Have you tried the KTX-Eum yet? This eco-friendly high-speed train is South Korea’s first to feature homegrown technology. The KTX-Eum began operating along the central line in January, making it possible to travel from Cheongnyangni Station in Seoul to Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, in just two hours. While other KTX trains have power cars on either end, the KTX-Eum’s power system is dispersed, making it possible for more passengers to be on board and for the train to slow dow

Korail eyes overseas markets, continental railway project, while helping fight COVID-19 and nurture solar energy business

South Korea has become the 10th member of an international program for peaceful exploration of the space led by the United States, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Thursday. Science and ICT Minister Lim Hye-sook signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the Korean government as a follow-up measure of the Korea-US presidential summit last week, the ministry said. The Artemis Accords is an international agreement among governments participating in the Artemis Program, a US-led effort to

Samsung Electronics is rolling out a new mid-power LED package, the LM301B EVO, which boasts the highest light efficacy and innovative color quality for indoor and industrial applications, the company said Thursday. The latest Samsung LED package, built on the tech giant’s proprietary flip-chip design, features the industry’s highest efficacy of 235 lumens per watt, by applying a new reflective material inside the packaging mold and improving phosphor conversion efficiency. The p

Hanwha Solutions, the chemical arm under Hanwha Group, said Thursday that it will begin supplying hydrogen fuel to car parts company Hyundai Mobis, a step toward a more active role in the expanding hydrogen market. The company’s plan is to produce a total of 48 tons of hydrogen over two years starting in July, and gradually increase the supply in line with the establishment of related infrastructure. The move marks the chemical company’s foray into the country’s automotive hy

Hyundai Engineering is accelerating efforts to gain a bigger foothold in the European plant construction market, having been chosen as a preferred bidder for a 2 billion-euro ($2.4 billion) deal in Poland. The South Korean firm has teamed up with Spain’s Tecnicas Reunidas for the project, lead by Poland’s PKN Orlen, one of the biggest oil refiners and petroleum retailers in Central and Eastern Europe, to build a petrochemical complex in Plock, central Mazovia, about 120 kilometers

Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday launched a shoe refresher as the South Korean tech giant eyes bolstering its sales with new lifestyle appliances amid the pandemic. Samsung's BESPOKE ShoeDresser is a footwear care appliance that can deodorize, dehumidify and dry shoes. The product, which can manage a maximum three pairs of shoes, comes in four colors -- cotta white, cotta charcoal, glam greenery and glam sun yellow. It will be sold between 999,900 won ($890) and 1.099 million won here. Sam

South Korea said Thursday it plans to allocate 90 billion won ($80.6 million) by next year to carry out research and development projects for electrofuel, in line with its vision to go carbon neutral by 2050. Electrofuel refers to an environment-friendly energy source that can be used in traditional fossil fuel-powered automobiles. It is produced by synthesizing hydrogen and other gases, including carbon dioxide and nitrogen. South Korea announced last year it will effectively reduce its emiss

South Korea's exports of grapes shot up 35 percent on-year in 2020 to set a new record high, data showed Thursday, on the back of the growing popularity of local agricultural products overseas. Outbound shipments of grapes came to $30.7 million in 2020, compared with $22.8 million posted a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Over the first four months of 2021, exports of grapes came to $7.2 million, also up nearly 50 percent from

South Korea's antitrust watchdog said Thursday it has approved SK hynix Inc.'s deal to acquire Intel Corp.'s NAND business. Last October, SK hynix, the country's No. 2 chipmaker, signed a deal to buy Intel's non-volatile memory unit for $9 billion, and submitted an application for approval to Seoul's Fair Trade Commission (FTC) in January. SK hynix previously received approval from regulators in the United States and Europe. Antitrust reviews from five other countries, including China and Bri

Samsung Electronics Co. further expanded its leadership in the global NAND flash market in the first quarter of the year, a report showed Thursday, despite an overall decline in chip prices. The South Korean tech giant, also the leader in the DRAM sector, had a 33.5 percent share of the global NAND flash market in terms of revenue in the January-March period, up 0.6 percentage point from a quarter earlier, according to market tracker TrendForce. Samsung's revenue from NAND flash products came

South Korea has signed a US-led international program to send humans to the moon again and further explore Earth's only satellite, the science ministry said Thursday. Science Minister Lim Hye-sook signed the Artemis Accords as a follow-up on an agreement reached at a recent bilateral summit in Washington, becoming the 10th signatory to the pact, the ministry said. The Artemis Accords is an international agreement among governments participating in the Artemis Program, a US-led effort to return

Irregular jobs increase despite the overall job market slump

As the battery electric vehicle market remains strong, South Korea’s battery makers are aggressively adding momentum to their global investments and are seeking production capacities in the US and EU markets, data showed Wednesday. According to energy market researcher SNE Research, global demand for battery electric vehicles is expected to reach 51.8 million by 2030, up 17 times from the end of 2020. The corresponding demand for batteries will likely expand some 23 times during the

The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced Wednesday it has appointed Martin Henkelmann as the institution’s new CEO and president. Henkelmann practiced as a lawyer in Germany and has more than 20 years of experience working with private companies and government organizations. He built his career at the German Insurance Association, one of the largest business associations in his home country. Henkelmann later moved on to the public sector, taking leadership roles at