Seoul partners with private institutes to curb imports of harmful materials

SEOUL, May 24 (AJU PRESS) - The Seoul Metropolitan Government has partnered with three private institutes to conduct screening for harmful materials in products purchased by Korean costumers from foreign websites, such as toys, accessories, and clothing, it said Friday. The capital city said in a press release that it joined hands with the three institutes -- the Korea Conformity Laboratories (KCL), specializing in the fields of construction and energy environment, the Korea Appar

May 24, 2024

LS Cable to build plant in Mexico for high-capacity power transmission system

SEOUL, May 24 (AJU PRESS) - LS Cable & Systems, a Korean power cable maker, plans to construct a factory in Mexico to produce bus ducts, a new type of electricity distribution system typically installed in high-rise buildings due to their efficiency and convenience compared to conventional cables. A bus duct, containing either aluminum or copper busbars, is mostly used for large-scale electrical transmission. The system offers convenience in installation and maintenance and ca

May 24, 2024

Samsung to launch AI-powered connected family care system

SEOUL, May 24 (AJU PRESS) - “Mom hasn’t been very active today,” read the notification from Samsung’s SmartThings app. For office worker Kim, this was a concerning deviation from the norm. His mother, who lives separately, hadn’t shown any activity for over four hours that morning. The app revealed she used the water purifier at 5:30 am, but her step count was alarmingly low compared to usual. Kim quickly initiated a video call through the app and selec

May 24, 2024

More educated Koreans embrace international marriage, survey reveals

SEOUL, May 24 (AJU PRESS) - A shift in the perception of international marriage in Korea, where conservative Confucianism remains a fundamental part of society, has led an increasing number of highly educated men to seek lifelong partners from overseas through marriage brokerage services, a recent survey released by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Friday reveals. For centuries, many Koreans have focused on preserving their culture and family traditions, rooted in Confuc

May 24, 2024

NewJeans to come back with new album 'How Sweet'

SEOUL, May 24 (AJU PRESS) - K-pop girl band NewJeans is set to release a new album, "How Sweet," at 1 p.m. (0400 GMT) on Friday, their agency said. "How Sweet" consists of four songs, including the title track, a hip-hop-style song based on Miami Bass, featuring a bouncy and energetic vibe, according to ADOR. The music video for the song will be unveiled at 4 p.m. The latest album comes amid a legal dispute between Min Hee-jin, CEO of ADOR, and its parent co

May 24, 2024

Opinion: Scarlett Johansson's row with OpenAI reminds us identity is a slippery yet important subject

SEOUL, May 24 (AJU PRESS) - OpenAI will be removing access to one of its ChatGPT voices, following objections by actor Scarlett Johansson that it sounds "eerily similar" to her own. Earlier this week, the company said it was "working to pause" the voice of Sky, which is one of a few options users can choose when conversing with the app. Johannson said OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, had approached her in September and again in May, asking if she would allow he

May 24, 2024

Kakao fined record 15.1 billion won for user information leak

SEOUL, May 23 (AJU PRESS) – Korea's personal data watchdog on Thursday imposed a record 15.1 billion won ($11.1 million) fine on Kakao Corp., which runs the nation's largest mobile messaging app, after a major data breach exposed more than 65,000 user records. The Personal Information Protection Commission made the decision the previous day after finding Kakao failed to properly encrypt user IDs for its open chat rooms, allowing hackers to access linked account num

May 23, 2024

Researchers develop stretchable electronic skin with telecommunication capabilities for first time

SEOUL, May 23 (AJU PRESS) - Korean and U.S. researchers have developed a highly elastic electronic material that mimics the movements of skin and maintains its radio frequency properties even when stretched, marking a significant advancement in the development of wearable devices. Electronic skin with sensing and telecommunication capabilities is recognized as the next-generation wearable device, ideal for tracking the body signals of the wearer. However, current devices like skin

May 23, 2024

Actress Cha Ye-ryun to promote International Day of Yoga in Korea

SEOUL, May 23 (AJU PRESS) - Actress Cha Ye-ryun was appointed as a promotional ambassador for an event to raise awareness of the benefits of yoga to be held in Seoul next month. Organizers for the 10th United Nations International Day of Yoga in Korea announced the appointment of the actress to promote the spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. The announcement was made about a month ahead of the event, at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday, attended by the Ind

May 23, 2024

Dangerous levels of heavy metals found in children's products from Chinese e-commerce platforms

SEOUL, May 23 (AJU PRESS) - Alarming levels of hazardous heavy metals have been detected in children's products sold on popular Chinese online platforms AliExpress and Shein. The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Thursday that a recent safety inspection of seven children's items from Chinese e-commerce sites found high levels of lead, chromium and nickel in two products. A children's watch sold on Shein was found to have lead levels 278 times higher than the

May 23, 2024