KAI to adopt collaborative robots for production of fighter jet KF-21

SEOUL -- South Korea's major aircraft maker, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), will incorporate collaborative robots into the production process of the country's homemade fighter jet KF-21. Developed by domestic robot platform company Rainbow Robotics, these robots will be utilized for drilling tasks in the aircraft's fuselage structure. The KF-21 project started in 2010 in a bid to replace the country's aging fleet of U.S.-made F-4 and F-5 fighters. According to s

March 15, 2024

S. Korea initiates first step to develop long-range ship-to-air guided missile through $248 mln deal

SEOUL -- South Korea has initiated its first steps towards developing a long-range ship-to-air guided missile through a 330.6 billion ($248.6 million) deal with LIG Nex 1, a major defense contractor headquartered in Yongin, a satellite city of Seoul. These missiles are poised to serve as South Korea's next-generation maritime weaponry. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on March 15 that a contract had been signed between the arms procurement agency

March 15, 2024

Russian star ballerina's Seoul performance cancelled

SEOUL --Svetlana Zakharova's scheduled ballet performance in Seoul has been cancelled, the organizer announced on March 15. Zakharova, a Ukrainian-born prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet, was set to perform in "Modanse," a ballet depicting the life of fashion icon Coco Chanel, at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera House from April 17 to 21. The cancellation follows growing worldwide backlash against Russian artists and cultural institutions due to the ongoing

March 15, 2024

Seoul's southern satellite city resumes operation of robot-driven mobile library

SEOUL -- Seongnam City, a southern satellite city of Seoul, is set to resume the service of its robot-operated mobile library called "Carbook." The robot will traverse the Tancheon Riverside Park to lend books. Carbook, which commenced operations in 2022, is a car-shaped robot measuring 1.8 meters (5.8 feet) in length, 1.2 meters in height, and 1.1 meters in width. Its operation was temporarily suspended during the winter season for routine inspection and maintenance. Eq

March 15, 2024

K-beauty company targets Indonesian food market with Halal-certified supplements

SEOUL -- COSMAX NBT, the health supplement original design manufacturer wing of South Korea's beauty product maker COSMAX, is targeting the Indonesian functional food market with Halal-certified products. Indonesia with a population of 278.7 million has the world's biggest Halal market that is growing at an average annual growth rate of 6.7 percent to stand at $258 billion by 2030, according to global market analyst firm Inkwood Research. In 2019, Shinsegae Food, a subs

March 15, 2024

Multilingual singer-songwriter Stella Jang to hold solo concert on Seoul's artificial island

SEOUL -- South Korean singer-songwriter Stella Jang is set to hold a solo concert on Nodeul Island, an artificial island known as a cultural space in Seoul. The 32-year-old, who has spent 11 years in France, has previously mesmerized fans with her performance in six different languages -- English, Korean, French, Chinese, German, and Spanish. Debuting in 2014, Jang specializes in a range of genres, including indie music, ballad, and jazz. She garnered widespread attention in 201

March 15, 2024

CJ's canteen service wing partners with Hanwha Robotics to upgrade food services

SEOUL -- CJ Freshway, the canteen service and food ingredient distributor wing of South Korea's CJ Group, has partnered with Hanwha Robotics, Hanwha Group's robot-specialized subsidiary, to upgrade the food service value chain through the commercialization of autonomous cooperative robots, also known as collaborative robots. The adoption of cooperative robots in South Korea is accelerating as more business operators who seek to lower their operating costs are choosing robo

March 14, 2024

Boy band Seventeen to headline music festival 'Lollapalooza' in Berlin

SEOUL -- Multinational boy band Seventeen is set to engage with global fans in Berlin through Lollapalooza, a renowned international music event, as its headliner. The 13-member band will participate in the annual music festival along with English singer-songwriter Sam Smith and Martin Garrix, a Dutch DJ and record producer. According to Pledis Entertainment, the group's agency, Seventeen will headline the Lollapalooza Berlin, a two-day event scheduled to take place starting

March 14, 2024

Spending on private tutoring breaks record again

SEOUL -- South Korean families are shelling out more than ever for private tutoring, with costs exceeding 27 trillion won ($20.5 billion) in 2023. This marks a 4.5 percent increase from the previous year and the third consecutive year of record-breaking spending. High school students are the main drivers of this growth, according to the Ministry of Education and Statistics Korea. Their private education costs surged by 8.2 percent. The high cost of private education is a majo

March 14, 2024

LG joins global accord to prevent deceptive AI content from interfering with elections

SEOUL -- LG AI Research, the artificial intelligence technology wing of South Korea's LG Group, has joined the ranks of global tech companies that formed an accord to prevent the use of deceptive AI content from interfering with elections across the world in 2024. While various types of AI technologies are utilized globally to make people's lives better, some are used to deceive and create chaos in societies by spreading false or misleading information. Malicious AI conten

March 14, 2024