Netflix’s global success with “Squid Game” is providing the perfect ground for South Korea to push for legal measures that would make foreign streaming giants stop “free riding” on internet networks here. During the recently concluded National Assembly audit, parliamentarians from both sides of the aisle forged a united front on the issue, pressuring ranking government officials to do something to make Netflix pay. Science Minister Lim Hye-sook said foreign plat

Technology Oct. 25, 2021

South Korean pharmaceutical giant Celltrion has started a phase 1 clinical trial of an inhalable form of COVID-19 treatment Regkirona in Australia, according to industry sources Friday. The sources said Celltrion’s US-based partner, Inhalon Biopharma, started administering the drug this month, following a regulatory approval from Australian authorities in August. In the first-stage study, 24 volunteers will be given a nebulized form of Regkirona, which can be inhaled through a mouthpiece

Technology Oct. 22, 2021

South Korea’s first homegrown satellite launch vehicle has failed to put its payload into the targeted orbit after what appeared to be a successful liftoff, the government said Thursday. The satellite launcher, dubbed the Nuri, or Korean Space Launch Vehicle-II, lifted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, Thursday at 5 p.m. According to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, it successfully traveled into a low orbit 700 kilometers above the Earth. The liqui

Technology Oct. 21, 2021

Nuri, South Korea’s first domestically made satellite launch vehicle, lifted off from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, at 5 p.m. Thursday. The launch vehicle, weighing 200 metric tons, is now on its maiden flight to put a 1.5-ton dummy into low orbit some 600-800 kilometers above the Earth. Korea Aerospace Research Institute says it will know if the launch is a success around 30 minutes after liftoff. Designed and built entirely using Korean technology and

Technology Oct. 21, 2021

South Korea’s first domestically developed satellite launch vehicle has been moved to the launch pad for liftoff as scheduled on Thursday, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Wednesday. As favorable weather is forecast for Thursday, the launch will go on as scheduled at the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, the ministry added. The three-stage liquid fuel rocket, also known as Korean Space Launch Vehicle II or Nuri, will blast off at 4 p.m., with the moment to be live

Technology Oct. 20, 2021

South Korea’s smartphone makers and subscription service providers are expected to face increasing competition from Google, as the tech giant is set to introduce a subscription-based bundle that includes a phone and various Google services, to lock more users into its ecosystem. According to industry sources Monday, Google is likely to launch the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones in the US on Tuesday, local time. It is also set to unveil a new subscription service, Pixel Pass, which bu

Technology Oct. 18, 2021

South Korea will test its first domestically-developed satellite launch vehicle this week, which, if successful, will mark a major step forward in the country’s space program. The three-stage liquid fuel rocket, also known as Korean Space Launch Vehicle II or the Nuri, will lift off at 4 p.m. on Thursday from the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, carrying a 1.5-ton dummy payload. If all things go well, the payload will enter into low orbit 600 to 800 kilometers above

Technology Oct. 17, 2021

South Korea’s car production in the third quarter this year dropped, marking the lowest level since the 2008 global financial crisis, according to a local industry report, Sunday. According to Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association’s report, the combined number of automobiles domestically manufactured during the July-September period reached 761,975, down 20.9 percent on-year. The figure was the lowest since 2008, when local carmakers’ production reached 760,121 during

Technology Oct. 17, 2021

Ray Winkler, design director of Stufish Entertainment Architects, and British architect Amanda Jane Levete on Thursday shared their visions on what changes the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the field of architecture and what architects can do in the post-pandemic era at the Herald Design Forum 2021. Winkler showed a glimpse into how architecture can adapt accordingly with the changes brought by the pandemic, while Levete showed what values architecture should continue to pursue. “Tec

Arts & Design Oct. 14, 2021

Emerging from the darkest days of the pandemic, many countries, including South Korea, are now talking about “life with COVID-19.” It is against this backdrop that the Herald Design Forum brought together some of the world’s most renowned designers, architects and artists with the aptly themed title of “What comes after.” “Mankind is now in its way into the post-COVID-19 era. Things will greatly change and the field of design is not an exception. The latest

Arts & Design Oct. 14, 2021

EuBiologics has asked for the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s approval on its plan to conduct a phase 3 clinical trial of its self-developed COVID-19 vaccine candidate, becoming the second South Korean company to reach that stage in the race to develop homegrown vaccines. According to the company’s regulatory filing on Wednesday, the clinical study of its vaccine candidate EuCorVac-19 will involve 4,000 participants. The safety and efficacy of the vaccine will be evaluated throu

Technology Oct. 13, 2021

South Korean drugmaker Celltrion said Tuesday that the company has submitted an application to the European Medicines Agency for approval of the sale of its anti-cancer biosimilar candidate CT-P16. CT-P16 is a biosimilar of Roche’s Avastin, an anti-cancer treatment that kills cancer cells by preventing the growth of blood vessels. Avastin, which can treat numerous cancers, including metastatic colorectal cancer, has been Roche’s bestselling cancer drug. The patents on Avastin, h

Technology Oct. 12, 2021

Samsung Biologics said Thursday that it had signed a contract development and manufacturing organization deal with Texas-based drugmaker Enzolytics. The company did not disclose the financial terms. Under the deal, Samsung Biologics will provide end-to-end CDMO services to help Enzolytics develop and manufacture investigational new drug treatments for HIV and COVID-19. Samsung Biologics said it would provide a stable cell line from its research and development facility in San Francisco, whi

Technology Oct. 8, 2021

Samsung Electronics said Friday that the company expected to log quarterly sales of 73 trillion won ($61.2 billion), up 9 percent from a year ago, surpassing 70 trillion won for the first time in the company’s history. The previous record in quarterly sales for the firm was 66.9 trillion won, set in the third quarter of 2020. According to Samsung’s earnings guidance, its operating profit during the July-September period has also increased 27.94 percent on-year, or by 15.8 trillio

Technology Oct. 8, 2021

A United Nations’ climate change body will open an office in Songdo, Incheon, in March, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Thursday. Science Minister Lim Hye-sook and Incheon Mayor Park Nam-choon signed an agreement with UN Environment Program Executive Director Inger Andersen to bring the Climate Technology Center and Network’s partnership and liaison office to Korea. The CTCN is the operational arm of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Technology Mechan

Technology Oct. 7, 2021