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  KT Cloud unveils liquid-cooling systems for AI data centers SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - KT Cloud has launched South Korea’s first commercial liquid-cooling system using direct-to-chip (D2C) technology, stepping up efforts to capture a growing share of the AI data center market. The company on Thursday opened a center which replicates a full AI data center environment to showcase high-efficiency, high-reliability operations. D2C cooling works by attaching a cold plate directly to a server’s GPU chip and circulating coolant December 11, 2025
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  Japanese cities top travel destinations for Korean Air passengers SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - Tokyo was the most popular destination among overseas travelers aboard Korean Air this year, with Japanese cities dominating the top spots for short-haul travel. According to a year-end report released Thursday by the country's flagship carrier, based on the number of passengers on international flights from January through Nov. 10, Tokyo topped the list, followed by Osaka, Fukuoka, and Bangkok. Flights to Chinese cities rebounded sharply, with pass December 11, 2025
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  Korea scales back corporate contenders for CES 2026, but books 60% of awards SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - South Korea's presence at the world's biggest consumer technology show will be notably slimmer next year, even as Korean innovators again dominate the event's coveted awards. CES 2026, slated for Jan. 6 to 9 in Las Vegas, is expected to host between 700 and 800 Korean companies, down sharply from about 1,031 firms in 2025, according to industry data. The retreat is driven largely by startups and sole proprietors pulling back, but major conglome December 11, 2025
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  Veteran German engineer to lead Hyundai Motor Group's R&D SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - Hyundai Motor Group is preparing to name Manfred Harrer, its vice president for vehicle development, as the new head of research and development, industry sources said on Thursday. Harrer is expected to be promoted to president and take charge of the R&D division as part of the automaker’s annual executive reshuffle, according to officials at Hyundai’s Namyang R&D Center. The group’s current R&D chief, Yang Hee-won, is sch December 11, 2025
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  Naver launches digital warranty service to combat counterfeits in e-commerce SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - Naver rolled out its digital warranty service "Naver Collection", aiming to bolster consumer confidence and curb counterfeit risks across its sprawling e-commerce platform. The service, launched Wednesday, replaces traditional paper warranties with tamper-proof digital certificates stored in the Naver app, featuring hologram badges to prevent forgery. More than 600 brands, including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and global luxury names s December 11, 2025
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  South Korea prepares rule changes to channel financial capital into AI, chip sectors SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - South Korea plans to relax rules that restrict financial capital from investing in high-tech industries, including artificial intelligence and semiconductors, while maintaining the core principle of separating industrial and financial capital, the government said on Thursday. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol briefed President Lee Jae Myung on the proposed regulatory changes during a policy briefing session in Sejong. President L December 11, 2025
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  Eight out of 10 South Koreans prefer current state over unification with NK SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - Nearly eight out of 10 South Koreans prefer sharing the border with North Korea peacefully over a unified Korea, a latest survey showed. According to a survey released Thursday by the Ministry of Unification, 79.4 percent of respondents said that peaceful coexistence without war outweighs the goal of unification. Among them, 37.1 percent strongly agreed and 42.2 percent somewhat agreed. Support was also high for acknowledging the two Koreas as separat December 11, 2025
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  Laotian president to visit Seoul for summit SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung will hold a summit with Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith next week to discuss bilateral relations. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Thursday that Thongloun, who is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Sunday, will sit down for talks with Lee on Monday, followed by a state luncheon. According to Kang, his trip to Seoul comes as the two countries mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations and it will be the firs December 11, 2025
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  Bank of Korea likely to extend rate freeze despite Fed rate cut SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - The U.S. Federal Reserve’s third consecutive interest-rate cut is expected to have little immediate impact on South Korea’s monetary stance, with the Bank of Korea likely to keep its policy rate unchanged amid persistent won volatility, elevated housing prices and uncertainty over the U.S. policy path, industry sources said Thursday. The Fed lowered its benchmark range to 3.50–3.75 percent at its Wednesday meeting. Its latest do December 11, 2025
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  Kookmin University highlights new ERC center on robotic functional skin and hypersensory perception SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - Kookmin University hosted a K*-Colloquium on December 9 at its Industry-Academic Cooperation Building, where Professor Lim Si-hyung of the School of Mechanical Engineering presented the vision and roadmap of the newly selected Engineering Research Center (ERC) on Robotic Functional Skin and Enhanced Perception. The K*-Colloquium is a regular seminar series organized by the university's Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation. It serves as a forum fo December 11, 2025