LG Electronics Inc. on Monday introduced wireless charging solutions for electric scooters as the South Korean tech giant eyes to expand its presence in the mobility sector. LG said it has established electric scooter wireless charging stations in Bucheon, west of Seoul, in partnership with local electric scooter sharing services provider Kickgoing. The two will verify usability and safety of electric scooter wireless charging solutions for the next six months before they expand to cover Seo

The South Korean government has started looking into an allegation that Google restricted applications downloaded from other app stores from accessing Android Auto, the company’s mobile operating software for in-car use. According to the industry and government sources Sunday, the Korea Communications Commission has recently opened a probe to see if Google has violated the Telecommunications Business Act here. “The commission would see if Google has unfairly limited end users&rsqu

South Korea’s top four conglomerates are reviewing investments worth 40 trillion won ($35.5 billion) in the US as President Moon Jae-in prepares for his first summit with President Joe Biden on Friday. Industry watchers say that although investments from Samsung, Hyundai, SK and LG are intended to respond to Biden’s protective policies -- such as strengthening chip and battery supply chains, the Buy American policy and Green New Deal initiative -- they are likely to act as a dipl

LG Chem has purchased shares worth 40 billion won ($35.5 million) in Jiujiang DeFu Technology, a Chinese firm that manufactures copper foils for electric vehicle batteries, the firm said Sunday. A copper foil is a sheet of copper 15 times thinner than a strand of hair. Copper foil is where electricity flows in battery’s anodes, or the negative side. The thinner the copper foils are, the more materials can be packed inside, making batteries more powerful. DeFu is the No. 3 copper foil

South Korean media is zeroing in on Samsung BioLogics as the most likely partner of Moderna in its COVID-19 vaccine production here, a much-anticipated deal as the country deals with a vaccine shortage. A formal announcement of the Samsung-Moderna deal will be made during South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s visit this week to the US for a summit with US President Joe Biden, a local TV station reported Friday, with a flurry of related reports coming from other media outlets over the wee

Japanese beauty firm DHC has come under fire once again after its chairman used discriminatory language targeting ethnic Koreans in a recent column on its official website. CEO Yoshiaki Yoshida claimed the company’s request to place an advertisement in newspapers and air a TV commercial has been rejected by multiple media outlets in Japan. The proposed ad featured names of ethnic Korean celebrities who “deserve to be despised for the benefit of Japan,” according to the post.

Gmarket is holding its Mega G Festival, an online shopping event targeted at foreign shoppers at home and abroad until next Tuesday, offering discounts for a wide range of items including K-pop albums, K-beauty and Korean food products. The event kicked off on the Gmarket Global Shop in conjunction with eBay Korea’s Big Smile Day, a shopping event organized by operators of multiple e-commerce platforms including Gmarket, Auction and G9. The event saw some 2.87 million items sold on its op

Samsung SDI President and CEO Jun Young-hyun is expected to visit Hungary next month, where the firm is currently building its second factory for electric vehicle batteries, industry sources with knowledge of the matter said Sunday. The visit would be Jun’s first overseas trip since the pandemic broke out last year. Jun has received the first jab of the two-shot vaccine regimen for the trip and will be accompanied by a vice president, according to the industry sources. In response to a

Fake meat, or meat analogues are becoming more familiar in the South Korea’s food scene, with fast food franchises rolling out items that use plant-based meat alternatives. It was just February last year when Lotte GRS’ burger chain Lotteria became the first fast food franchise to roll out a meat analogue option. The Miracle Burger uses a specially developed patty made of wheat and beans. Since then, more fast food franchises have added options with meat alternatives to their menu

Major conglomerates in South Korea are introducing paid leave of 1-3 days for workers who get COVID-19 vaccine shots, following the government’s recommendation. CJ Group was the latest to announce it would introduce the system, allowing its employees to take two days off work -- the day of the vaccination and the day after. Those who suffer from side effects of the vaccine can take one more day off paid, without a doctor’s note, the company said. The vaccination leave is also g

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest carmaker, said Sunday it has signed a deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo to export 500 Palisade sport utility vehicles as part of its export diversification strategy. Of the 500 Palisades, Hyundai shipped 250 units to the African country on Saturday, with the remaining 250 set to be delivered in late July, the company said in a statement. The export volume is sharply up from 45 vehicles the company exported to the central African country last

Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, will be seen in McDonald’s in its outlets across the world starting this month. McDonald’s, the fast food restaurant chain, is teaming up with BTS to release a new celebrity meal on May 26. The meal will be sold in a total of 49 countries for a month. During this time, employees will wear a uniform with Hangeul designs to go along with the collaboration. SAINTS, a global fashion media brand, released the uniform design on Thursday. The crew T-shirts,

Prosecutors on Friday indicted the founder of cash-strapped budget carrier Eastar Jet for embezzlement and breach of trust. Lee Sang-jik, an independent lawmaker, faces several charges including causing about 43.9 billion won (US$38.8 million) in losses to the airline by underselling company shares to a subsidiary owned by his children in 2015. He is also suspected of embezzling about 5.3 billion won from its affiliates. Lee was arrested late last month, after the National Assembly passed a

Korea Electric Power Corp. said Friday its operating profit for the first quarter surged 32.8 percent on-year to 571.6 billion won ($505.9 million), while its revenue fell 0.1 percent to 15 trillion won in the same period. The state-owned, electricity-focused utility said that it saved 192.1 billion won in fuel costs as global fuel prices are staying low due to lack of demand amid the coronavirus outbreak. South Korea is currently almost wholly dependent on fuel imports in producing electricit

LIG Nex1 has signed a deal worth 164 billion won ($14.5 million) with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to mass produce Korean-made maritime surveillance radar, officials said Friday. The Maritime Surveillance Radar-II, developed by LIG Nex1 and to be deployed to the military starting next year, offers greater detection capabilities than existing radars made with technologies borrowed from the US defense firms, according to the DAPA. The radar is enveloped in a dome and therefo