Hyundai develops snow chain-integrated tire technology

SEOUL -- Hyundai auto group has developed an innovative snow chain-integrated tire technology using shape memory alloy. The car tire can be used as an ordinary car tire and deploy a snow chain by pressing a button. According to Transparent Market Research, a global market research firm, the global market for winter tires is estimated to grow at an annual average growth rate of 5.9 percent to reach $35.65 billion by 2029. Some states and provinces in the United States and Canada requ

December 12, 2023

S. Korean President embarks on five-day state visit to Netherlands

SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has embarked on a five-day state visit to the Netherlands on December 11. On the first day of his journey, Yoon met Korean compatriots and mentioned that his state visit is aimed at upgrading semiconductor cooperation between Seoul and Amsterdam. The South Korean leader will later tour ASML, a promising Dutch manufacturer of chip-making equipment. "With this visit, the semiconductor cooperation between South Korea and the Netherland

December 12, 2023

Domestic sales of electronics decrease after reopening: government data

SEOUL -- Domestic sales of electronics, including televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines have decreased compared to sales recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, government data showed. Due to decreased sales, the recycling rate that electronics companies must achieve has also decreased. By law, South Korea mandates electronics companies to retrieve and recycle 49 types of electronics including home appliances. The annual rate that must be achieved is decided by the environ

December 12, 2023

BTS' Jin could train band mates Jungkook and Jimin as drill instructor at military boot camp

SEOUL -- Jungkook, the youngest member of BTS, and the group's lead vocalist Jimin started their mandatory military service. The two artists will go through five weeks of basic training at a front-line infantry division that guards the inter-Korean border. Currently, the band's eldest member Jin is training new soldiers as an assistant army drill instructor at the infantry division. In South Korea, males aged 18 and above must complete their military service unless they have

December 12, 2023

S. Korean SPA brands seek to evade aftermath of economic recession through differentiated strategies

SEOUL -- South Korean SPA (specialty retailer of private label apparel) brand operators have adopted differentiated marketing strategies to increase sales despite the country's economic recession caused by high inflation and increased basic operating costs including oil, materials, and manpower. SPA brands are recognized by South Korean consumers as clothing brands that sell reasonable-quality apparel for affordable prices. Consumers in their 20s favor buying clothes from SPA br

December 12, 2023

ZEPETO operator to support UAE's metaverse business in media accelerator zone

SEOUL -- The operator of ZEPETO, a metaverse platform created by South Korea's top portal site Naver, will share its expertise in metaverse-related technologies to upgrade an existing virtual reality ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates' media service hub "Sharjah Media City." The media accelerator zone, located in the Middle Eastern country's third-most populous city of Sharjah, plans to offer various business opportunities for global entrepreneurs in the creati

December 11, 2023

Hyundai Motor forges multilateral partnership to accelerate establishment of global hydrogen ecosystem

SEOUL -- Hyundai Motor forged a multilateral partnership with various organizations and SK E&S, the renewable energy wing of South Korea's SK Group, in a bid to establish a global hydrogen ecosystem. A hydrogen ecosystem refers to infrastructure that consists of networks of hydrogen factories, logistics systems for hydrogen transport, storage systems for hydrogen, and hydrogen charging stations for commercial and ordinary hydrogen-based vehicles. When hydrogen networks of

December 11, 2023

BTS' RM and V begin mandatory military service  

SEOUL -- BTS' leader, RM, and V, a member of the group, have commenced their compulsory military service. After completing five weeks of basic training at South Korea's largest army boot camp, the two artists will be assigned to their unit, where they will spend the rest of their time with fellow soldiers for about 16 months and three weeks. In South Korea, males aged 18 and above are obligated to complete their military service unless exempted for valid reasons. Those enl

December 11, 2023

S. Korea launches special quarantine programs for egg farms to prevent spread of avian influenza

SEOUL -- In an effort to stop the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, the South Korean government will carry out special quarantine programs for areas densely populated with egg and poultry farms. This year's first case of avian influenza was found in the southwestern parts of South Korea in early December. Investigators found the H5N6-type, an extremely infectious type, among the viruses. The southwestern parts including Chungcheong Province and Jeolla Province are hom

December 11, 2023

Hyundai Engineering partners with nuclear power research institute to export homemade small reactors

SEOUL -- South Korea's major builder Hyundai Engineering has partnered with a state-run atomic energy research institute to export the country's homemade small nuclear reactor, claimed to be smaller and more efficient than conventional nuclear reactors. Starting with Canada, the South Korean company is considering supplying the "system-integrated modular advanced reactor" to the United States, India, and Uzbekistan. The system-integrated modular advanced reactor

December 11, 2023