Seoul to operate self-driving buses near iconic Korean street food market

SEOUL -- Seoul's self-driving bus route that operates near Cheonggyecheon, a stream that flows through the heart of the capital city will be extended to a Gwangjang Market, a famous traditional Korean market with various types of street food. The traditional market is known for Tteokbokki, finger-sized rice cakes simmered in fiery-red spicy chili sauce, and Korean-style mung bean pancake called Bindaetteok. Since November 2022, a total of three autonomous buses carried passenge

November 6, 2023

Seoul's official Instagram becomes most-followed account among 10 major global cities

SEOUL -- Seoul City's official Instagram became the most-followed account among 10 major global cities with some 454,000 followers. The most popular content was a short-form video featuring Seoul Tower, a famous tourist attraction located near central Seoul, which was illuminated in purple, the iconic color of K-pop phenomenon BTS. Other global cities include New York, London, Tokyo, and Paris. After launching its official account in June 2014, the number of Seoul's Instagram f

November 6, 2023

Seventeen ranks second on Billboard's top 200 popular albums chart with 'Seventeenth Heaven'

SEOUL -- Multinational K-pop boy band Seventeen has ranked second on Billboard's top 200 popular albums chart with its eleventh mini album titled "Seventeenth Heaven." American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift took first place with "1989 (Taylor's Version)." Seventeen's album, released on October 23, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart with 100,000 equivalent album units sold in the United States in the week ending November 2. The music video f

November 6, 2023

Boy band Seventeen tops K-pop albums chart with 'Seventeenth Heaven'

SEOUL -- "Seventeenth Heaven," a mini album by multinational K-pop boy band Seventeen, has topped a real-time music chart in the United States, Japan, and China. The chart, operated by South Korea's state-funded music chart company "Hanteo Chart," ranks the 30 most popular K-pop albums by country. Hanteo Chart's data, released on November 3, showed that Seventeenth Heaven ranked first for the fourth week of October in the three countries. The company d

November 3, 2023

Seoul's public bike rental service adopts English chatbot for foreigners

SEOUL -- Seoul's public bike rental service called "Ttareungi," also known as Seoul Bike, has adopted an English artificial intelligence-based service to handle inquiries from foreigners. The English chatbot was created to meet growing demands for the rental service from foreigners. The public bicycle rental service, launched in December 2015, has been used by urbanites who wish to travel short distances of a few kilometers instead of using crowded buses or subway trains.

November 3, 2023

BTS' Jungkook releases first solo album 'GOLDEN'

SEOUL -- Jungkook, the youngest member of BTS, rolled out his very first solo album "Golden." The 26-year-old has collaborated with global producers including British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, American producer Andrew Watt, and Shawn Mendes, a Canadian singer-songwriter. The album contains 11 English language-based songs. Big Hit, the agency of BTS, released Golden on November 3. "Standing Next To You," the title track of the album was produced by Andrew Wat

November 3, 2023

Aju News partners with Korean association in India to promote cooperation between S. Korea and India

SEOUL -- Aju M&C, the holding company of Aju Business Daily, has partnered with the Korean Association of India to promote South Korea's cooperation with India in various domains, including business and culture. The project also involves SVA Solutions, an Indian firm specializing in consulting services for South Korean businesses operating in India, and a Korean language media outlet based in India. Aju Business Daily said its holding company signed an agreement with thes

November 3, 2023

Rainbow Robotics to release four-legged defense robot in 2024

SEOUL -- South Korea's robot platform company Rainbow Robotics will release a four-legged walking defense robot for surveillance, reconnaissance, and counter-terrorism missions in 2024. The company is working with Hyundai Rotem, a subsidiary of South Korea's Hyundai auto group, for the development of the multi-legged robot that could also be used to detect landmines. According to data released by Rainbow Robotics, there is a growing demand for robots that can be operated o

November 2, 2023

S. Korea to unveil blueprint for AI-based control tower for crime prediction and monitoring system

SEOUL -- South Korea will unveil a blueprint for an advanced artificial intelligence-based crime prediction and monitoring system that will work as a frontline defense against criminal activities involving illegal drugs and illegal cryptocurrency trade. During the last decade, South Korea faced new types of crimes involving the illegal trafficking of drugs and unapproved trading of cryptocurrency. Because the plotting of such criminal activities is carried out through online spaces, it

November 2, 2023

S. Korean consortium to produce tire materials using pyrolysis oil

SEOUL -- A consortium of South Korean companies and research institutes will carry out a project to recycle car tires using pyrolysis oil-based materials. Oil extracted from discarded car tires will be refined and supplied to Hankook Tire & Technology, a major tire maker in South Korea. According to data released by South Korea's conglomerate Hyosung, about 350,000 tons of waste tires are being produced in South Korea. Around 50 percent of them are landfilled, contaminating

November 2, 2023