S. Koreans express mixed feelings towards commemoration of tragic accident in Itaewon

SEOUL -- Various groups of South Koreans are expressing mixed feelings towards the commemoration of the tragic accident in a party district near central Seoul that took place on the eve of Halloween in 2022. A human stampede has taken the lives of 159 people and left dozens severely injured. Halloween Eve on October 30, 2022, is remembered as one of South Korea's worst safety accidents. 159 people were killed and 76 others injured during a deadly stampede in Itaewon, a district nea

October 17, 2023

S. Koreans pick shrimp crackers 'Saeukkang' as favorite snack: market data

SEOUL -- South Koreans chose "Saeukkang," shrimp crackers made by major food company Nongshim, as their favorite snack in 2022, market data showed. The shrimp cracker that was first released in the early 1970s has captured all age groups through generations. Saeukkang first hit the domestic market in 1971 when most of the mass-produced South Korean snacks were low-quality and based on traditional snacks that have bland flavors. The shrimp crackers were inspired by the popul

October 17, 2023

GI Innovation transfers allergy treatment technology to Japanese pharmaceutical company

SEOUL -- South Korea's biotechnology company GI Innovation has transferred technology for GI-301, an allergy treatment drug, to Maruho, a Japanese pharmaceutical firm specializing in skin diseases. The South Korean company received about 298 billion won ($219.7 million). GI-301 is a fusion protein that can efficiently deal with allergic reactions with its Immunoglobulin E (IgE), a type of antibody that migrates to cells. IgE overreacts to an allergen, triggering the production

October 16, 2023

Korean Air to showcase stealth unmanned aerial vehicle at aerospace and defense exhibition

SEOUL -- Korean Air, South Korea's flag carrier, will showcase its stealth unmanned aerial vehicle at "ADEX," an aerospace and defense exhibition in Seoul's satellite city of Seongnam. The company has carried out a military project to develop a low-observable unmanned aerial vehicle squadron since August 2022. In August 2022, the flag carrier was selected as the preferred bidder for the development of a squadron that involves one manned aircraft and three to four steal

October 16, 2023

Scholarship association 'KOR/AM' to host golf event in US military base

SEOUL -- KOR/AM, a scholarship foundation for children of United States soldiers in South Korea, will host a golf event to mark its first anniversary. Profit made through the golf tournament will be used to award scholarships to students attending schools in the U.S. military bases in South Korea. About 28,500 U.S. troops are currently stationed in South Korea, technically at war with North Korea. Military bases are located in various regions including Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers (43

October 16, 2023

BTS' Jungkook to release solo album for first time

SEOUL -- Jungkook, the youngest member of BTS, will release his very first solo album on November 3. The 26-year-old has collaborated with various global producers including British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, American producer Andrew Watt, and Shawn Mendes, a Canadian singer-songwriter. The album titled "GOLDEN" contains 11 English language-based songs. Big Hit, the agency of BTS, uploaded the tracklist of GOLDEN. "Standing Next To You," the title track of th

October 16, 2023

​Digital healthcare expert finds repetitive brain stimulation effective for neurodegenerative diseases

SEOUL -- Lee Sang-sik, a digital healthcare researcher at South Korea's Catholic Kwandong University, found that repetitive brain stimulation could improve the cognitive functions of patients with degenerative brain diseases. The therapy, which involves electrical impulse, was proven to inhibit cell death. The therapy called "repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)" is a non-invasive brain treatment technique. Although rTMS is known to be relatively painless a

October 13, 2023

SKC to sell polyurethane material division to focus on eco-friendly material businesses

SEOUL -- SKC, one of South Korea's top chemical product makers, will sell its polyurethane raw material business, in a bid to accelerate the company's businesses focused on secondary batteries, semiconductors, and eco-friendly materials. SKC said in a statement that through a board meeting held on October 12, the chemical company's board of executives decided to sell a 100 percent stake in SK pucore, the polymer material-making wing of SKC, for 410.3 billion won ($303.9 mil

October 13, 2023

Girl band NiziU to debut in S. Korea with single album 'Press Play'

SEOUL -- NiziU, a nine-member Japanese girl band, will roll out its Korean language-based album "Press Play" to make its official debut in South Korea. The group, debuted in December 2020, was created through a joint global audition project by South Korea's JYP Entertainment and Sony Music, a top music label in Tokyo. The girl band was formed through the first season of the audition show Nizi Project in 2020. The girls who were under control by JYP for training in Sou

October 13, 2023

Fried chicken brand BBQ opens first store in Costa Rica

SEOUL -- BBQ, a popular South Korean fried chicken franchise, has opened its first store in Costa Rica. Along with fried chicken, BBQ will provide Korean dishes including Tteokbokki, finger-sized rice cakes simmered in fiery-red spicy chili sauce, and stir-fried rice with kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented vegetable dish. The fried chicken brand, run by Genesis BBQ, is an iconic franchise in South Korea. Most BBQ chicken is less oily compared to chicken made by North American b

October 12, 2023