KT combines tablet ordering system with restaurant service robots

SEOUL -- South Korea's major telecom company KT has connected its restaurant service robots with a tablet ordering system. Customers can order food using a tablet PC on tables and receive their dish delivered by KT's autonomous robots. Many South Korean restaurants have adopted service robots to improve work efficiency and save operation costs. Restaurant owners with such robots do not need to worry about minor mistakes made by human workers. Because there is no need to pay

May 9, 2023

SK Telecom recreates tourist spots including Seoul Tower through metaverse platform

SEOUL -- SK Telecom, a top mobile carrier, has created virtual tourist spots where users can explore Seoul Tower, a famous tourist spot located near central Seoul, and Cheonggyecheon, a stream that flows through the heart of the capital city, through its metaverse platform "Ifland." Users can also look around trendy regions in South Korea such as Gangnam, a district in southern Seoul known as the capital city's heart of fashion and finance, and Hongdae, the western Seoul

May 8, 2023

S. Korean food companies target rapidly growing global alternative food ingredient market

SEOUL -- South Korea's major food companies are jumping into the domestic alternative food ingredient product market that is rapidly growing at an average annual growth rate of about 13 percent to reach 280 billion won ($212 million) by 2026. The global alternatives market is predicted to reach $161.9 billion by 2030. Alternative food ingredients are protein-based processed ingredients that are mainly made with vegetable materials to create meat and fish-like textures and flavo

May 8, 2023

Seoul's southern district to provide interpretation services for medical tourists in nine languages

SEOUL -- A total of 39 interpreters will help foreign medical tourists accurately communicate with doctors and nurses in Gangnam, a southern district in Seoul well known for rapper Psy's 2012 song "Gangnam Style." The district office will provide an interpretation service in nine languages including English, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic for foreigners visiting hospitals and clinics. According to data released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, about 248,000 forei

May 8, 2023

​Japanese leader discusses with S. Korean business leaders for economic cooperation

SEOUL -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has met with South Korean business leaders to discuss methods to expand the scope of the economic cooperation between South Korea and Japan. At the meeting at a hotel in Seoul on May 8, the Japanese leader had a tea time with the heads of six South Korean business organizations including SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won who is also in charge of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Kishida has agreed with South Korean President Yoo

May 8, 2023

Startups target S. Korea's restaurant & cafe industries with serving robots

SEOUL -- Various startups are targeting South Korea's restaurant industry with more than 800,000 restaurants, coffee shops, and bars with serving robots that can carry food from the kitchen to customers' tables. Restaurant owners can subscribe to a robot rental service for as little as about 300,000 won ($226.5) per month. Serving robots are often witnessed at restaurants and cafes regardless of their sizes. Some shop owners find autonomous robots, capable of evading obstac

May 8, 2023

Japanese leader agrees to strengthen cooperation with S. Korea at summit meeting in Seoul

SEOUL -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with the South Korean government at a summit meeting held in Seoul. He has become the first Japanese leader to visit South Korea since Yoshihiko Noda, a former Japanese prime Minister who visited Seoul in October 2011. "I am happy that shuttle diplomacy has started in a decisive manner," the Japanese leader said, adding that dialogues have been moving dynamically in less than

May 7, 2023

Seoul starts demonstration of hydrogen fuel cell-based road sweeper truck

SEOUL -- Seoul City's facility management operator has started the demonstration of a hydrogen-powered road sweeper truck to remove extremely small dust particles generated by exhaust gas or car parts from roads in the capital city. The eco-friendly truck that can also help reduce air pollution will be tested in various areas including Olympic-daero, an eight-lane urban expressway that penetrates southern districts in the capital city from west to east. According to data rele

May 4, 2023

[OPINION] President's Washington visit underscores South Korea importance

KENOSHA -- President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea has just completed a six-day visit to Washington D.C. The relatively lengthy visit by the head of government underscores both

May 4, 2023

​S. Korea to push replacement of CNG-based commuter buses to hydrogen-based vehicles

SEOUL -- South Korea will collaborate with various companies and organizations including Hyundai Motor and the Korea Chartered Bus Mutual Aid Association to accelerate the replacement of compressed natural gas-based commuter buses operated by corporates to hydrogen-powered vehicles. Currently, public buses in South Korea mainly use compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) as their main fuel to reduce air pollution. However, many buses owned by private companies a

May 4, 2023