South Korea’s state-run media regulator has begun a formal investigation into Facebook’s user data collection practices, joining the wave of worldwide probes into the firm's worst data breach crisis to date, while also adding other social network platforms to its inspection list.The Korea Communications Commission confirmed Friday that it will embark on an investigation into the private data collection policies of Korea’s major social networks including Facebook, Instagram, KakaoTalk and Naver’s

As a college student in the late ‘90s, Park Hyun-mi remembers waiting nervously for her date to show up at a coffeehouse in Seoul’s university district of Sinchon. She had not much information about the guy: his name, alma mater and photograph.　After the awkwardness of the first date, they’d exchange their beeper or home phone numbers, she recalled. If interested, he would have to directly phone Hyun-mi’s house, at the risk of another family member picking up the call. “May I talk to Hyun-mi?” h

South Korea’s Hanmi Pharmaceutical on Wednesday announced that it would achieve new growth through its newly-built smart drug production plant in Paltan-myeon of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province.　Hanmi spent 150 billion won ($140 million) toward building the high-end plant, which was completed last year. It produces the firm’s major products including Amosartan, Rovelito and Rosuzet which are distributed globally via global drugmakers including MSD and Sanofi. Hanmi Pharmaceutical's smart plant in Pa

As the World Health Organization prepares to make a final decision on whether to include gaming addiction in its official mental health disorder guidebook, medical experts and industry insiders worldwide remain divided on the scientific evidence and merits of the move.　　As debate ensues, medical professionals and industry experts in South Korea -- home to a thriving game industry and some of the world’s most enthusiastic gamers -- have cast concerns and doubts over the WHO’s push to medically la

LG CNS, an internet technology solutions unit under LG Group, said Tuesday that it has become the first IT service provider here to obtain public cloud security certification from the South Korean government.　The certification, granted by the state-affiliated Korea Internet and Security Agency, is a prerequisite for providing cloud services to Korea’s government agencies and public institutions.  A view of LG CNS’ data center in Busan (LG CNS)Companies seeking the certification must pass KISA’s

South Korea’s mobile messaging giant Kakao will introduce its own blockchain platform by the end of this year, while ruling out the possibility of an initial coin offering as part of its blockchain business agenda, Kakao’s co-CEOs announced Monday. 　Kakao’s primary focus now is to design an effective blockchain platform, similar to Ethereum, onto which various services can be built. With it, it hopes to court Asian developers interested in building new products and services based on blockchain n

Dunamu, the operator of South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, backed by local mobile messaging giant Kakao, announced Monday that it plans to invest 100 billion won ($92.5 million) toward blockchain technologies over the next three years.The exchange operator said it would invest in blockchain tech startups and firms pursuing areas that can be integrated with blockchain, including data analytics and management, artificial intelligence and financial technology via mergers and acqui

Facebook is neck-deep in troubles as its worst data breach crisis to date deepens. Governments around the world have begun to pursue investigations that could result in a hefty fine for the social network, while concerned users and advertisers are considering leaving the platform. Facebook’s reputation has taken a massive hit in the past week, after the revelation that it allowed Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy working for the Donald Trump campaign, to wrongfully harvest the profile

When the pseudonym used by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a forged passport was revealed in the media last month, those who searched online for “Josef Pwag” may have found an unusual match in Naver Dictionary.According to the site, “Pwag” is “the story of a man and boy who find love on the job.” But the problem is “pwag” is neither a real word nor slang in English. 　　This is not the only odd -- sometimes fake -- word defined by Naver Dictionary. 　　Definitions provided by the platform can ran

South Korea’s state media regulator on Wednesday ordered Facebook to pay a 396 million won ($369,600) penalty for deliberately rerouting SK Telecom, SK Broadband and LG Uplus’ network connection to the social networking site, and causing a slowdown for local users. 　The Korea Communications Commission said that it considered Facebook’s actions as a breach of Korea’s telecommunications law, and ordered the firm to correct its practice and pay an administrative penalty.The KCC launched an investig

South Korean users have been expressing concern over the latest news that Kakao Taxi, the country’s most widely-used taxi-hailing mobile app, will be adding a new option that allows users who pay an extra fee to catch taxis faster.Kakao Mobility announced last week that it is adding two paid options to its taxi-hailing service: “priority call” and “immediate dispatch.” It will continue to offer the current taxi-hailing service free of charge, under the “regular call” option.Critics have asserted

South Korean biotechnology firm Nature Cell said Tuesday that its stem cell therapy for Alzheimer’s disease has been formally approved for use at Fukuoka Trinity Clinic, one of its partner hospitals in Japan. 　The Seoul-based biotech firm says this is the first time for a stem cell therapy for treating Alzheimer’s to be commercialized anywhere in the world. Despite the news, shares of Nature Cell early Tuesday continued a plunge initiated by recent news that the Korean Drug Ministry had rejected

Philips Korea said Tuesday that it has sealed a strategic partnership with the Korea Paralympic Ski Association and Korea University’s sports science research subsidiary Fortium, to jointly conduct a clinical research program for sports rehabilitation.The three entities signed the strategic partnership agreement during a ceremony held Thursday in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province, host to the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. They will mutually support and cooperate on clinical research for

Sweden‘s Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom briefed her South Korean counterpart, Kang Kyung-wha, on the result of her recent talks with North Korea’s top diplomat, Seoul‘s foreign ministry said Monday.　Kang and Wallstrom met in Brussels on Sunday (local time) on the sidelines of a European Union meeting of foreign ministers. 　The meeting followed Wallstrom’s three-day series of meetings with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho in Stockholm. Sweden said the talks were “focused primarily on t

Prosecutors on Monday requested a court warrant to arrest former President Lee Myung-bak over 12 counts of corruption charges including bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.　Lee, president from 2008-2013, is suspected of taking about 11 billion won (US$10.3 million) in bribes from the state intelligence agency, businesses and others. 　The 77-year-old is believed to be the real owner of DAS, an auto parts maker at the center of the scandal, through which he allegedly created 35 billion won in

A team of South Korean researchers developed an “OLED patch” that can be attached to the skin to help wounds heal using an organic light-emitting diode source aimed at damaged areas.　The technology was developed by a group of researchers led by KAIST’s Jeon Yong-min and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital’s Choi Hye-ryung. 　The finding were published in the academic journal Advanced Material Technologies on March 8. Prototypes of the OLED patch developed by the team of Korean researchers

Cyworld, a South Korean first-generation social networking site that once dominated the country’s cyberspace, announced Monday the launch of a news curation app called “Que,” seeking to become Korea’s leading online news platform.The Korean social networking service firm’s news curation app consists of two main sections: the curation service NewsQ and Q-feed, a social media platform tailored to sharing news, according to Cyworld. 　NewsQ is a personalized news recommendation service that uses art

South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has ordered a full inspection of two defibrillator models by Philips Medical Systems over concerns of potential defects.　According to the ministry, the inspection concerns two defibrillator models produced and sold by the US-based medical equipment company from 2002 and 2013 -- the 861304 HeartStart FRx Defibrillator and the HeartStart HS1. The ministry has also ordered that new product usage guidelines be issued to device users.A defibrillator is a

LG Chem, South Korea’s leading chemicals maker under the LG Group, has obtained regulatory approval to begin marketing and selling its Enbrel biosimilar in Korea.　Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Saturday granted marketing approval for LG Chem’s Eucept, a cheaper biosimilar copy of Amgen’s blockbuster arthritis drug Enbrel (etanercept). Biosimilars refer to cheaper, near-replicas of living biologic drugs made from living cells through highly complex engineering processes, whose patent

Kakao Taxi, South Korea’s most widely used taxi-hailing mobile app, recently announced the introduction of a “paid option” that would allow users to call up taxis faster or immediately by paying an extra fee on top of the ride fare.　The new feature, set to be rolled out by as early as late March, has been drawing mixed reactions from local users, despite Kakao’s reassurance that it will retain the current taxi-hailing service option offered free of charge.　Extra fees for faster pickup　Kakao Mobi