PHOTOS: 'Transformers One' statue event held in Seoul

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - The Transformers franchise is set to release its latest installment, diving into the backstories of fan-favorite characters Optimus Prime and Megatron. This marks the series' first fully CGI animated feature film. "Transformers One," which boasts voice acting from Hollywood stars Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson, is scheduled to premiere in Korea on Sept. 25. To celebrate the release, statues of key characters, including Orion Pax, D-16, El

August 29, 2024

PHOTOS: Seoul's Seongdong-gu conducts joint electric vehicle fire response drill

SEOUL, August 28 (AJP) - Seoul's Seongdong District and Seongdong Fire Station conducted a joint fire response drill on Wednesday, focusing on electric vehicle (EV) fires. Recognizing the critical importance of initial response in EV fire incidents, the drill combined educational sessions on early intervention techniques with realistic scenario-based training. The exercise demonstrated professional firefighters isolating the affected vehicle from other parked cars, and then submerging

August 29, 2024

PHOTOS: Medical association chief starts hunger strike amid extreme government-doctor conflict

SEOUL, August 28 (AJP) - As tensions between the government and medical community persist, Dr. Lim Hyun-taek, president of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), began a hunger strike and sit-in protest outside the KMA building in Yongsan District, Seoul, on Aug. 26. At the press conference announcing his hunger strike, Lim said, "I want to convey my sincerity through this strike. Doctors want to normalize Korea's collapsed healthcare system as soon as possible. We urge the public to

August 29, 2024

Yoon clarifies his vision for reunification at nationwide televised press conference

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - During a press conference on Thursday, President Yoon Suk Yeol reiterated that South Korea's path to reunification with North Korea should be peaceful. His comments referred to the vision for reunification he proposed in his Liberation Day speech on Aug. 15. The vision outlines three key principles: "freedom-based values," "changes in the North Korean populace," and "international solidarity." These principles aim to guide S

August 29, 2024

Court declares Korea's climate goals partially unconstitutional, calls for longer-term target

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) – The Constitutional Court ruled Thursday Korea's climate change policy is partially unconstitutional, ordering the government to supplement it with a longer-term emission reduction goal. In a ruling on four constitutional petitions filed by young environmentalists, the court said that the government's omission of greenhouse gas reduction targets beyond 2030 fails to adequately protect citizens' basic rights. In the first such cas

August 29, 2024

Supreme court upholds life sentence for brutal murder convict

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - The Supreme Court of Korea upheld a life sentence for a man convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering a woman in Seoul last year. Choi Yun-jong, 30, brutally attacked a total stranger, attempting to rape and severely beating her on a hiking trail in southern Seoul in August of last year. The victim, an elementary school teacher was taken to a hospital but died two days later. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty in both the first and second tr

August 29, 2024

Baseball attendance set to reach 10 million this season

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - The number of spectators for this year's professional baseball league is on the brink of reaching a new milestone of 10 million. According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the cumulative number of baseball fans who have visited stadiums across the country has surpassed 9 million as of early this week. Many baseball fans were undeterred by this summer's record heatwave, as attendance reached 8.48 million last Sunday, surpassing the previou

August 29, 2024

Korean researchers develop advanced fault-tolerant quantum technology

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) have developed a fault-tolerant quantum technology that surpasses the capabilities of global leaders in quantum computing, the institute said on Thursday. The team, led by Dr. Lee Seung-woo at KIST Center for Quantum information, designed a fault-tolerant quantum computing architecture based on their error correction technique. Their method achieved a maximum photon loss threshold of 14 perc

August 29, 2024

SK hynix develops world's first 10nm-class 6th generation DRAM

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) - SK hynix said Thursday it has successfully developed the world's first 16Gb DDR5 DRAM using 10nm-class 6th generation (1c) process technology. This breakthrough pushes the boundaries of memory process technology into the early 10nm range. The company expanded on its industry-leading 5th generation (1b) platform to create the 1c DDR5, minimizing potential errors and efficiently transferring performance advantages. By applying new materials to specific EUV

August 29, 2024

Authorities face technological, legal hurdles in combatting deepfake porn

SEOUL, August 29 (AJP) – Korean authorities are struggling to combat the rapid spread of deepfake pornography as detection and control technologies lag behind the artificial intelligence (AI) tools used to create such content, experts say. The government has recently pledged a tougher crackdown and heavier sentencing in response to the proliferation of sexually explicit deepfake images targeting women and girls. However, law enforcement is ill-equipped to handle the surge

August 29, 2024