Korea to launch first late-night autonomous taxi service

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - Korea's first late-night autonomous taxi service is set to begin in southern Seoul on late Thursday. The city announced the late-night service will operate in a designated self-driving test area in Gangnam, spanning 11.7 square kilometers, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays. Rides will be free before paid service begins next year. Three vehicles will be available through the Kakao T taxi-hailing app. Users will see a "Seoul Self-Driving Ca

September 26, 2024

Korean cooking show becomes most-watched non-English series on Netflix in its debut week

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - Netflix's latest Korean show debuted as the most-watched non-English series worldwide in its first week. Reality show "Culinary Class Wars" garnered 3.8 million views about a week after its release on Sept. 17, the U.S. video-streaming site said on Wednesday. In the 12-episode survival show, 80 lesser-known chefs, referred to as "Black Spoon," compete against 20 celebrity chefs known as "White Spoon" in an intense culi

September 26, 2024

Korea, Serbia launch free trade negotiations

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - South Korea and Serbia began free trade agreement negotiations Thursday, marking Seoul's first such pact with a Balkan country. Korean Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo and Serbian Minister of Domestic and Foreign Trade Tomislav Momirović launched talks for an Economic Partnership Agreement in Seoul. An EPA, a form of FTA, includes broader economic cooperation beyond tariff reductions. Serbia, in southeastern Europe, has significant reserves of crit

September 26, 2024

OPINION: European Union is becoming too obsessed with defense

SEOUL, September 26 (AJP) - A new team of 26 leaders has been appointed to the European Commission, reflecting a carefully crafted balance of political ideologies and member states. Each will take on a different portfolio, from democracy to agriculture to innovation. And for the first time, the EU will have a dedicated defense commissioner in the form of Lithuania's Andrius Kubilius. Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has made it clear that in her second term, the prim

September 26, 2024

PHOTOS: Suspense thriller "A Normal Family" to hit theaters next month

SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) - A press conference for the upcoming film "A Normal Family" was held at CGV Yongsan I'Park Mall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday. Director Hur Jin-ho and actors Sol Kyung-gu, Jang Dong-gun, Kim Hee-ae, and Su Hyun were in attendance. "A Normal Family" is a suspense thriller that follows four individuals whose lives begin to crumble after they witness CCTV footage of a crime scene involving their children. Based on Dutch author Herman Koch&

September 25, 2024

Korea Zinc seeks to block takeover bid with core technology designation

SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) - Korea's largest zinc smelter, Korea Zinc, has applied to have its technology for manufacturing electric vehicle battery precursors designated as a national core technology in a bid to fend off a hostile takeover attempt by former partner Young Poong and private equity firm MBK Partners. "We submitted an application for national core technology designation yesterday," a Korea Zinc official said on Wednesday. "The technology in question

September 25, 2024

Samsung, Hyundai partner to integrate IoT platform with vehicle infotainment

SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics has partnered with Hyundai Motor Group to integrate its Internet of Things (IoT) platform into the automaker's in-vehicle infotainment systems. The two Korean conglomerates signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday, to integrate Samsung’s SmartThings into the software-defined vehicles (SDV) systems being developed by three Hyundai affiliates – Hyundai Motor Co., Kia Corp. and 42dot. This integration

September 25, 2024

Trump claims his reelection would lead to 'mass exodus of manufacturing' from Korea

SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) - Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed during his campaign rally in Georgia on Tuesday that his reelection would usher in a "manufacturing renaissance" in the U.S. Trump pledged voters and supporters that the U.S. would see a "mass exodus of manufacturing" from countries like Korea and China if they voted for him in the presidential election in November. Trump outlined plans to provide tax incentives and reduce red t

September 25, 2024

Samsung Galaxy Watches receive high ratings in Consumer Reports evaluation

SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics said Wednesday its Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch7 LTE have jointly reached the top position in the latest Consumer Reports evaluation. Both devices scored 92 points, while the Apple Watch Ultra 2 received 91 points. Consumer Reports gave the Galaxy Watch Ultra an "Excellent" rating in all 11 categories of its assessment. The U.S. consumer watchdog noted the Galaxy Watch Ultra's usability, step counting accuracy, and

September 25, 2024

Korean electric vehicle market shifts towards compact models amid global sales slowdown

SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) - Korea's electric vehicle (EV) market is showing a clear preference for compact models, while sales of larger EVs continue to struggle, industry data revealed on Wednesday. The Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) reported that domestic sales of compact EVs surged by 130.4 percent year-on-year to 19,103 cars in the first eight months of 2024. Conversely, sales of large EVs in the Korean market plunged 70.3 percent to 2,477 units. T

September 25, 2024