South Korea’s media regulator said Thursday that it would open an investigation into Google’s user data management practices, following news reports confirming the US tech giant has been secretly collecting users’ location data from phones running on the Android operating system.　“We plan to first summon Google (Korea) to determine the exact circumstances of this case, and later take appropriate action if necessary,” the head of the Korea Communications Commission’s Privacy Infringement Investig

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Thursday it has established formal approval criteria for the new generation of medical devices leveraging artificial intelligence and big data. 　By clarifying for the first time what type of products can be considered AI or big data-based medical devices, rather than conventional software, the guidelines are expected to help companies build their products more efficiently and in compliance with local regulations, the ministry said.　According to

South Korean taxi drivers have begun staging protests against the carpooling industry’s recent decision to operate their services around the clock, escalating controversy over the legality of providing commercial 24-hour carpooling services here.　More than 400 unionized taxi drivers staged a protest in front of Seoul’s City Hall on Tuesday, calling for the government to “terminate illegal carpooling services that threaten the taxi industry” ahead of a public hearing on the issue.　A similar prote

KIMCHI DELIVERY TO THE POOR – Rep. Park Young-sun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (second from right) and Guro-gu Mayor Lee Sung (right) load kimchi and fresh eggs onto motorcycles operated by Korean food and goods delivery service provider Barogo in Seoul, Wednesday. The startup delivered 670 plates of eggs and 1,180 kimchi cabbages donated by the Kookmin Ilbo to underprivileged households and social service centers in Guro-gu as part of its seasonal charity program. (Courtesy of Barogo

South Korean scientists have developed a biochemical substance that instigates new hair follicle growth, opening new doors in the realm of hair loss treatments, which have been limited to slowing hair loss or accelerating growth, rather than regeneration, experts said.The Korean Ministry of Science and ICT said Monday that a team of researchers led by Yonsei University’s professor Choi Kang-yell has developed a potential drug candidate targeting a protein that prohibits new hair follicle growth.

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles highlighting South Korea’s promising startups in the emerging sectors of digital health care and next-generation medical devices. This is the 13th installment. - Ed.Seeking to overturn the traditional hospital-led medical recordkeeping system, a South Korean technology startup has set out to create a new patient-centered health database platform using blockchain technology.Medical recordkeeping has long operated as a closed system, with individ

South Korea’s Samsung Bioepis said Monday that its biosimilar referencing Roche’s Herceptin has been approved for sale in Europe, marking the first cheaper copy of the blockbuster breast cancer therapy to win regulatory approval in the region.　　The European Commission granted marketing approval for Ontruzant, Samsung’s Herceptin biosimilar, for the treatment of early breast cancer, metastatic breast cancer and metastatic gastric cancer.　With the approval, Ontruzant can now be sold in all of the

Posco said Friday that it would donate 1.5 billion won ($1.37 million) toward ongoing relief operations in the South Korean city of Pohang, which was hit by a magnitude 5.4 earthquake on Wednesday.The Posco headquarters, the Posco Foundation and Posco’s subsidiaries will each provide 500 million won to the charity organization Community Chest of Korea’s North Gyeongsang Province office.Subsidiaries taking part in the donation include Posco E&C, Posco ICT, Posco Chemtech and Posco C&C. (POSCO)The

MEMORIAL FOR SAMSUNG FOUNDER -- Cars presumed to be occupied by members of the Samsung Group’s owner family are seen near Hoam Art Museum in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on Friday, when the 30th memorial ceremony for the late Samsung founder Lee Byung-chull took place. As Samsung’s de facto chief Lee Jae-yong remains jailed for corruption, the commemorative event took place with the smallest number of participants this year. (Yonhap)

Online video games have been slowly losing ground in the increasingly mobile-driven gaming sector, but they made a colorful return to the spotlight at South Korea’s biggest game convention G-Star this week.　At the G-Star 2017 that kicked off in Busan on Thursday, hundreds of visitors have been lining up to check out newly showcased PC online games such as Nexon’s “FIFA Online 4,” while cheering on professional gamers at live esports tournaments.Unlike last year, when virtual reality and mobile g

Online shooting game “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” developed by South Korea’s Bluehole Studio won the grand prize at the 2017 Korea Game Awards on Wednesday, marking a milestone for the PC online game industry that has been struggling against mobile games.　“Battlegrounds” also swept five additional awards, including the technology innovation award, the best developer award, the game business innovation award and the most popular game award.PUBG Corp. CEO Kim Chang-han (Bluehole Studio)Develope

The International Vaccine Institute, a Seoul-headquartered international nonprofit organization devoted to developing and supplying new vaccines to underdeveloped countries, is preparing to introduce a new typhoid vaccine by 2021.After the successful deployment of the world’s first oral cholera vaccines, the IVI is now working to develop and commercialize a vaccine that prevents typhoid fever in partnership with South Korea’s SK Chemicals, according to IVI Director General Jerome Kim.“Thanks to

Global gaming convention G-Star kicks off in Busan on Thursday, showcasing new releases by mobile and PC game makers and hosting a number of esports competitions for popular games.　G-Star 2017 is featuring more than 2,700 booths and bringing together some 650 game companies from 30 countries. Nexon is the event’s main sponsor this year, hosting 300 booths at the venue.　Unlike last year’s edition, where virtual reality and mobile games took center stage, this year’s G-Star is hosting many live ga

GE Healthcare Korea said Monday that it has appointed Francis Van Parys, a veteran marketing and sales expert at GE’s businesses, as its new CEO and president, replacing the outgoing CEO Sia Moussavi.Van Parys has spent 16 years at GE’s health care, life sciences and industrial solutions businesses, serving in senior positions such as the general manager of commercial operations and general manager of product management for life sciences, the company said. GE Healthcare Korea CEO Francis Van Par

South Korean authorities and the local carpooling service industry have recently locked horns over the legality of operating the service around the clock, revealing a disparity between vision and reality in the the new administration’s push to realise its “shared economy” mantra.　Last week, the Seoul Metropolitan Government asked the police to investigate Poolus, a Seoul-based ride-sharing app operator, for breaching local transportation laws after the company began offering its services at any