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  • Song Ja-ho, known as KARAs Park Gyuris ex-boyfriend, to debut as a singer
    Song Ja-ho, known as KARA's Park Gyuri's ex-boyfriend, to debut as a singer Song Ja-ho, known as the ex-boyfriend of KARA member Park Gyuri and a third-generation heir of Dongwon Group, is set to debut as a singer.According to Songdam Studio, he will release his first ballad single, titled 'A Love That Feels Too Destined to Call Coincidence,' at noon on August 28.On the previous day, he announced his debut on social media, stating, "I will debut as a singer this Friday at 12 PM. Please listen to it a lot."A video released alongside the announcement showcased a preview of the debut song and the album cover. The track is reportedly written and composed by producer Han Gil.Song Ja-ho expressed, "This album is not just about releasing a song; it signifies the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I believe that the power of love transcends everything, and I hope everyone who listens to this song reflects on the true meaning of love."Song Ja-ho is the grandson of former Dongwon Group Chairman Song Seung-heon. He gained attention in 2019 for his public relationship with Park Gyuri, which ended in 2021.In 2022, he ran for a parliamentary by-election in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The following year, he was indicted on charges related to Picacoin, a cryptocurrency that operated by allowing multiple investors to own shares of artworks, and is currently undergoing first-instance trial proceedings.The prosecution alleges that Song Ja-ho, along with brothers Lee Hee-jin and Hee-moon, known as 'Cheongdam-dong stock tycoons,' falsely promoted business achievements to inflate the value of virtual assets before selling them, resulting in a theft of 33.8 billion won.At that time, Park Gyuri also served as a curator and chief public relations officer for the Picacoin project and testified in July, clarifying that she had no involvement in illegal virtual asset operations or market manipulation for personal gain.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-25 14:32:00
  • Jeon Hyun-hee Launches Financial Support for Youth Startups with 3% Interest Rate Products
    Jeon Hyun-hee Launches Financial Support for Youth Startups with 3% Interest Rate Products Under the leadership of Jeon Hyun-hee, a member of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party, a financial support agreement for youth startups has been established between Hana Bank, the Credit Guarantee Fund, and the Technology Guarantee Fund. This initiative has resulted in the launch of financial products offering up to 300 million won with interest rates in the 3% range.According to political sources, Hana Bank released a youth startup financial product linked with the Technology Guarantee Fund on August 24, and plans to launch a product in collaboration with the Credit Guarantee Fund on August 27. This will mark the full operation of a 'financial ladder for youth startups' with a total scale of 200 billion won.According to Jeon’s office, the financial support products aim to alleviate the financial burden on young entrepreneurs who possess technology and business potential but face challenges in securing funding.The Credit Guarantee Fund and the Technology Guarantee Fund will each provide guarantees of 100 billion won based on contributions from Hana Bank, planning to support working capital of up to 300 million won for qualifying businesses.Notably, Hana Bank will fully cover the guarantee fee of 0.3 percentage points for three years, effectively exempting young businesses from this cost. The loan interest rates will be applied at levels between 3.6% and 3.9%, depending on individual conditions. Eligible recipients include businesses led by youth that meet the guarantee requirements of each institution and are within seven years of establishment.Jeon stated, "One of the biggest barriers young entrepreneurs face is the difficulty in securing funding due to a lack of collateral and credit, despite having good technology and ideas." She emphasized the significance of establishing a financial ladder that young people can feel in their daily lives.She added, "In the future, we will continue to work with the Lee government, financial authorities, and the financial sector to ensure that the potential of youth is not hindered by barriers of collateral and credit, and we will expand the 'financial ladder for youth startups' across the banking sector."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-25 14:28:00
  • Bodyfriends Generative AI Massage Technology Receives AI+ Certification
    Bodyfriend's Generative AI Massage Technology Receives 'AI+' Certification Bodyfriend announced that its self-developed generative artificial intelligence (AI) massage technology has become the first in the industry to receive the 'AI+' certification from the Korea Standards Association on August 25.The AI+ certification is a system that evaluates the performance and quality of AI products and services based on international standards related to AI quality, following quality tests and document and on-site reviews. It was jointly developed by the Standards Association and WiseStone.During the certification process, the performance of the core feature of the generative AI massage technology, known as 'Blocks,' which infers massage areas based on natural language, was validated.Bodyfriend's generative AI technology differentiates itself by recommending built-in massage programs. Each time a user interacts with the device, it combines over 130 massage action blocks to create and execute a theoretically limitless number of massage program combinations, surpassing the number of atoms in the universe.Additionally, the product line that integrates AI into healthcare robots includes '733,' 'Quantum AI,' and 'Da Vinci AI.' Bodyfriend plans to gradually apply this technology to these products, which are set to launch in the second half of the year.A representative from Bodyfriend stated, "This certification is not just about adding AI to healthcare robots; it objectively confirms the quality of the core technology that understands user input and translates it into actual massage actions. We will continue to provide a refined healthcare experience tailored to individual needs, physical conditions, and preferences through the integration of AI, robotics, and digital healthcare technologies."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-25 14:28:00
  • LF Malls AI Shopping Agent Hits 10,000 Conversations in One Month
    LF Mall's AI Shopping Agent Hits 10,000 Conversations in One Month LF Mall, operated by LF, has enhanced its AI shopping agent, 'LF Style Talk,' by adding voice and image functionalities to improve the AI-driven shopping experience.On August 25, LF Mall announced that it has upgraded the features of its generative AI-based shopping agent, LF Style Talk, which allows customers to describe desired products or styles in a conversational manner, enabling the AI to understand their intent and recommend suitable items.According to LF Mall, approximately 10,000 conversations took place within the first month of the service's launch. About 75% of users were aged 40 to 50, and around 70% of all searches included brand names. LF Mall noted that the AI is being utilized as a new tool for product exploration, particularly among customers with clear purchasing intentions.Previously, on August 6, LF Mall introduced a feature that automatically converts voice and text, followed by the launch of an image-based similar product search function on August 20. When customers upload a photo of a desired outfit in the chat, the AI distinguishes between items such as tops, bottoms, and shoes, analyzing colors, patterns, materials, and fits to recommend similar products available on LF Mall. It also suggests complementary clothing and accessories.In the second half of the year, LF Mall plans to introduce a feature that presents additional questions customers may have in button form alongside AI responses. This aims to create a personalized shopping environment that encompasses text, voice, and images. A representative from LF Mall stated, "We will quickly incorporate customer feedback to provide a more natural and personalized shopping experience."Additionally, LF Mall operates an AI-based review service. Customers can select satisfaction criteria such as star ratings, sizes, and colors, and the AI automatically generates a draft review based on this information. Customers can either use the generated text as is or make modifications before submitting their reviews.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-25 14:24:00
  • Unique Status of Jejus Autonomous Police Sparks Debate
    Unique Status of Jeju's Autonomous Police Sparks Debate The unique status and authority limitations of the 'Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Autonomous Police' have sparked debate in online communities.On August 25, a post titled 'Interesting Jeju Police Organization' appeared on an online forum.The post explained that unlike the national police, which is under the National Police Agency, the Jeju autonomous police is directly supervised by the governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.According to the post, the Jeju autonomous police operate patrol cars and motorcycles, and are equipped with standard police gear such as firearms and handcuffs. However, there are clear differences in the scope of their duties and authority compared to the national police.The most significant difference lies in their authority to handle accident investigations and criminal cases. The autonomous police have limited power to investigate or manage incidents they witness during patrols, requiring them to refer cases to the national police (Jeju Police Agency) for action.The primary responsibilities of the Jeju autonomous police include ensuring public safety, traffic enforcement, maintaining order at tourist sites, and event security. While their uniforms and patrol vehicles resemble those of regular police, their designs and colors differ.As this structure has come under scrutiny, numerous critical comments regarding the efficiency and identity of the autonomous police system have emerged in major online communities.One user questioned, 'What is this? Are they the governor's private soldiers?'Another user remarked, 'The autonomous police system was pushed through during Moon Jae-in's administration and implemented nationwide, not just in Jeju. The boundaries between national and autonomous police duties are unclear, and so are the responsibilities.'Additionally, another commenter noted, 'The Jeju Autonomous Police is a different entity from the Jeju Provincial Police Agency. The police we commonly think of in Jeju belong to the Jeju Provincial Police Agency,' emphasizing that the provincial police agency is significantly larger than the autonomous police.Other sarcastic remarks included comments like, 'They are just a security company carrying firearms and handcuffs,' and 'Are they police or security personnel?'While it is true that the Jeju Autonomous Police is part of the local government organization in Jeju, there are legal oversight mechanisms in place through the Autonomous Police Committee. Although the governor has authority over personnel matters within the autonomous police as stipulated by the Jeju Special Act, it cannot be concluded that the organization solely operates under the governor's personal orders.Meanwhile, the recent controversy surrounding the 'false conclusion and inadequate investigation' of the missing person case involving Ms. Jang Mi-ran has drawn public outrage. This incident was caused by a police officer from the national police organization, specifically the Jeju Police Agency (Jeju Western Police Station), and is unrelated to the Jeju Autonomous Police.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-25 14:20:00
  • Researchers develop embryo-like stem cell heart model
    Researchers develop embryo-like stem cell heart model SEOUL, August 25 (AJP) - By easing off the chemical signals normally used to force stem cells into heart tissue, researchers at Sookmyung Women's University and Sungkyunkwan University have grown a model that lengthens and bends on its own, reproducing a stage of human heart development that has been almost impossible to observe. Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect in the world, occurring in about nine of every 1,000 live births since the mid-1990s, or roughly 1.35 million newborns a year, according to a systematic review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. A later update covering 260 studies put Asia's rate highest among world regions, at about 9.3 per 1,000. Most of those defects begin in the first weeks after conception, when the heart is a straight tube that has to stretch, curve and sort itself into an ordered sequence of future chambers. That window is effectively closed to observation. Human embryos at that stage are inaccessible, and animal hearts diverge enough from human ones to limit what mouse studies can settle. Laboratory heart models have grown more sophisticated over the past five years, but most of them stay round. Researchers typically drive stem cells toward cardiac fate with strong external chemical signals, an approach that reliably produces beating heart tissue and just as reliably produces it as a sphere. Shape does not emerge, and neither does the ordering that depends on shape. Bae Gyu-un, a professor at Sookmyung's College of Pharmacy, and Kang Jong-sun, a professor in the Department of Molecular Cell Biology at Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, went the other way. Their permissive culture strategy weakens the external signals and leaves the cells to arrange themselves. Grown from human induced pluripotent stem cells, adult cells reprogrammed back to an embryonic-like state, the resulting structures elongated and curved without being pushed into shape. The team named them elongating heart organoids. Cells inside them settled along a venous-to-arterial axis in the order a developing heart follows, with sinus venosus-like cells at one end, then atrial cells, then ventricular cells. The sinus venosus is the inflow region of the embryonic heart and the site where the sinoatrial node, the heart's natural pacemaker, later forms. The organoids also beat in sequence rather than all at once. Contractions started at the venous end and traveled toward the ventricular end, accompanied by a matching wave of calcium ions, the signal that triggers each contraction in heart muscle. To work out what drove the lengthening, the team sequenced individual cells and ran trajectory analysis, a computational method that infers how cell populations relate to one another. That analysis pointed to dividing splanchnic mesoderm cells at the venous end, an early tissue layer that supplies cardiac cells in the embryo, feeding new cells into the structure as it grew. The inference comes from gene expression patterns. No one tracked individual cells making the journey. The disease result came from deleting TBX5, a gene mutated in Holt-Oram syndrome and linked to septal and conduction defects in patients. Organoids missing it failed to elongate or bend, and contracted irregularly. Bae claimed priority for the result. "This study is the first to reproduce the three-dimensional form and axis organization of the early heart outside the body by inducing the self-organizing capacity of stem cells," he said, adding that it should "raise the competitiveness of organoid-based drug development platforms and help establish the mechanisms behind congenital heart disease." Other groups have built human heart models with patterned regions. Heart-forming organoids reported in Nature Biotechnology in 2021, multi-chamber cardioids in Cell in 2023, and a patterned primitive heart organoid in Nature Communications the same year each reproduce parts of early cardiac structure, and the Nature Communications model elongates and contorts as it grows. Reviews of the field describe most human systems as reaching heart tube formation without elongation. Whether the Sookmyung model is first in the narrower sense Bae describes cannot be checked against the university's summary alone. Several things remain unshown. The organoids correspond to the earliest weeks of development and do not form chambers, septa, valves, coronary vessels, or the nerve tissue that regulates heartbeat. The university released no measurements, no culture duration, no count of organoids grown, and no success rate, leaving open how consistently the structures form. The TBX5 experiment establishes that removing the gene disrupts the model, not that the same sequence causes disease in patients. No drug has been tested in the system. The work was carried out with researchers at AniMusCure Inc., a Suwon-based biotechnology company founded in April 2020. Bae and Kang are its co-chief executives. The company, whose existing pipeline covers sarcopenia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy rather than cardiac disease, plans to use the technology for congenital heart disease modeling, cardiac toxicity testing and screening cardiovascular drug candidates, the university said in announcing the work Aug. 20. (Reference Information) Journal/Source: Developmental Cell (IF 9.2, JCR top 3.95%) 2026-08-25 14:19:47
  • Foreign Tourists Flock to Korea for Personal Color Consultations as K-Beauty Traffic Surges 46%
    Foreign Tourists Flock to Korea for Personal Color Consultations as K-Beauty Traffic Surges 46% Demand for K-beauty experiences is growing among foreign tourists. In response, the booking platform Klook announced on August 25 that it is supporting local beauty small businesses in expanding their overseas markets.According to Klook, from January 1 to August 15 this year, traffic in the domestic beauty category among foreign users increased by 46% compared to the same period last year. The growth rates for the first and second quarters were 41.1% and 48.5%, respectively.The United States topped the list for the most bookings, followed by Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. Notably, interest from users in Western countries, including the U.S., Australia, and Europe, rose by 72% compared to the previous year.Foreign consumer spending is also rapidly increasing. According to the Korea Tourism Data Lab, foreign medical spending in the first half of this year reached approximately 1.193 trillion won, a 59.1% increase from the same period last year.The most popular K-beauty product is the 'Colorize Personal Color Diagnosis and Makeup.' Other top offerings include the O Hui & Whoo Spa in Myeongdong, Myeongdong Beauty Skyview Spa, Cocoria Makeup & Hair and Personal Color Diagnosis, and the Jeong Saem Mool K-Beauty Makeup Class.Interest among foreign tourists is also broadening. The range of services now includes skincare, traditional Korean body scrubs, custom eyewear, styling, and personal shopping for cosmetics. Examples include the 'Whipped Class' at Seongsu Whipped House, where participants make their own cleansing packs, and the 'Seian Spa,' which offers traditional Korean body scrubs, along with discount vouchers for eyewear and sunglasses at the specialty store Optic Life.Currently, over 95% of Klook's partners selling beauty products to foreign customers are small businesses. These include a styling startup run by a fashion major offering 'Seoul Seongsu Style Tours,' 'Saekdam Head Spa' near Yeouido Station, and personal color diagnosis and image branding services in Busan's Gwangalli area, all of which are being promoted to global tourists.Klook is enhancing accessibility for foreign tourists by expanding multilingual product exposure and payment options. The platform is also working to introduce local small business products to overseas customers through global marketing channels.There is a notable growth trend in regional products as well. Busan saw a 576% increase in traffic compared to the previous year, marking the highest growth rate among areas outside of Seoul. Jeju City experienced a 281.3% increase, while Seogwipo saw a 205.4% rise, and Daegu and Jeollabuk-do recorded increases of 77.5% and 51.3%, respectively.Lee Jun-ho, head of Klook's Korea branch, stated, "For K-beauty to continue growing in the global market, it is essential to create an environment where opportunities extend beyond well-known brands and products to various local small businesses. Klook, as a global travel platform connecting tourists and domestic partners, will support the introduction of competitive K-beauty products to more overseas customers and foster a more diverse and healthy ecosystem."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-25 14:16:10
  • U.S. Intensifies Economic Pressure on Iran Amid China Concerns
    U.S. Intensifies Economic Pressure on Iran Amid China Concerns The U.S. has intensified its economic pressure on Iran by expanding the scope of secondary sanctions targeting third-country companies and financial institutions that engage in trade with Iran. While the U.S. has publicly warned countries and businesses worldwide to sever economic ties with Iran, it has so far avoided direct sanctions against major trading partners, including China, the largest buyer of Iranian oil.On August 24, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessen announced the launch of 'Operation Economic Outcast' during a press conference at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C. Bessen stated, "Our goal is to cut off all economic lifelines supporting this oppressive regime until Iran is left isolated."The U.S. Treasury has expanded the areas subject to secondary sanctions to include five sectors: digital assets, technology, finance, aviation, and shipping. Additionally, over 60 individuals, companies, and vessels involved in Iran's nuclear, missile, and cyber operations, as well as its oil revenue generation, have been newly designated for sanctions.Bessen warned, "Any entity facilitating money laundering on behalf of Iran will be excluded from the U.S. dollar system." The Treasury Department also indicated that it would announce significant sanctions against a financial institution within the week.The biggest variable in these sanctions is China, which is not only the largest buyer of Iranian oil but also possesses its own financial and trade networks that can potentially circumvent U.S. financial sanctions. The South China Morning Post noted that the effectiveness of the sanctions against Iran may depend on how much pressure the U.S. is willing to exert on China.While the sanctions list announced on the same day included companies and individuals from mainland China and Hong Kong, major financial institutions, such as large Chinese banks, were not included.Previously, the U.S. hinted at the possibility of secondary sanctions against two Chinese banks suspected of facilitating trade with Iran, suggesting that including these banks in the sanctions could significantly impact Iran's oil exports and financial transactions.However, this could further strain U.S.-China relations, which are already in a precarious 'trade truce' ahead of a scheduled summit in September. Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, told Bloomberg that China might retaliate with measures that could significantly impact the U.S., such as tightening export controls on critical minerals or restricting exports of essential pharmaceuticals to the U.S.China has strongly opposed the additional U.S. sanctions. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that U.S. sanctions and pressure do not contribute to resolving issues and vowed to take necessary measures to protect China's legitimate rights and interests. The state-run Global Times criticized the additional sanctions against Iran as 'reckless' and made it clear that China would not participate. 2026-08-25 14:12:20
  • U.S., South Korea, and Japan Hold Meeting to Strengthen Cooperation
    U.S., South Korea, and Japan Hold Meeting to Strengthen Cooperation The Ministry of Foreign Affairs participated in the operating council of the Korea-U.S.-Japan office, hosted by the U.S. State Department in Washington on August 24, alongside the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting was organized to strengthen the institutional framework of Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation and to solidify the trilateral cooperation system, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Attendees included Yoo Seung-min, Director of the North America Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; David Wight, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Japan and Korea at the U.S. State Department; and Takashi Ariyoshi, Director of the Asia-Oceania Bureau at the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Participants noted that the recent meetings of the foreign ministers of the three countries last month have further solidified their cooperation, and they emphasized the importance of achieving tangible results that citizens can feel. Additionally, they reviewed cooperation projects in areas such as Arctic collaboration, economic and energy security, and regional and global issues.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-25 14:12:00
  • NVIDIA Begins Mass Production of Grok 3 LPX to Enhance AI Agent Speed
    NVIDIA Begins Mass Production of Grok 3 LPX to Enhance AI Agent Speed NVIDIA has commenced mass production of the Grok 3 LPX, an inference accelerator designed to enhance the response speed of AI agents. This move marks a significant step in the infrastructure competition aimed at increasing the token generation speed, a key component of agentic AI, beyond the existing AI computing performance focused on processing large-scale data.On August 25, NVIDIA announced the start of mass production for Grok 3 LPX at the Hot Chips event in Santa Clara, California. The Grok 3 LPX serves as an interactive AI inference accelerator that expands NVIDIA's next-generation Vera Rubin platform.AI agents perform complex tasks through multiple stages of inference and tool calls. The speed at which individual tokens are generated significantly impacts the overall task completion time, especially as the number of generated tokens increases. NVIDIA explained that Grok 3 LPX specifically targets this aspect.The performance metrics reveal that Grok 3 LPX achieved a record output of 3,400 tokens per second in an artificial analysis benchmark using the open-source agentic model Gemma 4 31B. This speed is noted as the highest for the model under conditions applying a context of 100,000 tokens.NVIDIA stated that Grok 3 LPX provides response speeds up to four times faster than similar platforms for latency-sensitive tasks, such as agentic coding. The focus is on reducing the time required for AI agents to perform repetitive tasks, from code writing and testing to file reviews and result validation.The Grok 3 LPX complements the inference performance of the Vera Rubin NVL72 system, which supports both the training and inference of large-scale AI models. By combining the Grok 3 LPX, specialized in token generation speed, with Vera Rubin, NVIDIA aims to meet the dual demands of large-scale context processing and real-time responses in agentic AI.AI cloud companies are also moving to adopt this technology. Nebius plans to integrate Grok 3 LPX into its production inference platform, the Nebius Token Factory, allowing developers to utilize high-speed token generation while maintaining existing APIs. The AI inference company Grok is expected to be among the early adopters as well.This mass production signifies a shift in the competitive standards for AI infrastructure. As generative AI evolves from merely answering questions to planning and executing multiple tasks as agentic AI, metrics such as response latency and token generation speed are becoming crucial performance indicators.NVIDIA is building rack-based systems that combine CPUs, DPUs, storage, and Ethernet with the Vera Rubin platform. The strategy is to optimize the entire platform, including Grok 3 LPX, for the workloads of AI agents, maintaining its leadership in the AI data center market for inference infrastructure.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-08-25 14:08:10