Authorities warn against cash transfer payments

Global clinical phase 2, 3 trials to take place in as many as 12 nations

Nikola, a startup on electric and fuel cell trucks, will adopt electric batteries co-developed by South Korea’s LG Chem and its US partner General Motors, according to industry sources on Friday. The Arizona-based motor company is expected to equip the Ultium battery made by LG Chem for the Badger electric pickup truck, slated for mass production in 2022. Expectation for the deal was high, as GM and Nikola recently announced their partnership on electric pickup trucks and fuel cell c

The consumption of jet fuel in South Korea saw a 40.5 percent year-on-year drop during the first quarter this year, according to the latest data from the Korea National Oil Corporation. With most international flights from Korea canceled due to weak travel demand and international travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic, the industry consumed just 11.59 million barrels of oil. Overall oil consumption was down 2.9 percent during the same period, standing at around 443.93 million barre

Samsung Electronics Co. further expanded its dominance in the domestic smartphone market in the second quarter of the year, a report showed Friday, thanks to robust sales of the Galaxy A budget line and Galaxy S20 series. Samsung accounted for a 67 percent market share in the April-June period on its home turf, according to industry tracker Counterpoint Research, up 3 percentage points from the previous three months. Apple Inc. came in second with a 19 percent share, up 1 percentage point f

Samsung Electronics Co. is likely to benefit from US sanctions on Chinese tech titan Huawei Technologies Co. in the long run, analysts here said Friday. The US sanctions, which ban the supply of semiconductors made with American equipment or software to Huawei without prior approval from Washington, are set to take effect next Tuesday. As US technologies are used in almost all sectors of chip production, Samsung, the world's top memory chipmaker, is expected to halt its semiconductor shipment

The number of employees working in retail, wholesale, restaurants and lodging has dropped drastically over the past eight months, data from the Korea Small Business Institute showed Thursday. These are industries with large proportions of self-owned businesses. The plunge in hiring in these sectors was most significant as COVID-19 infections increased between March and May. The monsoon season and consecutive typhoons have also affected the businesses, the institute said.   (khnews@heraldc

Google has pledged $500,000 to help expand a coronavirus self-diagnosis website developed by the South Korean military's Medical Command in cooperation with government and private experts, officials said Friday. The COVID-19 checkup site helps users decide whether to visit hospitals depending on the symptoms they experience, according to the Armed Forces Medical Command. The support system also helps doctors decide on hospitalization or intensive care needs for patients through remote monito

South Korea banned imports of pork from Germany on Thursday after an African swine fever (ASF) case was confirmed in the European country. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Rural Affairs said German authorities verified that samples taken from a wild boar from the state of Brandenburg tested positive for the highly infectious animal disease. The ban on imports is in line with standing guidelines for food and animal safety and will affect products that have been shipped on Thursday. Pork from

South Korea will allow the export of face masks that can be used to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said Thursday. The move comes as supplies of surgical and anti-droplet masks in the country have stabilized and earlier shortages have been resolved, the state administration said. Seoul had banned mask exports as it experienced acute shortages amid a spike in COVID-19 cases earlier in the year. Under the changes that will go into effe

SK Biopharmaceuticals is on track to conduct phase 3 clinical trials of its novel epilepsy treatment cenobamate in Korea, China and Japan. The company announced Thursday that its phase 3 clinical trial design was approved by Korean drug authorities Wednesday, to be carried out at Seoul National University Hospital. In China, it is awaiting approval from the National Medical Products Administration, after having made the application in June. In Japan, the company is readying the application t

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy launched a government-industry team on Thursday dedicated to developing next-generation semiconductors. The government will inject a total of 1 trillion won ($842.4 million) by 2029, starting this year. The ICT Ministry will provide 488 billion won and the Trade Industry will give 521 billion won. Those joining the state-led team this year include 103 local businesses, 32 universities and 12 research institutions.

Air Busan became the first Korean airline on Thursday to fly a no-destination flight with a select group of passengers. The short-haul flight, which took off around noon from Gimhae International Airport, located on the western end of Busan, traveled over multiple areas of the country including Pohang, Seoul, Gwangju and Jeju Island for nearly two hours before returning to Gimhae. Students from the Department of Airlines and Tourism at Uiduk University were among those on board the plane as pa

New restriction’s reach extends to displays, 5G parts

Is now first South Korean company to fly vehicle at highest degree using lithium-sulfur battery