VUNO's AI brain image analysis solution wins US health department's approval as medical device

SEOUL -- An artificial intelligence-based brain disease analysis solution created by South Korea's medical solution company VUNO was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as a medical device. The solution named "VUNO Med-DeepBrain" can help doctors identify degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. VUNO Med-DeepBrain divides brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images into some 100 sections and provides infor

October 10, 2023

[OPINION] American politics: A house divided, leadership in flux

KARACHI -- In the wake of the recent impasse, the tumultuous spectacle of the dramatic ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the American political landscape appears to be fast descending into an abyss. This latest upheaval, M

October 10, 2023

YG postpones debut of new girl band 'BABYMONSTER'

SEOUL -- YG Entertainment, one of South Korea's top entertainment powerhouses, has postponed the debut of a new girl band "BABYMONSTER." The agency of top K-pop act BLAKCPINK said that the new band will start its official activities in November, two months later than the officially announced September release schedule. BABYMONSTER, originally scheduled to hit the stage in September is a seven-member band comprised of members from South Korea, Thailand, and Japan. K-pop

October 10, 2023

Seoul to develop AI solution for detection of hecklers at subway stations

SEOUL -- Seoul will develop an artificial intelligence-based solution capable of monitoring the movement of people to see if there are any abnormal activities at subway stations. In case of an emergency, the solution will notify a human inspector in full sentences to handle various types of accidents. According to the capital city, social unrest is increasing due to the recent incidents targeting an unspecified number of the public. On July 21, a man in his 30s killed one man and inju

October 10, 2023

About 40% of international students to S. Korea become illegal immigrants

SEOUL -- About 40 percent of foreign people who enter South Korea with D-4 student permits decide not to return home after they finish their courses and become illegal immigrants, data released by the country's justice department showed. According to the Korean Educational Development Institute operated by South Korea's education ministry, there were 166,892 international students studying in South Korean universities as of April 2022. Among the foreign students, about 67,500 p

October 10, 2023

Imports of alcoholic drinks increase by 54% in 4 yrs while exports increase by 2%: data

SEOUL -- Backed by the skyrocketing popularity of foreign alcoholic drinks among young consumers in their 20s and 30s, imports of liquors and alcoholic beverages have increased by 54 percent since 2018. Meanwhile, exports of South Korean products only increased by two percent in the same period. The consumption of whisky and other foreign-made alcoholic drinks has gained popularity among young consumers since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2019. The culture of "so

October 10, 2023

​CJ Freshway to showcase smart restaurant with robot chef at food solution fair

SEOUL -- At a food solution fair in Seoul, the food material distribution wing of South Korea's conglomerate CJ Group will showcase a smart restaurant where visitors can enjoy fried chicken cooked by a robot chef. After the robot completes cooking, its human coworker will arrange and decorate the dish. A serving robot will deliver the completed dish to customers. The adoption of robot chefs is gradually gaining momentum in South Korea. In August 2021, domestic chicken franchis

October 10, 2023

Stray Kids named as one of next-generation leaders by Time magazine

SEOUL -- Boy band Stray Kids was named as one of the next-generation leaders in 2023 by Time magazine. The eight-member boy band became the second K-pop boy group included in the list, following BTS in 2018. Stray Kids received immense attention before its official debut as the group members were the final survivors of "Stray Kids," a survival audition show aired through TV music channel Mnet in 2017. It is the first boy band to be produced by Park Jin-young, the head of

October 6, 2023

S. Korean mobile carriers prepare for largest fireworks festival

SEOUL -- The top three South Korean mobile carriers -- SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus -- are in their last preparation process to ensure stable mobile phone services during the Seoul International Fireworks Festival scheduled on October 7. The Seoul International Fireworks Festival hosted by South Korean conglomerate Hanwha is an annual event that takes place in Yeouido, a river island in the Han River that flows through the capital city from the east and out to the West Sea, also know

October 6, 2023

​Daesang opens kimchi pop-up store in trendy fashion district Seongsu

SEOUL -- South Korea's major food manufacturing group Daesang has opened a pop-up store where visitors can taste various types of special dishes including a kimchi cake and kimchi skewer. Kimchi lovers can also enjoy photo and video content of Hoshi, a member of the boy band Seventeen who is also serving as the ambassador for the food company's kimchi brand "Jongga." Kimchi is Korea's iconic spicy and sour, pickled vegetable side dish, usually made by fermenti

October 6, 2023