US diplomat to travel to S. Korea, Indonesia, Japan to stress US' commitment to Indo-Pacific

A US diplomat in charge of public diplomacy will embark on a trip to South Korea, Indonesia and Japan this week to underscore Washington's "deep" commitment to its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, the State Department said Wednesday. During her Asia trip from Thursday to next Wednesday, Liz Allen, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs, will stress the United States' efforts to reinforce and expand regional alliances and partnerships in the re

Foreign AffairsNov. 30, 2023

N. Korea says spy satellite took photos of US bases in San Diego, Japan

North Korea said Thursday the country's military spy satellite has taken photos of US military facilities in San Diego and Japan, as well as the Suez Canal in Egypt. Leader Kim Jong-un viewed the satellite photos taken Wednesday when he received an operations report from the Pyongyang General Control Center of the National Aerospace Technology Administration, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The satellite took pictures of the San Diego Naval Base in California at 2:24 a

North KoreaNov. 30, 2023

4.0 magnitude earthquake shakes southeastern Korea

A 4.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the early hours of Thursday, 19 kilometers southeast of Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. According to the KMA, the initial earthquake occurred at about 4:55 a.m., followed by five tremors ranging up to 1.5 magnitude until 5:50 a.m. The earthquake led to emergency national disaster alert across the country being sent out about 8 seconds after the event was detected. No reports of damages or injuries have been

Social AffairsNov. 30, 2023

State-run body says 'cannot hire women' applicants

A waste disposal center in Yesan-gun, South Chungcheong Province has come under fire for refusing to hire a woman, local media reported Wednesday. During a meeting of Yesan-gun's Resident Support Council, a 69-year-old female member and resident of the district asked what the qualifications for the post of resident monitor were. But a high-ranking member of the group answered that they cannot hire women. Resident support councils are groups formed by regional governments to aid functions re

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

NHIS website glitch warns of heat-related illnesses during cold snap

The website of the National Health Insurance Service warned of a "dangerous" level of risk of heat-related illnesses Tuesday, just as the country is going through a cold snap, adding fuel to public anger over a series of breakdowns in online government services in recent weeks here. The warning, which appeared on the NHIS homepage and alarm service page, came on the heels of four major breakdowns that hit South Korea's administrative service networks over the course of a week star

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Dog shot with arrow makes full recovery, finds new home in NY

A dog shot and severely injured by an arrow has made full recovery and will head for his new home in New York at 8:35 p.m. tonight, a Jeju Island-based animal protection group said Wednesday. According to Hondidorang, the dog, who received the name Cheonji, has been adopted by an American woman in her 30s, who took in another stray dog in the past. The decision was made Nov. 22 after a monthlong deliberation, the group said. Cheonji, formerly a stray, made headlines in August 2022 when he was

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Buddhist monk arrested for ramming into 8 parked cars

A Buddhist monk has been arrested for driving into eight parked cars and causing damage, police said Wednesday. The monk was reported to have been acting out of frustration over a land compensation dispute between him and real estate developers. The unidentified monk in his 70s, from a temple located in Songha-dong, Gwangju, got into an argument with officials from the developer around 8:20 a.m., Tuesday. The development project involves land on which his temple is located. The monk got in his c

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Thekie's energy solutions create user based sustainability

Using an AI-powered IoT system and blockchain technology, Thekie aims to create a future where users can voluntarily participate in reducing energy usage and strengthening environmental sustainability. Developed with its own solutions, the carbon credit market platform Lucia allows users to trade and offset carbon credits. Blockchain-implicated carbon credits assure transparency, providing secure and reliable trading. Users can also explore and participate in diverse crowdfunding that contribu

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Daehan E&C turns waste into energy

Daehan E&C is a company with over 25 years of experience in environmental technology, tackling the issue of improperly managed waste by turning it into usable energy. “Many countries still do not manage their waste properly, and most of it ends up in landfills. In this process, the waste decays and produces methane gas, which is a major contributor to global warming,” the firm said. The company provides facilities that convert waste into high-quality alternative fuel called Refus

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Blakstone's clean road system tackles 'heat island'

Korean company Blakstone utilizes smart sensors to tackle the problem of rising temperatures in “heat islands.” Heat islands refer to urban areas that experience higher temperatures than its surrounding regions. As urban structures such as buildings, roads and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes, cities are prone to becoming “islands” of higher temperatures relative to outlying areas. Blakstone’s Clean Road Syste

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Dongha turns coffee grounds to eco-friendly decks

Dongha, which specializes in resource circulation, is the only domestic company that reuses coffee grounds to make them into decks placed in parks and beaches. Also known as "coffee decks," the products developed by Dongha contain coffee ground content of 51 percent, and the components that are generated when roasting coffee beans -- cafestol and melanoidine -- have been proven to strengthen the quality of its products. While Dongha’s coffee decks officially entered the market th

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Amogreentech to counter water shortages via no-power purification system

To solve water shortage problems exacerbated by climate change, Amogreentech developed a gravity driven membrane system that can purify water using only a pressure difference with a nanofiber membrane. The system, developed by the Korean advanced material and component firm, boasts a high efficiency. The system's device wastes no excess energy and equipment to install and operate to remove contaminants and waterborne bacteria from the water. The device is easy to maintain with its effective

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Korea to showcase advanced climate technologies at COP28 Dubai

A total of 16 South Korean climate tech companies, ranging from promising startups to well-established companies, have been chosen to represent the country at the United Nations’ 28th COP28 climate conference, slated for Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, according to the Ministry of Environment. Korea will set up a national pavilion, themed “Green Industry for a Sustainable Future,” at the venue and will present various technologies. The 16 companies, represent

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Korean female scientists struggle with highest gender barrier in world

Female scientists in South Korea struggle with the highest gender barrier in the world, a study revealed Tuesday. Korea scored an average of 4.09 out of 5 in a scale that measures the gap between the effects of marriage, pregnancy, childbirth and child care on male and female scientists, according to a 2022 survey analysis conducted by the Association of Korean Woman Scientists and Engineers. Higher scores indicate that respondents experienced tougher gender barriers. Korea outscored 86 other co

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

City Oil Field converts plastic waste into sustainable solutions

City Oil Field, a Korean company that develops and commercializes technologies for converting waste plastic into quality oil, has set forth to recycle plastic and vinyl in the most environmentally friendly way. The company, officially certified by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, aims to provide both plastic manufacturers and users with safety nets and eco-friendly solutions. Its technology, dubbed “Regenerated Green Oil,” is a groundbreaking innovation capable of signific

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Eco Creation eyes bold ESG goals with plastic waste management

To tackle problems with conventional plastic, Eco Creation converts waste into renewable energy with its pyrolysis system capable of extracting oil without pre-treatment. Through its plastic waste pyrolysis system installed in its factory in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, Korea’s leading pyrolysis plant operator has succesfully commercialized renewable energy. The system fuels diesel engine generators with pyrolysis oil to produce electricity. Eco Creation is the first among its industry pe

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

SangJinARP eyes top spot in eco-packaging

SangJinARP is an industry leader in producing environmentally friendly prefabricated products. The Korean company boasts some 250 types of such products, including boxes, shelves, bogies (a wheeled framework) and racks for various industries and at home. Responding to the surging demands for eco-friendly products and growing concerns over packaging waste, the company has come up with sustainable solutions. The company has developed its own prefabricated method that does not generate waste throug

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Hanwha Ocean developing submarine stealth technology

Hanwha Ocean is leading a government research project on defense and security technology for building stealthy warships, according to the company on Wednesday. The 50-year-old shipbuilding company, acquired this year by Hanwha Group, said in a press release it signed the contract with the government’s Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement. The project, which is to be completed by May 2028 under the contract, aims to design new demagnetizing equipment for

DefenseNov. 29, 2023

AI robots to aid English education in Seoul schools

Robots powered by artificial intelligence will aid English education in five elementary and middle schools in Seoul starting in March 2024, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Wednesday. The English tutoring robots will aid students in brushing up their English language knowledge, conversation skills and pronunciation. For students struggling academically, the robots will provide a customized education service, enabling them to learn the language at their own pace. The education offi

Social AffairsNov. 29, 2023

Seoul reviews scenarios for restoring guard posts in DMZ

South Korea has initiated a comprehensive examination of scenarios aimed at restoring guard posts in the Demilitarized Zone that were deactivated and dismantled in alignment with a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, military sources said Wednesday. One potential first step involves the restoration of a disarmed guard post, the structure of which has been exclusively preserved for historical purposes through mutual consent with North Korea. South Korea has deemed it essential to implement coun

DefenseNov. 29, 2023