Hyundai Elevator, South Korea's largest elevator manufacturer, on Wednesday unveiled the six winners of its design contest for the future of elevators. A total of 347 individuals and teams from six different countries joined the contest, the manufacturer said. The six countries were South Korea, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Turkey. Participants with different backgrounds, ranging from children to professional designers, submitted their works, in which they showed their own vision

Industry Dec. 1, 2022

By Han Chang-seob The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development launched the results of its Trust Survey last July. A total of 22 member countries including Korea voluntarily participated in the survey which showed that just over 4 in 10 people trust their national government. The survey also highlighted that trust in government matters and helps governments respond to the major challenges such as health and economic crises, inequalities and climate change. Korea ranked seventh in th

Social Affairs Nov. 30, 2022

Financial damages and disruptions in logistics services are anticipated to increase further among oil suppliers and businesses in the cement and construction industries if the nationwide walkout of truckers continues, industry sources said Tuesday. Some local gas stations have started to report supply shortages, and the cement industry has reported an accumulated loss of 64.2 billion won ($48.4 million) in sales already. According to a source from a local oil retailer, certain gas stations -- pa

Industry Nov. 29, 2022

The Korea International Trade Association suggested introducing battery swapping as a solution that could boost South Korea’s electric vehicle transition, the association said in a report released Monday. Battery swapping is touted as an emerging solution for EVs, particularly in China. The technology allows drivers to switch a drained battery with a fully charged one in just a few minutes, instead of having to charge the empty one at a designated station. Rolling out battery swapping in S

Industry Nov. 28, 2022

Transport disruptions are expected in Seoul's Yeouido district until the late afternoon on Friday due to a protest that has gathered some 50,000 people. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Friday, transportation disruptions are expected on the main road that connects Mapo Bridge and Seoul Bridge in the Yeouido area as a union representing irregular workers at schools held a street protest, occupying part of the road. On Friday, the union of irregular workers at schools went

Social Affairs Nov. 25, 2022

The ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party agreed to launch a 45-day parliamentary investigation into the Itaewon Halloween tragedy, the two parties said Wednesday. The probe was to kick off on Thursday as soon as the assembly members approve the motion for the investigation. But the actual probe will begin after the National Assembly passes the national budget bill for next year, they said. The probe period could be extended later on, they added. It will be an 18-m

Politics Nov. 23, 2022

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to allow street cheering events during the South Korean national soccer team's World Cup games to be held at Gwanghwamun Square, the capital’s largest outdoor space for public gatherings, despite safety concerns following the Itaewon crowd crush last month. The Seoul city government on Tuesday evening announced that the operation committee of Gwanghwamun Square came to such conclusion after a meeting that started at 5 p.m. The decision cam

Social Affairs Nov. 22, 2022

BARCELONA, Spain -- Michael Donaldson, the Barcelona City Council Chief Technology Officer and CIO, said the Spanish city will continue its efforts to increase its digital capacity, highlighting that the COVID-19 pandemic was a turning point for the city’s digital transformation. “COVID-19 was an opportunity in order to put forward our digital transformation. During the worst moment of the pandemic, the only sector that was growing was the IT sector," he said during an interview

Social Affairs Nov. 21, 2022

South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party of Korea is facing another blow over a property development corruption scandal as its leader Lee Jae-myung’s closest confidant was arrested. The party is also engulfed with concerns as the prosecution investigation comes closer to Lee. The Seoul Central District Court on Saturday granted an arrest warrant for Jeong Jin-sang, a vice chief of staff to Lee. Jeong was arrested on charges connected to a high-profile real estate development sca

Politics Nov. 20, 2022

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has won the city category at the Smart City Expo World Congress, the organizer announced Wednesday, in recognition of its smart city strategies for the underprivileged. The World Smart City Awards is given for innovative city strategies, that can make an impact on the lives of citizens and make cities more sustainable and inclusive. Seoul has been “proven to be an inspiration for those concerned by inequalities. The digital transformation is amplifying,&rd

Social Affairs Nov. 17, 2022

BARCELONA -- The Seoul city government will showcase the city’s latest smart city innovations as well as its future vision at the Smart City Expo World Congress 2022, the Seoul Digital Foundation said Tuesday. SCEWC is the world’s leading smart city fair held annually, where governments, companies and experts come together to share the latest smart city innovations. For this year’s event, held between Tuesday and Thursday at Fira de Barcelona, Spain, the Seoul city government h

Social Affairs Nov. 16, 2022

President Yoon Suk-yeol left Friday for Cambodia, the first of the two destinations where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the G-20 summits will be held. Upon his arrival in Phnom Penh, Yoon will attend the South Korea-ASEAN summit. On Saturday, Yoon is scheduled to join a ASEAN Plus Three summit, where leaders from South Korea, Japan, China as well as ten other nations will join. During the summit, President Yoon, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese Premier Li Keqi

Foreign Affairs Nov. 11, 2022

Police have started an investigation into Hamilton Hotel, which stands on one side of the alley where more than 150 people lost their lives in the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon, it said Wednesday. The hotel is currently believed to have built an illegal extension, which led to the narrowing of the alley. Under the Building Act, pedestrian passage should be wider than 4 meters for the safety of pedestrians. But, the hotel’s building addition has made the alley narrow to 3.2 meters at one en

Social Affairs Nov. 9, 2022

Located to the west of Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Oil Tank Culture Park is a cultural complex created in a transformation from an oil depot. The cultural complex provides a wide range of cultural events, welcoming locals and tourists alike, along with features catering to those with visual impairments. Oil Tank Culture Park said earlier this week that it started a pilot tour program for people who are blind or have a visual impairment. The new program is designed to introduce arc

Social Affairs Nov. 9, 2022

Nam Hwa-yeong, Acting Commissioner General of the National Fire Agency It was a tragedy that should not have happened. Too many young lives were lost in the Itaewon disaster last month. With our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, the National Fire Agency commemorates the sixtieth National Fire Service Day with a very heavy heart. As the first line of support for citizens in danger, the weight of responsibility on our shoulders feels heavier than ever as we take another look a

Social Affairs Nov. 8, 2022