Britain's deputy prime minister explores K-pop scene at SM Entertainment headquarters

SEOUL, Mar. 20 (AJU PRESS) -- Britain's deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden has visited the headquarters of South Korea's entertainment giant, SM Entertainment, and delved into learning about the country's music industry. During his tour, Dowden expressed his excitement towards SM's collaboration with Moon & Back, a London-based entertainment company, to create a new boy band. In November 2023, SM agreed to provide its know-how in music production to form the b

March 20, 2024

S. Korean food maker Nongshim partners with agriculture ministry to help young farmers

SEOUL -- Nongshim, a major South Korean food company recognized globally mainly for its popular instant noodle and snack products, has partnered with an agricultural information service agency operated by the agriculture ministry to provide support for young farmers who plan to build up their professional farming careers. South Korea's farming sector is heavily affected by the country's rapidly aging phenomenon. Farming villages are being depopulated due to young people leav

March 20, 2024

Seoul to display popular foreign poems at safety screen doors in subway stations

SEOUL -- As part of the capital city's culture project aimed at promoting poetry and creating a comfortable ambiance in subway stations, Seoul will exhibit foreign poems on platform screen doors. While primarily serving as safety barriers, the screen doors in Seoul's subway stations also function as notice boards and art installations to improve the platform environment. Poems authored by both renowned poets and amateur writers will be showcased on transparent doors. Se

March 20, 2024

LG Chem to showcase CO2-based eco-friendly plastic at beauty trade show in Italy

SEOUL -- LG Chem, the chemical unit of South Korea's LG Group, will showcase a carbon dioxide-based environmentally friendly plastic material at "Cosmoprof Bologna 2024," an international beauty trade show scheduled to be held for four days starting March 21 in Bologna, Italy. The plastic material called polyethylene carbonate uses a carbon-capturing technique during the production process. Polyethylene carbonate (PEC) is a type of biodegradable polymer that has ga

March 20, 2024

S. Korea succeeds in aerial refueling test of first homegrown supersonic fighter jet

SEOUL -- South Korea has succeeded in the aerial refueling test of its first homegrown fighter jet "KF-21." The successful demonstration of mid-air refueling procedure has proved that the "Boramae" jet's original radius of action of 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) can be increased by about 50 percent. The KF-21 project started in 2010 in a bid to replace the country's aging fleet of U.S.-made F-4 and F-5 fighters. According to specifications out

March 19, 2024

GS25 partners with Seoul City to stimulate elderly employment

SEOUL -- GS Retail, the operator of the popular convenience store chain GS25, has forged a partnership with Seoul City to boost the employment rate of individuals aged 60 and above. The convenience store giant plans to employ up to one thousand seniors as delivery personnel for on-foot short-distance grocery deliveries. In August 2020, GS25 teamed up with Yogiyo, a leading food delivery service app operator, to launch the on-foot delivery service. This initiative was introduced to

March 19, 2024

Samsung's operating profit to exceed $3.7 bln in 1Q 2024: market analysis

SEOUL -- A market analyst firm predicts that Samsung Electronics' operating profit for the first quarter of 2024 is likely to exceed five trillion won ($3.7 billion), signaling a positive recovery trend in both the semiconductor and smartphone businesses. According to FN Guide, a securities information company, Samsung's first-quarter operating profit consensus (an average estimate based on data released by three securities firms over three months) has once again increased

March 19, 2024

Seoul to commemorate 10th anniversary of Dongdaemun Design Plaza

SEOUL -- Seoul City will commemorate the birthday of its landmark "Dongdaemun Design Plaza" through a four-day festival scheduled to kick off on March 21. The visitor-centric event will encourage participation from visitors through various types of attractions such as elaborate photo zones and special tour programs that will guide visitors to hidden areas normally closed to the public. Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) is one of the capital city's landmarks that is locat

March 18, 2024

S. Korean middle market enterprise federation chief calls for more high-quality jobs to overcome low fertility rate

SEOUL -- Choi Jin-sik, the chairman of the Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea (FOMEK), has urged South Korean companies to offer more high-quality jobs to tackle the current low fertility rate crisis. During a meeting with the vice chairman of the Presidential Committee of Aging Society and Population Policy (PCASPP), Choi pointed out that increasing such jobs, with higher incomes, could mitigate the crisis. According to data released by South Korea's statistics

March 18, 2024

Son Heung-min to leave football after retirement

SEOUL --South Korean football star Son Heung-min has revealed a plan to step away from the football world after retiring. "While I love and enjoy football," Son said in an interview with Harper's Bazaar Korea, published March 18, "I don't have the ability to teach others. It's the moment when I actually kick the ball myself that I truly cherish." Son's decision to forgo a football-related career after retirement may disappoint some fans, but

March 18, 2024