Exports of the Korean staple kimchi and the instant noodle ramyeon posted double-digit growth in the February-May period from a year earlier on increased online purchases amid the new coronavirus outbreak, data showed. 　In the January-May period, exports of ramyeon and kimchi jumped 36 percent and 37 percent on-year, respectively, to $249 million and $162 million, according to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation. 　Outbound shipments of ramyeon jumped 40 percent to $55 mi

Samsung Electronics Co. on Wednesday introduced its new solid state drive (SSD) product with an industry-leading capacity of up to 8 terabytes (TB). The world's largest memory chip producer said its second generation quad-level cell flash drive, the 870 QVO SATA SSD, will go on sale in 40 countries, starting in South Korea and the United States. SSD is a storage device for computing products that leverages NAND flash chips to provide non-volatile and rewritable memory, replacing hard disk d

The number of new 5G subscribers rose by a record high in May for this year, with total network users reaching just under 6.9 million, official data showed Tuesday. The latest findings showed 5G subscribers increasing by 536,997 in May compared to the month before, exceeding the previous monthly record of 520,478 reported in March, the Ministry of Science and ICT said. The overall number of 5G users stood at over 6.87 million, just 14 months after the country adopted the ultrahigh speed telec

Huons Global said Tuesday that it will be the first South Korean firm to supply high-filtration masks to the state of Washington in the US. “This deal shows that Huons’ epidemic prevention products have gained trust. We are also exchanging messages with the state of New York, where we anticipate to sign more deals,” said Um Key-an, CEO of Huons. Huons had signed deals to export various epidemic prevention tools to the US since May. The six deals amount to roughly 8 billi

Global science and technology company Merck has opened the Korea Advanced Technology Center in Songtan Industrial Complex in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, the company said Tuesday. “K-ATeC,” according to Merck, is a state-of-the-art facility that supports research and development for chemical mechanical polishing slurries as well as for the post-CMP cleaning of cutting-edge semiconductor devices.  “Korea is an important innovation and production hub for Merck. We ha

Despite an export crunch, South Korean defense firms are powering through the coronavirus outbreak with the help of domestic contracts. According to Korea Aerospace Industries Tuesday, South Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer signed a 688 billion-won ($570 million) deal with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to supply 20 TA-50 aircraft to Korean Air Force by 2024. The TA-50 is a lead-in fighter trainer that was developed by adding a weapons system and a radar to KAI&rsquo

KT announced Tuesday that it has introduced automated robotic solutions at a local auto parts manufacturer’s factory. The South Korean telecom firm’s smart factory robot Cobot has been installed at a facility of Parkwon -- a manufacturer of steel balls for steering and power transmission systems -- in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. The system can help in handling loading, packaging and other repetitive work procedures that are physically taxing, often causing injuries, acc

FARMING MATERIALS NARA BIO Nara Bio started business with a slogan “a world safe from pesticides.” To act on its word, the company has developed the organic farming material “Modoossak” which can act as a pesticide but with much less toxicity. Typical pesticides are toxic to humans because they contain sulfur, which is toxic in its nature. To manufacture Modoossak, Nara Bio uses mineral sulfur, a byproduct from petroleum refining. However, to reduce toxicity, the compa

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY SAMDO ENVIRONMENT Samdo Environment is a South Korean company that has developed plasma-generating machines designed to get rid of stenches at livestock farms and the risk of exposing animals to potential viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. The company’s machine utilizes a technology that creates plasma by applying a strong electrical field. This creates ozone that reacts with harmful gases and dissipates in the air. Samdo Envrionment‘s technolog

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Tuesday visited Samsung’s semiconductor equipment subsidiary SEMES, surveying the very foundation of the chip industry amid the country’s ongoing efforts to reduce dependence on Japan. The Samsung heir discussed mid- and long-term strategies of SMES, founded in 1993 as a subsidiary building manufacturing equipment for semiconductor sand displays, and took a tour of the equipment production line located in Cheonan, South Chungcheon

SKIN CARE SNP (SD BIO TECHNOLOGIES)　 Skin rejuvenating facial masks are the secret behind SNP’s global success, according to the firm. SNP, a skin care beauty brand under the company SD Technologies, touts the Bird’s Nest Aqua Ampoule Mask as its bestselling product. Using nourishing natural ingredients form swiftlet nests, the famed SNP bird’s nest masks are rich in protein and vitamins. The swiftlet’s nest has 200 times the sialic acid than royal jelly, providing ef

Austrian aesthetic pharma Croma will distribute the wrinkle-smoothening botulinum toxin

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest smartphone and TV vendor, has decided not to participate in Europe's largest consumer electronics fair due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the company said Tuesday. Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) 2020 is scheduled to take place from September 3 to 5 in Berlin, Germany, this year. Samsung has been a regular exhibitor at the tech show since 1991. Meanwhile, Samsung's smaller rival, LG Electronics Inc., has yet to confirm its IFA participa

‘Personalized care for gut health leads to prevention of bigger illnesses’

HEALTH FUNCTIONAL FOOD KNJ BIO KimNamJoo BIO is a functional health food maker whose roots are in both Asian herbs and modernized Western medicine. With “scientification of Oriental herbs” as the company’s motto, KNJ BIO blends natural substances with traditional medicinal ingredients for its health functional products. So far, the company’s main products are A-Zyme, Panax Tong, Chunglacto and Wonsamchil, whose intended effects range from strengthening of the liver,