KT Corp. said Wednesday that it discussed bolstering its partnership with Canada's Vector Institute, a nonprofit firm dedicated to artificial intelligence research, to advance its latest AI technologies. The two parties have already been collaborating in the area of AI research and business development since its partnership agreed in September last year. On Tuesday, Vector Institute CEO Tony Gaffney visited KT’s R&D center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, during which more concrete steps were

CJ Foodville, operator of South Korean bakery chain Tous Les Jours, announced Tuesday that it has decided on a location in the state of Georgia to establish its first US production facility, as it seeks to open 1,000 bakeries in the country by 2030. The factory, construction of which is set to be complete by 2025, will occupy some 90,000 square meters in Gainesville, Georgia. With a capital investment worth over 50 billion won ($37 million), the factory is expected to have an annual output cap

Dong-A Otsuka on Tuesday unveiled new packaging for its flagship Confidence vitamin drink. The renewed design, while maintaining its signature yellow hue, features an eye-catching character that captures the unique shape of the drink bottle. The all-new youthful design is expected to appeal to millennials and Generation Z. Confidence, first released in 1995, is a caffeine-free fruit-flavored vitamin drink that also contains amino acids, electrolytes and minerals. (Dong-A Otsuka)

KB Financial Group is set to host its women's golf championship from Thursday through Sunday at the Blackstone Golf Club in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, it said Tuesday. Called KB Financial Group Star Championship, the annual competition is a major tournament for the 2023 Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour. With 1.2 billion won ($905,000) in prize money, including 216 million won for the winner, the tournament will see a number of South Korean star golfers contending for the titl

Posco International said Monday that it has signed two agreements to secure some 90,000 metric tons of natural graphite, bolstering its supply chain for the key material for secondary batteries. In a memorandum of understanding signed with Canada’s NextSource on Aug. 28, Posco agreed to invest in the company’s Molo Mine, one of the largest mines in Madagascar. The agreement is expected to help Posco secure 30,000 tons of natural graphite, or 15,000 tons of spherical graphite, on an a

GS Engineering and Construction has unveiled its European-style modular residential unit at this year's IFA, one of the world's largest consumer appliance trade shows held in Berlin from Sept. 1-5. Called Smart Cottage, the latest product began construction using modular manufacturing in May. The project was a joint collaboration between GS E&C’s Poland-based subsidiary modular company Danwood SA and South Korean electronics giant LG Electronics. The modular unit combines G

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology, the role of NFT technology goes beyond protecting the copyrights of digital art collectibles, and into expanding the realm of art, with diverse implications for the future art world. Throughout the NFT 2023 Seoul Conference, held at Coex in southern Seoul on Friday, the future roles of NFT technology were illuminated. Dedicated to the theme, “the Utilization and Role of NFT Art in the Future Art,” the second part of th

South Korean financial conglomerate Woori Financial Group announced Thursday that it obtained approval for its carbon reduction target from a global climate science organization earlier this month, saying that it took the shortest period among other domestic companies in the industry. The Science Based Targets initiative or SBTi, is a global organization which was jointly founded in 2015 by the Carbon Disclosure Project, the United Nations Global Compact, and the World Wide Fund for Nature. Co

South Korean defense firm LIG Nex1 announced Wednesday that it participated in a three-day drone show held in Saudi Arabia this week, at the invitation of the Naif Arab University of Security Sciences. The show was co-hosted by the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and the Korean Embassy in Saudi Arabia, at NAUSS in Riyadh, the country's capital. NAUSS, formed by a pan-Arabic academic coalition of 20 countries including the UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Yemen, is an intergov

South Korean bakery chain Tous les Jours launched its 100th store in the United States earlier this month, as its popularity has risen among American consumers, operator CJ Foodville said Wednesday. The new store is located in Bronxville, an affluent neighborhood in New York, according to CJ Foodville. The company added that Tous les Jours has been posting robust profits per store, solidifying its position as a lucrative business model in the country. Since first entering the US market in 2004,

South Korea's largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit has been at the forefront of preventing fraudulent digital transactions, with its state-of-the-art artificial intelligence-based fraud detection system, amid increasing virtual asset investment and related crimes. Using its latest technology, the company said Tuesday it has prevented voice phishing scams of some 25 billion won ($18.9 million). According to South Korea’s financial authorities, the annual scale of financial damages f

Amid mounting global calls for sustainable development, South Korea’s largest chemical firm LG Chemical has been researching ways to produce eco-friendly plastics. Under the global campaign of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, the international race has intensified across the petrochemical industry to reduce carbon emissions, and plastic recycling is considered the most expedient approach. In this aspect, LG Chem has successfully secured a competitive edge over its rivals by developing

Hana Financial Group said Sunday that it has donated educational supplies for students of a female boarding school in Mexico to support their English education. Escuela Villa de las Ninas, located in the state of Chalco, was founded by the Korean Catholic congregation called the Sisters of Mary in 1991, with the aim of funding the education of female students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Currently, the school is housing some 3,300 students in its dormitories. The donation cerem

Renault Korea Motors' SM6 Feel sedan, an upgraded version that integrates existing SE and LE trims, has been gaining popularity in the domestic market as a stylish yet cost-effective option. The car company said Thursday that its SM6 Feel accounted for 71 percent of the total sales of its SM6 vehicles in the first half of the year. Prior to the model's launch, the carmaker surveyed customers to reflect their needs and preferences in the new trim. The new sedan adopts all the preferre

LG Electronics said Wednesday that its latest portable TV, called LG StandbyMe Go, will be officially launched in North America and across Europe later this month. The TV, housed in a suitcase with a built-in battery and speakers, allows users to bring a quality entertainment experience wherever they go without compromising convenience or quality. The product quickly sold out shortly after its debut at home in June. The portable touchscreen is user-friendly, requiring no separate assembly or i

South Korean air mobility start-up Toff Mobility said Tuesday that it plans to launch Asia’s first airline dedicated to battery-powered electric planes, in a move to reduce carbon emissions in the industry. Under the plan, Toff Mobility will introduce electric planes certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to start tourism and logistics businesses next year. By 2026, it aims to expand the service to the regional airports and the nation's two islands of Ulleung and Jej

Innocean Worldwide, the advertising subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, said Monday that it has won a total of 10 Red Dot Design Awards, one of the world’s top design competitions. The prestigious German award, held annually, recognizes innovative works and products from various categories, including product design, brand and communication design, and concept design. This year, Innocean garnered a number of recognitions in the advertising category. Most notably, it secured the Best of the B

Top interior designer Kwon Soon-book has praised Samsung Electronics’ latest WindFree air conditioner under the company's premium Bespoke Infinite line as a stylish home appliance to compliment any luxury interior in a recent interview. “(The) design might appear very simple at first. But it is precisely this simplicity that allows it to coexist with all elements, enhancing its spatial value,” said Kwon, CEO at Magenta Studio. According to Kwon, the key to a timeless aesth

Some 200 participants attended Samsung SDI's job fair in Korea on Friday, the firm said Sunday, as it seeks to secure top tech talent to continue its growth momentum. In cooperation with local universities, the battery maker hosted the 2023 Tech & Career Forum at a Seoul hotel that was attended by professors, PhD students and its own top executives. “It all comes down to people to materialize our business goal. Be the star that shapes Samsung SDI’s bright future,” Sa

Audi Korea said Sunday that it started receiving preorders for the all-new Audi Q4 40 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron, the German luxury carmaker’s full-electric sport utility vehicles, for them to be delivered to customers later this month. Since their debut in September last year, the two battery-powered compact cars have enjoyed immense popularity in Korea, selling nearly 2,000 units in just over three months, a sales record among premium compact electric SUVs here. The new 2023 models h