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This article is by Cho Jung-woo and read by an artificial voice.
Patients, doctors and donors involved with the Child Cancer and Rare Disease Project at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) gathered to reflect on the project's vision and celebrate its achievements on Monday. The initiative was established through a donation from late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee (1942-2020).
The event took place at SNUH's Children's Hospital in Jongno District, central Seoul, attended by Samsung Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and his mother, Hong Ra-hee, the former director of the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art.
Launched with Lee's donation of 300 billion won ($218 million), the decade-long project supports the treatment and research of childhood cancer and rare diseases.
According to SNUH, developing treatments for such diseases is challenging due to the small number of patients, despite the variety of diseases. In particular, patients living outside the metropolitan area face difficulty accessing treatment.
The project is divided into three major areas.
Of the funds - activated by Lee's family in 2021 - 150 billion won has been dedicated to building infrastructure for treating and researching childhood cancer. Some 60 billion won is being used to create a platform for technology to treat and diagnose rare diseases in children, while the remaining 90 billion won is going toward joint cohort studies.
So far, 9,521 children with cancer and rare diseases have been diagnosed through the project and 3,892 have received treatment. Additionally, 24,608 cohort data have been registered.
During the event, Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong encouraged the children who have benefited from the project.
One of the children is 11-year-old Kim Da-el, who began chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in November 2018 at SNUH's Children's Hospital. Although he had been recovering, Kim had to undergo chemotherapy again in April 2023 after the disease reappeared. Thanks to the support from the project, he received nine rounds of testing and is now recovering after receiving CAR T cell therapy in June.
"We are persistently working to provide treatment and diagnoses to children with cancer and rare diseases," said Choi Eun-hwa, the vice director of pediatrics at SNUH, who also leads the Child Cancer and Rare Disease Project.
"This project will play a significant role in giving hope not only to the current generation but also to future generations."
With Friday being the fourth anniversary of the late chairman's passing, commemoration ceremonies honoring Lee are set to take place this week.
A commemorative music concert will be held at the Samsung Human Resources Development Institute in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Thursday. A memorial service will then take place at the family burial site in Suwon, Gyeonggi, likely attended only by family members and company executives.
In addition to the initiative, the family of the late chairman donated 700 billion won to build infrastructure for infectious disease response.
Of this, 500 billion won will be allocated to constructing a central infectious disease hospital, which will act as a command center for addressing new infectious disease crises like Covid-19.
The hospital will feature advanced facilities, including negative pressure isolation rooms, negative pressure operating rooms and biosafety laboratories. It is expected to be completed by 2028 with a capacity of 134 beds.
The remaining 200 billion won will be allocated to the construction of research facilities at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and will fund research to develop vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases. -
This article is by Chung Yeong-gyo, Yoo Jee-hye and read by an artificial voice.
South Korea's military used loudspeaker broadcasts to inform North Korean citizens and soldiers of the covert deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, despite Pyongyang having concealed the deployment from its own citizens, Seoul's military sources said Monday.
Military sources in Seoul told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, that South Korea's "Voice of Freedom" radio broadcasts, directed at North Korea, had confirmed the presence of North Korean troops in Ukraine's war against Russia, citing Ukrainian media reports and a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Monday morning.
The broadcast further revealed that six North Korean soldiers had been killed in an airstrike on the Russian front line of the occupied Donetsk region earlier this month and that Russia is forming a special battalion consisting of 3,000 North Korean troops. Additionally, there were reports of 18 North Korean soldiers deserting.
It also cited a BBC report indicating that a number of North Korean soldiers had arrived at a Russian military base near Ussuriysk, which is north of Vladivostok. South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed that North Korea has been providing ongoing military support to Russia since a June summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Intelligence reports indicate frequent movement of personnel and supplies between North Korea and Russia via rail. The agencies are currently investigating whether a large contingent of North Korean combat troops is part of these movements.
The South Korean military's psychological warfare tactics aim to undermine the morale of North Korean soldiers stationed near the military demarcation line (MDL).
Analysts suggest that the primary target audience for these broadcasts is North Korean soldiers, particularly those who might be deployed to Ukraine's war against Russia. Many of these soldiers are currently stationed along its front lines, carrying out fortification work on Kim's orders.
The unit that North Korea reportedly deployed to Russia is the so-called 11th Corps, or the "Storm Corps."
The 11th Corps appeared in North Korea's previous war scenario, where it was depicted as a key force infiltrating enemy territory in the early stages of a conflict. In these scenarios, the unit's main objective was to take large numbers of Americans residing in South Korea hostage.
North Korean propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri published a three-day attack scenario on March 22, 2013, which detailed the 11th Corps' mission. On the first day, North Korean forces would launch a massive barrage, named "fire-thrashing," and deploy light infantry units to attack key military facilities and infrastructure in South Korea. The 11th Corps would then infiltrate and capture as many of the "150,000 Americans" living in South Korea. Around 28,000 Americans had been residing in South Korea for more than three months as of 2013, according to Statistics Korea.
The role of the Storm Corps to carry out tactics similar to those used by Hamas during its attacks on Israel in October last October, during which militants quickly infiltrated enemy territory to take high-value hostages for use in future negotiations. -
Missing episodes?
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This article is by Kim Ji-ye and read by an artificial voice.
Netflix horror thriller series "Hellbound" returns on Friday, with a new season that takes place eight years after the first and revolves around a society gripped by chaos, according to the director and cast.
"For those who liked the first season, season two is a work filled with incredibly interesting questions," director Yeon Sang-ho said during the upcoming season's press conference held in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Monday.
Directed by Yeon, who took the helm of the series' previous season and horror film "Train to Busan" (2016), and co-written by director Yeon and Choi Gyu-seok, the second season continues where the first season left off, with the founder of religious cult the New Truth, Jung Jin-su, disappearing and the single mother of two children, Park Jung-ja, having been sent to hell for damnation.
The second season revolves around a chaotic society and the entanglement of religious factions the New Truth, the Arrowheads and Sodo leader Min Hye-jin, after the sudden resurrections of the formerly condemned Jin-su and Jung-ja.
Based on a webtoon of the same name (2019-20), made by Yeon and Choi, the director also teased that the series' ending will be slightly different from the original cartoon.
The series also premiered its first three episodes during this year's Busan International Film Festival.
The previous season, released in 2021, attracted major international popularity, ranking No. 1 on American film and television review website Rotten Tomatoes' "Best Horror Series 2021" list and topping Netflix's top 10 list in 93 countries after its release.
While the show's first season may have gained significant global popularity, many Korean projects of late have disappointed fans with less-than-impressive second seasons - a concern shared by the director and writer. However, the two creators expressed confidence that the new season will be nothing like the first, only inspired by it.
"By the end of season two, something entirely new and unexpected keeps happening. This makes the world feel alive, with things that seem impossible continuing to occur - which I believe will appeal to the viewers," director Yeon said.
Writer Choi also said that season two will be "a new world born from season one."
The original cast from season one will return, featuring Kim Hyun-joo and Kim Shin-rock alongside new additions Kim Sung-cheol and Im Sung-jae. Veteran actors Moon So-ri and Moon Geun-young will also make special guest appearances in the series as Senior Secretary Lee and Ms. Sunshine, respectively.
Actor Kim Sung-cheol takes on the role of Jung Jin-su, originally portrayed by Yoo Ah-in. Yoo stepped down from the role after being accused of illegal drug use, for which he was later charged.
The director briefly mentioned the sudden change, saying that he had a sense of belief in actor Kim after meeting him in real life, adding, "Kim closely resembled Jin-su from the original webtoon."
With Kim's character being resurrected, the actor tried to amplify the emotions his character might have experienced in hell.
"I thought about what a person would look like after being oppressed by constant pain and fear for eight long years," Kim said.
Another resurrected character in the series is Park Jung-ja, played by actor Kim Shin-rock. She mentioned that she took "bold" steps when following the director's words, which made the crew buzz in front of the monitor.
"My character is experiencing hell in real time," she said. "I aimed to avoid portraying her as a prophet who has transcended everything. Instead, I focused on uncovering her desires."
Actor Moon Geun-young, known for her lovely image, takes a striking turn in the series, saying, "I appear as a religious fanatic."
She said, "I've always had the interest and enthusiasm for new roles. However, those opportunities didn't always come my way, which left me always desiring them. So, when director Yeon offered me ... -
This article is by Jin Eun-soo and read by an artificial voice.
Samsung Electronics unveiled its slimmest and lightest Fold smartphone to date in a determined move to defend its leadership in the foldable market from the likes of Huawei and Honor.
The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition (SE), a slimmer version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, will roll out in Korea on Friday.
This is the first time Samsung Electronics has ever launched a slim version of its foldables since it first introduced this form factor to the world in 2019.
The SE version, when folded, measures 10.6 millimeters (0.4 inches) in thickness - 1.5 millimeters slimmer than the Z Fold 6 at 12.1 millimeters.
The slimmer body is coupled with a lighter weight. The SE weighs 236 grams (8.2 ounces), while the Z Fold 6 weighs 239 grams.
Its main display comes in at 203.1 millimeters when measured diagonally compared to the previous version's 193.2 millimeters.
The size of the cover display also inched up from 158.9 millimeters to 164.8 millimeters.
In terms of functions, its main camera spec got a significant boost from a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera to a 200-mexapixel one. This high-resolution camera has only been found in the premium Ultra line of the flagship Galaxy S series until now.
Its exterior design emphasizes sleekness, coming in one color - Black Shadow - with a striped pattern added to the edges of the phone.
The difference of mere millimeters hardly seemed noticeable to the naked eye when this reporter got to see the actual product at a preview session in Seoul on Monday. Even when held side by side, the difference in thickness wasn't too obvious.
But when grabbing it with one hand, the enhancement becomes more noticeable, as the phone felt less bulky.
The aspect ratio of the SE's cover display changed to 21:9 compared to the Z Fold 6's 22.1:9, which has been pointed out as awkward for users' eyes by being relatively narrower and longer compared to the typical bar-type smartphones.
On the downside, the upgrade in camera specs made the bump on the rear stick out more.
The Galaxy Z Fold SE is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, the same one as the Z Fold 6. It remains to be seen, however, whether the hardware upgrade will be enough to justify a price bump with consumers.
The Z Fold SE, which has a memory and storage option of 16GB and 512GB, costs 2.8 million won ($2,000), while the Z Fold 6 option with 12GB of memory and 512GB of storage costs 2.4 million won.
"We decided to launch the product in Korea to thank domestic consumers, who are leading the foldables market," said Lim Seong-taek, executive vice president at Samsung Electronics, in a release Monday.
"The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition will provide a slim and light foldable experience and is also equipped with a fine pattern and deep colors that boast a sophisticated design."
The new variation of the foldable shows Samsung Electronics' determination to assert its dominance in the new form factor market, which has seen increasing competition from Chinese players.
Samsung, which pioneered the foldable smartphone market by launching the first foldable in 2019, held 80 percent of the segment in 2022. Its share dropped to 50.4 percent as of early June, however, with Huawei, Motorola and Honor gaining ground, according to TrendForce data. -
This article is by Shin Min-hee and read by an artificial voice.
LONDON - Haegue Yang may not be the easiest contemporary artist to work with, admitting that she may be "too transparent." In her words, she's ugly, stubborn, pushy and greedy to the point that if you work with her, you won't want to see her anymore.
But in her latest solo exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in Southbank Centre, titled "Leap Year," the artist has made the leap into the unknown by letting her "hair grow very wildly." The 52-year-old artist, who normally leads the curatorial process of every exhibition, was more hands off than usual.
"If I were to assess my level of maturity at this point, I've decided to share the ownership of my exhibition with not only myself, but also with the institution and curators," she told reporters at the Hayward Gallery earlier this month.
"Am I happy with this survey show? It's not bad," she said. "But there is a level of satisfaction around how we worked together with the entire team."
"Leap Year" at Hayward Gallery looks back at the past three decades of Yang's career. The exhibition is Yang's first major survey in London. The extensive archive presents artworks that reflect her interest in household appliances like kitchen sinks, venetian blinds and drying racks, as well as folk traditions like shamanism.
They're not in chronological order, and everything is mixed across different periods, mediums and means. This choice was made because of the difficulty to pinpoint a dominant work in her resume, with the exhibition's curator Yung Ma describing Yang's practice as "multilayered."
"I'm a schizophrenic person, so you need many hours of this data to reconstruct," Yang said.
She gives mass-produced products new purposes. Her drying racks, for example, tend to be adorned with light bulbs and are positioned acrobatically to relieve them of their usual burden of carrying the heavy weight of laundry.
As for her venetian blinds, she sometimes gives them splashes of color or uses them as projection screens. This time, they were used to show a video where the artist retraces her way back to the abandoned house that served as the venue for her first Korean solo exhibition in 2006.
This self-initiated show was called "Sadong 30," referring to the address of her grandparents' former residence in Incheon. It featured objects like a drying rack, origami pieces and light fixtures in concepts she would later further develop as recurring motifs. "Sadong 30" arguably energized her reputation in the contemporary art world.
Yang called the exhibition-making process a "holistic approach," as it took place at a time when she struggled financially and existentially as an artist.
"Since there was no opportunity in Korea to stage that complex question, I just instinctively realized I had to do something on my own," she said.
Yang admitted she was reluctant at first to recreate the experience of "Sadong 30," but Ma eventually persuaded her to "rebuild the spirit of a project that doesn't exist anymore."
Yang likens herself to an anthropologist. She researches and collects stories from different cultures, like in her "Mesmerizing Mesh" series (2021-) - which includes collages made from folding, cutting and pasting layers of colorful hanji (traditional Korean mulberry paper). The practice derives from shamanistic traditions and has since expanded to apply other papercutting methods, like wycinanki from Poland and pabalat from the Philippines.
Her latest large-scale commissioned installation "Star-Crossed Rendezvous after Yun" explores the idea of separation and reunion. Comprised of venetian blinds that are hung by steel wires from the ceiling in ascending levels, the piece fully blooms when the musical score "Double Concerto" (1977), composed by Isang Yun (1917-1995), starts playing in the background and synchronizes with a light show against the blinds.
"Double Concerto" alludes to the mythical folk tale "Gyeonu and Jingnyeo" in which the... -
This article is by Cho Jung-woo and read by an artificial voice.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Monday unveiled measures to help residents overcome loneliness and social isolation amid a surge in single-person households and seniors living alone in the city.
According to city government data, one in four elderly residents lived alone in Seoul in 2022. Around 130,000 young people are estimated to be socially secluded and isolated, based on a survey released in January last year.
"Social issues like low happiness levels, high suicide rates and depression are all related to loneliness," Oh said during a press briefing at City Hall in central Seoul.
Stressing the need for a paradigm shift in addressing the issue, the mayor said the measures were comprehensively developed in cooperation with multiple bureaus of the city government.
The city plans to invest 451.3 billion won ($328.4 million) in the project over the next five years.
The announced measures include operating a 24-hour call center to offer consultations for those struggling with loneliness, as well as AI chat consultations via KakaoTalk.
Therapists will be individuals who have overcome their own struggles with loneliness and social isolation, according to the city government. The call center is set to open in April.
Four consultation centers, themed as convenience stores, will also be established for offline consultations next year, with plans to expand these centers over the coming years.
During the press briefing, the mayor highlighted a new initiative to encourage people to reconnect with society by creating "challenges." Examples include attending festivals and programs hosted by the city government, such as reading at the outdoor library in Seoul Plaza. Consistent participation will be rewarded with gifts like art exhibit tickets.
Programs for middle-aged single-person households, such as cooking classes, networking opportunities and meal box provisions, will be offered to help reduce loneliness and social isolation in this age group.
For seniors 70 and over, 100 centers offering exercise classes and networking opportunities will be created in the capital.
Additionally, the city government will enhance efforts to identify households struggling with social isolation and loneliness by diversifying channels to find them. It plans to cooperate with facilities like convenience stores and gosiwon and monitor risk factors like water and power outages. Gosiwon are low-cost studio apartments, typically for students. -
This article is by Shin Min-hee and read by an artificial voice.
LONDON - The Turbine Hall at Tate Modern recently became home to a grotesque organism that will continue to evolve for five months. Gobs of pink flesh hang by chains from the venue's five-story-high ceiling, growing in number to eventually reach 152 by the end.
These "skins" were made by a large, motorized turbine that slowly rotates at the center of the 3,300-square-meter (35,520-square-foot) space. Acting as the "heart," the "guts" wrap around the turbine to pump out questionable pink liquid, dyeing new skins that will later be dried on racks and added to the flesh collection.
Mire Lee, the 36-year-old artist behind this kinetic installation, calls it, "Open Wound."
Lee is the first Korean artist to exhibit their work at the venue, and this is her first institutional show in the country. She was selected as the ninth artist for the Hyundai Commission, an ongoing partnership between Tate and Hyundai Motor that highlights a single artist each year in a solo exhibition.
Previously featured artists include the likes of Philippe Parreno, Superflex, Anicka Yi and El Anatsui.
"'Open Wound' is about how artists want to change the world with art, but they can't, and that feeling of lethargy is the wound, which stays open," Lee told reporters at Tate earlier this month. "It's a metaphor, meaning that pain will always accompany you. But it's better to have the wound open than have nothing at all."
Currently, there are about 100 of these skins, which are made of a mesh material used in construction sites. This nauseating process of growing new skin is made possible through a dense pink glaze, made from cherry juice, which drips from the guts, or silicone hoses, creating a soppy soundscape.
Dozens more skins are assembled in the back, awaiting their turn to be dyed pink.
Emphasizing the performative layers more than the result isn't a new feature when it comes to Lee's work. At the 59th Venice Biennale, she presented "Endless House: Holes and Drips" (2022), a gory kinetic sculpture comprised of skeletal ceramics on scaffolds, smeared in a blood-like glaze over the course of seven months, which was then hardened together permanently.
"My Venice work was about things that are so open, where inside is out, and had so many holes with no protection around it," Lee said. "But for this piece, I liked to imagine when you're so open you don't have to protect yourself. I wanted the turbine to be a central organ and for the work to disappear into the interior of the Turbine Hall."
Lee's first impression of the Turbine Hall was that it was very intense and overwhelmingly huge. So, she intended "Open Wound" to be designed as a "lonely small island," meaning that it would blend well into the Turbine Hall without imposing too much on the space itself.
She took many inspirations from the characteristics and history of the Turbine Hall, which used to house the electricity generators of the former Bankside Power Station that is now Tate Modern. She initially wanted to revive a decommissioned turbine but later had to switch plans, eventually creating one herself. Lee even incorporated the power plant's now-defunct crane into the installation.
The hanging of skin-like parchments from the ceiling in "Open Wound" is also an homage toward actual coal miners' changing rooms in the Industrial Age. During this period, miners put their clean clothes into baskets and hoisted them up to the ceiling on pulleys as a way to save room in the cramped space.
"Open Wound" references the idea of shedding pain and trauma from the Industrial Age, a history embedded in the Turbine Hall. It's the act of embracing such agony, instead of feeling threatened by it, Lee says, that viscerally evokes human compassion.
"For me, a beautiful experience was always based on the feelings of heartbreak," Lee said. "It moves the heart when we all go through the same sufferings. You can never forget something like that."
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This article is by Chun Kwon-pil, Lee Soo-jung and read by an artificial voice.
Mount Seorak in Gangwon saw its first autumn snowfall overnight on Saturday.
A branch office of the Korea National Park Service on Mount Seorak said it observed snow from 7:30 p.m. Saturday to 7 a.m. on Sunday, with one centimeter (0.39 inches) of precipitation. The snow came two days earlier than last year as the overnight temperature between Saturday and Sunday dropped below zero.
The morning low of Mount Seorak on Sunday was minus 2.6 degrees Celsius (27.32 degrees Fahrenheit), with a perceived temperature of minus 9.8 degrees Celsius.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued this fall's first cold wave advisory for northern Gangwon's highland and mountainous regions, effective 11 p.m. on Saturday. The state weather agency lifted the advisory at 9 a.m. the following morning.
A relatively cold air mass from the northern hemisphere arrived in Korea as low air pressure and rain clouds exited after drenching the nation on Friday.
On Sunday, Seoul's morning low was 10.5 degrees Celsius. The daytime high remained at 17.8 degrees Celsius - two degrees Celsius lower than in average years.
The country's southern Jeju Island also saw its daily high temperature plummet from 31.3 degrees Celsius on Friday to 20.2 degrees Celsius on Sunday.
The KMA said more rain would soak the country early next week. The rain will start from southern regions on Monday and expand nationwide by Tuesday.
The weather agency said Jeju Island would be expected to receive 30 to 80 millimeters (1.18 to 3.14 inches) of rain through Tuesday. The greater Seoul area and Gangwon will likely see between five and 50 millimeters of precipitation.
A KMA official said the country's southern regions - South Jeolla, South Gyeongsang and Jeju Island - could see heavy rain on Tuesday accompanied by lightning, thunder and gusts. The official warned of potential flood damage due to fallen autumn leaves blocking drainage. -
This article is by Kim Min-young and read by an artificial voice.
President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating has reached a record low, according to the latest public opinion survey released by pollster Realmeter on Monday.
The survey showed that 24.1 percent of the 2,510 respondents over the age of 18 rated the president's performance positively.
Yoon's approval rating is 1.7 percentage points lower than last week's survey, which was also his previous record low.
The percentage of respondents who told the pollster they disapproved of Yoon's job performance rose by one percentage point from the previous week to 72.3 percent, marking the highest disapproval rate since Yoon took office.
Approval of the president's job performance fell among those in their 20s, 30s and 60s, according to the survey.
Regionally, approval of the president's performance increased in Gwangju and Jeolla but dropped in Daegu, Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongsang and Seoul.
The survey, conducted from Oct. 14 to 18, had a confidence interval of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.0 percentage points.
A separate Realmeter survey conducted on Oct. 17 and 18 with the same respondents found that 31.3 percent supported the People Power Party (PPP), which is aligned with the Yoon administration, while 44.2 percent expressed support for the Democratic Party (DP).
Support for both parties increased compared to the previous week's survey, rising by 0.5 percentage points for the PPP and 0.3 percentage points for the DP.
Another 7.4 percent of respondents said they supported the Rebuilding Korea Party, led by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk - an outspoken critic of the Yoon administration - while 4.6 percent expressed support for the Reform Party, led by former PPP leader Lee Jun-seok.
The percentage of nonpartisan voters with no political affiliation was 9.4 percent. -
This article is by Michael Lee and read by an artificial voice.
The deployment of North Koreans to assist Russia at the frontlines of its war in Ukraine has sent NATO scrambling to formulate a response as Kyiv called the presence of Pyongyang's soldiers a "huge escalation risk" over the weekend.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed Friday that North Korea has decided to deploy 12,000 soldiers to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told NATO the North was preparing to send soldiers to fight against his country as he urged support for his "victory plan" to end the war by joining NATO and using weapons supplied by the West to strike deeper inside Russia.
At a joint press conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Kyiv on Saturday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the arrival of North Koreans on the battlefield represents a "huge threat of further escalation of Russian aggression against Ukraine" and a "big risk of it growing out of its current scale and borders," while Barrot said the deployment would "push the conflict into a new stage, an additional escalatory stage."
However, it remains to be seen if the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia's frontlines in Ukraine will spur NATO members to significantly boost military support for Kyiv.
The same day the NIS announced its findings, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told reporters he could not "confirm reports that North Koreans are actively now as soldiers engaged in the war effort" but added this "might change."
His remarks marked a shift from his response to Zelensky's plan the previous day, when he said that NATO has "no evidence that North Korean soldiers are involved in the fight" in Ukraine.
That claim was countered by the Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communication (Spravdi), which posted a video on X on Saturday that showed soldiers speaking Korean as they received gear at the Sergievsky Training Ground in the Russian Far East.
Spravdi also recently provided CNN with a Korean-language questionnaire prepared by Russia to facilitate the distribution of military equipment to North Korean soldiers as additional evidence of their deployment to Ukraine.
While French President Emmanuel Macron and leaders of other NATO member states such as Poland have previously aired the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Friday that NATO should support Ukraine "as powerfully" as it can while making sure the alliance "does not become a party to the war."
The presence of North Koreans fighting in Ukraine could also lead the South Korean government to change its longstanding policy of not providing arms to countries at war.
On Friday, Seoul warned it would respond to the North Koreans' deployment by "whatever means available" in coordination with the international community.
Experts remain divided on the utility of North Korean soldiers to Russia's war effort.
Frank Ledwidge, a professor of war studies at the University of Portsmouth, told Britain's Independent online news outlet that Russia is "more likely to use North Korean troops for supporting roles, such as engineering, driving trucks, digging trenches and repairing vehicles, rather than in frontline combat where they lack experience."
He also predicted that "given the way Russians do things, if [the North Koreans] are anywhere near the front line, they'll be defeated in short order," but noted the development would still put Ukraine at a disadvantage.
Chuck Pfarrer, a former U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six Squadron Leader, also recently told the Kyiv Post that North Korean troops are likely to play a supporting role.
He noted that Ukrainian forces have "more than 10 years of combat experience and have been trained by the best NATO troops," while the North Korean military has not conducted a large-scale actual combat operation since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice more... -
This article is by Lee Soo-jung and read by an artificial voice.
A group of coworkers all raise their glasses in a cheerful toast after work hours ends. Such a scene can be typically observed in restaurants located in major financial districts such as Seoul's Yeouido or Euljiro.
However, are they enjoying their drinks and meal out of pure joy? Or simply out of obligation?
Kim Hyun-ju, a 53-year-old team manager at the Culture Ministry, reminisces about her past hoesik experiences, when she had to drink and dance to blues music at karaoke clubs against her will with her senior colleagues. The gathering often continued to third and fourth rounds of drinking late at night.
In Korean corporate culture, a hoesik refers to a company dinner where employees dine together after regular work hours to boost team spirit and solidarity. And, as time passes, hoesik are adopting more modern forms with menu options beyond simply pork belly. They are also growing shorter, usually ending after the first round.
Although hoesik could provide networking opportunities and bring seniors and juniors closer, a considerable number of employees dread the occasion because they are inextricably tied to office power politics and heavy drinking by superiors.
Why have hoesik become a staple of Korean work culture despite widespread aversion? And how have they evolved with contemporary trends?
Hoesik haters
Although hoesik mostly take place outside of the office - usually at nearby restaurants - and are paid for by the company with corporate cards, office hierarchies continue throughout the occasion, from seating arrangements to farewells.
As a result, many people hate them.
According to marketing data company Embrain's survey in 2023, 53.2 percent of 1,000 respondents said hoesik are "bothersome," while 24.7 percent found them "enjoyable."
In the survey, 61.6 percent of respondents cited the "psychological burden and stress coming from uncomfortable presences" as the major drawback of hoesik. Some 49.4 percent cited situations where they should "cater to their bosses' feelings at hoesik" as a critical inconvenience.
Young workers in their 20s and 30s view hoesik as unwanted occasions - especially compared to their older counterparts.
In a 2022 public opinion poll by Hankook Research, only 39 percent of participants in their 30s and 40 percent of respondents between 18 and 29 said hoesik were necessary. This means that most people under 40 considered hoesik "unnecessary."
In the same survey, 63 percent of respondents over 60 said that hoesik are "necessary for boosting team spirit and kinship." Additionally, 58 percent of respondents in their 50s agreed that hoesik play a vital role in building team spirit.
One junior employee who participated in the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry's focus group interview in 2019 doubted the effectiveness of hoesik, saying that "juniors have to keep taking care of their seniors throughout the gathering."
Prof. Kim Jin-hwan, a professor at Kyonggi University's business school and a leader of the human resources team at a tech company, told the Korea JoongAng Daily that he observed a "contrast in views regarding hoesik between generations."
"While older people count hoesik as beneficial and pursue such gatherings, the so-called MZ generation generally takes an opposite view," Kim said.
He said he saw a case where one junior-level employee suggested the company simply give each employee a share of the money reserved for team-building activities instead of having hoesik.
Booze-based chemistry
However, there is a reason why hoesik have become so deeply rooted in the culture.
Hoesik stemmed from the belief that such dinners are an optimal chance to strengthen bonds between teammates, eventually contributing to enhanced work performance.
Cho Chul-ho, head of the Korean Academic Association of Business Administration, told the Korea JoongAng Daily that hoesik are an "effective sub-communication channel and a key means ... -
Read what today holds in store for you under the 12 signs of the zodiac, each represented by an animal. Our astrologer Cho Ku-moon explores saju (the four pillars of destiny) and geomancy for your prospects on wealth, health and love while offering advice on the direction of your luck and fortune.
Monday, Oct. 21, 2024 (Sept. 19 on the lunar calendar)
Rat
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: encountering
Lucky direction: south
1936: Do a cardio workout.
1948: Take interest in what's happening and new in the world.
1960: Read the world through newspapers.
1972: You may find yourself in a new situation.
1984: You may come upon a new task or job.
1996: Have interest in foreign things or a new language.
Ox
Wealth: not bad
Health: moderate
Love: blissful
Lucky direction: south
1937: Your mind may be at peace.
1949: What's familiar can be best.
1961: You may come upon a worthwhile piece of information.
1973: Well begun is half done. Get started.
1985: You may see some hopeful signs.
1997: Be active, not passive.
Tiger
Wealth: fair
Health: fair
Love: giving
Lucky direction: west
1938: You become lifeless if you waste your mind.
1950: Seeing is not enough.
1962: Simplicity is better than complexity.
1974: Get the first button right.
1986: Try to be in sync with your senior.
1998: Keep learning and build up your abilities.
Rabbit
Wealth: fair
Health: fair
Love: giving
Lucky direction: north
1939: Pay attention to the signs from your body.
1951: Keep it longer before you throw it away.
1963: You may be giving more than getting.
1975: There are upsides as well as downsides.
1987: Some things are good and other things are bad.
1999: Consider it as a learning process.
Dragon
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: blissful
Lucky direction: west
1940: A relaxing peaceful day.
1952: Pick up a hobby.
1964: You cannot be full after a single bite.
1976: Something nice may happen.
1988: Sincerity always gets through.
2000: Make a wish. It may come true.
Snake
Wealth: fair
Health: fair
Love: jealous
Lucky direction: west
1941: Try not to make unnecessary purchases.
1953: Don't save money for your health or yourself.
1965: Don't make any financial transactions.
1977: Check where the information came from and whether it is true.
1989: Try not to stoke an unnecessary rivalry.
2001: Do your work ahead of others.
Horse
Wealth: good
Health: strong
Love: mutual
Lucky direction: south
1942: You're today's hero.
1954: It's your lucky day. You may look forward to something good.
1966: You may find the right work and the right people at the right time.
1978: The more, the better for people as well as things.
1990: Don't try to do it alone, do it as a team.
2002: You must join forces as a team to win.
Sheep
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: blissful
Lucky direction: east
1943: A carefree and peaceful day.
1955: Something or someone may please you.
1967: Plan the second chapter of your life.
1979: You may be doing something you like.
1991: Be confident and give it a go.
2003: You may be having your cake or eating it.
Monkey
Wealth: lessening
Health: mindful
Love: frustrating
Lucky direction: west
1944: Try subtracting instead of adding.
1956: Be careful not to get injured.
1968: You may become fretful over someone.
1980: Tap a bridge before you cross it, even if it is made of stone.
1992: See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.
2004: Try not to get your feelings hurt.
Rooster
Wealth: lessening
Health: mindful
Love: frustrating
Lucky direction: west
1945: Someone you know can be more harmful than a stranger.
1957: Don't ask or expect a favor.
1969: Stagnant water can decay.
1981: Read the ambience and adjust accordingly.
1993: Try not to get ahead or stand out.
2005: Make time for yourself.
Dog
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: happy
Lucky direction: east
1946: Your body and soul may be brimming with happiness.
1958: You're not getting old but completing your life as you age.
1970: You may reach your goal and feel content.
1982: Today's ... -
The launch of Samsung Electronics' first robotic exoskeleton, Bot Fit, and the companion robot, Ballie, may be just around the corner.
An instruction manual for the Samsung Bot Fit Pro was briefly uploaded on Samsung Electronics' official website in early September before being taken down, fueling speculation that the official release of Samsung's first wearable robot is imminent.
Samsung's wearable robot was first unveiled at CES 2019 with the name GEMS Hip, short for Gait Enhancing and Motivating System Hip. It was initially known as a medical mobility robot worn on the hips of users to aid older adults and people with disabilities.
The first batches of robotic exoskeletons were sold as healthcare assistants earlier this year to enterprise clients, such as hotel gyms and pilates centers.
A hotel fitness center that utilizes Bot Fit advertises that the robot gives the user "1.6 times more effectiveness" when it comes to exercise, according to its marketing materials.
The upcoming Bot Fit for consumers is designed for people over 14 years of age who don't have difficulty walking, according to the manual. The robot also prohibits use by people who have difficulties walking without human assistance or tools like mobility aids.
The main selling point of Samsung's robotic exoskeleton is that it helps people with weight loss management, walking posture and building physical strength through the different exercise modes the device offers, including power walking, interval walking and walking at set speeds.
Bot Fit will also communicate with smartphones and smartwatches to utilize data from a heartbeat sensor and provide a tailored experience for users.
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and CEO Han Jong-hee previously teased during CES 2024 that the consumer launch of Bot Fit is coming soon, despite a spokesperson saying that "nothing is decided yet."
Industry insiders speculate that the development of Bot Fit is complete but that the company is still reviewing the launch date.
The size of the global robot industry is set to grow from currently $25 billion to a range of between $160 billion and $260 billion by 2030, according to estimates by Boston Consulting Group.
Samsung will also release Ballie, a spherical smart device that follows the owner to help with household chores. Ballie is known to be equipped with the company's on-device generative AI, Samsung Gauss, for communication with the user and to manage other smart home devices in the household. Ballie also features a projector that can display images and videos.
Samsung Electronics also intends to develop a humanoid robot in the future.
"The robot that Samsung Electronics is pursuing is one that is designed for the manufacturing and retail industries and for individuals, to be used at homes," Han said, adding that the company's ultimate goal is to produce "intelligent robots that can coexist with humans."
LG Electronics' business solution division is spearheading the company's robot development. Following the release of Korea's first robot vacuum in 2023, LG Electronics is producing industrial robots for use in hotels, hospitals, restaurants and airports. -
This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.
President Yoon Suk Yeol called for further expansion of the economic partnership between Korea and Japan to pursue joint export opportunities in overseas markets amid a recent fivefold surge in investment pledges from neighboring countries.
His remarks came during the president's meeting with Japanese business leaders who visited Seoul for the 31st Korea-Japan Business Council on Friday, ahead of the two countries' 60th anniversary of re-establishing diplomatic relationship next year.
"We have been working to build a future-oriented relationship between Korea and Japan since my inauguration," said Yoon during the meeting with the Japanese delegation at the presidential office in central Seoul, noting that the recent surge in Japanese investment pledges to Korea reflects the progress made so far.
"Although businesses from Korea and Japan may sometimes compete against each other, we hope that the collaboration between companies from both countries would further grow and deepen in the future, leading to successful ventures such as jointly entering third-party markets and more."
Korea accumulated foreign direct investment pledges worth $25.2 billion for the first nine months of this year, a record figure. This marked a 5.2 percent increase from a year earlier, mainly driven by heightened interest from Japanese investors.
Investment commitments from Japan surged a whopping 412.7 percent to $4.69 billion, which the Korean government attributed to the bolstered economic ties between the two countries.
Korea has pursued tighter ties with its neighbor since Yoon met with then-Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last March.
Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) Chair Masakazu Tokura, who led the Japanese business delegation for the latest meeting, expressed his gratitude and promised to actively support Korea with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit set to take place in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, next year.
The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and Keidanren held the 31st Korea-Japan Business Council earlier that day, issuing a joint statement pledging "continued future-oriented efforts for shared prosperity."
The latest meeting came about a week after Yoon and new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's first summit in Laos.
The previous Korea-Japan Business Council took place in Tokyo in January this year, the first gathering between the two business lobbies since June 2022.
The meeting was attended by 17 businesspeople from Korea, including FKI Chairman Ryu Jin, Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon and Shinhan Financial Group Chairman Jin Ok-dong, and seven counterparts from Keidanren.
The joint statement highlighted the need to strengthen partnerships further to secure a stable energy supply chain and advance the digital economy.
The two business lobbies agreed to collaborate on expanding the deployment of hydrogen-fueled cars and developing the hydrogen ecosystem while also seeking the standardization of hydrogen and ammonia-related technologies.
Moreover, the lobby groups agreed to jointly request their governments to facilitate communication, including relaxing border controls between the two countries.
"The Korea-Japan relationship has matured enough, and now we are ready to head to shared prosperity together," said Ryu in his opening remarks.
"With protectionism rising and concerns growing over the segmentation of the global economy, strong business ties between Korea and Japan are more crucial than ever," stressed Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun in his remarks. -
Read what today holds in store for you under the 12 signs of the zodiac, each represented by an animal. Our astrologer Cho Ku-moon explores saju (the four pillars of destiny) and geomancy for your prospects on wealth, health and love while offering advice on the direction of your luck and fortune.
Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024 (Sept. 18 on the lunar calendar)
Rat
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: blissful
Lucky direction: south
1936: Your house may be filled with laughter.
1948: You may be entertained by your children or get a good treat.
1960: What a great life!
1972: You may happily spend.
1984: You may go shopping or out with the family.
1996: You'll be acting out your plan.
Ox
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: happy
Lucky direction: west
1937: You should be proud of your life.
1949: What's good is good.
1961: Your life may be brimming with happiness.
1973: You may reach your goal and feel rewarded.
1985: Your body and soul will be rife with joy.
1997: Lucky day.
Tiger
Wealth: lessening
Health: mindful
Love: feisty
Lucky direction: north
1938: Avoid cold food.
1950: Don't be hurt by trivial things.
1962: Seeing is frustrating, but not seeing makes you wonder.
1974: You may go through anguish.
1986: If you have something to say, keep it to yourself.
1998: Don't show it if you disapprove.
Rabbit
Wealth: fair
Health: fair
Love: giving
Lucky direction: north
1939: Sit back and enjoy it.
1951: You don't like it or hate it.
1963: You may be half-successful.
1975: The family should share the load in household chores.
1987: Leave early to arrive on time.
1999: Wear something retro but urban.
Dragon
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: blissful
Lucky direction: east
1940: A fun, refreshing and exhilarating day.
1952: You may win in both the cause and end.
1964: Tiring but rewarding.
1976: You may be making a bang for the buck.
1988: What's good is good.
2000: You may see eye to eye and hit it off.
Snake
Wealth: good
Health: strong
Love: mutual
Lucky direction: west
1941: A family should stick together.
1953: Luck may be waiting at every corner.
1965: Do your best and see how it goes.
1977: God is on your side.
1989: Blood is thicker than water.
2001: You may see eye to eye.
Horse
Wealth: fair
Health: fair
Love: jealous
Lucky direction: west
1942: Something gentle can sometimes win over something stubborn.
1954: Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
1966: Too many cooks can spoil the broth.
1978: Sincerity always gets through.
1990: Having too much confidence can work against you.
2002: You lose if you become envious.
Sheep
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: blissful
Lucky direction: east
1943: You may have to make happy choices.
1955: Don't think too hard about it - simplify.
1967: You reap what you sow.
1979: You may feel rewarded for the project you've been working on.
1991: Knock, and the door will open.
2003: You're special because you're you.
Monkey
Wealth: lessening
Health: mindful
Love: colorful
Lucky direction: north
1944: Silence is golden - what you say can harden like a rock.
1956: You shouldn't always look on the bright side.
1968: Things may not work out as you planned.
1980: Think if it's worth the money or your heart's content.
1992: What you see may not be everything.
2004: Don't be fooled by the smile of the other sex.
Rooster
Wealth: lessening
Health: mindful
Love: passionate
Lucky direction: northeast
1945: Save your words, not money.
1957: Think of your age and physical condition.
1969: Swallow what you want to say.
1981: Don't go out, rest at home.
1993: Don't boast. Be modest.
2005: You may be proud, but stay humble.
Dog
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: blissful
Lucky direction: west
1946: Your plan may sail smoothly.
1958: You may like something or someone.
1970: You may make a happy expenditure and make profit.
1982: You may get joy out of something you thought was trivial.
1994: You may be lifted upon reaching your goal.
2006: Show your flair and talent.
Pig
Wealth:... -
This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.
ํ๊ตญ์ ๋ํ ์์ด์ ๋ฌธ, ์ฝ๋ฆฌ์์ค์๋ฐ์ผ๋ฆฌ๊ฐ ํน์ข ๊ณผ ๋จ๋ ์ธํฐ๋ทฐ๋ฅผ ํ๊ธ๋ก ์์ฝํด ๋๋ฆฝ๋๋ค. ๋ ์๋ค์ ๋ง์ ์ฑ์ ๋ฐ๋๋๋ค.
๋ฏธ๊ตญ ๋ํต๋ น ์ ๊ฑฐ(11์ 5์ผ)๊ฐ 3์ฃผ๋ ์ฑ ๋จ์ง ์์ ๊ฐ์ด๋ฐ ๋ฏธ๊ตญ์ ํฌ์ํด ์จ ํ๊ตญ ๊ธฐ์ ๋ ์ด๊ฐ์ ๊ณค๋์ธ์ฐ๊ณ ์๋ค. ๊ณตํ๋น ๋์ ํ๋ณด์ธ ๋๋๋ ํธ๋ผํ ์ ๋ํต๋ น์ด ๋น์ ๋ ๊ฒฝ์ฐ ๋ฏธ๊ตญ์ ์ ์กฐ ๊ณต์ฅ์ ์ธ์ด ํ๊ตญ ๊ธฐ์ ์ ๋ํ ์ง์์ ์ํฅ์ ์ค ๊ฒ์ด๋ผ๋ ์ฐ๋ ค๋ ๋์จ๋ค.
ํ์ง๋ง ๋ฏธ๊ตญ ์ธ๋์ ๋ ์ฃผ์ ๋ถ์ ๋ฐ์ด๋น๋ ๋ก์ ๋ฒ๊ทธ ์๋ฌด๋ถ์ฅ๊ด์ 8์ผ ์ฝ๋ฆฌ์์ค์๋ฐ์ผ๋ฆฌ์ ์ค์ผ๋ก ์งํ๋ ์ธํฐ๋ทฐ์์ "์ด๋ฏธ ๊ฒฐ์ ๋ ๊ฒ์ ๊ฒฐ์ ๋ ๊ฒ"์ด๋ผ๊ณ ์ ์ ๊ทธ์๋ค. ๊ทธ๋ "๋๊ฐ ๋์ ์์ ์น๋ฆฌํ๋ (์ธ๋์ ๋์ ์ง์ถํ) ์ผ์ฑSDI, SKํ์ด๋์ค ๋ฑ ํ๊ตญ ๊ธฐ์ ์ ๋ํ ๋ณด์กฐ๊ธ์๋ ๋ฌธ์ ๊ฐ ์์ ๊ฒ"์ด๋ผ๊ณ ๋งํ๋ค.
์ธ๋์ ๋๋ ๋ฐ์ด๋ ์ ๋ถ์ ํต์ฌ ๊ฒฝ์ ์ ์ฑ ์ธ ์ธํ๋ ์ด์ ๊ฐ์ถ๋ฒ(IRA) ๋ฐ ๋ฐ๋์ฒด๋ฒ(์นฉ์ค๋ฒ)์ ํ์ ์ด ํ๊ตญ ๊ธฐ์ ์ ๋ฏธ๊ตญ ํฌ์๊ฐ ๊ฐ์ฅ ํ๋ฐํ ์ง์ญ ์ค ํ๋๋ค. ์ผ์ฑSDI๋ ์ธ๋์ ๋์ ์ ๋๋ด ๋ชจํฐ์ค, ์คํ ๋ํฐ์ค์ ์ด 100์ต ๋ฌ๋ฌ๋ฅผ ํฉ์ ํฌ์ํด ๋ฐฐํฐ๋ฆฌ ๊ณต์ฅ 3๊ฐ๋ฅผ ์ง๊ณ ์๋ค. ์ง๋ 4์ SKํ์ด๋์ค๋ 40์ต ๋ฌ๋ฌ๋ฅผ ๋ค์ฌ ์ด๊ณณ์ ๋ฐ๋์ฒด ํจํค์ง ๊ณต์ฅ์ ๋ง๋ ๋ค๊ณ ๋ฐํํ๋ค.
ํธ๋ผํ ํ๋ณด๋ ์ ๊ฑฐ ์บ ํจ์ ์ค ๋น์ ๋๋ฉด ๋ฐ์ด๋ ์ ์ ๊ธฐ์ฐจ ์ ์ฑ ์ ์ทจ์ ์ฒซ๋ ํ๊ธฐํ ๊ฒ์ด๋ผ๊ณ ์์ ์ ์ธํ๋ค. ์ฌ๊ธฐ์ ๋ฐ๋์ฒด ๊ธฐ์ ๋ณด์กฐ๊ธ์ ๋ฏธ๊ตญ ๊ธฐ์ ์ ์ ๋ฆฌํ๊ฒ ๋ฐ๊ฟ ๊ฒ์ ์์ฌํ๊ณ ์๋ค. ๊ด๋ จ ๊ธฐ์ ์ด ์ ๊ฒฝ ์ธ ์๋ฐ์ ์๋ ์ํฉ์ด๋ค.
๋ก์ ๋ฒ๊ทธ ์๋ฌด์ฅ๊ด์ "SKํ์ด๋์ค๋ ์ต๊ทผ ๋ฏธ๊ตญ ์ ๋ถ๋ก๋ถํฐ ๋ณด์กฐ๊ธ 4์ต5000๋ง ๋ฌ๋ฌ๋ฅผ ํ์ธ๋ฐ์๊ณ , ์ผ์ฑSDI๋ ์ถ๊ฐ ๋ณด์กฐ๊ธ์ ์ํด ๋ฏธ๊ตญ ์ ๋ถ์ ์ํต ์ค"์ด๋ผ๋ฉฐ "(๋์ ์ด ๋ถ๋ฌ์ฌ) ๋ณํ๋ ์๊ฒ ์ง๋ง ์ธ๋์ ๋๋ ์ฐ์ ๊ณผ ๋ฏธ ์ฐ๋ฐฉ ์ ๋ถ์ ์ค์ฌ์๋ก ๋ฐฑ์ ๊ด์ ๊ณตํ๋น, ๋ฏผ์ฃผ๋น ๋๊ฐ ๋ค์ด์๋ ์ฑ๊ณต์ ์ผ๋ก ๋์ํด์๋ค"๊ณ ๋งํ๋ค.
์ธ๋์ ๋๋ ์ฃผ๋ฏผ์ 20%๊ฐ ์ ์กฐ์ ์ ์ข ์ฌํ๊ณ ์์ ์ ๋๋ก ์ ์กฐ์ ๊ฐ์ธ์ธ ์ง์ญ์ด๋ค. ์ ํต์ ์๋์ฐจยท์ฒ ๊ฐ ์ฐ์ ๊ธฐ์ง๋ก ๊ผฝํ๋ฉฐ ํ์ฌ ๋ฏธ๊ตญ 50๊ฐ ์ฃผ ์ค ์๋์ฐจ ์์ฐ 2์๋ฅผ ๊ธฐ๋กํ๊ณ ์๋ค. ๋์ํ, ์ค๋ฐ๋ฃจ ๋ฑ 5๊ฐ์ ์๋์ฐจ ์ ์กฐ์ฌ์ ์กฐ๋ฆฝ ๊ณต์ฅ๊ณผ ์๋์ฐจ ๋ถํ ๊ณต๊ธ ์ ์ฒด 500๊ฐ ์ด์์ด ํฌ์งํด ์๋ค.
ํ๊ตญ์์ ์ผ์ฑSDI, SKํ์ด๋์ค, ํฌ์ค์ฝ, ์ฑ์ผํ์ดํ ๋ฑ ์ด 15๊ฐ ๊ธฐ์ ์ด ์ธ๋์ ๋์ฃผ์ ์ง์ถํด ์์ผ๋ฉฐ ์ด ํฌ์ ๊ธ์ก์ 150์ต ๋ฌ๋ฌ๋ฅผ ๋์ด์ฐ๋ค.
๋ก์ ๋ฒ๊ทธ ์ฅ๊ด์ "์ผ์ฑSDI์ ์คํ ๋ํฐ์ค์ ์ฝ์ฝ๋ชจ ๋ฐฐํฐ๋ฆฌ ๊ณต์ฅ์ ์ง์ฐ ์์ด ์์ฃผ ๋น ๋ฅธ ์๋๋ก ๊ฑด์ค๋๊ณ ์์ผ๋ฉฐ ์ธ๊ด์ ์ด๋ฏธ ๊ฑฐ์ ์์ฑ๋ ์ํ"๋ผ๋ฉฐ "GM๊ณผ์ ํฉ์ ๊ณต์ฅ๋ (๋ณธ๊ฒฉ์ ์ธ) ๊ฑด์ค์ ์ฐฉ์ํ๋ค"๊ณ ์ ํ๋ค.
๊ทธ๋ ์ธ๋์ ๋ ์ฃผ์ ํ๋ถํ ์ ์กฐ ์ธํ๋ผ์ ํจ๊ป ์ด๋ฅผ ๋ท๋ฐ์นจํ๋ ํํํ ์ฐ์ ๊ต์ก ์์คํ ์ ์๋ํ๋ค.
์ผ๋ก๋ก "์ผ์ฑSDI ๋ฐฐํฐ๋ฆฌ ๊ณต์ฅ์์ ์ธ ์ฅ๋น๋ ๊ณต์ฅ์ด ์๋ (์ธ๋์ ๋) ์์ด๋นํ ํฌ ์ปค๋ฎค๋ํฐ ๋ํ์ผ๋ก ๋จผ์ ๊ฐ๋ค"๋ ๊ฒ์ด๋ค. ์ด๋ "ํ์๋ค์ด ๋์ค์ (ํ์ฅ์ ํฌ์ ๋์ ๋) ๋ฌด์์ ํด์ผ ํ ์ง ๋ฏธ๋ฆฌ ๊ต์กํ๊ธฐ ์ํ ์กฐ์น"๋ผ๊ณ ์ค๋ช ํ๋ค.
๋ก์ ๋ฒ๊ทธ๋ SKํ์ด๋์ค ์์๋ค์ด ์ธ๋์ ๋ ๊ณณ๊ณณ์ ๋ค๋ ๋ณธ ๋ค ์จ์คํธ ๋ผํ์ํธ๋ฅผ ์ฒซ ๋ฏธ๊ตญ ์์ฐ๊ธฐ์ง๋ก ํํ ์ด์ ๋ "๊ฐ์ ์ง์ญ์ ์๋ ํผ๋๋ํ๊ต ๋๋ฌธ"์ด๋ผ๊ณ ์ ํ๋ค. ํผ๋๋๋ ๋ฏธ๊ตญ์์ ๋ฐ๋์ฒด ๊ด๋ จ ํ์ ๊ณผ์ ์ ๊ฐ์ฅ ๋จผ์ ๋ง๋ ๋ํ์ด๋ค.
"์ธ๋์ ๋๊ฐ ์ฐจ์ธ๋ AI ์ฐ์ ์ ๋ฉ์นด๊ฐ ๋ ๊ฒ"์ด๋ผ๊ณ ์์ ํ๋ ๋ก์ ๋ฒ๊ทธ๋ "ํ๊ตญ ๋ฐ๋์ฒด ๊ธฐ์ ์ ์ต๊ทผ ๋ฐ์ดํฐ์ผํฐ ์ค์ฌ์ง๋ก ๋ ์ค๋ฅด๋ ์ง์ญ์ ์์ ์ ์ธ ๊ณต๊ธ๋ง์ ์ฃผ๋ชฉํด์ผ ํ๋ค"๊ณ ๊ฐ์กฐํ๋ค.
์๋ง์กด์ ์ง๋ 4์ ์ธ๋์ ๋์ฃผ์ 110์ต ๋ฌ๋ฌ๋ฅผ ํฌ์ํด ๋ฐ์ดํฐ์ผํฐ๋ฅผ ์ง๋๋ค๊ณ ๋ฐํ๊ณ ๊ตฌ๊ธ๋ 20์ต ๋ฌ๋ฌ๋ฅผ ๋ค์ฌ ์๋ก์ด ๋ฐ์ดํฐ ์ผํฐ ์บ ํผ์ค๋ฅผ ์ด๊ณณ์ ๊ฑด์คํ๋ค๊ณ ๋ฐํํ๋ค. ๋ง์ดํฌ๋ก์ํํธ, ๋ฉํ๋ ์ธ๋์ ๋์ AI์ ํนํ๋ ๋ฐ์ดํฐ์ผํฐ๋ฅผ ๋ง๋ค ์์ ์ด๋ค.
4๋ ๋น ํ ํฌ ๊ธฐ์ ์ด ๋ชจ๋ ์ธ๋์ ๋์ ๋ฐ์ดํฐ์ผํฐ๋ฅผ ๋ง๋๋ ์ด์ ๋ "๋น๊ต์ ๋ฎ์ ๊ท์ ํ๊ฒฝ๊ณผ ์ธ์ ํํ, ์ ์ ๋น์ฉ์ผ๋ก ์ฌ์ ์ ์ด์ํ ์ ์๊ธฐ ๋๋ฌธ"์ด๋ผ๊ณ ๋ก์ ๋ฒ๊ทธ ์ฅ๊ด์ ์ค๋ช ํ๋ค. ๊ทธ๋ ์ด๋ฐ์ "ํ๊ตญ๊ณผ ๋ ๋ค๋ฅธ ์๋ก์ด ๊ธฐํ๋ฅผ ๋ชจ์ํ๋ ค ํญ์ ๋ ธ๋ ฅ ์ค"์ด๋ผ๊ณ ๋ง๋ถ์๋ค.
์ธ๋์ ๋ ์ฃผ์ ๋ถ๋ ์ง๋ํด 7์ ์์ธ ์ฌ๋ฌด์๋ฅผ ๊ฐ์ํ๊ณ ์ง์ 2๋ช ์ ํ๊ฒฌํด ์ด์ํ๊ณ ์๋ค. ์ธ๋์ ๋ ์ง์ถ ํ๊ตญ ๊ธฐ์ ๊ณผ ์ํต์ ์ํํ ํ๋ ํํธ ์ถ๊ฐ ํฌ์ ์ ์น ํ๋์ ์ด์ด๊ฐ๊ธฐ ์ํด์๋ค. ์ธ๋์ ๋๊ฐ ํด์ธ์ ์ฌ๋ฌด์๋ฅผ ์ฐ ๋๋ผ๋ ๋ ์ผ, ์ผ๋ณธ, ์ค๊ตญ, ์ธ๋, ์ดํ๋ฆฌ์, ์๊ตญ, ์ด์ค๋ผ์์ ์ด์ด ํ๊ตญ์ด 8๋ฒ์งธ๋ค.
์์ด์๋ฌธ
With burgeoning uncertainties over the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Indiana Secretary of Commerce David Rosenberg says the outcome - regardless of who wins - won't drive promised subsidies away from Korean EV battery and chip producers.
"The programs are already enacted, and decisions are made, like SK hynix, that secured $450 million in subsidies from the U.S. government," Rosenberg said in a recent video interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily, adding that "Samsung SDI has also been working with further incentive programs."
Samsung SDI, a Korean battery maker, is building three battery plants, committing $10 billion to the state with Stellantis and General Motors.
"Indiana has been successful whether it be a Republican administration or a Democrat administration in the White House," Rosenberg added. "There will be some changes, but I do think Indiana, especially how we view ourselves as a facilitator between industry and the federal government, will continue to be successful in that regard."
The secretary of commerce's remarks come in the midst of stretching concerns over the November election as Republican candidate Donald Trump publicly assailed the Biden administration's EV shift and pledged to shred laws that offer billion dollars of incentives to Korean battery and chip makers.
With a rich automobile history, the midwestern U.S. state is home to operations of 15 Korean companies where they've devoted more than $15 billion in total. They've created more than 7,700 new jobs there.
Indiana, one-fifth of whose employment is carried out in the manufacturing sector, is second only to Michigan in the number of cars produced. With Toyota and Subaru having their manufacturing plants in the state, it is home to more than 500 auto parts suppliers.
"The construction in Kokomo i... -
Read what today holds in store for you under the 12 signs of the zodiac, each represented by an animal. Our astrologer Cho Ku-moon explores saju (the four pillars of destiny) and geomancy for your prospects on wealth, health and love while offering advice on the direction of your luck and fortune.
Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024 (Sept. 17 on the lunar calendar)
Rat
Wealth: fair
Health: fair
Love: passionate
Lucky direction: north
1936: You're young at heart.
1948: If you have something to say, keep it to yourself.
1960: Don't obsess over the returns.
1972: Too much is no better than too few.
1984: Don't expect anything in return.
1996: Try not to stand out. Be ordinary.
Ox
Wealth: fair
Health: fair
Love: jealous
Lucky direction: west
1937: People should come before things.
1949: You should come before others.
1961: Don't be hurt by small things.
1973: Someone else's cake can look bigger than yours.
1985: Value quality over quantity.
1997: You're special because you're you.
Tiger
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: blissful
Lucky direction: north
1938: You may win in both the cause and end.
1950: You may be filled with happiness.
1962: You may achieve the goal in your project.
1974: You may be smiling all day.
1986: You may act on your plan.
1998: Your wallet should be plentiful when you go out on a date.
Rabbit
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: blissful
Lucky direction: east
1939: A perfect day.
1951: You may find work at the right time and right place.
1963: Be optimistic and positive.
1975: The day will be rewarding and meaningful.
1987: You and your family should come before others.
1999: Make a wish. It can come true.
Dragon
Wealth: good
Health: strong
Love: mutual
Lucky direction: south
1940: Life feels wonderful.
1952: You may invite or get invited.
1964: The more the better to celebrate a happy occasion.
1976: Something to celebrate or someone pleasant may be in store.
1988: Deal with the family affair with your family.
2000: A day in high spirits.
Snake
Wealth: fair
Health: fair
Love: giving
Lucky direction: south
1941: Deal with the family affair with your children.
1953: You may have to spend on something.
1965: If you're invited, go.
1977: Leave early because the traffic will be bad.
1989: Think us, not me.
2001: Have empathy toward what another person says.
Horse
Wealth: fair
Health: fair
Love: giving
Lucky direction: east
1942: You may have to give more than take.
1954: Help one another.
1966: It's not easy to be a parent.
1978: You may spend beyond your expectation.
1990: You may get just half the success.
2002: Don't goof around. Hit the books.
Sheep
Wealth: fair
Health: fair
Love: jealous
Lucky direction: north
1943: Things may not work out as you hoped.
1955: Keep neutral between two opposites.
1967: Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
1979: Live by your means, not by convention.
1991: Go your own way.
2003: Use agreeable and nice language.
Monkey
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: happy
Lucky direction: north
1944: La vie en rose.
1956: Your body and soul may overflow with joy.
1968: You may achieve your goal and feel rewarded.
1980: Capture the precious moment in a photo.
1992: You may spend happy time in good company.
2004: Small, but sure happiness.
Rooster
Wealth: not bad
Health: modest
Love: fulfilling
Lucky direction: west
1945: You may wish to be of any help.
1957: Be nice while it lasts if you don't want to have regrets.
1969: You may be thankful for familial love.
1981: A loving, thankful and hopeful day.
1993: You may fall in love or have someone fall for you.
2005: Is this love or friendship?
Dog
Wealth: fair
Health: fair
Love: encountering
Lucky direction: north
1946: You may hear from or meet relatives.
1958: A day of give and take.
1970: Go out with your partner or family.
1982: Go on a trip away from everyday life.
1994: Meet up with a friend or go out on a date.
2006. You may not like it.
Pig
Wealth: lessening
Health: mindful
Love: feisty
Lucky direction:... -
This article is by Choi Hyun-joo and read by an artificial voice.
The rising significance of small modular reactors (SMRs) driven by the energy-devouring AI boom is prompting experts to highlight the lack of regulatory framework needed to boost the industry, despite Korean companies having the technological capacity to deploy SMRs ahead of U.S. commercialization, which is slated for 2030.
A European SMR developer that wished to remain anonymous is reconsidering its technical collaboration with Korean nuclear power plant builders and manufacturers due to a lack of domestic standards, according to the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.
The company, which is developing fourth-generation SMRs using a coolant other than water, is concerned about potential delays in the licensing process due to the absence of relevant SMR regulations in Korea - to the point that it is thinking of finding a partner in another country to avoid the risk altogether.
A spokesperson from the company told the JoongAng Ilbo that there are limitations in obtaining license and regulatory reviews for SMRs in Korea that use coolants other than water, such as helium or sodium.
Without the necessary licenses, the company won't be able to manufacture the technology in Korea even if it's developed, which is why it is considering other partners even with less advanced technology than Korea.
SMR is being touted as a next-generation green energy source, particularly with the rise in power consumption from the burgeoning AI industry. The technology is seen as a critical problem solver as it produces zero carbon emissions and is free from concerns about power sustainability often associated with renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Moreover, it poses a lower risk of radiation leakage compared to large nuclear reactors.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) projects that the global SMR market will grow to 630 trillion won ($460 billion) by 2035, and industry insiders anticipate the market to expand immensely, to as large as 1 quadrillion won by 2040.
Korea, once recognized as an industry leader, has been losing ground due to the previous government's nuclear phase-out policy.
In 2012, Korea became one of the first in the world to have an integrated type of SMR be licensed by a regulatory authority, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, eight years ahead of the United States.
Since then, Korea has had only two SMR licensing cases in the past 12 years, according to Rep. Choi Soo-jin of the People Power Party, citing data the lawmaker requested from the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Currently, Korea applies a single licensing standard for all nuclear reactors, which doesn't account for the unique characteristics of SMRs.
"[Merely] instituting a single licensing standard, regardless of the type of SMR, will isolate Korea from the global market and hinder its competitiveness," Choi said. "We need to establish a system that allows both domestic and globally developed SMR designs to obtain licenses in Korea to make the country a global hub for the SMR market."
An anonymous industry insider commented that "with regulations in place, Korean companies could operate SMRs before the United States begins commercialization in 2030."
Meanwhile, Big Tech companies such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft are investing heavily in SMRs, with a focus on non-light-water reactors (non-LWRs) that use helium or sodium as a coolant. Non-LWRs are more cost-effective and smaller than traditional SMRs. Out of the 83 SMR models currently under development globally, more than half are non-LWRs.
With a lack of regulations, domestic developers are scanning for order opportunities through foreign investments. Doosan Enerbility and Samsung C&T have invested a total of $104 million the U.S.-based NuScale Power since 2019. Hyundai Engineering also partnered with the Canadian government on SMR technology last year, while SK Group invested $250 million in TerraPow... -
This article is by Kim Ji-ye and read by an artificial voice.
The Korean remake of the hit Taiwanese romance film "Hear Me" (2009) is set for local theaters on Nov. 6, featuring a deeper emotional narrative and aiming to warm the audience's heart during the chilly weather.
"I personally think that the original Taiwanese film has a purer sense of feeling and focuses on depicting its vibrant story," actor Hong Kyung said during a press conference held in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, on Friday.
"Our film also has that clean vibe and story of pure love, but I think our film delves much deeper into the lives and relationships of individuals and the process of understanding others. I believe that alongside the vibrant, clear feeling, more delicate emotions have been added in our film."
The Korean version is titled "Hear Me: Our Summer," with director Jo Seon-ho at the helm. The film follows the love story between Yong-jun and Yeo-reum, with Ga-eul, Yeo-reum's younger sister, supporting their relationship.
It features actors Roh Yoon-seo portraying Yeo-reum, Hong as Yong-jun and Kim Min-ju as Ga-eul, who are considered young rising stars in the Korean movie scene.
The film was also invited to this year's Busan International Film Festival for its world premiere.
The Taiwanese version, directed by Cheng Fen-fen, was first released in 2010 in Korea, a year later after its home premiere. It gained a major fan base in Korea with its pure love story, showcasing its unique Taiwanese romance vibe, which later led to a rerelease of the film in Korea in 2018.
The directors and cast also recognized the original's popularity in Korea, which was a major concern for the director.
"Creating a remake is never an easy task because it leads to issues both ways - just simply following the original, but also deviating from it," director Jo said. "So, when I first started the project, I had a lot of concerns. However, I felt that the pure love story inherent in the original work would resonate well with Korean audiences, so I decided to go with it."
He added, "I had concerns about how much of the unique Taiwanese emotion from the original work could be expressed in a Korean context. After putting thought into this, I decided to carry on the original's purity while also incorporating the reasons I make films and the stories I want to tell."
The director also gave the film a Korean twist, changing Yong-jun's lover to the older sister, who was the younger sister in the original, to make it "more persuasive in the Korean context," with the common perception in Korea that the older sibling sacrifice for their younger sibling.
When the film's cast was first announced, many applauded the perfect casting choice, as the director intended to select actors in the same age range as the film's characters.
"It was such an honor and a joy to capture the shining moments of these three individuals in a way that resonated with their characters," the director said, adding that the synchronization between the characters and actors was "100 percent."
For actor Roh, one of the reasons why she selected to participate in the film, aside from being touched by the love story and sisterhood shown in the script, was to fulfill her own desire.
"I always wanted to participate in a film that is refreshing, youthful and heart-fluttering," Roh said. "I was curious how my current self would perform in such a film, growing the desire to do it."
In the film, the characters use Korean sign language (KSL) - as Ga-eul is a deaf swimmer - which the actors learned together for three months.
"While [learning and] using KSL, I realized that I cannot take my eyes off the other person to thoroughly see and understand what they are saying," Hong said. "I could really vividly feel what each and every word means."
The director also revealed the reason for releasing the film in the fall, despite the fact that it is set in summer.
"Time and memory often become precious only after they've p... -
This article is by Jin Eun-soo and read by an artificial voice.
IFA, Europe's biggest consumer electronics trade show, will embrace semiconductor and mobile exhibitors from next year as the show vies to fortify its presence as an all-rounder.
Leif Lindner, the CEO of IFA who took the helm in rebranding the Berlin-based show this year that celebrated its 100th anniversary, announced the plan in Seoul on Friday.
"It is our goal to invite major chipmakers from around the world for next year's show, such as Samsung Electronics and Nvidia," Lindner said at the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul.
"We will announce which semiconductor companies will participate in the show by the end of this year or early next year."
IFA is considered one of the top three electronics and IT shows in the world along with CES, which takes place every January in Las Vegas, and MWC in Barcelona, Spain. IFA's influence, however, has remained relatively smaller than CES due to the scope and timing of the trade show.
CES invites a wide range of companies such as carmakers, chipmakers and even those from heavy industries and takes place in the very beginning of the year, while IFA takes place mid-year with a focus on consumer electronics.
Lindner said, however, that the show has become more high-tech and young under the rebranding project this year.
"In the past, IFA had the image of being a home appliance show that introduces radios," he said. "But under the slogan of 'Innovation for All' this year, we tried to make it into a show that introduces all types of innovative technology."
Instead of just presenting attendees with new technology, Lindner says IFA offers a communication platform among businesses.
"A lot of deep communication take place at IFA, especially in the area of business-to-business, which I can proudly say no other international trade show can offer," he said. "We are connecting those that are engaged in commerce with those in manufacturing. We have received feedback that this trait is very unique to IFA."
More than 1,800 companies from 44 countries participated in this year's IFA.
The number of participants rose by 18 percent this year to 215,000, with the number of media outlets also up by 28 percent to 4,500.
Of that, 130 companies were from Korea.
"Korean companies contributed much to IFA 2024," the CEO said. "We promise to achieve more growth next year with Korea."
Lindner showed caution toward an inordinate number of Chinese firms on the show floor.
"What IFA wants is diversity so regardless of the country, we want companies with innovative technology to participate in the show," he said. "We are going to be cautious towards IFA being too Chinese due to too many Chinese firms participating."
This year, some 1,300 companies from China are said to have participated in the trade show this year. - Show more
