In the world of games, game engines are the ready-made architecture that developers use to design and run their games. So choosing what game engine to use from a list of readily available options from world-renowned firms is often the first step of game development. Yet, some South Korean game firms are taking a different path, choosing to spend money and resources on building their own game engines. At the forefront is Pearl Abyss, which scored 488.8 billion won ($432.5 million) and 157.3

After the successful launch of South Korea’s next-generation midsize satellite Monday, Korea Aerospace Industries will be in charge of sending a second one into orbit next year, the company said Tuesday. The launch of the midsize satellite No. 1 was led by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and KAI participated as a co-developer. KAI will lead the launch of satellite No. 2 scheduled for January next year, with the help of technology transfers from the KARI. KAI will be responsible fo

S-Oil said Tuesday it has completed the upgrade of its Ulsan petrochemical plant to prevent sulfur and harmful vapor from being emitted into the air as part of an effort to accelerate the company’s environmental, social and governance efforts. According to the refinery, it has injected some 73 billion won ($64.9 million) into the expansion of its residue hydro-desulfurization capacity and the construction of a vapor combustion unit. The residue hydro-desulfurization unit, or RHDS unit,

SK Innovation will split off its battery unit into a wholly-owned subsidiary, a local media reported Tuesday. According to Herald Business, the Korean-language sister paper of The Korea Herald, SK Group chose a split-off over a spin-off to carve out the battery business, in a CEO meeting held earlier this year. In a spin-off scenario, the envisioned business would have become a subsidiary under SK Group, with SK Holdings and SK Innovation each holding a 33.4 percent stake in it. SK Innovat

Hanwha General Chemical said Monday that it had become the first South Korean company to own mixed hydrogen combustion technologies. Mixed hydrogen combustion burns natural gas together with hydrogen to generate electricity. This method of generating electricity can cut carbon emissions by more than 30 percent, according to Hanwha Group’s chemicals unit, and can significantly reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, which cause fine dust issues. “Hanwha General Chemical acquired a 100

South Korea’s electronics industry expects robust first-quarter results thanks to strong sales in televisions, the mobile sector and home appliances, despite complications in the chips sector. According to Shinhan Investment, one of the country’s major financial investment companies, Samsung Electronics is projected to register revenue and operating profit worth 61.7 trillion won ($54.6 billion) and 8.96 trillion won, respectively, in the first quarter thanks to strong performanc

South Korea will launch a pilot project to combine an offshore wind farm with aquaculture, as it pushes to tap the unlimited potential of water, which surrounds the country on three sides, as a future source of energy. The project, set to kick off in the second half of this year, involves a 60-megawatt wind turbine foundation installed in waters off Buan, North Jeolla Province, integrated with artificial reefs and aquaculture systems. The trial-run will last until Dec. 31, 2022. Similar pr

S-Oil has teamed up with a local gas firm to capture carbon dioxide emitted from its facility and use it for carbonated soft drinks and dry ice. According to the South Korean refinery on Thursday, it has signed an agreement with Dong Kwang Chemical for the project, for which S-Oil will collect by-product gases from its hydrogen production process at the Ulsan plant and supply them through pipelines to the adjacent Dong Kwang facility. There, carbon will be extracted, refined and then trans

LG Energy Solution’s new solar power project in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, combines the firm’s social outreach program with a mission to curb carbon emissions. Dubbed the “Power Plant for Hope Green,” the facility built at a bus transfer center in the city last year is expected to cut 4,900 tons of greenhouse gases and generate profits worth 800 million won ($712,000) over the next 20 years. All the proceeds from the 410-kilowatt facility will be donated t

Volkswagen’s latest announcement that it will transition to “prismatic” batteries from “pouch” batteries starting from 2023 poses a dilemma to South Korean battery developers LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation, which have been supplying pouch-type cells to the world’s No. 1 automaker. According to industry experts Wednesday, LGES and SKI are hesitating on moving forward with the development of prismatic batteries even if it means losing VW, because the p

Samsung SDI President and CEO Jun Young-hyun on Wednesday confirmed that the company was developing a new and larger form factor for its cylindrical battery cells for electric vehicles. After the Korean battery giant’s 51st shareholders meeting held in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Jun was asked by The Korea Herald on the progress of the company’s development of “4680” cells, which Jun answered, “We are doing our best.” Samsung SDI later explained that Jun’s an

While South Korea’s two battery makers continue to war over battery technology patents, a key, common client has decided to migrate to a new type of electric vehicle battery, in an apparent flight to a more stable supply market. Volkswagen, the world’s No. 1 automaker, announced Monday plans to power up to 80 percent of its electric vehicles with prismatic batteries from 2023, signaling a farewell from the pouch-type ones it currently sources from LG Energy Solution and SK I

The state-run Korea Water Resources Corp., also known as K-water, pledged Tuesday to adopt an environmental, social and corporate governance framework to reform the way it operates. In a discussion with private experts, influencers and green activists on how water can reverse climate change, K-water CEO Park Jae-hyeon revealed that the company had joined the Renewable Energy 100, a global initiative to source 100 percent of the electricity that businesses consume from renewable energy source

The verdict on the trade secret dispute between South Korea’s two leading battery makers came out weeks ago. But the warring rivals show no sign of ending their hostility, with both parties going to extreme lengths to woo the highest official of the US to their side. US President Joe Biden could make or break SK Innovation’s electric vehicle battery business in the states, as he has the right to overturn the US International Trade Court’s decision last month that slapped a 10

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of interviews with executives of South Korea’s leading corporations on their response to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues, which have become central factors globally in measuring the sustainability of an investment or business decision. – Ed.  Even for South Korea’s leading petrochemical company LG Chem, the global environmental, social and governance drive means the survival of the fittest -- those who