Rare ginseng worth some $545,000 found in S. Korea

SEOUL -- An extremely rare ginseng which is estimated to be about $545,000 has been found in a mountainous area in South Korea's southwestern region by a mountain hiker. The ginseng weighing some 0.9 pounds has a high proportion of Rg3, a biological component used to treat cancer. Rg3 is a type of saponin that inhibits the growth of cancer cells, improves blood circulation and lowers blood pressure. It is easily absorbed in the body compared to other saponin substances. The i

January 11, 2023

S. Korea reveals fishing boat capacity reduction plan for nearshore fishermen

SEOUL -- Due to the decreased catch affected by climate changes and overfishing, South Korea will carry out a nearshore fishing boat capacity reduction program. A total of 39 boats will be reduced in 2023 and subsidies will be provided in form of tax returns and reimbursements for estimated salvage values of boats and fishing equipment, and up to six months of salary for fishermen who lost their jobs because of the fishing boat reduction program. The reduction of fishing boat capac

January 11, 2023

​Southern port city starts multilingual menu board service in 50 restaurants to attract foreign customers

SEOUL -- To attract more foreign customers, the southern port city of Busan started a smart menu board service that provides translated versions of restaurant menu boards. The price and name of menu options are shown in four languages -- English, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish. Visitors can order food by simply scanning QR codes printed on menu boards. According to Busan Tourism Organization, about 2.7 million foreign tourists visited the port city in 2019, before the first wav

January 6, 2023

​Chinese man caught in Seoul two days after fleeing from quarantine facility

SEOUL -- Police said on January 5 that they caught a 41-year-old Chinese man infected with COVID-19 who ran away from a quarantine facility after arriving at Incheon International Airport. He was tested positive for the coronavirus after undergoing a PCR test at the airport. The fugitive was apprehended at a Seoul hotel at 12:55 p.m. (0355 GMT), two days after he went into hiding, according to the police. He fled at 10:07 p.m. on January 3 after getting out of a car which brought

January 5, 2023

Southern resort island Jeju to operate nine green hydrogen buses

SEOUL -- Nine hydrogen buses will carry commuters from Hamdeok, the northeastern area of South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju, to a forested park area some 17.7 kilometers (10.9 miles) west of Hamdeok, and back. Green hydrogen is a type of hydrogen fuel that does not use any fossil fuel during its manufacturing process. Green hydrogen uses electrolysis to split water and release only hydrogen and oxygen. It is regarded as an important part of a sustainable ecosystem. Je

December 30, 2022

Startup incubation agency kick-starts AI-based business analysis service

SEOUL -- South Korea's state startup incubation agency has kick-started an artificial intelligence and big data-based business analysis service. The service would provide analysis and estimates for business operators so that they could take preemptive actions to improve their operations. The Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) said in a statement on December 30 that an AI-based business analysis service called "BizPathFinder" was released to provide multi-angle ins

December 30, 2022

Trash incineration facilities with heat recovery system reuse up to 73% waste heat: data

SEOUL -- A state environmental research institute found that trash incineration facilities with waste heat recovery systems can reuse up to 73.5 percent of the heat that is generated during the burning process. In South Korea, there are 34 waste processing facilities that receive government subsidies for operating waste heat removal equipment. Some 195.5 million tons of waste are generated in South Korea every year. While 87.4 percent including plastics and metal are recycled, 5.1

December 29, 2022

KAI partners with state space agency to carry out demonstration environment suitability test for urban air mobility

SEOUL -- South Korean aircraft maker Korea Aerospace Industries partnered with a state-run space agency to inspect test environments for urban air mobility, an ecosystem involving flying passenger vehicles in urban areas. A helicopter will be deployed to collect and analyze various data. Through UAM Team Korea, a public-private consultative body, South Korea aims to commercialize manned drone taxis in 2025. Remote-controlled vehicles will be adopted in 2030 and a fully autonomous s

December 28, 2022

Number of wild boars captured in Seoul increases by 70 percent on-year

SEOUL -- The number of wild boars captured or hunted in South Korea's capital city was 155, up 70.3 percent from a year ago. Wild pigs have become a major threat to South Koreans since the 1980s as there are no natural predators that could reduce the number of wild boars. Wild pigs are indigenous to the Korean peninsula. Along with other top-tier predators like tigers, leopards, and black bears, wild pigs almost became extinct during the Korean War which crippled the mountains

December 27, 2022

​S. Korea to demonstrate two autonomous intercity buses for first time

SEOUL -- Two self-driving buses will carry commuters from the central city of Sejong to Cheongju some 22.4 kilometers (13.9 miles) north of Sejong, and back. The level 3 autonomous vehicles that can travel at up to 80 kilometers per hour will become the first self-driving buses to run on a bus rapid transit route designed to quickly transport large numbers of passengers. Level 3 autonomous cars can detect their environment and make decisions such as slowing down or evading an obsta

December 27, 2022