Korea's largest int'l book fair kicks off in southern Seoul

SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's largest international book fair kicked off its five-day run at COEX in southern Seoul on Wednesday. The annual Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF), now in its 66th year, brings together publishers, authors, and book lovers from Korea and around the world. Hosted by the Korean Publishers Association (KPA) under the sponsorship of the Korean Publishing Foundation, this year's fair offers over 450 programs including lectures and exhibiti

June 26, 2024

Samsung Electro-Mechanics, LG Innotek target AI semiconductor substrate market

SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - Samsung Electro-Mechanics and LG Innotek are ramping up their AI-based semiconductor substrates business amid the ongoing artificial intelligence boom. Semiconductor substrates are essential for mounting components on the mainboards of IT devices, facilitating smooth electrical connections, efficient power delivery, and effective heat dissipation for optimal performance and reliable data transfer. Samsung Electro-Mechanics said Wednesday that its Viet

June 26, 2024

Korean Air ranks 11th in global airline survey

SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - Korean Air Lines secured the 11th position in the World's Top 100 Airlines ranking announced by Skytrax, a British airline consultancy and rating agency, on Monday (local time). Qatar Airways claimed the top spot in the annual survey, which combines both full-service and low-cost carriers. Korean Air ranked 22nd in 2021, 9th in 2022 and 10th in 2023. Asiana Airlines, another major Korean carrier, was placed 37th. Its ranking was 25th in 2021, 3

June 26, 2024

LTechUVC secures green ammonia supply deal in Thailand

SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - Korea's LTechUVC has signed a supply deal with Thai energy company MA Corporation Oil Co. to supply 200,000 tons of green ammonia annually for 15 years. The green ammonia producer said the two entities held a signing ceremony in Bangkok on Tuesday (local time). A total of 3 million tons of green ammonia, valued at $2.25 billion, will be supplied to MA Corporation Oil over 15 years. MA Corporation Oil specializes in energy trading, supplying oil an

June 26, 2024

Samsung's Bespoke refrigerator sells 300 million units since 2019 launch

SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - Samsung Electronics' Bespoke refrigerator has sold 300 million units in South Korea since its 2019 launch, the company said Wednesday. The Bespoke line revolutionized the appliance market by offering customizable product types, materials, and colors. In 2021, it expanded to 360 prismatic color options and introduced a lifetime warranty on its digital inverter compressor. 2022 saw the launch of the Bespoke Infinite Line, focusing on durability and

June 26, 2024

SK On inks lithium supply deal with ExxonMobil

SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - Korean battery maker SK On has signed a memorandum of understanding with ExxonMobil to secure up to 100,000 tons of lithium from the U.S. oil giant's Arkansas brine field, the company said on Wednesday. The agreement, inked at in Fastmarkets LRBM Conference 2024, the world's largest lithium and battery raw materials conference in Las Vegas on June 24, aims to bolster SK On's supply chain of U.S.-sourced lithium, a critical component in electr

June 26, 2024

N. Korea's ballistic missile explodes shortly after launch

SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea early Wednesday morning, but the missile exploded in mid-air shortly after liftoff, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The JCS said the missile was launched at around 5:30 a.m. from an area near Pyongyang, but it is "believed to have failed." The South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are conducting further analysis. The missile launch follows Pyongyang'

June 26, 2024

Seoul mayor unveils controversial plan for towering patriotic flagpole

SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - Seoul plans to erect a 100-meter flagpole in Gwanghwamun Square by 2026 to hoist a giant national flag, serving as a new national symbol to inspire patriotism. Conservative Mayor Oh Se-hoon unveiled the plan on Tuesday during a meeting with Korean War (1950-53) veterans at City Hall, commemorating the 74th anniversary of the conflict's outbreak. City officials said the envisioned pole will display the country's largest national flag, or Taege

June 26, 2024

Opinion: Julian Assange will be freed after striking plea deal with US authorities

SEOUL, June 26 (AJU PRESS) - Julian Assange has reached a deal with the United States Department of Justice to allow him to return to Australia after pleading guilty to violating American espionage law. Assange, 52, was released from London's Belmarsh Prison, where he has spent more than five years and later was seen at a London airport boarding a private plane. He left around 5 p.m. on Monday London time. Australia's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Stephen Smith, i

June 26, 2024

VISUALS: How to Remember Korean War

SEOUL, June 25 (AJU PRESS) - South Korea marked the 74th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War with solemn ceremonies across the country. The war began when the North made a surprise invasion at dawn on June 25, 1950, and escalated into an international conflict involving U.S.-led U.N. forces supporting the South, and the Soviet Union and China backing the North. The two Koreas are still technically at war, as the war ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

June 25, 2024