SeAH Group, a South Korean steelmaker, could become the first South Korean company to sign a delivery contract with SpaceX as the conglomerate is in talks with the US spacecraft manufacturer to supply materials for rockets and satellites, according to local reports Monday. Citing anonymous industry sources, the reports said SeAH Changwon Integrated Special Steel (SeAH CSS) -- the group’s unit that specializes in producing special steel alloys for aerospace parts -- is carrying out negoti

Industry Feb. 27, 2023

Innospace, a South Korean startup established in 2017, is gearing up to become the first in the world to successfully launch a hybrid rocket -- its Hanbit-TLV -- from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil next month. The second trial comes about three months after the first attempt did not get the green light due to a weather issue, problems with a cooling valve and connection errors between systems. “Although the perception has changed a lot, I think the culture that accepts failure is sti

Technology Feb. 26, 2023

Kia, South Korea’s second-largest automaker under Hyundai Motor Group, will begin production of EV9 -- a large electric sport utility vehicle -- in the first half of this year, according to officials Friday. The Korean Metal Workers’ Union said Kia’s labor union and management finally came to an agreement on the production plan earlier this week after the two sides began negotiations to discuss the automaker’s EV manufacturing strategy and future employment security in Ap

Mobility Feb. 24, 2023

Hanwha Aerospace and a group of investors including Lockheed Martin have invested $17.8 million in Fortem Technologies, a US airspace security firm specialized in drone defense, Hanwha officials said Wednesday. Fortem Technologies operates its own air defense system based on an artificial intelligence radar that can monitor and detect dangerous drones or unmanned aircrafts and catch them by sending autonomous flying drones equipped with nets. The system is being used in Ukraine’s efforts a

Technology Feb. 22, 2023

Toyota will release eight new electric vehicles in South Korea to ramp up its automation lineup to meet the diversifying needs of local customers this year, Toyota Motor Korea said Tuesday as it announced the launch of its RAV4 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. According to the Japanese automaker, the Korean office has set 2023 as a turning point to implement the global headquarters’ “multipathway” strategy that aims to offer a varied selection of automated vehicles in different

Mobility Feb. 21, 2023

South Korea will demonstrate the sixth generation of wireless technology to the world in 2026, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Monday as it unveiled the government’s network advancement plan called the "K-Network 2030" strategy. In order to carry out the technical display, the Korean government will host an international event, tentatively called 6G Vision Fest, to invite leading telecommunication companies, experts and ministerial-level state officials from across the world

Technology Feb. 20, 2023

SK Nexilis, the South Korean copper foil producer under SKC, has inked a supply contract worth up to 1.4 trillion won ($1.08 billion) with Swedish battery maker Northvolt, the company said Sunday. The Korean company’s five-year deal with Europe’s largest secondary battery maker will take effect next year, the announcement read. The supply volume will cover about 80 percent of Northvolt's copper foil demand during the signed period, which would be enough for 1.7 million electric

Mobility Feb. 19, 2023

South Korea's space development is more than just science, but also a matter of state survival in terms of security, according to a high-ranking official at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. “Frankly, space has been regarded as science technology until now. Space development was done by project, such as developing satellites and space launch vehicles. But with a deeper understanding of space, it has become clear that it's not just about science,” said Lee Joon, execut

Technology Feb. 19, 2023

Tiger Woods is ready to make this season’s PGA Tour debut at the 2023 Genesis Invitational taking place from Thursday to Sunday at the Riviera Country Club in California. Woods, who is making a comeback to an official PGA tour after a seven-month hiatus, will be joined by 19 of the top 20 golfers in the Official World Golf Ranking, including the top-three ranked -- Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and John Rahm. According to Hyundai Motor Group’s premium brand Genesis, a total of 132

Golf Feb. 16, 2023

US auto giant Ford has halted production and shipments of the F-150 Lightning, its electric pickup truck, citing troubling signs with the vehicle’s battery pack. The automaker on Tuesday said in a statement that the company found a potential battery issue in an F-150 Lightning during its pre-delivery quality inspections and decided to stop manufacturing and shipping vehicles while investigating the issue. Ford added that the company is not aware of any incidences of this issue in the field

Mobility Feb. 15, 2023

South Korea’s science minister and the heads of telecommunications giants SK Telecom and KT are participating in the upcoming Mobile World Congress set to be held from Feb. 27 to March 2 in Barcelona, Spain. Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT, will deliver a speech at the GSMA’s ministerial program slated for the second day of the global event. According to the GSMA, the organizing group of the MWC, the ministerial program will cover the topic of investing in networks to achiev

Technology Feb. 14, 2023

The number of registered electric vehicles surpassed 10 million in 2022, as the EV industry continued its upward trend with the Chinese market’s strong growth, a report showed Monday. According to market tracker SNE Research, global EV registrations increased by 61.3 percent on year in 2022 to reach 10.83 million. The report said BYD, a Chinese EV maker, grew by 205 percent on-year to account for 17.3 percent of the global EV market and also became the biggest EV seller in the world, as th

Mobility Feb. 13, 2023

Polestar Korea is looking to introduce the Swedish all-electric automaker’s latest product, the Polestar 3 -- an EV sport utility vehicle -- to the South Korean market as early as possible this year. “If last year was the year of electric sedans, we expect this year to be the year of large electric SUVs,” said Ham Jong-sung, managing director of Polestar Korea, in an interview with The Korea Herald in Seoul on Thursday. Referring to other automakers’ series of new EV SUV

Mobility Feb. 13, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group has once again topped the J.D. Power US Vehicle Dependability Study with all of its three auto brands -- Hyundai, Kia and Genesis -- ranked in the top 10, the South Korean automaker said Friday. According to J.D. Power’s report that assessed 31 auto brands, Genesis ranked second while Kia and Hyundai placed third and eighth, respectively. The Korean automaker said its three brands had the best overall average score of the 16 global auto groups in the study for the secon

Mobility Feb. 10, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun has pledged to embark on a full-scale journey to transition into a hydrogen society this year, reaffirming the automaker’s will to continue developing and expanding its hydrogen vehicle business. “To establish a sustainable supply chain, we will take the lead in preparing for the application of green steel and eco-friendly parts, and gradually convert utilities and raw materials used at our business sites around the world to renewable

Mobility Feb. 9, 2023