Spicy rice cake Tteokbokki franchise Addal receives Malaysia's halal authorization

SEOUL -- South Korea's street food franchise operator Addal has secured halal certification for Tteokbokki, finger-sized rice cakes simmered in fiery-red spicy chili sauce, from the Malaysian government. Halal-certified food products are considered to be safe and clean under Islamic standards. The food maker will release three different ready-to-eat Tteokbokki products in the Southeast Asian country targeting Muslim consumers. Malaysia's Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKI

December 5, 2023

S. Korean public buses to provide faster 5G-based free Wi-Fi service

SEOUL -- South Koreans who use public buses will gain access to a 5G-based free public Wi-Fi service that is about four times faster than the currently provided 4G-based free wireless internet service starting December 6. Currently, some 29,100 public buses that carry passengers across South Korea offer 4G-based free Wi-Fi service for customers. By following the simple steps shown inside a bus, customers can use the free wireless internet service without having to use up their data

December 5, 2023

S. Korea to allow customers use ATMs without plastic cards

SEOUL -- In line with the current "walletless' trend where people no longer carry plastic cards and make payments with their smartphones, South Korea will allow customers to use automatic teller machines through QR codes shown on their smartphones' display by mobile banking apps. According to data released by the state financial watchdog, a total of 61,233,000 plastic cheque cards were issued in the first quarter of 2023, down 6.9 percent from the same period a year ago

December 5, 2023

S. Korea's defense forces to adopt Brazilian transport aircraft 'C-390'

SEOUL -- C-390 Millennium, a military transport aircraft created by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, has become the first Brazilian military plane adopted by South Korea's defense forces. South Korea's arms procurement agency has selected the transport aircraft over two other products created by American aerospace company Lockheed Martin and Airbus, a European aircraft maker. C-390 with a transport capacity of about 26 tons is designed to carry out various missions s

December 5, 2023

Lotte seeks to become gamechanger in S. Korea's grocery delivery market with new fulfillment centers

SEOUL -- Lotte Shopping, the retail wing of South Korea's Lotte Group, will seek to become the gamechanger in the country's ecommerce grocery delivery service market estimated to reach about 54 trillion won ($41.2 billion) in 2025 by establishing consumer fulfillment centers which would play the role of cold chain logistics hubs for fresh goods and groceries. South Korea's online grocery and fresh goods delivery market is dominated by Coupang, the South Korean counterpar

December 5, 2023

NewJeans' Super Shy selected as seventh best song by online music magazine Pitchfork

SEOUL -- "Super Shy," a summer-themed song by girl band NewJeans, was ranked seventh among this year's top 100 songs by American online music publication Pitchfork. The track is the only Korean language-based song chosen in the online magazine's top 100 songs list. Pitchfork is a prominent online music magazine with more than seven million monthly loyal readers. "Zero-to-hero anthem 'Super Shy' is the daydream wafting through the mind of an overlooked

December 5, 2023

S. Korea succeeds in launch of solid propellant satellite carrier rocket

SEOUL -- South Korea has succeeded in the launch of a four-stage hybrid fuel rocket carrying a commercial satellite. This is the country's third test launch of its solid propellant rocket, and the carrier was able to put a small-sized commercial satellite into low orbit. A solid propellant rocket is a type of rocket that uses a propellant in a solid form, typically in the shape of grains or a single piece. The propellant is usually a mixture of fuel and oxidizer bound together i

December 4, 2023

Boy band TXT wraps up world tour with Seoul concert

SEOUL -- TXT (Tomorrow X Together), a five-member boy band organized by the agency of top K-pop band BTS, has completed its world tour that started in March 2023. The last concert took place at Gocheok Sky Dome, an iconic domed facility in the southwestern part of Seoul. The group has attracted some 407,000 fans through 29 concerts held in 15 cities including Los Angeles, Osaka, and Jakarta. The brother band of BTS wrapped up its world tour at Gocheok Sky Dome on December 3, Big Hit

December 4, 2023

Hanwha Aerospace to showcase self-propelled artillery systems at arms exhibition in Cairo

SEOUL -- Hanwha Aerospace, a defense solution flagship of South Korea's Hanwha Group, will display various self-propelled artillery systems, including a K-9 self-propelled howitzer, at a global defense exhibition in Cairo targeting Middle Eastern and African clients. More than 400 companies from 46 countries will attend the four-day event "EDEX 2023." The K9 is one of the most popular self-propelled howitzers in the world. Egypt is the eighth foreign country to adopt t

December 4, 2023

Southwestern province to operate autonomous parking enforcement vehicle for first time

SEOUL -- The southwestern province of South Chungcheong will operate an autonomous vehicle that would notify the drivers of illegally parked vehicles to move using loudspeakers. The autonomous vehicle will be accompanied by a safety agent sitting in the driver's seat to engage in emergency situations. The South Chungcheong Provincial Office said that the operation of South Korea's first autonomous parking enforcement vehicle was kick-started in Hongseong some 120 kilometers

December 4, 2023