Singer-actress IU to go on world tour in 18 cities

SEOUL -- Singer-actress Lee Ji-eun, known by her stage name IU, will go on her first world tour in about five years since she went on a tour in Asian countries in 2019. The 30-year-old will interact with global fans in 18 cities including Los Angeles, Berlin, Jakarta, and Seoul. IU, who debuted in 2008 at the age of 15, is one of the most popular solo female artists in South Korea's entertainment scene. Not only IU is famous for her talent as a musician, but she is also wel

January 18, 2024

Türkiye to send first astronaut on maiden space mission

SEOUL -- Türkiye will send its first astronaut on the country's maiden space mission. The Turkish Space Agency announced that the spacecraft will launch from a facility in Florida, United States, to dock with the International Space Station orbiting the Earth. The space mission by Türkiye was initiated in 2021 after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the national program. The Turkish Space Agency (TUA) selected the first Turkish astronaut from candidates based

January 18, 2024

Poland becomes S. Korea's fifth-largest trade surplus country thanks to military equipment exports

SEOUL -- Poland has now emerged as South Korea's fifth-largest trade surplus country, contributing approximately $9 billion, primarily fueled by exports of military equipment such as FA-50 light fighter jets and K-9 self-propelled howitzers, as reported by the Korea International Trade Association. Owing to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Poland has played a crucial role in supplying military equipment to Kyiv, aiding its neighbor in repelling the Russian inva

January 18, 2024

S. Korea's web cartoon industry scores highest operating profit in 2022: report

SEOUL -- South Korea's web cartoon industry achieved a record high of 1.8 trillion won ($1.3 billion) in 2022, data released by the country's culture ministry showed. The ministry plans to nurture webcomic as South Korea's leading content industry to attract more global fans. Web cartoons, also known as webtoons or webcomics, are digital comic books created to fit into web or mobile platforms. South Korea is the birthplace of webtoons. Popular webtoons are recreated in

January 18, 2024

S. Korea's 'milkflation' continues to increase, causing price hikes in dairy products

SEOUL -- South Korea's prolonged "milkflation," the continuous increase in the price of raw milk produced at dairy farms, has reached its steepest climb ever, recording the highest milk price since 2008. The average price for raw milk was 1,253 won ($0.93) per liter in December 2023, up by 7.83 compared to the average price of 1,162 won in January 2023. The price of raw milk is an important factor that affects consumer prices, especially in the food sector, as milk i

January 18, 2024

Samsung Electronics showcases real-time AI interpretation service for Galaxy S24 series

SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics has showcased a real-time interpretation service, based on generative artificial intelligence technique, for users of Galaxy S24, Samsung's latest phone scheduled for release on January 31, 2024. Galaxy S24's instant interpretation feature will help users communicate with other people regardless of their language barrier. The technology giant's upcoming Galaxy S24 series offers functions based on generative AI, a type of AI that can produ

January 18, 2024

Samsung Electronics records semiconductor revenue of $39.9 bln in 2023, down 37.5% percent year-on-year: market data

SEOUL -- Due to the sluggish global semiconductor market, Samsung Electronics faced a significant revenue decline in 2023. Data released by market research firm Gartner showed that the technology giant's global semiconductor revenue was $39.9 billion in 2023, down 37.5 percent from a year ago. The global market research firm reported on January 16 that worldwide semiconductor revenue dropped 11.1 percent year-on-year to $533 billion last year. Samsung secured the second posit

January 17, 2024

Girl band Le Sserafim to perform at US music festival Coachella

SEOUL -- Le Sserafim, a girl band formed by BTS agency Hybe's music label Source Music, will interact with global fans at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, a popular music event held in California. The annual event is known for showcasing popular artists in indie rock, hip-hop, and electronic dance music. Coachella is one of the largest music festivals in North America that attracted more than 200,000 fans every year. Along with K-pop girl band BLACKPINK, Puerto Ri

January 17, 2024

[OPINION] Taiwan reconfirms equality as well as democracy

KENOSHA -- Over the weekend, Lai Ching-te, also known as William Lai, was elected President of Taiwan. He succeeds President Tsai Ing-wen, who served two terms and is the firs

January 17, 2024

SK Group units partner with US clean energy company for ESS projects

SEOUL -- SK gas, a natural gas provider affiliated with South Korea's SK Group, will work with Apex Clean Energy, a Virginia-based renewable energy company, to establish energy storage systems infrastructure in the United States. Through a joint venture, the South Korean company will build energy storage facilities in Texas with a capacity of 200 megawatts. The amount of generated electricity is enough to provide power to about 330,000 households annually. An energy storage sy

January 17, 2024