Online phishing attempts made using Coupang's official phone number

SEOUL -- Online phishing attempts were made using the official customer service phone number of Coupang, the South Korean counterpart of Amazon. The online commerce giant urged customers not to access the link provided through text messages. Online phishing is carried out by disguising themselves as popular companies or organizations. Hackers demand personal information such as their bank account numbers and passwords by making them access fake websites or smartphone apps. Hackers

October 4, 2023

​S. Korea launches special management program for local festivals to prevent safety accidents

SEOUL -- In a bid to prevent tragic accidents like the Itaewon Halloween stampede accident that left 159 people dead and dozens of people injured in October 2022, South Korea has launched a special management program that will monitor and examine local festivals for possible safety hazards and prevent accidents. The night of Halloween 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 stamp

October 4, 2023

Tuna maker Dongwon F&B to showcase plant-based tuna at German food fair

SEOUL -- South Korea's largest canned tuna maker Dongwon F&B will showcase plant-based tuna at ANUGA, a global food fair to be held on October 7 in Germany's western city of Cologne. During the five-day event, visitors can enjoy alternative tuna products. Dongwon F&B is known for "Dongwon Tuna," South Korea's favorite tuna brand. The canned tuna brand is often consumed along with rice and spicy instant noodles known as Ramyeon. According to Dongwon F

October 4, 2023

S. Korean individual proprietors struggle to manage principal and interest payments

SEOUL -- Many South Korean self-employed individuals, who withstood the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturns through loans and government subsidies, are finding themselves in a position where they can no longer manage the principal and interest payments. The COVID-19 pandemic which hit South Korea in early 2019 was like the death sentence for individual business operators, especially those who operate small stores, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops, after the c

October 4, 2023

​Hanwha Group launches subsidiary for cooperative robot production targeting global market

SEOUL -- South Korea's Hanwha Group has established a subsidiary that oversees the cooperative robot business. Targeting the global market, the new subsidiary will develop autonomous collaborative robots that can work with human coworkers in various sectors including security and food service. Cooperative robots, also known as cobots, are used especially at factories because of their autonomous operation functions and interactive capabilities. They can pick up tools and pass th

October 4, 2023

Exports of Korean rice beer 'Makgeolli' surpass 15,000 tons in 2022, up 22.6% from 2020

SEOUL -- Exports of traditional Korean rice beer Makgeolli in 2022 reached 15,396 tons in 2022, up 22.6 percent from two years ago, state data showed. Major Makgeolli importers were Japan, the United States, and China. Makgeolli, also known as Korean rice wine or Korean rice beer, is a milky white-colored alcoholic beverage. The beverage normally made with rice contains about six to eight percent alcohol. Some brands are flavored with corn, chestnuts, and apples. The milky beverage was

October 3, 2023

SK Telecom to provide AI-based imaging assistant service 'X Caliber' for animal hospitals in Japan

SEOUL -- South Korea's major mobile carrier SK Telecom partnered with Japanese electronic medical record solution provider Anicom Pafe, to supply "X Caliber," an AI-based veterinary imaging assistant service to animal hospitals in Japan. The web-based service helps veterinarians read and diagnose images quickly. X Caliber, released in September 2022, was adopted by some 300 South Korean veterinary hospitals. It detects abnormal findings in dogs' musculoskeletal syst

October 3, 2023

​'Influencer' gangsters use social media to attract young curious people: data

SEOUL -- Young people who are involved in organized crimes use social media platforms such as YouTube to attract ordinary people by showing off their "know-how" of quickly earning a lot of money or how to become a gangster, police data showed. "Jopock" is a Korean term that is used to describe a member of an organized crime group. The gangsters were irresponsibly glamorized in South Korean films and dramas in the early 2000s. However, such Jopocks were pushed out

October 2, 2023

Burglar suspect caught for breaking into empty stores in Seoul during autumn harvest festival holiday

SEOUL -- A burglar suspect was caught by police for breaking into some 30 stores in the northern area of Seoul during "Chuseok," a three-day autumn harvest festival holiday. This year's Chuseok holiday was coupled with a weekend to become a six-day holiday. Chuseok is celebrated on August 15 of the Lunar Calendar. Many South Koreans visit their hometowns and relatives during the autumn harvest festival. Previously, the government predicted that some 40 million people wo

October 2, 2023

S. Korea asks for Cabo Verde's support to host World Expo in Busan

SEOUL -- South Korean Industry Minister Bang Moon-kyu has visited Cabo Verde to win support for South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southern port city of Busan. The minister also discussed with Cape Verdean President Jose Maria Pereira Neves to cooperate in various sectors including agriculture, trade, and energy infrastructure. Despite the two nations' geographical distance, Bang visited the African country with a population of about 600,000 during a six-day &

October 1, 2023