YouTube becomes S. Korea's favorite smartphone app for first time: market data

SEOUL -- YouTube, the video content-based social media platform operated by Google, became South Korea's favorite smartphone app, surpassing messenger app KakaoTalk, the former king of South Korea's smartphone app ecosystem, for the first time in December 2023, according to data released by mobile big data company IGA Works. KakaoTalk, with more than 45.5 million monthly active users (MAUs), has maintained its status as South Korea's favorite smartphone app since the e

February 5, 2024

Viet Nam continues to stand as S. Korea's 3rd-largest trade partner in 2023

SEOUL -- Viet Nam maintained its position as South Korea's third-largest trade partner in 2023. The main product category that was shipped to Viet Nam was semiconductors, followed by flat-screen displays and petroleum-based products. South Korea forged a diplomatic relationship with the Republic of Vietnam in 1956 but it was severed in 1975 due to the fall of Saigon during the Viet Nam War (1955~1975). South Korea established diplomatic ties with the Socialist Republic of Viet

February 5, 2024

Shinsegae's convenience store chain to make foray into Cambodia

SEOUL -- Riding Hallyu (Korean cultural wave), Emart24, a convenience store chain operated by South Korea's retail giant Shinsegae, is set to make a foray into Cambodia. The 24-hour supermarket store franchise will offer South Korean products including food and everyday necessities. Convenience stores in South Korea are shops full of surprises that also play the role of a cultural center. While the stores offer daily necessities such as socks, and tee-shirts, they also sell Hall

February 2, 2024

S. Koreans spent $171.1 bln through ecommerce platforms in 2023: market data

SEOUL -- South Koreans spent a total of more than 227 trillion won ($171.1 billion) through ecommerce platforms in 2023, earmarking the biggest-ever recorded amount since the total online transaction exceeded 200 trillion won in 2022. According to a survey of 1,001 South Korean adults randomly contacted through their mobile phone numbers, conducted by South Korean pollster Gallup Korea in July 2023, 97 percent of adults used smartphones. People aged 60 years and more showed a dist

February 2, 2024

POSCO adopts AI-based carbon emission monitoring solution 'OceanWise'

SEOUL -- South Korea's leading steel group POSCO has adopted "OceanWise," an artificial intelligence-based carbon emission monitoring solution created by HD Hyundai. The solution will be used to check the energy efficiency of POSCO's bulk carriers designed to deliver raw materials such as iron ore and coal to foreign countries. OceanWise also integrates big data and digital twin technology. A digital twin, which is a virtual clone of an object or an infrastructur

February 1, 2024

[OPINION] 'NATO – The Enduring Alliance'

KENOSHA -- On January 25, Turkey at last approved membership for Sweden in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). This is an historic step, in several important respects.

February 1, 2024

About 18% percent of S. Korean restaurant and accommodation businesses use online reservation platforms

SEOUL -- About 18 percent of South Korean restaurant and accommodation operators used online order and reservation platforms to attract more customers in 2023, data released by the national statistics office showed. Online food delivery and hotel reservation app services became popular in the country during the last decade thanks to the wide distribution of smartphones. According to a survey of 1,001 South Korean adults randomly contacted through their phone numbers, conducted by

February 1, 2024

Naver provides Arabic translation through AI translation platform 'Papago'

SEOUL -- Papago, an artificial intelligence-based translation service created by South Korea's top portal site Naver, has incorporated Arabic in its range of supported languages. The web portal operator aims to upgrade its global capacity by adding one of the six most spoken languages in the world. Papago now provides automatic text translation services in 16 languages, including Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and French. Users can also record their voices in the

February 1, 2024

Indonesian Embassy in Seoul to improve cultural ties with S. Korea through traditional music event

SEOUL -- The Indonesian embassy in Seoul is seeking to improve cultural ties with South Korea through music events. The embassy aims to host a special music event featuring a collaboration between Gamelan, traditional Indonesian ensemble music, and Korea's traditional musical instrument Gayageum. Gamelan is a traditional ensemble music or the instruments used in the ensemble. It is mainly played with percussion instruments such as metallophones and drums. Gamelan is deeply roote

February 1, 2024

Domestic sales of eco-friendly vehicles increase 24.3% on-year in 2023

SEOUL -- South Korea's domestic sales of eco-friendly vehicles including electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, stood at 558,112 units in 2023, up 24.3 percent year-on-year. It was the first time the country saw annual sales of environmentally-friendly vehicles exceed 500,000 units. South Korea's transport ministry data shows that there are 25.94 million registered vehicles as of December 2023, 2.12 million vehicles are eco-friendly cars -- hy

February 1, 2024