KT SAT, Korea's sole satellite service provider, announced Wednesday its plan to enhance its maritime communications service by adopting SpaceX's Starlink satellite technology. With this integration, KT SAT aims to address the growing demand for more robust and higher-speed internet at sea, driven by factors such as increased data usage on modern, sensor-equipped ships for optimizing routes and remote technical assistance. Starlink's network promises high-speed, low-latency perfor

Industry Nov. 29, 2023

LS Materials, a South Korean energy storage device manufacturer, said on Tuesday the firm will further solidify its presence in sustainable energy and technology markets with the fund it would raise from its upcoming initial public offering slated for next month. As the company prepares to list on the secondary Kosdaq market, it's positioning itself as a pivotal player in emerging green industries, including ultra capacitors and electric vehicles. "We're seeking a third location f

Industry Nov. 28, 2023

The Korean Intellectual Property Office, under the leadership of Commissioner Lee Insil, has been implementing multiple measures to support high-tech industries by speeding up patent processes, particularly in semiconductors and displays, while also tackling technology leakage and enhancing international intellectual property protection. This follows President Yoon Suk Yeol’s announcement made last month to invest 25 trillion won ($19.2 billion) in 12 key strategic technologies over the

Companies Nov. 28, 2023

The ride-sharing service Kakao T will be available in Australia, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Kuwait from next week, Kakao Mobility announced Friday. Users of the Kakao T app will be able to hail local taxis, premium sedans and midsize SUVs in the five countries from Nov. 30 onward, bringing Kakao's ride-hailing services to a total of 37 countries worldwide. The company said it also plans to enter the US market within this year. According to Kakao Mobility, the latest expans

Technology Nov. 24, 2023

SK Group announced on Friday that nine of its affiliates have entered a long-term agreement to procure 537 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy annually from SK E&S, a clean energy provider within the group. The 20-year deal is the largest direct renewable energy purchase agreement, or PPA, ever in Korea, and is expected to cut 5 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over two decades, the group said, equivalent to planting some 20 million pine trees nationwide. The size of the deal

Industry Nov. 24, 2023

A coalition of 15 human rights groups has issued a plea to the 2030 World Expo organizer Bureau International des Expositions, imploring the members to reject Saudi Arabia’s bid on Wednesday, just six days ahead of the final decision. The group, represented by Democracy for the Arab World Now, called on the members to reject the bid from Saudi Arabia, citing the kingdom’s troubling human rights record. The appeal lays out a detailed dossier of human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, arg

Economy Nov. 23, 2023

T1, the world’s top League of Legends esports company, is anticipated to reach a higher valuation and near the financial break-even point next year after winning the 2023 World Championship title, SK Telecom’s investment arm and T1’s majority shareholder SK Square said Monday. This victory was T1's fourth World Championship title and follows their two Mid-Season Invitational wins, another international LoL tournament hosted by Riot Games. Formed as a joint venture between

Companies Nov. 22, 2023

S-Tec System, a South Korean security services provider, announced Monday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Vietnam's Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank. The company aims to capitalize on the Vietnamese bank's network, which includes over 300 branches and 1,000 unattended locations throughout Vietnam. The agreement was signed Friday at S-Tec's headquarters in Seoul, with S-Tec System CEO Lee Byung-hwa and Chairman Luu Trung Thai of the Military Bank in attend

Economy Nov. 21, 2023

South Korean steelmaker Hyundai Steel has launched a new environmental campaign with the slogan, "A future drawn by steel," as part of its commitment to ESG management, the company said Tuesday. The campaign slogan plays on the meaning of the word "green," which is pronounced '"geurin" in Korean. In Korean, "geurin" means "drawn." This initiative seeks to raise public awareness about the sustainability of steel, emphasizing its role in resou

Industry Nov. 21, 2023

South Korea has secured investment commitments from four major US companies, including General Motors, totaling 1.5 trillion won ($1.16 billion), following President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to the US for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit last week. These investments, spanning the automotive and semiconductor sectors, are expected to significantly boost South Korea's exports and reduce imports, contributing to an estimated annual economic impact of over 4.5 trillion won. The Ministry of

Economy Nov. 20, 2023

BUSAN -- Key game industry players, such as NCSoft and Netmarble, showcased their latest projects, which delved into unexplored genres with high production values and top-notch graphics at the G-Star 2023 game exhibition held in Busan last week. The event, hosted by the Korea Association of Game Industry and the Busan IT Promotion Agency, featured a record number of 3,328 booths with participation from 1,037 companies across 42 countries. Notably, NCSoft made a significant return after an eight-

Industry Nov. 19, 2023

BUSAN -- NCSoft CEO Kim Taek-jin declared the company's strategic shift from its traditional roots in Lineage, its series of massively multiplayer online role-playing games -- or MMORPGs -- to diverse gaming genres, responding to a downturn in earnings and a shift in gamer preferences. The CEO made this announcement during an unexpected appearance at the company's booth at G-Star 2023 gaming expo held last week in Busan. "Our objective is to delve into a multitude of gaming genres

Technology Nov. 19, 2023

BUSAN -- Naver Z, the metaverse subsidiary of South Korean internet giant Naver, is planning a version of Zepeto for Apple's first wearable headset device, embracing the US tech behemoth's concept of spatial computing. “We are preparing to showcase something special for headsets such as Apple's Vision Pro," Lee Seung-won, Nazer Z's developer relations director told The Korea Herald during a marketing talk at G-Star Game Conference 2023, part of the G-Star gaming ex

Technology Nov. 19, 2023

South Korean chemical company SK Geocentric has started the construction of a new advanced plastic recycling cluster -- the first of its kind in the world -- in the southeastern city of Ulsan. With the new cluster, named the Ulsan Advanced Recycling Cluster, or ARC, the company aims to expand its presence in the eco-friendly plastic solution market as well as bolstering its response to escalating regulatory pressure and corporate demand for recycled plastics. The company held the ground-breaking

Industry Nov. 15, 2023

Pernod Ricard Korea on Monday launched Redbreast 15 Year Old, a more aged and spicier variant of its Irish whiskey brand, targeting the evolving demand for non-Scotch whiskeys in the rapidly expanding domestic market. The world's second-largest wine and spirits seller previously introduced its Irish whiskey, Redbreast 12 Year Old, for the first time in Korea in September. While retaining the smooth character typical of traditional Irish pot still whiskey, the 15 Year Old brings a spicier pr

Consumer Nov. 13, 2023