistics giant to set up joint venture

SEOUL, July 01 (AJU PRESS) - Korean recycling specialist Dowon has forged a partnership with Vietnamese logistics giant Phu Thai on Monday to set up a joint venture in Viet Nam. The signing ceremony took place at a hotel in central Seoul with representatives from the two companies. Phu Thai officials also accompanied the Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh who arrived in Seoul over the weekend for his four-day visit to Korea. According to Dowon, the new joint venture will

July 1, 2024

[INTERVIEW] ReLU Games looks to transform gaming industry with AI technology

SEOUL, July 01 (AJU PRESS) - Set in a near-future world where robots and humans coexist, "Uncover the Smoking Gun," a new AI-based detective game, allows players to interrogate robot suspects to unravel murder cases. Leveraging advanced natural language processing technology, the game allows users to freely ask questions in eight different languages and engage with an AI-based chatbot in real-time. This feature offers an immersive gaming experience that its developers clai

July 1, 2024

SK Group eyes massive investment in AI, semiconductors

SEOUL, July 1 (AJU PRESS) - SK Group aims to secure 80 trillion won ($57.9 billion) by 2026 to invest in artificial intelligence, advanced chips and other new growth sectors, Korea's second-largest conglomerate said. The plan was unveiled during a group-wide management meeting on growth strategies and subsidiary restructuring held on Friday and Saturday. About 30 top-level executives, including CEOs from major subsidiaries, attended the meeting at the SKMS Research Institute in

July 1, 2024

Korea's exports to China hit 40-year low amid trade structure shifts

SEOUL, July 1 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's exports to China fell by 19.9 percent in 2023, marking the steepest decline in four decades, according to a report released by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) on Monday. The trade balance with China also shifted to a deficit for the first time since 1992, reaching a record of 25 trillion won ($18.1 billion). The report attributes this significant shift to changes in both China's trade structure and Korean companies

July 1, 2024

Apple's new OLED iPads boost display makers' prospects

SEOUL, July 1 (AJU PRESS) - The launch of Apple's first iPad Pro models equipped with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays is set to boost the display market and the fortunes of key suppliers. Market research firm DSCC projects a 202 percent increase in OLED tablet unit sales and a 632 percent surge in revenue for 2024, driven by the new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro devices. LG Display and Samsung Display are key providers of these advanced panels, each supplying 50

July 1, 2024

Korean regulator moves to sanction AliExpress for e-commerce law violations

SEOUL, July 1 (AJU PRESS) – The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has launched formal proceedings to punish AliExpress, a subsidiary of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, for alleged violations of e-commerce laws. The regulator has recently sent a sanctions deliberation report to AliExpress Korea regarding its failure to properly register as an online shopping mall operator, according to industry sources on Monday. The KFTC says that while AliExpress Korea registe

July 1, 2024

SK Group convenes strategy meeting amid restructuring plans

SEOUL, June 28 (AJU PRESS) - SK Group, South Korea's second-largest conglomerate, began a two-day top management meeting Friday to discuss growth strategies and subsidiary restructuring. About 30 executives, including CEOs from major subsidiaries including SK Corp., SK Innovation, SK Telecom and SK hynix, gathered at the SKMS Research Institute in Icheon. Chairman Chey Tae-won is participating via video conference from the U.S. The meeting aims to maximize investment in futur

June 28, 2024