About 30 mln S. Korean messenger app users express feelings through 'emoticons' every month: data

SEOUL -- Some 30 million South Korean users of Kakao Talk, the country's favorite smartphone messenger app with monthly average domestic users of about 48.2 million, sent out emoticons to express their feelings to their friends and relatives, data released by the messenger app's operator showed. Emoticons are picturized or animated images of emotions. They can be used to express users' feelings in messenger chats or social media posts. According to Kakao, South Korea'

November 28, 2023

Hyundai unveils 'universal wheel' with built-in drive system for future EVs

SEOUL -- Hyundai auto group has unveiled a new type of car wheel designed exclusively for future electric vehicles. Unlike ordinary wheels that receive power delivered from an engine or motor through drive shafts, the new "Universal Wheel Drive System" has its own drive system built into the interior of the wheel. Hyundai Motor and its brother company Kia held the "UNI WHEEL Tech Day" in central Seoul on November 28 and unveiled the universal wheel. Hyundai said

November 28, 2023

SK Telecom to adopt Indonesian language for metaverse service 'Ifland'

SEOUL -- South Korea's major mobile carrier SK Telecom will adopt the Indonesian language service for its metaverse platform "Ifland" targeting the Southeast Asian country with the world's fourth-largest population. The company will also work with Indonesia's leading game developer Agate to gain a competitive edge in Indonesia with a population of some 277.5 million. Using Ifland, anyone can host lectures, business forums, and concerts in a virtual space. The p

November 28, 2023

STX partners with Mongolian investor SG Group to co-develop high-value resources and rare metal businesses

SEOUL -- STX, a Seoul-based trading company, has partnered with SG Group, a Mongolian investment company, to jointly develop high-value resources and rare metals businesses in a bid to create stable supply channels for materials that are crucial for the production of batteries and semiconductors. Mongolia is rich in various mineral resources including lithium, tungsten, copper, gold, and iron. The country has some 16 percent of the world's rare earth materials that are require

November 28, 2023

Harman acquires audio technology platform Roon to beef up connectivity capability

SEOUL -- Harman, the audio and electric parts wing of Samsung Electronics, has acquired Roon, an American audio platform company that specializes in connectivity and streaming technology, in a bid to beef up the company's future smart car infotainment system capabilities. Harman, formerly known as Harman International, was acquired by Samsung in 2016. The company focuses on the connectivity of electronic devices such as hardware used in vehicles' infotainment systems. Connec

November 28, 2023

Brazil's vice industry minister visits S. Korea to level up trade and investment cooperation

SEOUL -- Marcio Elias Rosa, Brazil's Development, Industry, Commerce and Services Vice Minister, has visited South Korea to upgrade trade and investment cooperation in various sectors such as supply chain, renewable energy, digital transformation, and biopharmaceutical technology. During his stay in Seoul, Rosa reached a consensus to promote the trade and investment promotion framework with South Korea's trade ministry. Brazil became the first South American country to si

November 28, 2023

CJ Cheiljedang develops paper coating technology using biodegradable plastic material

SEOUL -- CJ CheilJedang, a key subsidiary of South Korea's food and entertainment conglomerate CJ Group, has developed eco-friendly paper coating technology using its degradable plastic material called "polyhydroxyalkanoates." The new technique can be used for paper packaging on paper cups, cup noodles, and rice containers. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are produced by bacteria during the fermentation process of sugar or lipids, including fats, oils, and waxes, for the

November 27, 2023

Vietnamese universities adopt smart Korean language learning platform 'Klass'

SEOUL -- "Klass," a digital Korean learning platform created by South Korea's education company Visang Education, was provided to about 20 Vietnamese higher education institutes that offer Korean language courses. The Southeast Asian country has at least 40 colleges and universities providing Korean language programs. Demand for the Korean language is exceptionally high in Viet Nam. As of June 2023, the number of Vietnamese students enrolled at South Korea's public

November 27, 2023

S. Korea becomes world leader in AI-based quality management technology field

SEOUL -- South Korea has become the world leader in the artificial intelligence-based video analysis smart quality management technology field with the biggest number of patent applications, the country's patent office said. Video analysis quality management is a technique that is adopted by manufacturers to selectively remove defective products from their manufacturing lines. At ordinary factories, the sorting process is done by human eyes and hands where workers manually check

November 27, 2023

Bank of Korea to announce base interest rate through monetary policy meeting in November

SEOUL -- South Korea's central bank will announce the country's base interest rate during the last monetary policy meeting on November 30. The benchmark interest rate, which is at 3.5 percent, has remained unchanged for the sixth consecutive time since February 2023 amid growth deceleration and increased uncertainties, including the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and concerns over rising household debts. The Bank of Korea (BOK) will determine the base interest rate thr

November 27, 2023