News

Jeollanam-do Province seeks to become capital of AI, energy industries

2025/08/18 13:37

With the new government planning to promote artificial intelligence and energy sectors, South Korea's Jeollanam-do Province, home to related institutions is now seeking to create an industry-academic cooperation hub. Cha Yun-kyung reports. The Korea Institute of Energy Technology, or KENTECH, which is the first global university solely focused on energy and technology research, welcomed its first undergraduate and graduate students in 2022. KENTECH has five major energy research areas which are AI and energy, energy materials and devices, grid modernization, hydrogen energy, and environmental and climate technology. KENTECH launched a national energy research center last month to establish industry-academic cooperation, in order to help the energy industry utilize and capitalize on its R&D results. "We are studying models that can be designed by integrating power system operation, generation, transmission, and storage, which is at the highest level in Korea and, in my opinion, is not far behind the U.S. level." "Jeollanam-do Province's efforts are now perfectly aligned with the new government's policy direction, laying the groundwork to take a greater step forward. The province will lead in energy transformation, which is a common task for mankind." The government is expected to open a Climate and Energy Department in Jeollanam-do Province utilizing KEPCO and KENTECH, which can create industry-academic cooperation clusters. Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.

Jeollanam-do Province seeks to become capital of AI, energy industries

2025/08/14 19:40

Jeollanam-do Province is slated to spearhead the new administration's energy transformation as the province is home to relevant institutions. Cha Yun-kyung explains. The Korea Institute of Energy Technology, or KENTECH, which is the first global university solely focused on energy and technology research, welcomed its first undergraduate and graduate students in 2022. KENTECH has five major energy research areas which are AI and energy, energy materials and devices, grid modernization, hydrogen energy, and environmental and climate technology. KENTECH launched a national energy research center last month to establish industry-academic cooperation, in order to help the energy industry utilize and capitalize on its R&D results. "We are studying models that can be designed by integrating power system operation, generation, transmission, and storage, which is at the highest level in Korea and, in my opinion, is not far behind the U.S. level." "Jeollanam-do Province's efforts are now perfectly aligned with the new government's policy direction, laying the groundwork to take a greater step forward. The province will lead in energy transformation, which is a common task for mankind." The government is expected to open a Climate and Energy Department in Jeollanam-do Province utilizing KEPCO and KENTECH, which can create industry-academic cooperation clusters. Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.

Information, communication technology exports hit record high for July

2025/08/13 22:39

On the economic front, South Korea's tech sector posted strong export numbers last month, despite ongoing uncertainties sparked by the Trump administration's tariff policies. The driving force? Semiconductors. Park Jun-han breaks down the numbers. South Korea's information and communication technology exports saw a record-breaking performance in July. Exports of ICT products for the month reached 22-point-19 billion U.S. dollars, a 14-point-5 percent increase from the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Wednesday. Despite uncertainties stemming from U.S. tariff policies, this marks the highest July export figure ever recorded for the sector, producing a trade surplus of 8-point-87 billion dollars. The driver behind the surge was semiconductors. Semiconductor exports posted an over 31 percent increase in July to 14-point-7 billion dollars, driven by rising prices for memory semiconductors and strong demand for high-value-added chips such as high bandwidth memory (HBM) and double data rate 5 (DDR5.) This marks the fourth consecutive month of year-on-year record-breaking semiconductor exports. "With the growth of the AI industry, sales of HBM memory semiconductors for AI systems are rising, and as HBM is a high-value product, it is positively impacting South Korea's tech exports." However, not all sectors showed as strong a performance. Display exports fell almost 9 percent due to uncertain demand in forward industries, while mobile phone exports dropped almost 22 percent, though strong finished product sales partially offset declines in components. Exports of computers and peripherals declined by about 17 percent, affected by the high baseline set by last year's surge in solid state drive (SSD) shipments, and a temporary slowdown in demand. The strength in exports once again underscored South Korea's resilience in the global ICT market, particularly in semiconductors, despite ongoing trade uncertainties. Park Jun-han, Arirang News.

Information, communication technology exports hit record high for July

2025/08/13 19:36

On the trade front. Overseas shipments of ICT products soared over 14 percent on year in July spurred by strong global demand for semiconductors. Park Jun-han has the latest numbers. South Korea's information and communication technology exports saw a record-breaking performance in July. Exports of ICT products for the month reached 22-point-19 billion U.S. dollars, a 14-point-5 percent increase from the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Wednesday. Despite uncertainties stemming from U.S. tariff policies, this marks the highest July export figure ever recorded for the sector, producing a trade surplus of 8-point-87 billion dollars. The driver behind the surge was semiconductors. Semiconductor exports posted an over 31 percent increase in July to 14-point-7 billion dollars, driven by rising prices for memory semiconductors and strong demand for high-value-added chips such as high bandwidth memory (HBM) and double data rate 5 (DDR5.) This marks the fourth consecutive month of year-on-year record-breaking semiconductor exports. "With the growth of the AI industry, sales of HBM memory semiconductors for AI systems are rising, and as HBM is a high-value product, it is positively impacting South Korea's tech exports." However, not all sectors showed as strong a performance. Display exports fell almost 9 percent due to uncertain demand in forward industries, while mobile phone exports dropped almost 22 percent, though strong finished product sales partially offset declines in components. Exports of computers and peripherals declined by about 17 percent, affected by the high baseline set by last year's surge in solid state drive (SSD) shipments, and a temporary slowdown in demand. The strength in exports once again underscored South Korea's resilience in the global ICT market, particularly in semiconductors, despite ongoing trade uncertainties. Park Jun-han, Arirang News.

[NEWs GEN] No Delivery Day: Why Korea's delivery system sets global standard

2025/08/13 13:33

NEWs GEN] No Delivery Day: Why Korea's delivery system sets global standard '택배 없이는 못 살아'... 한국의 택배 시스템

French nuclear plant facing delayed restart after jellyfish 'invasion'

2025/08/13 11:39

In France, a swarm of jellyfish caused a temporary shutdown of four of the six reactors at the Gravelines nuclear power plant, one of the country's largest, as of Monday morning, after clogging the cooling system's filters. EDF, the company that operates the plant, stated that teams are conducting inspections to restart the site "in complete safety," and that the reactors that were shut down are expected to restart on Thursday. While the company reassured that no safety or environmental risks were linked to the incident, experts warn that an increase in jellyfish blooms exacerbated by climate change is increasing the risk of power plant interruptions.

Robot band to debut at World Humanoid Robot Games

2025/08/12 11:39

Finally, in China, a robot band comprised of five autonomous humanoid robot musicians will debut at the opening ceremony of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Thursday. The ensemble, engineered by Hefei Panshi Technology, will include a keyboardist, lead guitarist, drummer, bassist, and rhythm guitarist, and will use a shared computing system that processes musical scores in real-time to coordinate movements. Engineers have upgraded pneumatic joints with faster motor-driven ones to handle quicker rhythms during their performance, which will feature traditional folk songs.

NASA's Crew-10 mission ends with successful splashdown

2025/08/11 11:40

Four crew members of NASA's Crew-10 mission have safely returned to Earth after a five-month stay aboard the International Space Station. The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endurance capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California on Saturday at 11:33 AM. The returning astronauts include NASA's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi, and Russia's Kirill Peskov. Their mission involved conducting over 200 scientific experiments, performing spacewalks, and maintaining the station during their 146 days aboard.

No tariffs will be applied if chip firm builds U.S. plant during Trump's term: Lutnick

2025/08/08 22:36

Staying with the Trump administration's trade war, a sign of hope for semiconductor giants. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says companies that commit to building factories in the U.S. during President Trump's term will be spared from tariffs. So what does that mean for South Korea’s tech powerhouses? Lee Seung-jae might have an answer to that. Semiconductor companies that commit to building chip facilities in the United States during U.S. President Donald Trump’s term could be exempt from a proposed 100 percent tariff on chip imports. Speaking to Fox Business on Thursday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified that firms must file their commitment with the Commerce Department and be audited throughout the construction process to qualify for the tariff exemption. The comments come as Trump announced his latest sweeping tariff plan on Wednesday, where he said Washington would impose around 100 percent tariff on semiconductor imports. He cited national security concerns under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, while hinting at broader sector-specific tariffs to be announced in the coming week. The announcement has drawn close attention from South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. South Korea's top trade envoy, Yeo Han-koo, said Thursday that both companies would avoid the full 100 percent tariff under the current Seoul-Washington trade deal, adding that South Korea would receive the most favorable chip tariff rates of any country. This is because Samsung has already invested in two fabrication plants in Texas, while SK hynix plans to open an advanced chip packaging and AI R&D facility in Indiana. However,.. there are doubts whether SK hynix's packaging plant alone would fully qualify for tariff exemptions, while Samsung, on the other hand, could benefit from not only the two fabrication plants, but also news that it has joined Apple's supply chain. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

No tariffs will be applied if chip firm builds U.S. plant during Trump's term: Lutnick

2025/08/08 19:44

Chipmakers who seek to set up shop in the U.S. during the Trump administration's term will be exempt from the planned one-hundred-percent tariffs on semiconductor shipments into the American market. Lee Seung-jae has details. Semiconductor companies that commit to building chip facilities in the United States during U.S. President Donald Trump's term could be exempt from a proposed 100 percent tariff on chip imports. Speaking to Fox Business on Thursday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified that firms must file their commitment with the Commerce Department and be audited throughout the construction process to qualify for the tariff exemption. The comments come as Trump announced his latest sweeping tariff plan on Wednesday, where he said Washington would impose around 100 percent tariff on semiconductor imports. He cited national security concerns under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, while hinting at broader sector-specific tariffs to be announced in the coming week. The announcement has drawn close attention from South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. South Korea's top trade envoy, Yeo Han-koo, said Thursday that both companies would avoid the full 100 percent tariff under the current Seoul-Washington trade deal, adding that South Korea would receive the most favorable chip tariff rates of any country. This is because Samsung has already invested in two fabrication plants in Texas, while SK hynix plans to open an advanced chip packaging and AI R&D facility in Indiana. However, there are doubts whether SK hynix's packaging plant alone would fully qualify for tariff exemptions, while Samsung, on the other hand, could benefit from not only the two fabrication plants, but also news that it has joined Apple's supply chain. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

'K-Display 2025' unveils latest in display technology

2025/08/08 19:42

Pundits say the evolution of display technology has been dramatic. And to share with you the latest advances in enhancing the visual experience an exhibition is underway here in Seoul until tomorrow that is Saturday. Our Moon Ji-young files this report. A glimpse of South Korea's latest display technologies. The 24th edition of the Korea Display Exhibition, dubbed "K-Display 2025," kicked off in Seoul on Thursday. At this internationally certified exhibition, domestic panel companies leading the OLED sector, along with a large number of domestic and international materials, parts, and equipment companies, gathered to showcase the future direction of display technology. LG Display, an industry giant, unveiled its cutting-edge 4th-generation OLED TV panel. This panel stands out with an industry-first technology that independently stacks the three primary colors of light, pushing the boundaries with a stunning peak brightness of 4-thousand nits. The company further showcased, for the first time, the world's fastest OLED monitor panel, which boasts an unparalleled refresh rate. "LG Display is also highlighting its automotive display, which spans the entire width of the car in front of both the passenger's and the driver's seats." This Pillar-to-Pillar display is poised to be the first of its kind to enter mass production in the industry. Another industry titan, Samsung Display, has taken the lead with its ultra-fine OLED on Silicon or 'OLEDoS' products for XR devices, showcasing the expansive possibilities of ultra-high-resolution XR technology. The company also unveiled a groundbreaking 6,000-nit Micro LED for next-generation smartwatches. This is a significant leap, 2-thousand nits brighter than the 4-thousand-nit watch Micro LED that Samsung Display showcased at CES 2025 just six months ago. All these display technologies are being showcased until Saturday in Seoul. More than 140 companies are participating in this year's event, which has attracted approximately 20-thousand visitors. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the government will continue to provide policy support, including R&D investment and strengthening the competitiveness of the materials, parts, and equipment industry. Moon Ji-young. Arirang News.

[NEWs GEN] Korea to Africa: Why young Africans are choosing Korean companies

2025/08/08 15:38

[NEWs GEN] Korea to Africa: Why young Africans are choosing Korean companies "입사하면 동네잔치"… 아프리카 MZ들 난리 난 '한국 회사’

OpenAI launches GPT-5 as the AI industry seeks a return on investment

2025/08/08 12:38

ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has officially launched GPT-5, its most advanced AI model yet, which will be available to all 700 million users of ChatGPT from Thursday. CEO Sam Altman explained that the latest model can provide PhD-level expertise across a wide range of tasks, with faster responses, reduced incorrect, misleading, or fabricated information, and built-in reasoning. The model introduces variants, GPT-5-mini and GPT-5-nano, optimized for speed and cost, as well as advanced tiers such as GPT-5-pro and GPT-5-thinking, designed for complex tasks.

S. Korea's unmanned businesses grow while diversifying

2025/08/08 12:38

Starting to emerge as a new business model in the early 2020s, unmanned stores are now rapidly gaining ground across South Korea and have become more common in everyday life. Park Jun-han has the details. In South Korea, you can buy fresh fruit anytime — whether it's 4 AM or late at night. This store is a 24/7 fruit shop. What's even more interesting is that there is no one at the counter. You just simply pick up the fruit, bring it to the counter, then scan the barcode. After it's scanned, you can pay for it through a machine and you're good to go. "These two ice creams are exactly the same — same brand, same size, same ingredients. I paid thousand-five-hundred won at a convenience store, but just six-hundred won at an unmanned store. That's less than half the price!" Since a few years ago, South Korea's unmanned store businesses have grown rapidly. Although estimates vary by institution, it is generally assumed that there are over 10-thousand unmanned stores in South Korea. From January 2020 through 2025, the number of unmanned stores grew 314 percent. The number of stores increased more than fourfold from 2020 to 2023, and has remained steady for the last two years. For customers, the main reasons they visit unmanned stores are their accessibility and reasonable prices. While increasing accessibility through operating 24 hours a day, the strategy of reducing fixed costs by building an automated system that does not require additional labor costs was the key know-how in selling products to consumers at lower prices. "It's cheaper than convenience stores, and I like that I can pay on my own without waiting. "Since it's open 24 hours, I can stop by anytime after studying near my academy, which I find really convenient. Another customer said he doesn't feel pressured when buying at an unmanned store, since no one is watching him while he decides which product to choose. "With no staff around, you can shop freely without feeling watched. The prices are reasonable, so you get more for the same money. Started as an emerging trend, unmanned stores have now expanded across the country and become a new mode of consumption. From ice cream to fruit and even pet supplies, the industry continues to diversify — meeting the evolving needs of consumers. Park Jun-han, Arirang News.

'K-Display 2025' unveils latest in display technology

2025/08/08 12:36

In other news. From groundbreaking new panels to the latest in automotive displays, you can explore the future technology at K-Display 2025. Our Moon Ji-young brings you all the highlights from this year's cutting-edge exhibition. A glimpse of South Korea's latest display technologies. The 24th edition of the Korea Display Exhibition, dubbed "K-Display 2025," kicked off in Seoul on Thursday. At this internationally certified exhibition, domestic panel companies leading the OLED sector, along with a large number of domestic and international materials, parts, and equipment companies, gathered to showcase the future direction of display technology. LG Display, an industry giant, unveiled its cutting-edge 4th-generation OLED TV panel. This panel stands out with an industry-first technology that independently stacks the three primary colors of light, pushing the boundaries with a stunning peak brightness of 4-thousand nits. The company further showcased, for the first time, the world's fastest OLED monitor panel, which boasts an unparalleled refresh rate. "LG Display is also highlighting its automotive display, which spans the entire width of the car in front of both the passenger's and the driver's seats." This Pillar-to-Pillar display is poised to be the first of its kind to enter mass production in the industry. Another industry titan, Samsung Display, has taken the lead with its ultra-fine OLED on Silicon or 'OLEDoS' products for XR devices, showcasing the expansive possibilities of ultra-high-resolution XR technology. The company also unveiled a groundbreaking 6,000-nit Micro LED for next-generation smartwatches. This is a significant leap, 2-thousand nits brighter than the 4-thousand-nit watch Micro LED that Samsung Display showcased at CES 2025 just six months ago. All these display technologies are being showcased until Saturday in Seoul. More than 140 companies are participating in this year's event, which has attracted approximately 20-thousand visitors. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the government will continue to provide policy support, including R&D investment and strengthening the competitiveness of the materials, parts, and equipment industry. Moon Ji-young. Arirang News.

No tariffs will be applied if chip firm builds U.S. plant during Trump's term: Lutnick

2025/08/08 12:34

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday said semiconductor firms committed to building factories in the U.S. during President Donald Trump's term will not face a tariff. The comments come after Trump unveiled a plan to impose about a 100 percent tariff on chip imports. Lee Seung-jae has more. Semiconductor companies that commit to building chip facilities in the United States during U.S. President Donald Trump's term could be exempt from a proposed 100 percent tariff on chip imports. Speaking to Fox Business on Thursday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick clarified that firms must file their commitment with the Commerce Department and be audited throughout the construction process to qualify for the tariff exemption. The comments come as Trump announced his latest sweeping tariff plan on Wednesday, where he said Washington would impose around 100 percent tariff on semiconductor imports. He cited national security concerns under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, while hinting at broader sector-specific tariffs to be announced in the coming week. The announcement has drawn close attention from South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. South Korea's top trade envoy, Yeo Han-koo, said Thursday that both companies would avoid the full 100 percent tariff under the current Seoul-Washington trade deal, adding that South Korea would receive the most favorable chip tariff rates of any country. This is because Samsung has already invested in two fabrication plants in Texas, while SK hynix plans to open an advanced chip packaging and AI R&D facility in Indiana. However,.. there are doubts whether SK hynix's packaging plant alone would fully qualify for tariff exemptions, while Samsung, on the other hand, could benefit from not only the two fabrication plants, but also news that it has joined Apple's supply chain. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

S. Korean chip makers face concerns over not being exempt from Trump's tariffs plan

2025/08/07 22:36

Despite government reassurances, concerns over the possibility of not being granted an exemption from the extra tariffs plan are spilling over to the local chip industry. Our Kim Bo-kyoung has this report. President Trump's plan to impose tariffs on imported chips is putting South Korean manufacturers on edge. Semiconductors, represent Seoul's second-largest export to the U.S. following vehicles, with shipments totaling more than ten-billion U.S. dollars ---around 14-point-7 trillion Korean won ---last year. This accounts for a little more than seven percent of the country's overall exports to the U.S. Although it seems small compared to Korea's exports to China or Hong Kong, it cannot be overlooked as a considerable amount of semiconductors are exported to the U.S. indirectly after being assembled or processed in countries such as Taiwan. When it comes to South Korean chipmakers, Samsung Electronics is producing non-memory chips at its Austin plant in Texas, and constructing a foundry in Taylor, of the same state; while SK hynix is to build a high bandwidth memory packaging plant in Indiana. If Trump does acknowledge such investments already made, it is likely these chipmakers would be exempted. However, if they become subject to the tariffs, they would suffer a substantial hit as most memory chips ---DRAM and NAND ---are being produced within the country, as well as in China. Samsung produces memory chips in South Korea's Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, and Xi'an in China; while SK Hynix is producing them in South Korea's Icheon and Cheongju, and China's Wuxi and Dalian. Concerns are mounting, but one expert says it is unlikely the tariffs plan will be able to go as Trump said, as it could hurt industries and consumers in the U.S. as well. "The U.S. right now is investing substantially in AI and data centers, so its demand for semiconductors is very high, and if these companies cannot buy foreign-made semiconductors, these AI datacenters may not be built or their cost will go up substantially. So not only will it hurt American consumers and IT industries, but also the country may fall behind in its AI race with China." Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics shares closed at 70-thousand-500 Korean won on Thursday, up 2-point-4-7 percent following the news that Samsung would manufacture Apple's next-generation chips at its foundry plant in Texas, while SK Hynix rebounded during the day and closed at 262-thousand Korean won after having dropped sharply early due to tariff concerns. Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang News.

'K-Display 2025' unveils latest in display technology

2025/08/07 21:39

In other news. From groundbreaking new panels to the latest in automotive displays, you can explore the future technology at K-Display 2025. Our Moon Ji-young brings you all the highlights from this year's cutting-edge exhibition. A glimpse of South Korea's latest display technologies. The 24th edition of the Korea Display Exhibition, dubbed "K-Display 2025," kicked off in Seoul on Thursday. At this internationally certified exhibition, domestic panel companies leading the OLED sector, along with a large number of domestic and international materials, parts, and equipment companies, gathered to showcase the future direction of display technology. LG Display, an industry giant, unveiled its cutting-edge 4th-generation OLED TV panel. This panel stands out with an industry-first technology that independently stacks the three primary colors of light, pushing the boundaries with a stunning peak brightness of 4-thousand nits. The company further showcased, for the first time, the world's fastest OLED monitor panel, which boasts an unparalleled refresh rate. "LG Display is also highlighting its automotive display, which spans the entire width of the car in front of both the passenger's and the driver's seats." This Pillar-to-Pillar display is poised to be the first of its kind to enter mass production in the industry. Another industry titan, Samsung Display, has taken the lead with its ultra-fine OLED on Silicon or 'OLEDoS' products for XR devices, showcasing the expansive possibilities of ultra-high-resolution XR technology. The company also unveiled a groundbreaking 6,000-nit Micro LED for next-generation smartwatches. This is a significant leap, 2-thousand nits brighter than the 4-thousand-nit watch Micro LED that Samsung Display showcased at CES 2025 just six months ago. All these display technologies are being showcased until Saturday in Seoul. More than 140 companies are participating in this year's event, which has attracted approximately 20-thousand visitors. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said the government will continue to provide policy support, including R&D investment and strengthening the competitiveness of the materials, parts, and equipment industry. Moon Ji-young. Arirang News.

How unmanned stores in South Korea reflect shift in consumer economy

2025/08/07 21:38

Here in South Korea, the number of shops that operate without any shopping assistants has dramatically increased since the early 2020s. Started as a new way to buy products without physical contact, the sector and business models are diversifying to meet the evolving needs of consumers. For more, we have our business correspondent Park Jun-han here in the studio to tell us about South Korea's new consumption pattern. Welcome, Jun-han. Thank you for having me Dami. 1. Jun-han, I heard that you visited unmanned stores that sell different items. Could you explain in detail what these stores are and what types of sectors they cover? Dami, just yesterday, I visited three shops that sold ice cream, fresh fruit, and pet supplies. What stood out was that they were fully operating without a shop assistant present. All I had to do was simply pick up the item, bring it to the counter, and scan the barcode. After scanning, I inserted my card, and the payment went through successfully. The types of unmanned stores I mentioned earlier are just the tip of the iceberg. Various sectors ---industries that we could expect ---have embraced unmanned operations and are now seamlessly integrated into our daily lives. According to a survey by a credit card company here, the most common types of unmanned stores include ice cream shops, laundry shops, photo booths, study cafes, and packaged meal stores. Although estimates vary by institution, it is generally assumed that there are over 10-thousand unmanned stores in the country now. From January 2020 through 2025, the number of unmanned stores grew 314 percent. It increased more than fourfold from 2020 to 2023, and has remained steady for the last two years. Also, because unmanned stores have lower operating costs than traditional ones with fixed expenses, younger people are increasingly involved in starting unmanned businesses. Data shows that 30 percent of unmanned store owners are in their 20s or 30s — nearly double the 16 percent seen among owners of traditional stores. 2. Alright Jun-han, after visiting several sites yourself, how are consumers reacting to this consumption trend? Why do you think unmanned stores are gaining popularity? Dami, for customers, the main reasons they visit unmanned stores are their accessibility and reasonable prices. Let's take a listen to what customers of an unmanned ice cream shop had to say about their shopping experience. "It's cheaper than convenience stores, and I like that I can pay on my own without waiting." "Since it's open 24 hours, I can stop by anytime after studying near my academy, which I find really convenient." A professor who focuses on consumer economics and policy said it's a win-win situation for store owners and customers. "Labor costs are rising, and consumers are not in a financially comfortable situation, so they tend to look for more cost-effective products. As businesses aim to reduce fixed costs and consumers have become more accustomed to contactless services, they are less resistant to technology — and these two factors seem to have created a synergy." 3. I get it Jun-han, but what aspects of Korean consumer culture can we observe through this trend? Dami, these unmanned businesses can only operate based on trust. From both the store owners' and experts' perspectives, they say theft is rare, and this mutual trust between customers and sellers is often seen as a key driver behind the growth of unmanned businesses. Let's take a listen to what the owner of an unmanned ice cream store and a professor of consumer policy had to say about this. "The CCTV is running, and in most cases people act honestly. Of course, there are occasional mistakes during checkout, but they're usually unintentional. Overall, people are very conscientious." "In Korea, there's a strong sense of ethics. Even in coffee shops and other public places, people don't steal personal belongings, which foreigners definitely see as a positive aspect." 4. So my last question, Jun-han, is about unmanned stores maybe being helpful but not always perfect. What are the prospects, and are there any concerns that industry officials or related professors raised? Yes Dami. An expert told me that this new consumer trend involving unmanned stores is a result of combined factors — technological advancement, efforts to reduce fixed labor costs, and a shrinking workforce due to low birth rates. While she said there's no immediate concern, the professor added that if larger corporations begin entering the unmanned store business, it could eventually impact the job market. Let's take a listen to what she said. "If unmanned stores are operated by large franchises or spread to large stores, there is clearly a possibility that this could affect employment in South Korea." With lower operating costs, growing public trust, and consumers adapting to new technologies that change how we shop, unmanned stores may offer an early glimpse of what future retail markets will look like in the years to come. Thank you Jun-han for the insights you shared. Thank you Dami, it was a pleasure.

AI visual auxiliary apparatus helps visually impaired people with various services

2025/08/07 18:41

One county office here in Korea is using AI to take on the role of eyes for the visually impaired to help them better address their affairs at the civil service desk. Cha Yun-kyung explains. A visually impaired person enters a public service center to handle civil affairs. As they take a picture of a document through the AI visual auxiliary apparatus, the device summarizes the information and guides them by voice. This equipment, installed in the public service center of Boeun-gun County Office, can summarize documents, guide people to a location, recognize the color of an object, and measure distances from others. Braille panels are also attached to the apparatus, so the visually impaired can select the service that they need and deal with public affairs by themselves. "I can handle public affairs through voice language coming out from the apparatus without anyone's help." "We collaborated with the Welfare Policy Division to improve the public affairs service for visually handicapped people." Boeun-gun County plans to make up for the weaknesses of the apparatus with the cooperation of an association of the visually impaired people using it. Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.