LG Chem procures cathode materials from Europe’s top supplier

Korea’s leading battery maker LG Chem said Tuesday the company has secured cathode materials for electric vehicles from Europe’s top supplier Umicore with a plan to ramp up its battery production in the region next year. The company signed a contract with the Belgium-based material supplier to procure 125,000 tons of cathode materials -- one of the four key materials for lithium-ion batteries -- starting next year.  The amount of purchased materials is equivalent to manufacturin

TechnologySept. 24, 2019

LG chief highlights speed in preparing for the future

LG Group Chairman and CEO Koo Kwang-mo on Tuesday presided over a meeting of executives of group affiliates for the first time, during which he ordered the top brass to be swifter in preparing for the future. At the annual workshop held for the CEOs of LG affiliates, Koo emphasized that the current crisis facing businesses is different from previous crises, so it is imperative that the group move faster in seeking changes.  “The current L-shape economic downturn is new to us, and we h

TechnologySept. 24, 2019

Samsung SDI to supply EV battery cells for Germany’s Akasol

Samsung SDI said Tuesday it has been picked by German firm Akasol to supply battery cells and modules for commercial vehicles’ power systems. The South Korean battery maker signed an agreement with Akasol, the leading manufacturer of high-performance lithium-ion battery systems in Germany at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt for two large orders for global commercial vehicle makers. Under the agreement, Samsung SDI will supply its battery cells and modules with a total volume of 13

TechnologySept. 24, 2019

[Kim Seong-kon] Experiencing deja vu, standing at a cul-de-sac

When I returned to Seoul from New York City to join the faculty of Seoul National University in the early 1980s, South Korea was sharply divided into two mutually antagonizing factions: anti-government left-wing political activists and pro-government right-wing supporters, radicals and conservatives, socialists and. capitalists. In academia and the literary community, scholars and writers were also divided into two factions: national literature and world literature, socially engaged literature a

ViewpointsSept. 24, 2019

[Robert J. Fouser] Democratizing development in Korean cities

Population density remains one of the most controversial topics when discussing cities. The problems of crowded and empty cities are well known, but the problems are different. Crowded cities face the challenge of providing basic services to residents, who live in cramped and often uncomfortable housing. Empty cities, in contrast, face declining economic fortunes and lack the energetic vibe that defines a city.Global hubs, such as New York, London, and Paris, remain highly dense cities with a ho

ViewpointsSept. 24, 2019

Jaguar E-Pace combines bests of sports cars and SUVs

While driving exhilaration and extravagant exteriors are the usual perks of sports cars, low practicality and the lack of space are a drawback. Targeting the niche, Jaguar E-Pace blurred the lines between a sports car and a SUV by launching the diesel model earlier this year to boost the E-Pace as an efficient model with performance, succeeding the popularity of F-Pace which saw some 46,000 units of sales globally last year.  The design elements of Jaguar E-Pace include the familiar Ja

MobilitySept. 24, 2019

South Korea, US begin defense cost-sharing talks

South Korea and the US have initiated talks to decide how much Seoul will pay for the upkeep of the US troops stationed here for 2020 and possibly beyond, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday. As the current deal expires at the end of this year, the two countries are required to negotiate the 11th Special Measures Agreement, the defense cost-sharing pact that sets forth how much is required from each side to maintain the 28,500 US troops. James DeHart, a former charge d’affaires of

Foreign AffairsSept. 24, 2019

[Newsmaker] Petition urging for punishment of teenage violence reaches 200,000 signatures

A petition calling for the punishment of five teenagers who allegedly assaulted a 13-year-old in Suwon has garnered over 200,000 signatures.As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, more than 210,000 people had signed the online petition posted Monday on the Cheong Wa Dae website, urging for the punishment of the five girls, who are accused of beating the teenager in a karaoke room in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. As more than 200,000 signatures have been collected, the Blue House is required to issue an official

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2019

LS chief urges for innovation in R&D projects for future growth

LS Group Chairman Christopher Koo has called for strengthening the group’s competitiveness in technological innovation, stressing that it is key to overcoming trade disputes between South Korea and Japan.  Speaking at T-Fair, an in-house event held to encourage innovative engineers, Koo said the group needs to develop high value-added products and services to widen the gap with followers. He added that research and development projects should support such a move and generate growth en

MobilitySept. 24, 2019

Hyundai to start mass production of driverless cars in 2024

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Group will start mass production of self-driving cars within the next five years, said Chung Euisun, the heir to the auto giant, as he made a hefty investment in a joint venture the company established with Aptiv on Monday (local time).At a luncheon session held in New York with Korean correspondents on the same day he signed the $4 billion deal with the US software developer, Chung said the company would apply the autonomous driving technology to be developed

MobilitySept. 24, 2019

Efforts pick up to help senior citizens use tech in daily lives

　The government and companies are seeking to help senior citizens benefit from technological innovations, in light of concerns they might be left behind amid fast-changing digital trends. 　The Seoul Metropolitan Government said earlier this month it would make its high-tech welfare program available to more senior citizens. Using internet of things technology, the program helps deal with emergencies by monitoring the temperature of houses and physical movements. 　Meanwhile, mobile carrier SK Tel

TechnologySept. 24, 2019

KAI’s unmanned chopper succeeds in vertical take-off, landing

South Korean aerospace and defense company Korea Aerospace Industries said Tuesday it was successful in flying an unmanned helicopter in its first flight. The company said its unmanned helicopter NI-600VT, or Night Intruder-600 Vertical Take-off & Landing, showed hovering and horizontal direction conversion functions at the Goheung Aerospace Center located in South Jeolla Province. And the copter confirmed its flight control performance and safety. The NI-600VT copter is a reformed vers

IndustrySept. 24, 2019

Naver aims to create massive ecosystem for online cartoons

South Korea’s internet giant Naver on Tuesday announced its plan to boost online cartoon business’ global market presence by establishing a massive ecosystem for diverse contents and talented artists. Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, Naver Webtoon’s chief Kim Jun-koo unveiled the company’s global market strategy and content creation plans. After its launch in 2004, global services began in 2014.To attract more users to its online cartoon platform, the company

TechnologySept. 24, 2019

Justice Minister home raided for 11 hours, row ensues over keeping ‘criminal suspect’ in Cabinet

Prosecutors raided Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s home for 11 hours from 9 a.m. Monday, an unprecedented move that raised questions on the possibility of a biased probe as well as the propriety of Cho keeping the post.The raid at the minister’s home, initially expected to last an hour or two, continued for 11 hours, reportedly after the Cho family’s lawyer took issue with the scope of the search warrant, which then had to be reissued from the court.The prosecution secured from Mond

PoliticsSept. 24, 2019

Helixmith’s Engensis phase 3 trial yields no meaningful result

Helixmith shares on Korea’s secondary bourse Kosdaq closed 30 percent lower at 120,000 won ($100) on Tuesday, the deepest dive possible in a day, after the company made an official report to shareholders regarding a bump in the clinical phase 3 trial results of its innovative drug candidate Engensis, Monday.Helixmith is better known by its 20-year-old name ViroMed. ViroMed was founded in 1999 as a bio venture that develops new and innovative drugs for cardiovascular and neurological diseas

IndustrySept. 24, 2019

Fire at nursing hospital leaves two dead, 47 injured

Two elderly patients died and 47 others were injured in a fire at a nursing hospital in Gimpo, west of Seoul, on Tuesday, local fire authorities said. The fire broke out at a five-story building housing the hospital at 9:03 a.m., Gyeonggi Fire Services said, adding the hospital had 130 elderly patients at the time of the accident.  As of 12:00 p.m., the fire had left two patients, including a 90-year-old woman, dead and 47 others suffering the effects of smoke inhalation, the agency said. S

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2019

Four cases of African swine fever detected in a week

SEJONG -- Four cases of African swine fever were confirmed in South Korea in the week from Sept. 17. The incubation period is one week or more.On Tuesday, the fourth case of the deadly virus was detected at a hog farm in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, following the previous day’s third case at a farm in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province.Since the first outbreak, Paju has recorded two ASF cases, and Yeoncheon and Gimpo have seen one each.　Quarantine officials are looking into another suspected case report

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2019

S. Korea’s producer prices fall in Aug.

South Korea’s producer prices dropped in August on-year, according to data released by the central bank Tuesday, marking the second consecutive month of decline and feeding concerns that it may lead to a prolonged state of weak consumer prices. According to the Bank of Korea, the producer price index dipped 0.6 percent to 103.73 on-year in August. The reading follows July’s corresponding figure of 103.5, which fell 0.3 percent on-year and marked the first on-year drop in 33 months.&n

EconomySept. 24, 2019

Cho Kuk issue to dominate parliamentary interpellation session

Questions about the prosecution’s ongoing investigation into Justice Minister Cho Kuk’s family are expected to dominate the four-day parliamentary interpellation session starting Thursday.Opposition parties are likely to focus on issues surrounding Cho during the session, while the ruling party plans to defend Cho and emphasize prosecutorial reform and other government policies.The first day of the session will center on political issues, followed by national security and foreign aff

Social AffairsSept. 24, 2019