Seoul to operate self-driving buses near iconic Korean street food market

SEOUL -- Seoul's self-driving bus route that operates near Cheonggyecheon, a stream that flows through the heart of the capital city will be extended to a Gwangjang Market, a famous traditional Korean market with various types of street food. The traditional market is known for Tteokbokki, finger-sized rice cakes simmered in fiery-red spicy chili sauce, and Korean-style mung bean pancake called Bindaetteok. Since November 2022, a total of three autonomous buses carried passenge

November 6, 2023

S. Korean consortium to produce tire materials using pyrolysis oil

SEOUL -- A consortium of South Korean companies and research institutes will carry out a project to recycle car tires using pyrolysis oil-based materials. Oil extracted from discarded car tires will be refined and supplied to Hankook Tire & Technology, a major tire maker in South Korea. According to data released by South Korea's conglomerate Hyosung, about 350,000 tons of waste tires are being produced in South Korea. Around 50 percent of them are landfilled, contaminating

November 2, 2023

SK Geocentric partners with Britain's Plastic Energy to build pyrolysis plant in southwestern port city

SEOUL -- South Korea's plastic recycling technology company SK Geocentric will work with Plastic Energy, a chemical recycling company in Britain, to build a pyrolysis plant that can recycle about 66,000 tons of plastic waste per year, in the western port city of Dangjin. Pyrolysis is a chemical recycling process used to turn discarded plastic into high-quality oil. Pyrolysis involves intense heat and pressure to break down waste plastics into oil. The reclaimed oil can be used

November 1, 2023

Hyundai's operating profit in 3Q 2023 increases by 184% on-year thanks to high-value models

SEOUL -- The operating profit of Hyundai Motor, the world's third-largest carmaker, has increased by 184.2 percent in the third quarter of 2023, compared to the same period in 2022. Hyundai's outstanding operating profit was affected by the increased sales of high-value vehicles such as luxury brand Genesis models and sport utility vehicles. According to South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service, the country's financial watchdog, on October 31, Hyundai marked an opera

November 1, 2023

Exports of kimchi continue to increase thanks to popularity in US and Europe

SEOUL -- Exports of kimchi, traditional Korean pickled vegetables, have continued to increase by more than 10 percent on-year thanks to consumers in the United States and Europe who recognize the salad-like spicy mixed vegetable pickles as healthy food. Kimchi, mostly recognized as salted Chinese cabbage seasoned with red chili pepper powder, ground garlic, and fish sauce, has been the core of South Koreans' diet. The salted cabbage ferments over time to become sour. Some peo

October 31, 2023

HD Hyundai Electric joins offshore wind power project in southwestern coastal county

SEOUL -- HD Hyundai Electric, an electrical equipment manufacturer and energy solution provider, will take part in a project to establish offshore wind power infrastructure that can power some three million households in South Korea’s southwestern coastal county of Jindo. The energy solution developer will supply wind turbines and power equipment for offshore substations. The project involves the South Korean office of Pacifico Energy, a United States-based renewable energy power

October 30, 2023

LG Chem develops flame-retardant material to prevent battery explosion

SEOUL -- South Korea's major chemical company LG Chem has developed a material that can delay thermal runaway in electric vehicle batteries. The material called "Special Flame-Retardant CFT" withstands heat and pressure at 1,500 degrees Celsius (2,732 degrees Fahrenheit) for more than 20 minutes without any damage. Thermal runaway is a chain reaction that can be extremely challenging to halt once initiated inside a battery cell. During thermal runaway, the temperature of

October 27, 2023

CJ Cheiljedang releases Spam product made of chicken breast

SEOUL -- South Korea's major food maker CJ Cheiljedang has released a new Spam product made of chicken breast targeting consumers who favor high protein, low-calorie foods. The canned food brand, currently available in 48 countries, is originally made using pork. The canned pork brand, made by American food processing company Hormel Foods, is widely consumed in South Korea. According to CJ Cheiljedang, more than 1.9 billion 200-gram (0.4 pounds) Spam products were sold in the coun

October 27, 2023

LG Chem to produce car seat material with discarded PET bottles

SEOUL -- South Korea's major chemical company LG Chem will produce a raw material for flooring and car seats using discarded polyethylene terephthalate bottles. The conglomerate developed green material called "plasticizer" to meet the demands of its clients striving to export products to North America. Plasticizers are essential in improving the flexibility and elasticity of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a synthetic polymer of plastic simply known as vinyl. Compared to conve

October 26, 2023

SK Enmove partners with arms maker Hanwha Aerospace to develop liquid cooling solution for ships

SEOUL -- SK Enmove, the lube-making wing of South Korea's SK Group, will work with Hanwha Aerospace, a global defense solution company, to develop a liquid immersion cooling solution that can cool down energy storage systems for ships. Through the solution, the two groups aim to secure their footholds in the global marine energy storage market. Demands for maritime energy storage systems (ESS) are growing. An ESS is a power storage system that consists of batteries or specially des

October 25, 2023