S. Korea-Philippines economic forum holds first meeting to discuss economic effect of carbon neutrality

SEOUL -- The forum for the energy development cooperation of South Korea and the Philippines held its first regular committee meeting and discussed the economic effect of carbon neutrality supported by nuclear power plant-friendly policies. The forum was established in September 2022, but meetings were postponed due to a coronavirus pandemic. KPEDCF was established to accelerate the interaction between Seoul and Manila's energy specialists and stimulate the development of nucle

February 1, 2023

Nongshim's Shin Ramyun pop-up store captivates young spicy instant noodle lovers

SEOUL -- Dressed in casual jackets and coats, young spicy food lovers flocked to an offline pop-up store filled with various games and products related to Shin Ramyun, a top South Korean brand of instant noodles well known for its spicy flavor. Despite the cold and rainy weather, some 50 people holding an umbrella visited the store where various items such as pop sockets and keyboard protectors with Shin Ramyun's brandmark engraved greeted them. Some of them took selfies with a sta

January 30, 2023

Online secondhand market Joonggonara and 7-Eleven officially launches safe offline trading service

SEOUL -- Joongonara, South Korea's largest online secondhand market platform operated by Eugene Asset Management, and convenience store franchise 7-Eleven have kicked its safe offline secondhand trading service into full gear. The service was tested in the southern Seoul district of Gangnam earlier this month. According to the Korea Internet & Security Agency, South Korea's internet watchdog, the country has an online secondhand trading market standing at about 24 trill

January 30, 2023

National pension fund to be depleted in 2055, two year earlier than previously predicted

SEOUL -- South Korea’s national pension fund for salaried workers is expected to be depleted completely in 2055, 14 years after it begins to record a deficit, according to a committee evaluating the financial soundness of the fund. The finding said that the depletion will come two years earlier than the committee’s previous calculation conducted five years ago, if the current pension scheme remains unchanged. The panel, affiliated with the Ministry of Health and W

January 27, 2023

​S. Korea to invest $215 mln into five-year development project for AI technologies for everyday environments

SEOUL -- South Korea will invest some 265 billion won ($215 million) for a five-year project that aims to develop artificial intelligence technologies that can be utilized by people in their everyday environments. AI used in various sectors including the administrative, legislative, judicial, and public sectors will eventually help boost the country's AI technology capability. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo held the second National Data Policy Committee meeting on January 25 and r

January 27, 2023

​Unclaimed Lotto prizes top $33.54 billion won last year

SEOUL -- Unclaimed Lotto prizes were estimated at 41.31 billion won ($33.54 million) last year, according to a report submitted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance to Rep. Kim Ju-young of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on January 26. The sum offered by Lotto, the most popular lottery ticket in South Korea, included one of last year’s top prizes that was valued at 2.37 billion won, 23 cases of second prizes with 1.24 billion won, and 1,421 cases of thir

January 26, 2023

Autonomous vehicles to be deployed in southern city to provide paid shuttle service

SEOUL -- A fleet of autonomous vehicles will be deployed to a self-driving car demonstration zone in Daegu some 249 kilometers (149 miles) south of Seoul to offer paid shuttle service. The self-driving cars will carry passengers on a circulation route through an industrial techno-valley area. South Korea's first paid shuttle service using autonomous vehicles was launched in western Seoul in December 2021. 42dot, a domestic self-driving technology startup, operated three autonom

January 26, 2023

Number of Korean language learners steadily increases on online learning service

SEOUL -- The number of foreigners learning to speak Korean through an online classroom platform called "Online King Sejong Institute," run by the public institute "King Sejong," has reached 61,337, up 7.7 percent on-year. English speakers accounted for the largest portion with 11,683. Using PC or a mobile phone, anyone can take Korean classes after taking a level test through the online platform. Students can receive personal advice from their online instructors

January 25, 2023

Seoul's surrounding province to install more than 76,000 EV chargers in 2023

SEOUL -- In a bid to speed up the distribution of electric cars, more than 76,000 electric vehicle chargers will be installed in Gyeonggi Province, that surrounds Seoul, this year. The number of registered electric cars in the province stood at 77,648 as of December 2022, but there were only 48,520 chargers. South Korea is striving to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 by promoting the use of renewable energy and clean fuels. As of the third quarter of 2022, about 34

January 24, 2023

S. Korea records $760mln in exports of Ramyeon in 2022

SEOUL -- Exports of Ramyeon, South Korean instant noodles, reached $765.4 million in 2022, up 13.5 percent from a year ago, the state customs statistics showed. According to data released by the World Instant Noodles Association, a South Korean person consumes an average of 73 packs of instant noodles per year. South Korean Ramyeon products started to gain attention in 2015 thanks to K-pop and K-dramas. Various companies sought to grab instant noodle fans worldwide. Shinsegae, Sout

January 23, 2023