S. Korean President to visit Dutch firm ASML to upgrade semiconductor supply chain cooperation

SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to visit the headquarters of ASML, a Dutch manufacturer of chip-making equipment, to strengthen semiconductor supply chain collaboration. The Dutch company is the sole maker of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) machinery, which is essential for producing physical chips from silicon wafers. The EUV technique allows the production of smaller and more powerful semiconductor chips. The technique enables chipmakers to have the abil

December 1, 2023

World-class choreographer Lia Kim to incubate artists at LA-based K-pop agency   

SEOUL -- Lia Kim, a South Korean choreographer who trained girl band Girls' Generation and rapper Jay Park, has become chief performance officer at Taitan Content, the first K-pop agency based in the United States. The 39-year-old dancer will nurture global artists at the Los Angeles-based entertainment company. Kim has served as a choreographer and instructor for various artists at three entertainment powerhouses in South Korea -- SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Ent

December 1, 2023

S. Korea approves reopening of livestock markets thanks to no extra reported cases of lumpy skin disease

SEOUL -- The South Korean government has approved livestock market operators to reopen their markets and resume the trade of cattle after about one month since the country's livestock disease control tower temporarily stopped all cattle trades and closed livestock markets to prevent the spread of lumpy skin disease. Animal disease specialists predict that the cold weather slowed down the movement of bloodsucking carrier insects. Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral infection th

December 1, 2023

Danish firm Orsted wins state approval to build offshore wind farm near western port city of Incheon

SEOUL -- Danish power company Orsted has won state approval to establish an offshore wind farm, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) off the coast of the western port city of Incheon. The wind farm would be South Korea's largest offshore wind-generated power plant with a generation capacity large enough to power some one million households annually. Orsted currently operates 28 offshore wind farms with a total generation capacity of 8.9 gigawatts across the globe. The company partnere

November 30, 2023

Seoul to adopt robot tutor for English speaking class in 2024

SEOUL -- To help young students improve their English speaking skills, Seoul will provide robots that can engage in one-on-one conversations in English. Starting in March 2024, the artificial intelligence-based assistant teacher will correct students' pronunciation and offer personalized education for those who need extra help. According to Cho Hee-yeon, superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the municipal education office is currently working with a priva

November 30, 2023

Nuclear power plants unharmed from earthquake: state nuclear power plant operator

SEOUL -- South Korea's state nuclear power plant operator has said that Wolsong nuclear power plants are all operational without any malfunctions. The announcement was released a few hours after a magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit Gyeongju some 290 kilometers (180 miles) southeast of Seoul on November 30. According to South Korea's state weather service, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.3 occurred in the southeastern region of Gyeongju City at about 4:55 a.m. (1955 GMT) on Nov

November 30, 2023

Bank of Korea freezes benchmark interest rate at 3.5% for seventh consecutive time

SEOUL -- South Korea's central bank has decided to freeze its key interest rate at 3.5 percent. The benchmark interest rate has remained unchanged through seven consecutive discussions since February 2023. The Bank of Korea (BOK) determined the base interest rate during this year's last monetary policy board meeting on November 30. The BOK has maintained the benchmark interest rate in February, April, May, July, and October after raising it by 0.25 percentage points in Janua

November 30, 2023

S. Korean OTT services to merge in bid to check Netflix and foreign services

SEOUL -- The operators of South Korean over-the-top video content streaming services -- Tving and Wavve -- have engaged in discussions over the merger of the two services in a bid to check foreign services including Netflix, the world's biggest over-the-top (OTT) service, and Disney+, operated by multinational entertainment and media company Disney. According to South Korea's fair trade watchdog, the domestic over-the-top (OTT) service market, estimated to stand at $1.9 bill

November 30, 2023

CJ Cheiljedang releases spicy rice cake Tteokbokki in Australia

SEOUL -- CJ Cheiljedang, a key subsidiary of South Korea's food and entertainment conglomerate CJ Group, has partnered with Australia's major convenience store chain EzyMart to release Korean food products including Tteokbokki, finger-sized rice cakes simmered in fiery-red spicy chili sauce. The street food is included in a premium ready-to-cook product brand "Bibigo." EzyMart operates some 450 stores across Australia, with about 200 of them located in Sydney. Chei

November 30, 2023

S. Korea and Chile engage in negotiations for modernization of free trade agreement

SEOUL -- South Korea and Chile have embarked on a three-day negotiation meeting for the modernization of the South Korea-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in a bid to update new trade norms into the agreement text. In 2003, Chile became South Korea's first-ever FTA partner, opening a new door to the outside world for South Korea which maintained its protective trade stance until the late 1990s when the country was almost swept away by the wake of the Asian financial crisis. Chile

November 29, 2023