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  KT advances quantum internet push with enhanced encryption system SEOUL, February 03 (AJP) - South Korean telecom operator KT said Tuesday it has developed a quantum key distribution (QKD) device capable of generating 300,000 encryption keys per second, or 300 kilobits per second (kbps). The system is designed to prevent eavesdropping on physical communication lines by using quantum-mechanical properties that make encryption keys impossible to copy with current technology, the company said. KT previously developed a 150 kbps system in 2024 an February 3, 2026
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  Hyundai Steel produces lower-carbon steel sheet for Hyundai Motor, Kia SEOUL, February 03 (AJP) - Hyundai Steel said Monday it has begun mass production of lower-carbon steel sheet that reduces carbon emissions by about 20 percent compared with conventional blast-furnace products, marking a key step in the company’s transition toward greener steelmaking. The company said it conducted extensive pre-verification work to stabilize operations and secure product quality ahead of launching its electric arc furnace–blast furnace hybrid product February 3, 2026
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  South Korea, Poland agree to bolster security-related cooperation SEOUL, February 3 (AJP) - South Korea and Poland have agreed to deepen security-related cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said on Tuesday. The inaugural dialogue between the two countries was held in Warsaw on Monday, as senior foreign ministry official Jeong Yeon-doo met with Robert Kupiecki, undersecretary of state at the Polish foreign ministry. According to the ministry, the two exchanged views on both bilateral matters and global security issues, while agre February 3, 2026
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  FM heads to Washington for talks after Trump's tariff threat SEOUL, February 3 (AJP) - South Korean and U.S. foreign ministers are set to sit down for talks in the U.S. this week after President Donald Trump abruptly threatened last week to raise tariffs. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun is visiting Washington, D.C. to attend a U.S.-led ministerial meeting on critical minerals scheduled for Wednesday. The meeting will bring together G7 countries and other mineral-rich nations to discuss ways to stabilize and diversify supply chains, as the U.S. r February 3, 2026
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  LG Chem moves to halt Chinese firm's operations in Korea over cathode patent dispute SEOUL, February 03 (AJP) - LG Chem has filed for a court injunction against JaeSe Energy, the South Korean subsidiary of Chinese cathode materials producer Ronbay, seeking to halt alleged patent infringement, industry sources said Monday. If granted, the injunction could effectively suspend JaeSe Energy’s domestic operations, which have annual production capacity of 70,000 tons. According to the sources, LG Chem submitted the injunction request on Jan. 16. JaeSe Energy February 3, 2026
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  UPDATE: Korea's inflation cools to 2% in January on soft fuel prices, weak demand *Updated with additional information SEOUL, February 03 (AJP) - South Korea’s inflation eased back to the central bank’s target level in January, as softer fuel prices and subdued domestic demand outweighed lingering pressures from a weak currency. According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.0 percent in January from a year earlier, slowing from 2.3 percent in December and 2.4 percent in both October and November. February 3, 2026
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  From BTS to kimchi, Korea publishes first English Encyclopedia on Hallyu SEOUL, February 03 (AJP) -South Korea has released the world’s first English-language encyclopedia devoted entirely to Hallyu, offering global readers a systematic and in-depth guide to Korean popular culture and everyday life, the National Folk Museum of Korea said Monday. The Encyclopedia of Hallyu is the English edition of a Korean-language reference work first published in 2024. Compiled to help international audiences better understand the cultural context behind the g February 3, 2026
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  Celltrion seeks nod from Europe and Korea for Herceptin biosimilar SC formulation SEOUL, February 03 (AJP) -South Korea's biosimilar giant Celltrion said it has successfully completed the pivotal regulatory clinical trial for Herzuma SC (CT-P6 SC), a subcutaneous formulation of its breast cancer biosimilar trastuzumab, and plans to submit marketing authorization applications in Europe and South Korea within the next three months. In a press release on Monday, the company said the trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating pharmacokinetic equivalence to the February 3, 2026
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  OPINION: Canadian PM's voice against Trump's 'America First' doctrine Recently, one of the most closely watched figures on the international stage has been Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. In a speech at the World Economic Forum late last month, Carney sharply criticized what he called the United States’ predatory “America First” policy, saying it has “cracked the world order,” drawing a standing ovation. Arguing that the rules-based international order long led by the United States is breaking down, Carney called fo February 3, 2026
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  Barefoot, in spite of the cold SEOUL, February 02 (AJP) -In the depth of winter, Anyang has offered residents an unexpected refuge: a barefoot walking path inside a working greenhouse. Opened last month inside a former flower nursery, the 160-meter trail lets visitors shed their shoes and feel the ground underfoot while outside temperatures dip below freezing. Inside, the greenhouse holds steady at around 10 degrees Celsius, creating a mild, earthy contrast to the cold beyond the glass. The path is equipped February 2, 2026