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  Korea Zinc teams up to commercialize composite copper foil for drone, robot batteries Korea Zinc is partnering with Taesung and Neo Battery Materials Korea to speed commercialization of composite copper foil, a next-generation anode current collector used in batteries. The company said Tuesday it signed a memorandum of understanding with the two firms on Jan. 28 at its Onsan smelter to develop high-performance battery technology using composite copper foil for drones and robots. Attendees included Korea Zinc Onsan smelter chief Kim Seung Hyun and R&D center chief Choi He February 4, 2026
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  Fantagio Says Cha Eun-woo’s Family Not Tied to Eel Restaurant Amid Tax Evasion Allegations ASTRO member Cha Eun-woo has been linked to allegations of 20 billion won in tax evasion, and attention has turned to an eel restaurant previously operated by his mother. Fantagio said Tuesday that the currently operating “Eojeoyeon Cheongdam” is “a completely separate corporation” from “Eojeoyeon Charcoal-Grilled Eel” on Ganghwa Island. The agency said Eojeoyeon Cheongdam is run by Fantagio M, a wholly owned Fantagio subsidiary, and “has no connection to Cha Eun-woo’s family.” Earlier February 4, 2026
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  Buddhist Temple-Style Jumbo Dumplings Hit Online Stores and Supermarkets DobanHC Co., the business holding company of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, and CJ CheilJedang are releasing a limited run of “temple-style jumbo dumplings.” DobanHC said Tuesday the dumplings are filled only with selected plant-based ingredients — including cabbage, zucchini and mung bean sprouts — to boost texture and deliver a clean, nutty flavor. The company said it strictly follows traditional Buddhist practice-food rules, using no meat and no “five pungent vegetables” — garl February 4, 2026
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  South Korea’s Imported Car Sales Jump 37.6% in January to 20,960, Led by BMW BMW continued to lead South Korea’s imported-car market in January. The Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association said Tuesday that new registrations of imported passenger cars totaled 20,960 in January, up 37.6% from a year earlier. The figure was down 26.7% from December. By brand, BMW ranked first with 6,270 registrations, ahead of Mercedes-Benz with 5,121. It was followed by Tesla (1,966), Lexus (1,464), BYD (1,347), Volvo (1,037), Audi (847) and Porsche ( February 4, 2026
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  Singer Bada Offers Support to DJ Koo After Death of Actress Barbie Hsu Singer Bada shared a message of support for Koo Jun-yup. On Monday, the S.E.S member posted on social media, “I can’t begin to understand that pain, but I’ll pray with you in my heart,” and shared a video showing Koo mourning the late Seo Hee-won.  Koo and Hsu, also known as Barbie Hsu, dated in the late 1990s, then reunited more than 20 years later and married in 2022. Hsu died Feb. 3 last year at age 48 after catching the flu during a trip to Japan and developing pneumonia complicatio February 4, 2026
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  BYD Korea Opens Jeonju Service Center, Targets 26 Sites by Year-End 비야디(BYD)코리아는 4일 BYD 오토 전주 서비스센터를 열고 전북 지역 전기차 고객을 위한 전문 애프터세일즈 서비스를 강화한다고 밝혔다. BYD 승용 부문의 17번째 서비스 네트워크인 전주 서비스센터는 전주를 포함해 익산, 군산, 김제, 완주 등 전북 전역 고객이 보다 안정적이고 체계적인 전기차 정비 서비스를 받을 수 있도록 마련된 통합 거점이다. 전주 도심과 주요 간선도로에서 접근이 쉬운 점도 특징이라고 BYD코리아는 설명했다. 이 센터는 1월에 문을 연 전주 전시장과 함께 운영되는 통합형 시설로, 전시(Showroom)· February 4, 2026
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  Actor Kim Woo Bin Named Polestar Brand Ambassador Swedish electric-vehicle brand Polestar said Tuesday it has selected actor Kim Woo Bin as a brand ambassador. Under the partnership, Kim will experience Polestar products and the brand firsthand and take part in a range of online and in-person activities, including brand events and digital content, to broaden engagement with Polestar customers. Polestar Korea said it focused on Kim’s polished, trustworthy image, saying it aligns with Polestar’s core values of Scandinavian design, perform February 4, 2026
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  National Library of Korea to Expand AI Training Data and Public Access The National Library of Korea said Tuesday it has released its “2026 key work plan” to modernize national knowledge and information services using artificial intelligence and to move toward a next-generation library model. A central task is building and opening high-quality training data that underpin the AI industry. The library said it will continue compiling AI training text data, focusing on materials whose copyright has expired or been cleared, and provide them to the Ministry of Sci February 4, 2026
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  Korean Air Launches Generative AI Chatbot for Customer Service Korean Air said Tuesday it has launched the “Korean Air AI Chatbot,” adding generative artificial intelligence to its online customer-service chatbot. The chatbot is built on generative AI trained on a large volume of data, including airline rules, the company said. Customers can type questions in everyday language — for example, asking how many checked bags are allowed for an economy-class trip from Incheon to Paris — and receive an answer tailored to the request. To improve February 4, 2026
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  Hyundai, Kia Post Record January U.S. Sales on Hybrid and SUV Demand Hyundai Motor and Kia said they set new January sales records in the U.S. market. Hyundai Motor’s U.S. unit said Tuesday that it sold 55,624 vehicles in January, up 2% from 54,503 a year earlier, marking its best-ever January. The automaker said results were driven by surging demand for hybrid electric vehicles, growth in electrified models and continued strength in its core SUV lineup, which accounted for 77% of total sales. A Hyundai official said the Santa Fe and the all-new Palisa February 4, 2026