SouthKorea
- Seoul to commemorate 10th anniversary of Dongdaemun Design Plaza SEOUL -- Seoul City will commemorate the birthday of its landmark "Dongdaemun Design Plaza" through a four-day festival scheduled to kick off on March 21. The visitor-centric event will encourage participation from visitors through various types of attractions such as elaborate photo zones and special tour programs that will guide visitors to hidden areas normally closed to the public. Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) is one of the capital city's landmarks that is locat 18 March 2024
- S. Korean middle market enterprise federation chief calls for more high-quality jobs to overcome low fertility rate SEOUL -- Choi Jin-sik, the chairman of the Federation of Middle Market Enterprises of Korea (FOMEK), has urged South Korean companies to offer more high-quality jobs to tackle the current low fertility rate crisis. During a meeting with the vice chairman of the Presidential Committee of Aging Society and Population Policy (PCASPP), Choi pointed out that increasing such jobs, with higher incomes, could mitigate the crisis. According to data released by South Korea's statistics 18 March 2024
- Seoul to adopt 'tagless' toll gate system at subway stations in 2025 SEOUL -- Seoul will adopt a "tagless" toll gate system at subway stations to solve congestion caused by the huge floating population at toll gates during commuting hours. Seoul Metro, the operator of the capital city's subway train system, predicts the walk-through gates will help people save time. Currently, Seoul Metro only allows passengers with public transport plastic cards or credit cards with a near-field communication (NFC) public transport payment feature to 18 March 2024
- Seoul's southern satellite city resumes operation of robot-driven mobile library SEOUL -- Seongnam City, a southern satellite city of Seoul, is set to resume the service of its robot-operated mobile library called "Carbook." The robot will traverse the Tancheon Riverside Park to lend books. Carbook, which commenced operations in 2022, is a car-shaped robot measuring 1.8 meters (5.8 feet) in length, 1.2 meters in height, and 1.1 meters in width. Its operation was temporarily suspended during the winter season for routine inspection and maintenance. Eq 15 March 2024
- Spending on private tutoring breaks record again SEOUL -- South Korean families are shelling out more than ever for private tutoring, with costs exceeding 27 trillion won ($20.5 billion) in 2023. This marks a 4.5 percent increase from the previous year and the third consecutive year of record-breaking spending. High school students are the main drivers of this growth, according to the Ministry of Education and Statistics Korea. Their private education costs surged by 8.2 percent. The high cost of private education is a majo 14 March 2024
- Seoul to expand AI-based translation service for foreign subway passengers SEOUL -- Seoul's subway operator will expand its artificial intelligence-based interpretation service that can help non-Korean-speaking foreigners communicate with subway workers. The real-time interpretation service uses a transparent organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display which shows spoken words translated and converted into text. The AI-based service that provides 13 languages including English, Chinese, and Japanese, will be installed at 11 stations in the capital ci 14 March 2024
- Brazilian aircraft company Embraer kickstarts student incubation program in North Gyeongsang Province SEOUL -- Brazilian aircraft company Embraer has launched a student incubation program in North Gyeongsang Province, aiming to nurture aspiring aircraft engineers and aviation specialists. The world's third-largest commercial aircraft maker became South Korea's crucial partner in December 2023 when South Korea's defense ministry selected Embraer's C-390, a large-sized plane, as the country's next-generation military cargo flyer. C-390's maximum distributed p 12 March 2024
- S. Korea sees record 40% surge in fruit prices SEOUL -- South Korea witnessed a historic surge in fruit prices in February 2024, with an inflation rate of 40.6 percent. This unprecedented increase marks the highest recorded since 1991, when the country began officially archiving fruit price inflation data. According to the national statistical information service, the inflation rate for apple prices in February stood at 71.6 percent, attributed to dwindling production caused by adverse weather conditions. Purchasing an apple n 12 March 2024