The Korea Institute of Science and Technology on Tuesday claimed to have found a new way of curbing lithium-metal battery fires using semiconductor technology. According to its researchers led by Lee Joong-kee, lithium-metal batteries, which use metals for anodes, or the negative side, are more powerful than lithium-ion batteries that use graphite for anodes. However, there is a trade-off. Lithium-metal batteries are more susceptible to fires because of dendrite issues. Dendrites are tiny, r

Technology April 27, 2021

After adopting a telecommuting system in February last year, Nexon has not only protected the safety of its staff but also witnessed an unprecedented growth despite a bruising pandemic year. According to the South Korean gaming giant, the company last year posted sales worth 3.13 trillion won ($2.81 billion), becoming the first Korean game firm to breach the 3 trillion-won mark. Nexon also saw its revenue in Korea surge 84 percent on-year. Behind its stellar performances stand Nexon’s

Industry April 27, 2021

Mobile carrier KT teamed up with Samsung Electronics to launch the world’s first emergency telecommunications network that covers the whole nation, KT said Monday. The system, based on wireless LTE technology, integrates the networks of 335 state institutes, such as the police, railway defense and firefighting agencies, and is available anywhere in Korean territory -- land or sea -- allowing for a swifter, coordinated response against major natural disasters and accidents. “The

Industry April 26, 2021

Hanwha Corp. said Friday that it will issue green bonds for the first time. According to the Hanwha Group holdings firm, it will file a securities declaration with the Financial Supervisory Service on Monday and conduct a book-building session Thursday, seeking to issue green bonds worth up to 150 billion won ($134 million) on May 7. Green bonds are specifically earmarked to raise money for climate and environmental projects. Hanwha Corp. last month launched an environmental, social and cor

Industry April 23, 2021

ESG -- short for environmental, social and corporate governance -- is the buzzword in the corporate world now. At GS Engineering & Construction, EGS efforts had already begun long before industries began paying attention to the trends. GS E&C, which received an “A” rating for its ESG efforts from the Korea Corporate Governance Service last year, has been listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia/Pacific Index for 10 consecutive years. In 2014, GS E&C joined the Korea

Industry April 22, 2021

Korea Aerospace Industries said Thursday it will invest 98.5 billion won ($88.3 million) to develop a customized smart manufacturing system and apply it first to the production of KF-21 Boramae fighters. According to the nation’s sole aircraft manufacturer, it will develop the smart manufacturing system by 2023 and apply the system to all of its business sites. The system will be modeled after KAI’s most advanced A350 smart factory located at its headquarters in Sacheon, South Gyeo

Industry April 22, 2021

KT, one of South Korea’s top three telecom carriers, said Wednesday it has found 24 subscribers to its most expensive internet plan, which guarantees a connection of 10 gigabits per second, were not getting the high-speed connection they were paying for. “Our investigation has found that an error has occurred in our customer data during the process of expanding and upgrading network facilities,” the firm said in a statement posted on its website, offering an apology and compe

Industry April 21, 2021

South Korea will launch a standardized environmental, social and governance index as businesses are confused by more than 600 different ESG indices existing home and abroad. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Wednesday held a conference with firms interested in ESG efforts and unveiled a draft of the envisioned measure, following President Moon Jae-in’s call for ESG standards at the 48th Commerce and Industry Day ceremony held on March. 31. The government-envisioned index, w

Industry April 21, 2021

S-Oil said Tuesday that the company has signed Kumho Tire as the first partner for its all-in-one car management platform “Eurecar.” Set for release next year, the mobile app will offer a wide spectrum of services from non-face-to-face charging and payment services at S-Oil gas stations, to dialing designated drivers, valet parking and making car wash reservations. “The partnership with Kumho Tire will allow customers to purchase tires on the Eurecar app and replace tires

Industry April 20, 2021

A falling apple prompts a young Isaac Newton to develop laws of gravity. Greek philosopher Archimedes figures out volume and density while taking a bath. For geniuses, every detail is a source of inspiration. For Tekken genius Bae Jae-min, also known as “Knee,” his inspiration for developing a killer combo move came from a frivolous skill that baffled other players over why it even existed. The “taunt” skill is a trademark move of Bryan Fury, a character from Tekken,

Industry April 20, 2021

Home to three of the world’s major lithium-ion battery makers, it seems South Korea is well positioned to benefit from the global transition to electric vehicles. A look beneath the surface, however, reveals the local firms’ precarious position in an industry still facing huge uncertainties, ranging from the supply of key raw materials to the future directions of technological innovations. Cobalt, a key component in lithium-ion batteries, offers one way to understand the vulnerab

Industry April 19, 2021

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology on Monday said it has developed sodium-ion batteries that are 40 percent cheaper and can store 1.5 times more charge per gram than conventional lithium-ion batteries. The batteries use sodium instead of lithium. As sodium is far more common than lithium -- it’s in regular salt -- this brings down the price significantly. However, sodium ions are bigger and heavier than lithium ions, so existing anode materials -- made of graphite and a small

Industry April 19, 2021

South Korea will be able to require big power generation companies to generate up to 25 percent of electricity from renewable energy sources, starting from October this year, raising the previous maximum threshold of 10 percent. The change is in line with a revision of the renewable energy portfolio, or RPS scheme, introduced in 2012, that mandates 22 power distributors with capacity over 500 megawatts to generate a certain percentage of their electricity with renewables. The minimum quota,

Industry April 19, 2021

GWANGYANG, South Jeolla Province -- The moment reporters stepped inside Posco Chemical’s battery materials plant the size of 20 football fields, they were immediately overwhelmed by a howling sound echoing inside the facility every 30 seconds. The mysterious noise emitting from the beige-painted equipment sounded as if whales were crying in pain. “It’s the ultrasound carving cathode particles,” Kim Woo-joong, a safety manager of the plant, shouted over the din, throu

Industry April 18, 2021

Tourists watch in awe as warriors in colorful armor swing their crescent moon swords and cut through thick bamboo and bundles of straw.  Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and also the stage for the revival of the Joseon-period’s 24 Martial Arts. The 24 Martial Arts refer to 24 martial art techniques of the Muyedobotongji, a comprehensive illustrated manual comprised of four volumes complied in 1790 by King Jeongjo, the 22nd king of

Arts & Design April 17, 2021