Convenience store chain Emart24 to make foray into Cambodian market

SEOUL -- Emart24, the convenience store chain of South Korea's retail giant Shinsegae, will open its first store in Cambodia in the first half of 2024. To expand into the Cambodian convenience store market, the company partnered with Saihan Partners, a joint venture between Hanlim Architecture Group, a Seoul-based real estate service provider, and Cambodia's Saisons Brother Holding. Saisons, which started its food and beverage business in 2010, has expanded its business scop

December 22, 2023

[OPINION] CEWC 2024: China's strategic blueprint

KARACHI -- As China charts its course for 2024, the palpable resonance from Beijing is a resounding commitment to prioritize high-quality development. The recently concluded Central Economic Work Conference (CEWC), the most im

December 21, 2023

[OPINION] Christmas 1944: Hell on Earth

KENOSHA -- Christmas includes the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the largest land battle fought by the United States. The battle was hell on earth. On December 16, 1

December 21, 2023

Pyongyang expresses discomfort over UN Security Council meeting on ICBM test launch

SEOUL -- Kim Yo-jong, North Korea's No. 2 in power, strongly expressed discomfort over a United Nations Security Council meeting that was held to call for de-escalation, political dialogue, and diplomatic solutions for the Korean Peninsula, claiming such an action denounced the sovereign right of North Korea. North Korea fired off a projectile suspected of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on December 18, 2023, a day after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile into the

December 21, 2023

G-Dragon's agency sends out deadline warning towards cyberbullies

SEOUL -- The agency representing singer Kwon Ji-yong, known by his stage name G-Dragon, has issued a deadline warning to cyberbullies spreading malicious rumors about the 35-year-old artist's drug scandal. The agency will take legal action if such comments are not deleted or corrected by December 28. Meanwhile, G-Dragon plans to establish a foundation to combat drug abuse. Along with Lee Sun-kyun, who gained worldwide popularity after appearing in the Oscar-winning film "Pa

December 21, 2023

Market share of Hyundai and Kia cars in Europe stands at 8.6% in November 2023: data

SEOUL -- Sales of Hyundai and Kia cars in the European market continued to rise in November 2023 to have a market share of 8.3 percent, up 0.1 percent compared to the same period in 2022, data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association showed. The European car market stood at about $15 billion with some 13 million newly-registered units in 2022. The number of newly-registered vehicles dropped by 10.4 percent compared to a year ago, but remained larger than the Nor

December 21, 2023

BTS' Jimin to drop solo digital single 'Closer Than This'

SEOUL -- BTS member Jimin's solo digital single will be released while he fulfills his mandatory military service in South Korea. The 28-year-old will deliver his sincere feelings toward his fan club, "ARMY," through the song titled "Closer Than This." Big Hit, the agency of BTS, said the digital single will be rolled out at 2:00 p.m. (0500 GMT) on December 21. "As we approach the final days of 2023, we hope that 'Closer Than This,' with its lyri

December 21, 2023

LG Chem breaks ground on largest cathode material plant in US

SEOUL -- South Korea's major chemical company LG Chem has started the construction of the largest cathode plant in the United States. By 2026, the factory in Tennessee will have an annual production capacity of 60,000 tons of cathodes for high-performance batteries that can power about 600,000 electric vehicles with a range of 500 kilometers (310 miles). Along with anodes, cathodes are used to help the conduction of electricity through electrolyte materials. Demands for cathodes

December 20, 2023

Chinese shopping app Aliexpress garners largest number of new users in S. Korea in 2023

SEOUL -- The smartphone application of Aliexpress, the business-to-consumer ecommerce platform operated by China's online shopping giant Alibaba Group, has become the ecommerce app service that garnered the largest number of users in South Korea in 2023. The culture of "Jikgoo," direct buying in the Korean language, became popular among smart consumers about a decade ago. Some South Korean shoppers mainly used online shopping platforms such as Amazon and eBay to gain a

December 20, 2023

S. Korea to build 10,000 smart buildings for urban air mobility and robots

SEOUL -- South Korea aims to build 10,000 smart buildings with easy access to robots, autonomous vehicles, and urban air mobility by 2035. Various policies will be adopted to create infrastructure for advanced mobility solutions such as vertiports that serve as landing and takeoff facilities for flying vehicles. Smart buildings should have enough space for easy operation of flying passenger vehicles and other advanced mobility solutions. Building structures must be modified to i

December 20, 2023