Journalist

Kim Pil-soo
  • Asiana Airlines to Operate Mileage-Only Flights on Hong Kong, Phuket Routes
    Asiana Airlines to Operate Mileage-Only Flights on Hong Kong, Phuket Routes Asiana Airlines said Thursday it will operate mileage-only international flights on its Incheon-Hong Kong and Incheon-Phuket routes. The carrier plans a total of 68 flights: 44 on the Incheon-Hong Kong route from April 13 to June 28, and 24 on the Incheon-Phuket route from April 7 to June 28. Depending on sales, seats may also be sold for cash, allowing customers to choose between award tickets and paid fares. Reservations open at 9 a.m. Thursday, and all remaining seats can be purchased using miles. Asiana said this is its first mileage-only operation on the Hong Kong route. For Hong Kong, one-way award tickets require 15,000 miles in economy class and 22,500 miles in business class. For Phuket, the one-way rates are 20,000 miles in economy and 30,000 miles in business. During peak travel periods, mileage required increases by 50% compared with off-peak periods. An Asiana official said the airline launched the mileage-only flights, including new routes, to make it easier for customers to use miles and to broaden their options, adding it will continue to review additional ways to expand mileage use.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-27 10:06:16
  • Volvo Korea Says EX30 Orders Top 1,000 a Week After Price Cut
    Volvo Korea Says EX30 Orders Top 1,000 a Week After Price Cut Volvo Car Korea said Thursday that new orders for its premium all-electric SUV, the EX30, topped 1,000 within a week of the company announcing price cuts. The company said the result shows the model’s product competitiveness and its aggressive pricing strategy are gaining traction even as competition intensifies in the electric-vehicle market. As part of a strategy to lower barriers to entry for imported premium EVs and strengthen its leadership in the EV market, Volvo Car Korea previously cut prices for the EX30 and the EX30 Cross Country (EX30CC) by as much as 7.61 million won, depending on trim. After the reductions, the EX30 Core is priced at 39.91 million won (down 7.61 million won), the EX30 Ultra at 44.79 million won (down 7 million won), and the EX30CC Ultra at 48.12 million won (down 7 million won). Volvo Car Korea said the move was intended not only as a pricing decision but also to deepen long-term relationships with existing customers who have chosen and trusted the brand. The company said it will continue to strengthen its value as a premium brand by standing behind the vehicle’s product quality and safety, as well as the ownership experience after purchase. “This achievement reflects a match between customer demand and our global strategy to lead the EV market, built on the EX30’s strong product competitiveness,” Volvo Car Korea CEO Lee Yoon-mo said. He added the company will keep working to deliver what it calls the value of “Swedish luxury” to more customers and help them experience it.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-27 09:54:16
  • Hanwha Aerospace Enters Global LNG Trading With 20-Year Venture Global Deal
    Hanwha Aerospace Enters Global LNG Trading With 20-Year Venture Global Deal Hanwha Aerospace is entering the global liquefied natural gas distribution business for the first time. The company said Thursday it signed an LNG purchase agreement with Venture Global, a major U.S. LNG producer. Under the deal, Hanwha Aerospace will secure 1.5 million tons of LNG a year for 20 years starting in 2030 and plans to supply it to end users in Europe, Asia and other markets. The annual volume equals about 4.4% of South Korea’s LNG consumption in 2024, which totaled about 34.12 million tons. The agreement is part of the group’s push to build a “global LNG value chain” by combining affiliate capabilities. Hanwha Ocean provides capacity to build LNG carriers and offshore infrastructure such as floating LNG production facilities, or FLNG. Hanwha Energy has LNG power generation and operating capabilities. Hanwha Shipping will handle ocean transport. Hanwha Aerospace said the LNG move is intended to secure a future growth engine and, by strengthening “energy security” capabilities, bolster the global competitiveness of its core defense and shipbuilding businesses. As more countries view energy supply chains as tied to national security, major nations including those in Europe are adopting stable LNG supply as a key security strategy, the company said. Against that backdrop, Hanwha Aerospace said it plans to use LNG as leverage to expand defense exports and, over the long term, strengthen security partnerships with customer countries. It also expects increased LNG carrier orders for Hanwha Ocean. “Defense, shipbuilding and the energy industry are closely linked because they are core elements of national security,” a Hanwha Aerospace official said. “We will contribute to global security through eco-friendly energy solutions that cover production, distribution and use.” Hanwha Aerospace said it has been building an LNG business base in stages. In 2024, it invested about 180 billion won in U.S. LNG company NextDecade. In 2025, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Hanwha Energy and Korea Southern Power to expand the global LNG supply chain.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-27 09:24:18
  • T’way Air Expands Customer Outreach With YouTube and Instagram Content
    T’way Air Expands Customer Outreach With YouTube and Instagram Content T’way Air said Thursday it is strengthening communication with customers through its official YouTube and Instagram channels. The airline is using long-form YouTube videos centered on employee stories to build trust, while focusing Instagram on follower benefits and interactive posts to grow its fan base. On YouTube, T’way Air features documentary-style long-form content in which employees appear on camera to share their work and daily routines. The airline said storytelling based on real workplaces has helped increase viewer engagement and channel growth. As of the end of this month, the channel had about 74,000 subscribers, up 153% from the same period a year earlier. Notable videos include “Vancouver Branch Manager” (400,000 views), “A Day in the Life of the Youngest Employee at Incheon Airport” (380,000), and “Newly Hired Aircraft Mechanic,” about a 30-year veteran taking on a new challenge (160,000). On Instagram, T’way Air said it is reinforcing its follower-focused approach. As of the end of this month, the account had about 210,000 followers, a 17% increase from a year earlier. The airline posts short-form videos offering behind-the-scenes looks and practical information designed to be quickly understood. It recently drew attention by switching the account to private and running an event that offered discount coupons only to followers. During the event, about 17,000 new followers joined, the airline said. Popular Instagram posts include a video on how pilots and cabin crew communicate in flight (1.13 million views), a preflight cabin crew briefing meeting (480,000), and tips on what to do if you lose earphones on board (170,000). “We are building trust with customers by showing the moments they are curious about as they are,” a T’way Air official said. “We will continue to expand empathy and communication with customers through stories that reflect employees’ concerns and pride, along with practical information.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-27 08:54:16
  • Korean Air Cut Aircraft Carbon Emissions by 420,000 Tons Last Year, Despite More Flights
    Korean Air Cut Aircraft Carbon Emissions by 420,000 Tons Last Year, Despite More Flights Korean Air said it cut carbon emissions from aircraft operations last year by more than 420,000 metric tons from the previous year, even as it flew more routes. The airline said Feb. 27 that it recently held its “2026 first-quarter Fuel Management Committee” meeting and tallied 12,184,169 metric tons of carbon emissions from its flight operations in 2025. That was down 420,055 tons, or 3.3%, from 12,604,224 tons a year earlier. Korean Air said its total number of domestic and international flights rose about 2.6% in 2025 from the previous year, making the overall emissions decline notable. The company said emissions during flight are calculated by multiplying fuel consumption by a carbon-emissions factor commonly used across the global aviation industry. Korean Air attributed the reduction to tighter fuel management across operations, including deploying newer aircraft, flying more efficient routes, selecting optimal alternate airports for short-haul flights, improving forecasts of passenger baggage and cargo weight, and optimizing aircraft center of gravity. It said it pursued these measures while adhering to its “absolute safety” principle and by strengthening coordination among relevant departments. The airline said it expanded the share of aircraft introduced since 2017 to 41.6% of total flights and reduced emissions by operating more fuel-efficient models such as the Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 and the Airbus A350 and A321neo. It also applied an economically optimal cruising speed in flight planning based on factors including flight time and fuel burn, and optimized fuel loads by more accurately predicting actual payload weight, it said. Korean Air said it has continued working with air traffic control authorities to secure the shortest possible flight paths, reducing actual distance flown, fuel consumption and flight time. It said it prioritized the nearest airport among those meeting safety standards and reduced aircraft weight by optimizing fuel loads. The airline said it minimized use of auxiliary power units on the ground before takeoff and after landing to cut fuel use and emissions, and restored engine performance to improve fuel efficiency. Korean Air said it has also reorganized its companywide operating system to minimize emissions. It runs a fuel-management framework in which all organizations involved in flight operations communicate and cooperate, and it holds quarterly fuel-management committee meetings to review progress and set plans. It said it is also promoting measures to reflect frontline input and encourage voluntary participation, including awards for employees who contribute to emissions reductions and idea contests. To improve efficiency and apply more precise data, the airline said it digitized data previously recorded by hand and introduced artificial intelligence-based data processing. It said the system helps adjust onboard supplies such as drinking water and more precisely analyze and predict variables affecting passenger baggage weight, reducing deviations in baggage-weight estimates. Korean Air said its AI-based baggage-weight prediction was selected as an outstanding AI use case at the SkyTeam-led “2025 Sustainable Flight Challenge,” winning in the “Data Insight & Pioneer” category. “With a cooperative system based on voluntary participation and close communication among employees, we were able to reduce carbon emissions from flight operations,” a Korean Air official said. “This year as well, we plan to continue efforts for sustainable flight, including doing our best to meet our emissions-reduction targets.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-27 08:45:26
  • Renault Korea Scenic E-Tech Named Korea’s 2026 Import Car of the Year
    Renault Korea Scenic E-Tech Named Korea’s 2026 Import Car of the Year Renault Korea said Feb. 27 that its compact electric SUV, the Scenic E-Tech 100% Electric, was named 2026 Import Car of the Year at the Korea Car of the Year (K-COTY) awards hosted by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association (KAJA). The Scenic E-Tech had earlier won Electric Crossover of the Year at another Korea Car of the Year program hosted by the Korea Automobile Expert Journalists Association (AWAK), giving it two major domestic “car of the year” awards this year. Renault Korea said the recognition follows last year’s award for its midsize SUV, the Grand Koleos, which was named SUV of the Year. The company said the back-to-back wins reflect strong evaluations of both its locally produced models and vehicles it imports and sells in South Korea. Renault also said it became the first non-German brand to win the Import Car of the Year category in South Korea. Since the category was introduced in 2016, winners through last year had all been models from two German premium brands, the company said. Renault Korea, which changed its corporate name and logo in 2024 and announced a renewed push in the domestic market, said it operates under the motto “born in France, made in Korea.” The company said it contributes to the local economy as an automaker rooted in Busan, while offering both domestically produced vehicles from its Busan plant and imported models to broaden its lineup. The Scenic E-Tech is equipped with an 87-kilowatt-hour high-performance NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) battery from LG Energy Solution and has a maximum driving range of 460 kilometers under South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy certification standards, Renault Korea said. It also features “Fireman Access,” a patented battery-fire response technology developed with French fire authorities, the company said. The Scenic E-Tech previously won the 2024 European Car of the Year award.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-27 08:15:22
  • Porsche Korea Marks 10th Year of Do Dream Campaign, Donates 11.24 Billion Won
    Porsche Korea Marks 10th Year of Do Dream Campaign, Donates 11.24 Billion Won Porsche Korea said Thursday it will strengthen its social contribution efforts as its “Porsche Do Dream” campaign enters its 10th year, aiming to spread the brand’s values more broadly across local communities. Launched in 2017, “Porsche Do Dream” is built around the brand identity of “dreams” and has introduced new programs each year. To date, Porsche Korea has donated a total of 11.24 billion won, supporting the dreams of 37,919 people, 139 organizations and 39 schools. This year, the company said it will reorganize its programs in line with its “Partner to Society” direction, focusing on creating social value and moving beyond one-time donations through more systematic management and support. Total donations this year will be 1.8 billion won. Porsche Korea also plans to deepen its work in education, culture and the environment while launching new programs designed to strengthen community connections. With ChildFund Korea, it will expand its indoor gym construction project, “Dream Playground,” which has run for about a decade, into “Dream Circuit,” an eco-friendly sports ground intended for broader public use. Set to debut in May, “Dream Circuit” will be created as a Porsche concept garden using upcycled materials and other eco-friendly elements, offering children a space to play and be physically active in nature. In culture, Porsche Korea will begin a new partnership with the Korea Heritage Service Foundation to present a special exhibition in September at Changdeokgung Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, highlighting Korea’s intangible heritage and aesthetics where tradition and modernity meet. Its garden program aimed at ecological conservation and carbon reduction will also expand nationwide. “Believe in Dream - Park,” run with Seoul Green Trust, will broaden from Seoul to the greater capital region. This year, it will build a garden at Yeongheung Forest Park in Yeongtong-dong, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, designed to strengthen habitat functions for key protected species. The company said it will build a database on species in parks and green spaces through ecological monitoring involving citizens and experts, while running public-private cooperation and online and offline campaigns to develop a citizen-participation green infrastructure model. It will continue supporting an urban beekeeping project. Porsche Korea said it will also expand support in arts, sports and job training to help talented children from vulnerable backgrounds and young people pursue their dreams and become self-reliant. “Dream Up,” run with ChildFund Korea since 2018, supports children with talent in arts and sports and will be strengthened this year with education infrastructure to deepen their expertise. With the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, Porsche Korea will continue its “Porsche Frontier” program, supporting the discovery and performance of outstanding works through the Seoul Arts Awards, a prize program for fine arts. To help young people entering society, it will work with the social cooperative Dream Sharing to provide professional training for golf caddies and connect graduates to jobs to support practical career planning. Matthias Busse, CEO of Porsche Korea, said, “As ‘Porsche Do Dream’ marks its 10th anniversary next year, it has steadily laid the groundwork to support dreams across Korean society and expand them into social value,” adding, “We will continue to build a sustainable ecosystem that spreads the brand’s core value of ‘dreams.’”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-20 16:30:18
  • Parata Air Adopts AMOS Maintenance and Engineering Management System
    Parata Air Adopts AMOS Maintenance and Engineering Management System Parata Air has adopted AMOS (Aircraft Maintenance and Operational Support), a maintenance and engineering management system, to strengthen its maintenance and safety operations. The airline said Thursday it selected AMOS, developed by Swiss aviation software company Swiss-AS, as the core platform for its aircraft maintenance and engineering system. The system supports maintenance planning and execution as well as airworthiness and regulatory compliance management, integrating key functions across maintenance operations. It is widely used by major airlines worldwide. Parata Air said adopting the system from the outset improved transparency in maintenance records and helped establish standardized maintenance processes aligned with international standards. The airline said it was able to stabilize the rollout in a relatively short period because many staff in its maintenance organization already had experience operating AMOS, allowing it to focus the initial setup on core functions needed for flight operations. Parata Air plans to expand its use of AMOS in phases. After initially focusing on routine maintenance operations and regulatory requirements, it aims to link the system to maintenance financial management to build a more advanced, integrated aviation IT environment. “An airline’s safety and trust start with its maintenance system,” a Parata Air official said. “By adopting a digital maintenance system proven by global airlines, we have laid the foundation for stable operations and sustainable growth.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-20 15:49:06
  • Hyundai Motor speeds up robotaxi push as it expands physical AI strategy
    Hyundai Motor speeds up robotaxi push as it expands physical AI strategy Hyundai Motor Group, which has drawn attention in the AI race with its humanoid robot Atlas, is also accelerating its robotaxi business as it pushes to commercialize “physical AI.” After demonstrating the potential of humanoid robots in factories and logistics sites, the group is expanding into autonomous driving to speed up its vision of AI that operates in the real world. Industry officials said Feb. 19 that Hyundai is developing autonomous driving on two tracks rather than merging everything into a single architecture. It is pursuing a certification-friendly modular approach through Motional, prioritizing safety validation and regulatory approvals, while also developing a more general end-to-end (E2E) approach through 42dot. Motional, which is building the modular system, aims to commercialize a Level 4 driverless robotaxi service in Las Vegas later this year, signaling commercial operations for the general public in a real urban environment. Motional is currently running test operations based on Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 robotaxi. At a media briefing in Las Vegas last month, Motional CEO Laura Major said, “Given that the market is still in its early stages, I don’t think there is any company that has a cost-efficient Level 4 autonomous driving system yet,” adding, “Motional wants to focus not only on a safe driving experience but also on developing a profitable business model.” Hyundai’s robotaxi push is the other pillar of its physical AI strategy alongside humanoid robots. The group sees Atlas’ data from physical work environments and robotaxi driving data from city roads as inputs that can help AI understand and adapt to the real world. Hyundai plans to use its hardware-software integration capabilities to expand practical uses of physical AI more quickly. Hyundai also plans to build a domestic physical AI ecosystem, including AI data centers, to strengthen future technologies such as in-vehicle AI, autonomous driving, manufacturing efficiency and robotics. To that end, it is stepping up collaboration with global AI companies. Hyundai has been pursuing cooperation with Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous driving unit, to adopt the Ioniq 5 as an autonomous vehicle platform. Boston Dynamics has also signed a strategic partnership with Google’s AI research organization DeepMind to accelerate development of future humanoid technologies. At CES 2026 in Las Vegas last month, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Chung Euisun drew attention when he met again with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, a reunion that became a talking point in the industry. Some in the industry have speculated Hyundai could adopt Nvidia’s autonomous vehicle platform, “Alpamayo.” Hyundai also plans to expand cooperation among its Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) division, 42dot and Motional to speed development. It is reviewing ways to combine Level 4 operational know-how and safety validation systems accumulated through the Las Vegas robotaxi rollout with 42dot’s roadmap to advance software-defined vehicles (SDVs). An industry official said Park Min-woo, a president recruited from Nvidia who runs both AVP and 42dot, is expected to move quickly on upgrading 42dot’s autonomous driving technology, Atria AI, and deciding whether to use Nvidia’s Alpamayo. Separately, Chung visited 42dot’s Pangyo headquarters late last year to review Atria AI, a Level 2+ E2E autonomous driving system based on the Ioniq 6, and stressed that “safety and completeness must come first to secure global competitiveness.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 18:05:12
  • Hyundai to Supply 20 More Ioniq 5 Robotaxis in U.S., Expanding Physical AI Push
    Hyundai to Supply 20 More Ioniq 5 Robotaxis in U.S., Expanding Physical AI Push Hyundai Motor Group is expanding robotaxi supply in the United States, accelerating its autonomous-driving business built around what it calls “physical AI.” The automaker is supplying vehicles not only to its self-driving unit Motional, which is preparing to commercialize robotaxis this year, but also to Google-owned Waymo as it seeks a bigger role in the U.S. autonomous-driving ecosystem. After drawing attention at CES 2026 in Las Vegas last month with the humanoid robot “Atlas,” Hyundai is now seeing its push into autonomous-driving commercialization take clearer shape, with robotics and self-driving technology at the center of its physical AI strategy. According to industry sources on Feb. 19, Hyundai sold 20 Ioniq 5 robotaxis in the United States in January alone, exceeding its total U.S. robotaxi sales for all of last year, which stood at 16 vehicles. The vehicles are believed to have been supplied to robotaxi operators such as Waymo and Motional. Waymo, widely viewed as a leading player in autonomous driving, is running commercial services in five major U.S. cities and plans to offer services in more than 20 cities, including in Texas and Florida, by the end of this year. Hyundai said in October 2024 that it had signed a strategic partnership with Waymo to integrate Waymo’s sixth-generation fully autonomous technology, the Waymo Driver, into the Hyundai Ioniq 5. At the time, Hyundai President Jose Munoz said, “Hyundai and Waymo share a vision of making the way people move safer, more efficient and more convenient,” adding that “Waymo’s innovative technology is improving road safety in the regions where it operates, and the Ioniq 5 is an ideal vehicle to help expand that vision.” Ioniq 5 vehicles for Waymo are assembled at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, the company’s EV production facility in Georgia. Initial road tests of the Ioniq 5 equipped with Waymo technology are reported to have begun late last year. Hyundai’s autonomous-driving joint venture Motional has also announced plans to commercialize a Level 4 driverless service in Las Vegas within this year, suggesting Ioniq 5 robotaxi supply will continue to rise. Hyundai aims to use Ioniq 5 supply to Waymo and Motional to secure positions in the U.S. autonomous-driving market as both a robotaxi hardware platform supplier and a software player. Kim Dong-young, a senior researcher at the Korea Development Institute, said Hyundai is working to raise its software competitiveness to match its hardware strength. “Collaboration with AI companies is likely to go beyond simply supplying hardware and could be linked to software development as well,” he said. Hyundai Motor Group is also investing in humanoid robots, another pillar of its physical AI strategy. Hyundai plans to invest 50.5 trillion won in AI robotics by 2030 and is building a robot-dedicated factory in the United States with annual capacity of 30,000 units.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-19 18:03:30