South Korean major game developer NCSoft has global ambitions for its new massively multiplayer online role playing game Lineage W, set for launch Thursday at midnight. Lineage W will first be available in 12 languages for users in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. NCSoft then plans to expand its service to North America, Europe and South America. Instead of operating separate servers for each country, NCSoft has created the Global One Build service that allows

Gap between two-mega regions hits all-time high of 4 million

Two of Seoul’s royal palaces, Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, are offering a glimpse into court life during the Joseon era with a number of hands-on programs. Programs at Gyeongbokgung, the main royal palace of the Joseon era, will be held from Friday to Nov. 15, the Cultural Heritage Administration said Tuesday. At Gyeongbokgung, Saenggwabang, a royal kitchen where snacks and desserts for the royal family were prepared, visitors can take part in a traditional tea ceremony and enjoy de

GC Pharma announced Tuesday that the European Medicines Agency has granted orphan drug designation to its Hunterase ICV, a novel treatment for mucopolysaccharidosis type II, also known as the Hunter syndrome. The designation brings a variety of significant advantages under the EMA’s effort to encourage the development of drugs to treat rare diseases or conditions. GC Pharma said the company will be able to speed up regulatory procedures to market Hunterase ICV in Europe. Hunterase ICV

South Korea’s autonomous driving startup 42dot said Tuesday that it has raised 104 billion won ($88.5 million) in a series A funding. That raised the total investment the firm has secured to date to 153 billion won, the company added. The investors include Hyundai Motor, Shinhan Financial Group, Lotte Rental, Lotte Ventures and several local venture capital firms. 42dot plans to use the funding to accelerate its autonomous driving technologies and beef up human resources. The start

For director Ahn Gil-ho, a desire to portray the life of ordinary people was the reason to film “Happiness.” “When I read the script, the scenario was really interesting and had the power to draw a viewer‘s attention. But the biggest reason for me to choose this drama was my plan to make a series that focuses on the stories and feelings of common individuals,” the director said in an online press conference on Monday. The upcoming tvN Friday-Saturday series revolv

Squid Game Coin, a digital token based on the popular Netflix original Korean drama series of the same name, collapsed to zero on Monday after its creators took off with the approximately 2.5 billion won ($2.13 million) invested in the coin, according to news reports. The crypto coin once surged to as high as 3.4 million won before its unexpected but eventual collapse Monday, according to Coin Market Cap, a global cryptocurrency tracker. Ten minutes after it reached its peak, the cash invested

South Korean stocks closed higher for the second straight day Tuesday, as investor sentiment was buoyed by positive outlooks on global supply bottlenecks and other key economic issues. The Korean won rose against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 34.55 points, or 1.16 percent, to close at 3,013.49 points. Trading volume was moderate at about 513 million shares worth some 9.5 trillion won ($8.08 billion), with gainers outnumbering losers 657 to 187. F

Hyundai Motor Group said Tuesday its mobility and software developers and leaders of research and development will speak about the conglomerate’s future technologies at an online conference from Nov. 10-11. 　Albert Biermann, head of Hyundai-Kia’s R&D division, will talk about where the group stands now in research and development, and where it is headed to, how it is speeding up software development to provide a platform that hyper-connects the user and the vehicle. 　Cho Kyo-wo

Workers and restaurant owners have mixed reactions to return of drinking get-togethers

South Korea’s JB Financial Group said Tuesday it has joined a UN-convened alliance of global banks, committed to aligning their portfolios with net-zero emissions by 2050. The holding group of regional Jeonbuk Bank and Kwangju Bank said its latest move to join the Net-Zero Banking Alliance was to uphold its environmental, sustainable and governance goals. The alliance represents more than a third of global banking assets, with a total of 87 members from 36 countries, including investme

Retail conglomerates’ record sales reflect consumers’ pent-up demand