Hanwha Robotics, B-Robotics join hands on restaurant automation project

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - Hanwha Robotics signed a memorandum of understanding with service robot firm B-Robotics to cooperate in restaurant automation solutions, the robot arm of Korea's Hanwha Group said Friday. Under the deal, Hanwha will provide expertise in food technology, including culinary robots proficient in cooking meals and pouring wine, while B-Robotics will contribute serving robot-related technologies. Previously, Hanwha Robotics showcased a robot sommelier c

May 3, 2024

BTS agency launches global audition for new boy band

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - Big Hit Music, the entertainment powerhouse behind BTS and Tomorrow X Together, has launched a global audition to discover a new boy band that will continue the legacy of the K-pop sensations. The contest is open to males of any nationality born after 2006 and will be held both online and offline, the company said Friday. The offline audition will run from June 1 to August 31 in 17 regions around the world, including Hawaii, Vancouver, Sydney, Oaklan

May 3, 2024

Spike in juvenile gambling raises concerns in Korea

SEOUL, May 03 (AJU PRESS) - The number of Korean juveniles booked for illegal gambling more than doubled last year, prompting police to come up with comprehensive preventative measures. A total of 171 teenagers aged 14-19 were booked on suspicion of illegal gambling in 2023, a 2.3-fold increase from 74 in the previous year, the National Police Agency said Friday. Boys accounted for 92.4 percent of them. The average age of such suspects has steadily declined over the past five y

May 3, 2024

Harmful substances found in toys sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms

SEOUL, May 02 (AJU PRESS) - Seoul City has discovered excessive levels of harmful substances, including lead and banned chemicals, in children’s toys and stationery items sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms including Aliexpress, officials said Thursday. Korean law requires sellers and importers of children's products to obtain safety certification, imposing penalties for violating the rule. However, the law does not apply to products purchased directly from overseas onl

May 2, 2024

Hyundai Rotem selected as preferred bidder for armored vehicle contract with Peru

SEOUL, May 02 (AJU PRESS) - South Korea's Hyundai Rotem has been chosen as the preferred bidder for a deal to supply wheeled armored vehicles to the Peruvian Army, the defense contractor said Thursday. If the contract is finalized, it will mark the first time the nation's infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) are exported to South America. Under the agreement worth $60 million, Hyundai Rotem will provide 30 K808 IFVs, called Baekho (white tiger), via the Seoul-based trading co

May 2, 2024

Korea to launch international webtoon festival in September

SEOUL, May 02 (AJU PRESS) – The Korean government plans to launch an international webtoon festival in September to promote the globally popular digital comics that originated in the nation about two decades ago. The inaugural Global Webtoon Festival will be held in Seongsu-dong, an emerging hipster hotspot in northeastern Seoul, from September 26 to 29, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Thursday. The festival will institute new webtoon awards to

May 2, 2024

Opinion: High interest rates aren't going away anytime soon – business economist explains why

SEOUL, May 02 (AJU PRESS) - The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its May 1, 2024, policy meeting, dashing the hopes of potential homebuyers and others who were hoping for a cut. Not only will rates remain at their current level – a 23-year high – for at least another month, there's little reason to believe the Fed will start tapering until the fall. Indeed, if inflation starts to heat back up, it's plausible – though at the moment unlikely &ndas

May 2, 2024

Opinion: China set to blast off to far side of the Moon – here's what it could discover

SEOUL, May 02 (AJU PRESS) - China is attempting to recover the first ever soil and rock samples from the lunar far side. The surface mission, Chang'e 6, named after the Chinese Moon goddess Chang'e, is a predecessor to the successful sample return mission, Chang'e 5, and a part of the Chinese lunar exploration programme. The mission is set for launch using a long March 5 rocket at the Wenchang satellite launch center in Hainan province on May 3. The spacecraft due to l

May 2, 2024

Teaser video for NewJeans' collaborated song with Japanese artist creates buzz

SEOUL, May 01 (AJU PRESS) - A music video for girl band NewJeans's new song "Right Now" was teased on Wednesday. Min Hee-jin, who masterminded the iconic K-pop quintet, also uploaded the video on Instagram the same day. There are already high expectations about the song as the music video comes as a collaboration with Japanese contemporary artist Murakami Takashi. Murakami, renowned for blending Japanese traditional art with pop culture, is considered one of Ja

May 1, 2024

'Trump factor' weighs on defense cost talks

SEOUL, May 01 (AJU PRESS) - Donald Trump, if he wins a second U.S. presidency, has implied the possibility of withdrawing U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula unless South Korea contributes more for their upkeep. In an interview with TIME Magazine released on Tuesday, the Republican presidential candidate who eyes another presidency referred to South Korea as a "very wealthy country." He told the magazine, "We have 40,000 troops that are in a precarious position. Wh

May 1, 2024