Generative AI’s ability to create or improve products and services means it has to potential to commoditize some businesses, while greatly enhancing the competitive advantage of others. In what follows I will discuss the characteristics that make products or services susceptible to disruption by generative AI, and those that make them more resilient. To illustrate, I will then compare Chegg and Duolingo, two businesses which have been impacted very differently by the emergence of generativ

ViewpointsNov. 25, 2024

Lt. Gen. Ju Il-suk, the former director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s combat readiness inspections, was named Marine Corps Commandant in a reshuffle of general-level officers announced Monday. Ju replaces Lt. Gen. Kim Kye-hwan, who is under investigation for the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun in July last year. Chae was killed during a search mission for missing victims of heavy downpours in Yecheon, a county in North Gyeongsang Province. Vice Adm. Choi Sung-hyeok of the 1st Fleet Command was

DefenseNov. 25, 2024

Prosecutors requested five years in prison and a fine of 500 million won ($356,000) for Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Monday, in the final hearing of a retrial over suspected stock manipulation related to a high-profile 2015 merger case. The prosecution had appealed in February immediately after a lower court acquitted Lee of all 19 charges it had filed. In the appellate court on Monday, the prosecution kept to their original claims, insisting the chief of the country's large

IndustryNov. 25, 2024

BUSAN -- Delegates from 177 countries gathered in Busan on Monday for the fifth round of negotiations to clinch a deal for a legally binding United Nations treaty to combat plastic pollution, though doubts linger as to whether a final agreement can be reached. From Monday through Sunday, delegates to the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee are expected to finalize a legally binding treaty to address plastic pollution. This initiative emerged from a resolution passed duri

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2024

The Ministry of Health and Welfare on Monday expressed its support for a legislative proposal from an opposition lawmaker to mandate anti-smoking warnings on e-cigarette devices. In a written answer to the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, the ministry said, “In terms of raising awareness of the harms of smoking, it is necessary to display health warnings on e-cigarette devices,” and added it would support the enactment of relevant legal changes. Currently, a

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2024

Mercedes-Benz’s Corporate Social Responsibility Committee said Monday that it has donated 500 million won ($358,000) to establish a specialized child protection center, aimed at protecting abused children and preventing further abuse. The funds, raised through the 11th Mercedes-Benz Give ’n Race charity event, will be fully allocated to the Incheon Child Protection Center to be built in Seo-gu, Incheon. A donation ceremony was held at Incheon Metropolitan City Hall on Monday, attende

MobilityNov. 25, 2024

Global tobacco giant British American Tobacco on Monday officially launched its synthetic nicotine-based liquid e-cigarette, Nomad Sync 5000, in South Korea, the first market in the world to release the product. The Nomad Sync 5000, available in sweet “Purple” and refreshing “Cold” flavors, offers up to 5,000 puffs with a liquid capacity of 10 milliliters and a nicotine concentration of 0.9 percent. Priced at around 17,000 won ($12), the product is now available at vape s

CompaniesNov. 25, 2024

A young couple in their 30s, surnamed Lee and Park, exhausted from enduring persistent noise from neighbors above, is hunting for a new place to live. But even as they search, they are hesitant. Moving into another apartment means facing the same uncertainty: Who lives upstairs? What kind of neighbors will they encounter? Their concerns reflect a common dilemma in South Korea, where apartment complexes dominate urban living, making up 62.9 percent of all housing types. Living in high-rise apartm

Arts & DesignNov. 25, 2024

Lee So-jeong (born 1993), an artist based in Dusseldorf and gaining attention across Europe, explores the unconscious and dreams, capturing the depth of emotions with delicate precision through her focus on human figures as the primary subject. Through her painted narratives, the artist reveals the emotions and experiences inherent in the human psyche, presenting works that intertwine autobiographical memories and sentiments. The exhibition is on view at DIA Contemporary, located in Samcheong-do

CultureNov. 25, 2024

South Korean stocks rose more than 1.3 percent Monday as investors hunted for big-cap tech bargains amid hopes for the new Donald Trump administration's softer approach to tariffs. The local currency fell against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index added 33.1 points, or 1.32 percent, to close at 2,534.34. It marked the highest level since Nov. 8, when the index closed at 2,561.15. Trade volume was heavy at 535.26 million shares worth 12.54 trillion won ($8.95 bill

MarketNov. 25, 2024

Disney+ may have delivered one of its most gripping new Korean originals with the crime thriller “Gangnam B-side” -- which offers a compelling blend of suspense, character depth, and sharp social commentary on South Korea’s growing drug problem. Bringing affluent Gangnam district’s extravagant club culture to screen with a neon-lit, visually dazzling mise-en-scene that highlights its duality of glamour and grit, “Gangnam B-side” explores the intertwined lives

TelevisionNov. 25, 2024

With the deadline for NewJeans's ultimatum to Ador fast approaching, industry experts predict three potential contract termination scenarios, none of which seem likely to result in a peaceful resolution. The five-member K-pop group spent a certification of contents to their agency on Nov. 13, demanding that it address “major contract violations” within 14 days, or by Wednesday, of receiving the letter. The girl group warned that if their demands were not met, they would terminate the

K-popNov. 25, 2024

JYP Entertainment has announced the launch of its new seven-member boy group, KickFlip, set to debut in 2025. The agency unveiled the group's official social media accounts and shared an image there, marking the start of its debut album project. According to the announcement, KickFlip will officially begin debut preparations at midnight on Jan. 1, 2025. The name KickFlip comes from the skateboarding term used for a high-level trick, where one flips the board 360 degrees with a flick of the

K-popNov. 25, 2024

A rare exhibition of Goryeo celadon including 20 state-designated National Treasures opens Tuesday at the National Museum of Korea. The exhibition “Sculpted Celadon of the Goryeo Dynasty,” running through March 3, 2025, showcases 274 Goryeo celadon pieces that were used as utensils or held as objects of value. In the form of humans, animals and plans as well as vases, pots and jars, these objects reflect the aesthetics of the Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392). National Museum of Korea Direct

Arts & DesignNov. 25, 2024

Suwon, south of Seoul, will host the 2024 UNESCO International Forum on the Futures of Education from Dec. 2 to 4, bringing together over 1,800 participants from around the world, including government ministers, international organization representatives, academics and civil society experts. The forum, organized by UNESCO, builds on the organization's 2021 report "Reimagining Our Futures Together: A New Social Contract for Education," which emphasizes the need for equitable and su

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2024

The South Korean government is intensifying its efforts to expand Korean language education in elementary and middle schools worldwide, leveraging the growing global interest in Korean literature following author Han Kang's recent Nobel Prize win. The Ministry of Education on Monday unveiled its plan to establish a specialized agency to develop strategies for Korean language education tailored to different countries and regions. The agency will also create localized learning materials and

Social AffairsNov. 25, 2024