Facebook said Monday that “ad breaks,” ads that appear partway through videos uploaded on the social networking site, are now available as a monetization method for video creators in South Korea.The US social networking giant initially introduced the feature in August in five countries -- the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand -- and has since been expanding it to new territories. As of Monday, ad breaks are available in three Asian markets: Korea, Indonesia and Vietnam. Creators obt

Beginning later this week, South Korean travelers in Japan will be able to use the Kakao T taxi-hailing app to fetch taxis locally. The app is set to be interlinked with JapanTaxi, the biggest taxi-hailing company in Japan.Starting Thursday, the option will become available on the Kakao T app, enabling users to hail taxis in Japan without additional registration procedures, said Kakao Mobility, the mobility business unit of Korea’s mobile-messaging giant Kakao.The service is not free -- a “call

Internet-only Kakao Bank said Monday it has unveiled a passbook for members of mobile communities and group communication. An administrator of a mobile community can open a passbook that can be used to collect membership fees, the bank said.  (Yonhap)As many as 100 members, who are aged 14 or older, can join one passbook, the bank said. For security reasons, the passbook's account is available for a virtual account to members of a mobile community, the bank said. Lee Byeong-soo, a senior Kakao B

The Korean-developed mobile game application Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds, also known as PUBG, has surpassed 200 million downloads since its global release on March 19 in North America, Southeast Asia and elsewhere. In Korea, the mobile game launched on May 16.The widely played battle royal game surpassed 100 million downloads in August. The app’s popularity continued apace, crossing 200 million downloads as of Monday and drawing 30 million daily active users.  (PlayerUnknown`s Battlegrounds=Y

South Korean media and entertainment company CJ ENM has invested about $1 million in the production of "Moulin Rouge," a Broadway musical set to open in June, the company said Monday.It became the company's third participation in the production of overseas musicals after "Kinky Boots" and "The Bodyguard."(Yonhap)"We have put our name early on the list of producers with a 1-million-dollar investment," CJ ENM said in a release. "This will help strengthen our capability to produce musicals in overs

South Korea's antitrust chief pledged Monday to overhaul related rules on consumer protection in e-commerce as part of its effort to improve the rights of consumers.The latest move comes as a growing number of South Koreans use smartphones to buy things ranging from clothes to electronic goods. (Yonhap)The Fair Trade Commission "will sternly deal with deceptive acts ... and will create market conditions friendly to consumers," Kim Sang-jo, the head of the regulatory watchdog, said in a speech ce

South Korean shopping complex Shinsegae Starfield announced Monday that it has opened special lounge areas for customers with furry friends at its malls in Hanam and Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.Each “dog lounge” includes a sofa, a potty patch made of real grass, and dog hooks in case an owner needs to leave for the bathroom. (Shinsegae Property-Yonhap)Shinsegae Starfield allowed shopping with pets in 2017, becoming the first retail store in Korea to do so. The mega shopping mall has also previousl

Akaria Hanmi, a joint venture between South Korean construction management company HanmiGlobal and Saudi Arabian property developer Al Akaria, will continue to solidify its position as a leading construction management company in the Saudi Arabian market, the head of the joint venture said last week.In an interview with a group of reporters, Khalid Al Arfaj, chairperson of Akaria Hanmi’s board of directors, said the company will expand its business, with the target of achieving 30 billion won ($

LG Electronics Inc. said Monday it has finished the installation of digital signage in the observatory elevator of Thailand's tallest skyscraper, MahaNakhon Tower, showcasing its OLED display technology.The South Korean tech giant said the new elevator, which utilizes 56 units of 55-inch OLED displays, will make visitors feel as if they are inside a virtual reality. Models pose inside a high-speed elevator in Thailand`s tallest building, MahaNakhon Tower, located in Bangkok, in this photo releas

Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker by sales, said Monday it has added more safety features to its upgraded K7 sedan to boost sales.  Additional safety features include highway driving assist, forward and blind-spot collision-avoidance assists and driver attention warning, Kia said in a statement.  Kia`s upgraded K7 sedan (Yonhap)The car also includes a wireless phone charging system, it said. The upgraded K7 comes in 2.4-liter gasoline, 3.0-liter gasoline, 3.3-liter gasoline

Shared kitchens bring new business opportunities, promise a budding new industry in Korea

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South Korean exporters should diversify their markets and products, as uncertainties in world trade due to conflicts between the US and China could continue, and slow growth in emerging nations could weigh down markets, according to trade experts at a seminar in Seoul on Friday. “A slow growth rate in China and emerging nations, alongside the US, Europe and Japan, could increase the external risks” of the export-led nation that constitutes the world’s fifth-largest export economy, said An Sung-b

Businesses start using 5G for robot, artificial intelligence, self-driving car and factory

South Korean full-service carrier Asiana Airlines has completed the first phase of advancement for its system for Flight Operational Quality Assurance, the company said Sunday.FOQA refers to a process of collecting and analyzing data from flights to improve safety and efficiency of flight operations. Akiyoshi Yamamura (right), Asiana Airlines’ senior executive vice president, and Carlos Ricarte, director at CEFA Aviation, checks the Flight Operational Quality Assurance operation system on a comp