South Korean IT solutions provider LG CNS on Wednesday unveiled its own large language model for code generation, enabling developers to mitigate the possible security risks of artificial intelligence. In June 2023, LG CNS first launched "AI Coding,” a ChatGPT-based service that supports code generation for a system, application or service. Developers can ask AI Coding to convert, generate, recommend, and check the errors of codes in line with their requirements. The company had appli

The Industrial Bank of Korea on Tuesday said it is recruiting participants for the second “IBK Changgong Silicon Valley Accelerating Program,” which aims to give emerging ventures and startups momentum in the overseas market. IBK has joined hands with 500 Global, an international venture capital firm, to identify innovative startups and to jointly undertake the global accelerating program. The startups chosen to participate in the program will be provided with exclusive opportunities

Korea Ginseng Corp., the nation’s leading ginseng manufacturer which has represented the Korean red ginseng industry for the past 125 years, is now taking a new leap forward for the health of people around the world. As an unrivaled market leader making up some 70 percent of the nation’s red ginseng market, KGC attributed its high-quality red ginseng to the quality control and manufacturing know-how it has accumulated over the last 125 years. According to JungKwanJang, KGC's flagship

South Korean oil refiner S-Oil on Friday held an annual New Year’s trekking event with some 120 company staff in Gyeonggi Province and fundraised 30 million won ($22,488) for a social welfare group. S-Oil President and Head of Operations Park Bong-soo, President and Head of Corporate Strategy & Services Ryu Yul, President and Head of Marketing & Sales Ahn Jong-bum, and new employees joined this year's trekking event at the Haengjusanseong Fortress History Nurigil Trail in Goya

LG Energy Solution on Thursday announced a strategic equity investment in Sion Power, an Arizona-based battery technology developer, in a bid to take the lead in next-generation lithium-metal battery technologies. Established in 1994, the US battery technology firm boasts over 470 international patents, particularly in pioneering core technologies needed for lithium metal batteries. One of the company's advanced technologies includes a dendrite-resistant system that protects lithium metal a

South Korean discount store chain Homeplus on Wednesday said it will start selling 2024 Lunar New Year gift sets from Saturday through Feb. 11, as the season of gift-giving is once again upon us. During this holiday season, Homeplus offers a curated selection of some 1,060 items at discounts of up to 50 percent. Based on consumer purchase data collected during about three weeks of pre-orders, the retailer has prepared a variety of gift sets, ranging from budget packages to high-end meat or seafo

German chemicals giant Merck has launched a fertility benefit program for all employees working at its Korean unit to help address the nation’s severely low birth rate, the company said Monday. Earlier this month, the Korean unit became the tenth to join the program, established in October of last year and designed to to help Merck employees having difficulties in conceiving a pregnancy. The scheme was first applied in eight countries, including Germany, the UK, Switzerland, China and Taiw

South Korean food manufacturer Samyang Foods announced its official sponsorship of the Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games, the quadrennial youth winter sports event which is being hosted by an Asian country for the first time this year. With 1,802 athletes representing 78 countries, the largest-ever Winter Youth Olympics kicked off Friday evening in Gangwon Province and is set to wrap up on Feb. 1. Standing at the forefront of the Korean wave, Samyang Foods aims to support the sports comp

Celltrion said Thursday that the company’s three oncology biosimilar products -- Herzuma, Truxima and Vegzelma -- are making their foray into key European markets after winning multiple bids there. Celltrion secured bids in France to supply its cancer-fighting biosimilars to five regional drug purchasing organizations for public hospitals. Both Herzuma and Vegzelma will be supplied to two French public health agencies -- Graps and GAULoYS -- while Vegzelma alone won tenders from Grecaps, G

Japan reclaimed the top spot in South Korea’s beer imports in 2023, five years following the start of the Tokyo-Seoul trade dispute, data showed Wednesday. According to data from the Korea Customs Service, imports of Japanese beer products reached $55.51 million last year, a 283.3 percent increase from the previous year. The figure was the highest since $39.75 million was posted in 2019, the year Japan imposed new restrictions on the export of three key semiconductor materials to Korea. Th

Hanjin Logistics Corp., an affiliate of the nation’s airline-to-logistics conglomerate Hanjin Group, said Monday it has hired two global specialists as part of efforts to enhance its presence in overseas markets, especially the US and China. Rone Jeong, a China specialist, joined Hanjin in December and will be tasked with ramping up the shipper’s presence in Asia by connecting with more air and ocean shipping clients, as well as cross-border sellers based in China. Jeong earned an MB

Korea Water Resources, the state-run water management agency also known as K-water, joined this year’s CES, the world’s largest tech show, to support Korean startups to expand their presence in global markets. During the four-day event, K-water set up a 232-square-meter pavilion at Eureka Park, where entrepreneurs and budding startups can connect with mentors, investors, and corporate leaders. This is the second year of the agency has hosted its booth at the CES. The water agency o

The Korea Forest Service on Friday celebrated East Timor’s National Day of Sandalwood and Forestry by planting sandalwood, the Southeast Asian country’s national tree, with local officials. Sandalwood, prized for its distinctive fragrance, is used for perfumes, incense, cosmetics, medicines, and furniture. The tree holds considerable cultural, economic, and historical importance for the Timorese people. Unlike other regions, sandalwood is widely distributed up to 1,300 meters above s

The Korea Forest Service is ramping up its commitment to a green transition by consolidating efforts in the forest industry, now securing nearly 40 partnerships with foreign countries. The nation's forest agency has been actively establishing bilateral agreements for forest cooperation, starting with Indonesia in 1987. A total of 39 countries are now maintaining such cooperative relationships with Korea, and the number is expected to grow. The goals of the partnerships, at first, were to bo

K-pop artist G-Dragon was spotted visiting the CES 2024, the world’s largest tech show which kicked off in Las Vegas on Tuesday. G-Dragon popped into the showrooms of Korean tech firms, including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and SK Group, where he explored their cutting-edge technologies. When asked about his surprise visit to the tech show, he replied, “I’m interested in all technologies, and came to learn more about AI.” Stopping by SK Group’s exhibition b

South Korean oil refiner S-Oil is continuing to recognize those who performed acts of heroism and made the world a better place, over the past years. Under the values of sharing, S-Oil has delivered financial contributions and hosted an annual award ceremony for brave neighbors. These heroes include firefighters, Coast Guard officers, and citizens who rescued others in dire situations, putting the needs of others above their own. Since 2006, the firm has been awarding firemen to recognize them a

Pernod Ricard Korea, the Korean unit of the French wine and spirit giant, said Monday it has donated 40 million won ($30,385) to the Corea Image Communication Institute, or CICI, to help boost the nation’s global image in 2024. Adding to its financial contributions, the company also aims to provide some essential supplies for the events organized by the foundation this year. It will start by sponsoring the upcoming “CICI Korea 2024” on Wednesday, an annual award ceremony honori

South Korea’s largest beer maker, Oriental Brewery, made efforts to broaden its outreach to Generation Z and university students in 2023, in a bid to more closely communicate with young consumers. In November and December, OB CEO Ben Verhaert gave lectures on OB’s marketing strategies at Korea University and Ewha Womans University, where he was able to meet face-to-face with students. Verhaert has built a strong career in the sales and logistics fields at Anheuser-Busch InBev -- the

South Korea’s exports of Korean instant noodles, also known as ramyeon, reached a new record high of nearly $1 billion (1.31 trillion won) in 2023, according to government data and industry sources, Sunday. According to data from Korea Customs Service, annual ramyeon exports were tallied at $952 million last year, a 24.4 percent jump from $765 million in 2022. The outbound shipments of ramyeon logged $785 million for the January-October period in 2023, breaking the previous year’s re

South Korean game developer and publisher Nexon is steering the future of the gaming industry with Intelligence Labs, an in-house AI research and development team designated to exploring the optimal gaming experience for users. Launched in 2017, Intelligence Labs has used machine learning and deep learning to come up with more engaging and immersive games. A team of around 700 engineers is now zeroing in on generative artificial intelligence research to create original, personalized content for