AI care robots look after elderly living alone in rural region

SEOUL -- Artificial intelligence-based care robots were provided to old people living alone in a rural region in South Korea's eastern province. The companion robots help residents become emotionally stable by asking them how they are faring while monitoring their conditions, and warn guardians in case of an emergency. The robots created by South Korea's AI care robot developer Hyodol were distributed to 15 selected residents, Cheongsong County Office said. The doll-sha

August 9, 2023

About 30% of S. Koreans suffer from mental illness at least once during lifetime

SEOUL -- About 30 percent of South Koreans suffer from a mental illness at least once during their life, research data released by the state-operated mental healthcare showed. Of those who suffered from a mental disease, only about 12 percent sought a professional diagnosis from a doctor. From ancient times in Korea, mentally ill people bore the image of untreatable people who should be kept hidden away from society. Before modern Western medicine-based medical systems were adopted ab

August 9, 2023

​LG Chem partners with Samhwa to manufacture waste plastic-based eco-friendly paint products

SEOUL -- LG Chem, the chemical unit of South Korea's LG Group, has partnered with Samhwa, a major South Korean paint maker, to cooperate in the manufacturing of eco-friendly paint products that use waste plastics as core material. The final product would be used by smartphone companies to finish-coat their mobile devices. When plastic wastes are recycled using a pyrolysis technique that incorporates extreme heat and pressure, the waste material is broken down into crude oil which c

August 9, 2023

S. Korea unveils plan to secure 500,000 Korean language learners by 2027

SEOUL -- South Korea's culture ministry revealed its plan to secure about 500,000 Korean language learners by 2027 through Korean language institutes in foreign countries. As of 2022, the education group called the "King Sejong Institute" had about 147,000 students. Currently, the country is running 248 language centers in 85 countries and the culture ministry aims to increase the number of institutes to up to 350. The King Sejong Institute was launched in 2007 to po

August 8, 2023

Jamboree participants to be distributed to eight cities and provinces to take shelter from typhoon

SEOUL -- Some 37,000 Jamboree participants started their migration to eight cities and provinces including Seoul and its surrounding cities in an effort to take shelter from extreme weather including heat waves and a powerful typhoon that is about the hit the southern parts of South Korea on August 10 and move northward. The evacuation of Scouts and Girl Guides from 156 countries was announced on August 7 after the South Korean government told the World Organization of the Scout Moveme

August 8, 2023

Seoul to showcase AI-based translation service for foreign subway passengers

SEOUL -- To help foreigners accurately communicate with subway employees, Seoul will develop an artificial intelligence-based translation service that can simultaneously interpret languages. A terminal with a voice recognition function will immediately translate when the two people talk to each other using their own language. The system will provide more than 12 languages including English, Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish. According to data released by Seoul Metro, the subway operat

August 8, 2023

S. Korean battery makers seek to acquire battery recycling firms in bid to prevent technology leak

SEOUL -- Major South Korean battery makers including LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation are busy seeking opportunities to acquire battery recycling companies in a bid to prevent technology leaks and illegal distribution of discarded batteries. According to NSE Research, a global market research firm, the global battery recycling market will grow at an annual average growth rate of about 17 percent to reach $42.4 billion in 2030. High-performance batteries that are mainly used in elec

August 8, 2023

Southern port city promotes separated discharge of plastic and vinyl trash for recycled fuel production

SEOUL -- The southern port city of Gimhae has started the promotion of the separated discharge of plastic and vinyl wastes in an effort to turn plastic wastes into recycled fuel through a pyrolysis technique. The port city aims to encourage citizens to participate in the eco-friendly movement by distributing special 20-liter bags for plastic waste collection. The pyrolysis technique uses extreme heat and pressure to break down plastic materials into naphtha which is a flammable liquid

August 8, 2023

Girl band aespa completes two-day concert in Tokyo

SEOUL -- K-pop girl band aespa has completed its concert at Tokyo Dome, an indoor stadium regarded as a "dream stage" among Japanese artists. About 94,000 audience attended the two-day event. The four-member band will continue its world tour in the United States and other countries in South America and Europe. "aespa sets the record for holding a concert at Tokyo Dome the fastest since debut among foreign artists," the band's agency said on Twitter after gro

August 8, 2023

Global competition for first-person shooter game 'CrossFire' to be held in Ho Chi Minh City

SEOUL -- Smilegate Entertainment, a South Korean game publisher, will host a global competition for CrossFire, a first-person shooter game with about eight million monthly active users, in Viet Nam's Ho Chi Minh City. Players from eight countries including China, Brazil, and the Philippines will compete to win prize money of $300,000. The event will be broadcast in English, Vietnamese, and Chinese. The first-person shooter game, released in 2007, features a war between two privat

August 7, 2023