S. Korea's pet care market grows 5.6% to $2.4 billion in 2023: market data

SEOUL -- South Korea's love for furry friends is showing no signs of slowing down. According to data released by global market analyst firm Euromonitor, the country's pet care market reached a staggering $2.45 billion in 2023, marking a 5.6 percent increase from the previous year. This impressive growth comes amidst a larger trend: the market has tripled in size since 2013, outpacing the global average of a 1.9-fold increase during the same period. Several factors are cont

March 4, 2024

Southern port city to demonstrate food drone delivery services for near-shore vessels and fishing areas

SEOUL -- The southern port city of Busan is set to showcase drone delivery services, aiming to transport food and essential items to vessels near the shoreline and individuals at popular fishing locations. This initiative seeks to promote the use of aerial delivery systems and enhance leisure experiences by providing greater convenience. In South Korea, where tension with North Korea persists, private drone operators face significant restrictions due to airspace regulations. Many

March 4, 2024

South Korea's robot test site eyed in Daegu

SEOUL -- The South Korean government announced plans, on March 4, to invest 200 billion won (approximately $1.5 billion) in building a national robot test field in Daegu. The announcement was made at a town hall meeting held at Kyungpook National University under the theme of "Daegu Rising as a Leader in Advanced New Industries." The robot test field will help companies evaluate and validate the safety and functionality of their robots in both real and virtual environmen

March 4, 2024

S. Korean cable firm replaces New York's outdated power grid using new technique

SEOUL -- South Korea's major power cable maker Taihan Cable & Solution has embarked on a groundbreaking project to replace New York's outdated power grid using an innovative cable-laying technique. This new method requires minimal space and equipment, making it particularly suitable for construction sites in bustling urban areas. In October 2023, Taihan secured a contract for the replacement of aging power cables linking New York's power grid with the John F. Kenne

March 4, 2024

Koreans spend record 40 hours per month watching YouTube

SEOUL -- A recent study by WiseApp, a mobile app analysis firm, has revealed that South Koreans are now spending an average of 40 hours per month watching YouTube on their smartphones. This is the highest monthly usage time ever recorded in the country, and represents a significant increase from just five years ago, when the average monthly usage time was 21 hours. The study, which was conducted in January 2024, surveyed a sample of users from both Android and iOS platforms. The

March 4, 2024

[INTERVIEW] Pulitzer-winning photojournalist documents Korea's cultural heritage

SEOUL -- South Korean-born photojournalist Hyungwon Kang has called for greater efforts to preserve and promote Korean cultural heritage, saying this is not only a matter of national pride and self-esteem, but also a crucial step towards building a sustainable future for the nation. In an exclusive interview on February 26, the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner said he is currently focusing on capturing the images of Korean cultural assets with journalistic objectivity. He said photo

March 4, 2024

Convenience store chain GS25 to roll out tomato pre-order sales to satisfy picky customers

SEOUL -- In a bid to satisfy picky customers, South Korea's major convenience store chain, GS25, is set to introduce a pre-order project for tomatoes. Under this initiative, the store chain's operator will accept orders from customers and deliver the fruits, cultivated in the southern port city of Busan, directly to their doorsteps. Additionally, any dissatisfied customers will receive a 100 percent refund. According to GS Retail, the operator of GS25, sales of fresh fruit

March 4, 2024

Girl band TWICE tops Billboard's top 200 popular albums chart for first time

SEOUL -- Girl band TWICE has topped Billboard's top 200 popular albums chart with its album "With YOU-th." The nine-member band became the third K-pop girl group to secure the top position on the album chart, following BLACKPINK and New Jeans. The album, released on February 23, arrived atop the list on the Billboard 200 chart with 95,000 equivalent album units sold in the United States in the week ending February 29. The ranking is confirmed based on the number of a

March 4, 2024

[MWC 24] KT partners with Amazon to co-develop generative AI and mobile services for enterprises

BARCELONA -- In a bid to compete with top global generative artificial intelligence service providers such as Google and OpenAI, South Korea's major telecom company KT has forged an alliance with Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing and internet server service wing of e-commerce giant Amazon. Generative AI is a type of AI that can create new content such as images, text, and music based on patterns it has studied through machine learning processes. Enterprises of all sizes

February 29, 2024

[MWC 24] S. Korean care robot company Hyodol wins health tech award at MWC

BARCELONA -- South Korean care robot company, Hyodol, has achieved a significant breakthrough at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona by clinching an award in the "Best Mobile Innovation for Connected Health and Wellbeing" category. Hyodol specializes in the development of doll-shaped robots resembling six-year-old children. Equipped with a mobile communication module, processor, various sensors, and speakers, these care robots are powered by ChatGPT, an artifici

February 29, 2024