The Korea Gas Corporation said Thursday that it had adopted information and communications technology to improve its workflow and ensure a safer gas supply. Kogas is using a “smart mobile system” that enables tighter communication between the head office and its operation sites. The new system increases workflow efficiency by repackaging the on-site operation as data, which is then relayed and monitored in real time. Furthermore, to provide a reliable public service and a continuo

With people paying closer attention to their personal hygiene amid the global pandemic, various products claiming to eradicate unwanted germs have hit market shelves. Some of these products contain liquid chlorine dioxide, an oxygen-based sterilizer that removes germs, virus, fungus and odor. The World Health Organization has approved the use of chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant. Worldwide, over 1.8 million kilograms of chlorine dioxide is used on a daily basis as an antimicrobial agent for

Samsung, LG, SK, Hyundai close down buildings after employees infected

Hyundai Steel Co., South Korea's No. 2 steelmaker, said Thursday that it will hold an online technical conference next month on automotive materials and other relevant technologies. The conference -- which is set to begin on Dec. 2 -- is meant to promote Steel's technological prowess as it braces for an era of future mobility. Hyundai Steel said it plans to unveil its strategy on future automotive materials to meet growing demand for all-electric cars, hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and

South Korea's largest game expo kicked off online Thursday for the first time amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, bringing together major gaming and tech firms from both home and abroad. This year's G-star, the 16th of its kind, does not operate offline booths due to concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak, and fans are to participate in the event through the online streaming platform Twitch. Major local game developers and distributors ranging from Nexon Co. to Kakao Games will showcase their la

Due to the US sanctions on Huawei, which have cut off the Chinese smartphone maker from chip supplies, the company has decided to sell its mid-range phone brand Honor, according to reports Tuesday. Considering the current shares of the global smartphone market, Huawei that had claimed a 14 percent share as of the third quarter of 2020 would fall behind its rivals like Samsung Electronics. Honor’s phone shipments accounted for 25 percent of Huawei’s total shipments. Meanwhile, Sa

As past generation network frequency bands used by South Korea's major telecom operators are set to expire next year, the ICT ministry and the three carriers are locked in a fierce debate over their redistribution price. Earlier this week, the government said it wants at least 3.2 trillion won ($2.9 billion) from the carriers -- SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. -- for the 2G, 3G, 4G frequency bands up for redistribution next year, nearly double their proposal of around 1.65 trillion

South Korean power plant builder Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co. said Thursday that it will team up with local builder SK Engineering Construction Co. to develop floating wind farms. SK Engineering will carry out a project to develop the floating wind farm, while Doosan Heavy will provide technologies for key equipment of the farm, the power plant builder said in an emailed statement. In July, the government said it plans to start building the floating offshore wind farm to ge

　South Korea’s exports of instant noodles and kimchi products rose sharply in the first nine months of the year on the back of rising demand for ready-to-eat meals and healthy foodstuffs amid the new coronavirus pandemic, data showed Monday. 　Outbound shipments of instant noodles jumped 36.3 percent on-year to $456 million during the January-September period, while those of kimchi jumped 38.5 percent to $109 million over the cited period, according to the data compiled by the Ministry

Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine candidate was 95 percent effective during its last-stage trial, Reuters reported Wednesday, adding that the drugmaker will soon apply for emergency authorization in the United States. Reuters said that the efficacy of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNtech was consistent across age and ethnicity demographics, meaning that the drug could be used to boost immunization broadly for people across the globe. No major side effects were reported

Apple Inc. said Wednesday that it will reduce the standard commission from 30 percent to 15 percent for small-sized app developers at its app store starting next year. Apple currently takes a 30-percent cut of the developers' revenue when iPhone or iPad users make purchases. Virtually all in-app purchases are subject to the fees. According to a new program to be adopted on Jan. 1 next year, Apple will only charge a 15-percent fee on app developers with annual revenue less than $1 million

CJ Logistics said Wednesday it will introduce electric trucks to replace its diesel vehicles, for the first time in the Korean logistics industry. The company said it will introduce 1-ton electric freight vehicles and also start a new business installing EV charging stations for the trucks. To begin, the company said it will operate two electric trucks each in two sub-terminals in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, and Ulsan. Marking the introduction of the electric vehicles, CJ Logistics held an ope

Government, Samsung Biologics and Celltrion pledge trillions of won to make Songdo world’s best bio hub

Kakao said Wednesday that it would add a digital wallet feature to South Korea’s largest messenger application KakaoTalk. The company will also start introducing new subscription-based services via the messenger application. Kakao’s co-CEOs Yeo Min-su and Cho Soo-yong introduced new features that are to be added to KakaoTalk during an online press conference held as part of the company’s annual conference, which runs from Wednesday to Friday. The digital wallet feature woul

The growth rate of pay TV subscribers in South Korea has slowed this year, according to a report released Wednesday by the Ministry of Science and ICT. The number of new pay TV subscribers during the first half this year reached around 350,000, down by 220,000 compared to that of last year, marking the lowest increase in three years, the report said. In the first half of 2017, the number of new pay TV subscribers reached 830,000. The figure increased to 910,000 in the second half in 2017. I