Samsung adds free movie VOD service to digital TVs

SEOUL -- Samsung Electronics has added movie video-on-demand service to Samsung TV Plus, the company's free video content service for Samsung TV users. The tech giant partnered with the ecommerce wing of South Korea's largest telecom service provider KT to gradually increase the number of serviced films to up to 1,000 by the end of 2024. Video-on-demand (VOD) services are internet-based video content services in which viewers can search and select films they wish to watch on

December 13, 2023

More than 50% of S. Koreans plan to spend less in 2024 due to economic recession: survey

SEOUL -- More than 50 percent of South Koreans plan to spend less in 2024 due to high inflation and economic recession caused by increased basic costs including prices of oil, agricultural products, and everyday necessities. According to South Korea's statistical information service, the consumer price index for November 2023 was 112.74 (2020=100), up 3.3 percent from the same period a year ago. The consumer price index, which reflects the actual sense of inflation felt by cons

December 13, 2023

Revenge series 'The Glory' ranks third on Netflix's most-watched series chart in first half of 2023

SEOUL -- South Korean revenge thriller TV series "The Glory" became the third globally most-watched content on Netflix in the first six months of 2023. The series, rolled out on December 30, 2022, portrays a story of a woman who experienced vicious bullying at high school taking revenge on bullies after becoming an adult. According to the global streaming service giant's report released on December 13, the South Korean series recorded 622.8 million hours of viewing in

December 13, 2023

Seoul adopts usability certification for digital kiosks to reduce digital gap

SEOUL -- To help Seoulites who are unfamiliar with digital appliances, Seoul City has adopted a usability certification for digital ordering systems commonly found at restaurants and coffee shops. The capital city will provide benefits including subsidies for business loans for companies that develop digital kiosks, websites, or applications that are easily usable by the elderly and inexperienced users. Digital kiosks are widely used in South Korean restaurants to save operating cos

December 12, 2023

Hyundai develops snow chain-integrated tire technology

SEOUL -- Hyundai auto group has developed an innovative snow chain-integrated tire technology using shape memory alloy. The car tire can be used as an ordinary car tire and deploy a snow chain by pressing a button. According to Transparent Market Research, a global market research firm, the global market for winter tires is estimated to grow at an annual average growth rate of 5.9 percent to reach $35.65 billion by 2029. Some states and provinces in the United States and Canada requ

December 12, 2023

S. Korean President embarks on five-day state visit to Netherlands

SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has embarked on a five-day state visit to the Netherlands on December 11. On the first day of his journey, Yoon met Korean compatriots and mentioned that his state visit is aimed at upgrading semiconductor cooperation between Seoul and Amsterdam. The South Korean leader will later tour ASML, a promising Dutch manufacturer of chip-making equipment. "With this visit, the semiconductor cooperation between South Korea and the Netherland

December 12, 2023

Domestic sales of electronics decrease after reopening: government data

SEOUL -- Domestic sales of electronics, including televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines have decreased compared to sales recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, government data showed. Due to decreased sales, the recycling rate that electronics companies must achieve has also decreased. By law, South Korea mandates electronics companies to retrieve and recycle 49 types of electronics including home appliances. The annual rate that must be achieved is decided by the environ

December 12, 2023

BTS' Jin could train band mates Jungkook and Jimin as drill instructor at military boot camp

SEOUL -- Jungkook, the youngest member of BTS, and the group's lead vocalist Jimin started their mandatory military service. The two artists will go through five weeks of basic training at a front-line infantry division that guards the inter-Korean border. Currently, the band's eldest member Jin is training new soldiers as an assistant army drill instructor at the infantry division. In South Korea, males aged 18 and above must complete their military service unless they have

December 12, 2023

S. Korean SPA brands seek to evade aftermath of economic recession through differentiated strategies

SEOUL -- South Korean SPA (specialty retailer of private label apparel) brand operators have adopted differentiated marketing strategies to increase sales despite the country's economic recession caused by high inflation and increased basic operating costs including oil, materials, and manpower. SPA brands are recognized by South Korean consumers as clothing brands that sell reasonable-quality apparel for affordable prices. Consumers in their 20s favor buying clothes from SPA br

December 12, 2023

ZEPETO operator to support UAE's metaverse business in media accelerator zone

SEOUL -- The operator of ZEPETO, a metaverse platform created by South Korea's top portal site Naver, will share its expertise in metaverse-related technologies to upgrade an existing virtual reality ecosystem in the United Arab Emirates' media service hub "Sharjah Media City." The media accelerator zone, located in the Middle Eastern country's third-most populous city of Sharjah, plans to offer various business opportunities for global entrepreneurs in the creati

December 11, 2023