News
Made in Korea: World's first recombinant anthrax vaccines ready for production
2025/07/08 19:50
Back here on the local front. South Korean drug regulators have approved the world's first recombinant anthrax vaccine developed by researchers here. Park Kun-woo has more. Made in Korea. That's a term describing the world's first recombinant anthrax vaccine, which is set to be manufactured in a plant in Hwasun-gun County, in the southwest of South Korea, after decades of joint research between the public and private sectors. The Barythrax vaccine uses recombinant protein technology, minimizing the toxic side effects of other conventional vaccines. "For years, Korea had to rely on expensive imports for anthrax vaccines. But now, that's starting to change. This homegrown vaccine isn't just set to be made in Korea, but will be the result of nearly three decades of accumulated research and technology." The vaccine was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in April and is expected to be produced later this year. The Hwasun facility alone can produce up to 10 million doses annually, helping ensure a stable supply. However, there were challenges to developing a first-of-its-kind product. "Because this was the first recombinant anthrax vaccine, there were no established guidelines. We had to create and verify the evaluation standards step by step." She stressed the importance of this immunization tool in national preparedness, especially to respond to global health crises, including bioterrorism. She added that those working in high-risk sectors, including lab researchers, military personnel, police, and firefighters, are being considered as priority groups for vaccination. While the product didn't go through a Phase 3 clinical trial due to ethical constraints, there have been concerns regarding its safety. "We couldn't go through a full Phase 3 clinical trial, but we confirmed safety through non-clinical tests with rabbits." He added that rabbits are sensitive to anthrax and require high levels of neutralizing antibodies, which adds weight to the test results. Lee also said the shot is expected to be competitively priced and rising global demand is widely opening possibilities for exports. From a country once reliant on foreign supply, Korea is now positioning itself as an exporter. And with this step toward vaccine self-reliance, expectations are rising for the future of "K-vaccines." Park Kun-woo, Arirang News, Hwasun.
Samsung Electronics Q2 profit down 55.9% on weak chip sales, U.S. tariffs
2025/07/08 13:35
Samsung Electronics on Tuesday estimated its second-quarter operating profit at four-point-six trillion won, or around three-point-four billion U.S. dollars, citing sluggish chip sales and the fallout from U.S. tariffs. The figure is down nearly fifty-six percent from a year earlier and over thirty-one percent from the previous quarter. Q2 revenue stood at 53-point-8 billion dollars, down point-one percent on-year. The tech giant attributed the decline to one-off costs in its memory business, including inventory valuation losses. In the non-memory sector, sales were limited by export controls on advanced AI chips to China, leading to additional inventory provisions. The final earnings report will be released later this month.
KIPO awarded special award for independence activists who had contributed to Korea's independence
2025/07/04 19:38
Korea's patent office recently made a special acknowledgement of the inventions by individuals who sought innovation to support the country's independence. Cha Yun-kyung explains. The Korean Intellectual Property Office held a memorial ceremony to honor Mr. Kwon Do-in, a patriotic independence activist based in the U.S. who was also an inventor. Kwon is remembered for his contributions to both Korea's independence movement and the advancement of invention. He was also the first Korean to apply for a patent in the U.S., with an apparatus that prevented damage to the body of a sewing machine. Mr. Kwon also applied for a patent for a curtain made from bamboo, which had become quite popular in the U.S. Mr. Jeong In-ho, the first Korean to apply for a patent in Korea, invented a horsehair hat in 1909, to raise funds for the independence movement. Marking the 60th anniversary of Inventors' Day, the KIPO has come up with special achievement awards for independence activists who contributed to Korea's independence movement through invention during the Japanese colonial era. This year's award for great inventor went to a company that developed an electric semiconductor module for electric cars and robots. Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.
Microsoft to cut about 4% of jobs amid hefty AI bets
2025/07/03 15:34
Tech giant Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it will cut nearly 4 percent of its workforce, approximately 9,000 jobs, as part of a strategic shift to accelerate investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure. In a statement to investors, the company confirmed the layoffs would span multiple divisions, including global sales and marketing teams. This is Microsoft's third major round of cuts this year, following approximately 6,000 layoffs in May and additional reductions in June, which have brought the total job losses for 2025 to more than 15,000. Microsoft plans an 80 billion U.S. dollar capital expenditure for the fiscal year in support of its AI ambitions.
Dubai aims to beat the traffic with 2026 Joby air taxi liftoff
2025/07/02 11:38
Dubai hosted the first piloted test flight of Joby Aviation's fully-electric air taxi on Monday, ahead of its official commercial launch in 2026. It's the first in-market series of flight tests following initial trials in California earlier this year and included vertical takeoff and precise landing sequences. The California-based company says its flagship aerial taxi can carry one pilot and four passengers, reach speeds up to 320 kilometers per hour, and fly approximately 160 kilometers per charge. This could reduce the trip from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah to 12 minutes, down from a 45-minute drive by car.
Paradox of AI's energy consumption
2025/07/01 19:38
AI data centers are major energy consumers but these centers also stand to ultimately share solutions for sustainable energy consumption. Our Lee Eun-jin covers this paradox. A war between humans and AI Science-fiction movies address various approaches, but the massive amount of electricity AI consumes is a real issue. Humanity blocks the sun to cut off AI's power supply, then, in retaliation, AI starts using humans as their power source like batteries. A single question asked of Chat GPT-4 uses enough electricity to power a 10-watt LED bulb for 3 minutes. Currently, data centers for AI account for 1-point-5 percent of the world's total electricity consumption. On this path, data centers will match the annual electricity consumption of all of Japan by 2030. On top of the massive energy consumption, cooling the GPU chips of the data centers requires hundreds of thousands of tons of water, which also has negative impacts on the environment. "What I'm most worried about is that we're building an enormous infrastructure for artificial intelligence that is extremely energy and water-intensive, without looking at the very real downsides in terms of the climate impacts." The Davos Forum published a report in January of this year titled "Artificial Intelligence's Energy Paradox." It projected that AI's electricity consumption will increase by an average of 50 percent annually from 2023 to 2030. Google has pledged to nearly eliminate carbon emissions by 2030, but since 2019, its emissions have increased by 50%. Microsoft, too, is going in the opposite direction of its original reduction goals. "The carbon neutrality plans of global leaders in AI competition, like Microsoft and Google, have derailed due to the growing competition of generative AI." The paradox is that AI also has the potential to be a problem-solver for the climate crisis by analyzing energy usage patterns to improve efficiency or optimizing traffic flows to reduce carbon emissions. Ultimately, if AI can improve its cognitive capabilities to operate in an environmentally friendly way, it could become an opportunity for humanity. Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.
Hyundai Rotem delivers 2nd generation KTX-Eum to Korail
2025/06/30 22:34
South Korea's high-speed rail network is getting an upgrade. Hyundai Rotem announced Monday that it has delivered the second-generation KTX Eum to Korail, more than four months ahead of schedule. The new fleet will soon be put into service on the Gangneung Line. With improved suspension, a reinforced frame, and advanced soundproofing, the trains promise a smoother, quieter ride. They're also equipped with better air quality control inside, and they meet the highest safety standards even at top speed. Hyundai Rotem says the second-generation Eum is also set to make a push overseas, targeting markets in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Last year, the company signed its first export deal for the model — a contract with Uzbekistan worth 270 billion won, or roughly 200 million U.S. dollars.
Fully autonomous soccer robots gear up for Beijing showdown in futuristic finale
2025/06/30 11:38
Beijing showcased the world's first 3-on-3 soccer match on Saturday, played by four teams of fully autonomous humanoid robots, driven by AI. The robot players were equipped with optical cameras and sensors that detect the ball from up to 20 meters away with over 90 percent accuracy. The game was structured into two 10-minute halves, featuring a deep reinforcement-learning AI that made real-time decisions on passing, shooting, running, and strategy without any human control. Robots were able to recover from falls and displayed dynamic movement. Organizers said the event showcased a real-world test of robot endurance, agility, and AI-driven technology.
Astronaut becomes first Indian to set foot on ISS
2025/06/27 12:36
Shubhanshu Shukla, a 39-year-old group captain in the Indian Air Force, boarded the International Space Station on Thursday, becoming the first Indian to do so and becoming only the second Indian in space since Rakesh Sharma in 1984. He traveled to the ISS as part of the Axiom-4 Mission, operated privately by SpaceX, which lifted off on Wednesday. The mission places Shukla on a two-week science run, working alongside U.S. astronaut Commander Peggy Whitson and astronauts from Poland and Hungary. Shukla called the view from space beyond expectations.
S. Korea approves decommissioning of now-defunct Kori-1 nuclear reactor on Thursday
2025/06/26 22:34
South Korea on Thursday approved the decommissioning of the country's first nuclear plant, the Kori-1, marking its very first decommissioning of the commercial nuclear reactor. The plant's operator, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power submitted its decommissioning application in 2021, and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission granted approval after reviewing the case for around three years. The Kori-1 nuclear reactor had been operating for about 40 years, since 1978, and was permanently shut down in 2017. Related industries have high hopes, as the successful dismantling of the Kori-1 reactor could open up new business opportunities in the global reactor decommissioning market.
S. Korea successfully conducts separation test for homegrown long-range air-to-surface guided missile
2025/06/25 19:39
South Korea has successfully conducted a safety separation flight test of its homegrown long-range air-to-surface guided missile. According to the state-run procurement agency the test was conducted on Monday and comes as part of its plan to develop missiles for the KF-21 fighter jets for precision strikes on enemy targets. More tests are scheduled to be carried out in the future before simulations involving a KF-21 prototype starting in 2027.
Google suffers setback at EU court over record US$ 4.9 bil. fine
2025/06/20 10:00
Google has taken a significant hit in its legal fight against the European Union's antitrust penalty over Android's market dominance. On Thursday, the Advocate General at Europe's top court recommended dismissing Google's appeal and upholding the reduced 4.7 billion U.S. dollar fine originally imposed in 2018. Regulators found that Google abused its dominance by forcing device manufacturers to pre-install Google Search and Chrome, and by rewarding them for exclusive installations, suppressing competition, and limiting consumer choice. The original 4.98 billion dollar fine was slightly lowered in 2022 to 4.7 billion by the General Court, which Google then contested.
LED sensors enahanced in wearable devices to improve personal health monitoring
2025/06/17 17:00
Korean researchers have advanced the accuracy of wearable healthcare gadgets aimed at monitoring blood pressure. Lee Eun-jin explains. Monitoring blood pressure as a part of personal healthcare has become even more important as cardiovascular diseases, like stroke or heart failure, are the leading cause of global death. However, existing healthcare devices for blood pressure monitoring are cumbersome or inconvenient to use. Some smartwatches that aid in health monitoring can measure heart rate by detecting changes in blood volume, but the use of optical sensors limits their accuracy for it to meet the standards of a healthcare device. LED-based photoplethysmography, or PPG, technology only uses between one and four LEDs in its sensors. Now, a research team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has developed a highly sensitive, wearable piezoelectric blood pressure sensor that utilizes up to 50 LEDs, making it much more sensitive, therefore, significantly improving its accuracy. "By maintaining a higher spectral resolution, more signals can be emitted in a tighter and smaller wavelength range. With extensively more wavelengths measured at the same time, even when there is distortion, high accuracy can be guaranteed." Ultrathin piezoelectric sensors with a thickness of several micrometers, which is thinner than human hair, remain in conformal contact with the skin allowing for the successful collection of accurate blood pressure from the subtle pulsation of the blood vessels. "Blood pressure levels can be measured not only during workouts but in daily life, and even while sleeping. Because the spectroscope was made very small, it can easily be applied to wearable devices." Continuous monitoring of blood pressure changes can help prevent cardiovascular-related diseases. The research team plans to develop a wireless blood pressure measuring device through follow-up research and to commercialize it before too long. Lee Eunjin, Arirang News.
Denmark tests sea drones to enhance Baltic maritime surveillance
2025/06/17 10:00
Denmark has launched a trial of uncrewed robotic saildrones, nicknamed "Voyagers," to enhance maritime surveillance across the Baltic and North Seas. Two of the Voyagers, built by California-based company Saildrone, were deployed by Denmark's armed forces on Monday from the port of Koge, south of the capital Copenhagen. The 10-meter-long unmanned surface drones, which resemble ordinary sailboats, are powered by wind and solar energy and are equipped with radar, optical, and infrared cameras, as well as sonar and acoustic sensors for monitoring purposes. They are set to patrol Danish and NATO waters autonomously for three months. Their operation follows testing in early June, when two Voyagers joined NATO's maritime patrols. Saildrone's founder and CEO said the vessels provide a "full picture of what's above and below the surface" to about 30 to 50 kilometers in the open ocean.
S. Korea's ICT exports rise 9.6% in May on rising demand for chips
2025/06/12 17:00
Korea's ICT exports soared almost ten percent on year in May and pundits here believe the rise reflects U.S. efforts to secure inventory ahead of a full-blown tariff campaign. MOON Ji-young explains. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration's tariff policy, South Korea's exports in the ICT sector maintained an upward trend last month, driven by robust chip sales. According to data released by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Thursday, ICT exports in May reached almost 20-point-9 billion dollars, up 9-point-6 percent year on year. This marks the best performance for any May since records began. Outbound shipments of semiconductors, the largest export item, surged by more than 21 percent on-year, fueled by strong demand for AI-related chips. That is also a new record high for May. This performance was also driven by the rebound in fixed prices of major products like DRAM and NAND flash chips, as well as continued solid exports of high-value memory such as HBM. While mobile phone shipments increased almost 3 percent year-on-year, exports of computers and communications equipment(2 percent ) rose nearly 2 percent. However, an expert expressed concerns that this growth may be only temporary. "This is before the full impact of the tariff effects has really kicked in. What we're likely seeing is a move to build up inventory ahead of potential price increases. However, this isn't a normal inventory cycle, and there's a view that once this stock has been accumulated, sales could see a sharp downturn afterwards." Meanwhile, exports of display panels declined by more than 17 percent. By country, exports to the U.S. rose more than 7 percent on-year thanks to strong sales of mobile phones, while shipments to Vietnam, the EU, and Japan also climbed. In contrast, exports to China, South Korea's top export destination, fell 6-point-8 percent due to a decreased demand for chips. Meanwhile, ICT imports totaled over 11-point-5 billion dollars, resulting in a positive ICT trade balance. Moon Ji-young, Arirang News.
2025 Global Green Hub Korea to foster overseas expansion of local green tech companies
2025/06/12 10:00
Representatives from multilateral development banks, local companies, and the Korean government gathered in Seoul for talks on ways to foster cooperation in the environmental and green technology industry. Moon Ji-young tells us more. "Strengthening cooperation between domestic companies and global partners, and promoting local companies' eco-friendly technologies" is what the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy aim to achieve at the 18th Global Green Hub Korea forum, currently being held in Seoul. "We hope that this year's forum serves as a platform to enable participants to see new business opportunities by sharing each country's policies and efforts for carbon reduction, as well as the success stories of international development banks." The forum, which opened on Wednesday, seeks to provide a robust platform for eco-friendly and energy industry businesses, in alignment with the global trend of carbon reduction, to support the overseas expansion of domestic companies and the securing of crucial growth engines. This key event provides networking opportunities, project briefings, and matchmaking for Korean and international businesses. "Korea's leadership in environmental technology is an example that we admire where leaders are eager for cooperation that benefits both our people." The scale of the projects presented by the overseas clients and buyers at this year's event amounts to a total of 8 billion dollars. Key projects include the Bangladesh Water Supply and Sewerage Authority Water Treatment Project. Over the course of three days, domestic companies will have the opportunity to actively promote the excellence of a variety of environmental and green technologies to potential overseas clients and buyers. Moon Ji-young, Arirang News.
2025 Global Green Hub Korea to foster overseas expansion of local green tech companies
2025/06/11 20:00
Representatives from multilateral development banks, local companies, and the Korean government gathered in Seoul for talks on ways to foster cooperation in the environmental and green technology industry. Moon Ji-young tells us more. "Strengthening cooperation between domestic companies and global partners, and promoting local companies' eco-friendly technologies" is what the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy aim to achieve at the 18th Global Green Hub Korea forum, currently being held in Seoul. "We hope that this year's forum serves as a platform to enable participants to see new business opportunities by sharing each country's policies and efforts for carbon reduction, as well as the success stories of international development banks." The forum, which opened on Wednesday, seeks to provide a robust platform for eco-friendly and energy industry businesses, in alignment with the global trend of carbon reduction, to support the overseas expansion of domestic companies and the securing of crucial growth engines. This key event provides networking opportunities, project briefings, and matchmaking for Korean and international businesses. "Korea's leadership in environmental technology is an example that we admire where leaders are eager for cooperation that benefits both our people." The scale of the projects presented by the overseas clients and buyers at this year's event amounts to a total of 8 billion dollars. Key projects include the Bangladesh Water Supply and Sewerage Authority Water Treatment Project. Over the course of three days, domestic companies will have the opportunity to actively promote the excellence of a variety of environmental and green technologies to potential overseas clients and buyers. Moon Ji-young, Arirang News.
LG leads in OLED TV market share in N. America with 51% for Q1 of 2025
2025/06/11 20:00
More than half of OLED TVs sold in North America during the first quarter of this year were made by LG Electronics. This is according to market research firm Statista on Wednesday with the specific market share at 51-percent. This also means that LG has maintained the market lead for 13 straight years. LG's OLED TVs have recently been touted by the IT media, such as Consumer Reports and Mashable. The reasons why LG OLED TVs are popular in the North American market include outstanding picture quality and differentiated AI features, among others. Other OLED-making competitors for LG include Samsung, Panasonic, and Sony.
2025 Global Green Hub Korea to foster overseas expansion of local green tech companies
2025/06/11 17:00
Seoul is hosting an annual forum that brings together foreign clients and domestic companies in the green technology industry. Our Moon Ji-young was there. "Strengthening cooperation between domestic companies and global partners, and promoting local companies' eco-friendly technologies" is what the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy aim to achieve at the 18th Global Green Hub Korea forum, currently being held in Seoul. "We hope that this year's forum serves as a platform to enable participants to see new business opportunities by sharing each country's policies and efforts for carbon reduction, as well as the success stories of international development banks." The forum, which opened on Wednesday, seeks to provide a robust platform for eco-friendly and energy industry businesses, in alignment with the global trend of carbon reduction, to support the overseas expansion of domestic companies and the securing of crucial growth engines. This key event provides networking opportunities, project briefings, and matchmaking for Korean and international businesses. "Korea's leadership in environmental technology is an example that we admire where leaders are eager for cooperation that benefits both our people." The scale of the projects presented by the overseas clients and buyers at this year's event amounts to a total of 8 billion dollars. Key projects include the Bangladesh Water Supply and Sewerage Authority Water Treatment Project. Over the course of three days, domestic companies will have the opportunity to actively promote the excellence of a variety of environmental and green technologies to potential overseas clients and buyers. Moon Ji-young, Arirang News.
Apple unveils 'liquid glass' technology and artificial intelligence upgrades for iOS 26
2025/06/10 10:00
Apple unveiled its "liquid glass" design and advanced AI upgrades in iOS 26, its first major visual overhaul since iOS 7, during its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday. The liquid glass interface introduces translucent, refractive UI elements across all platforms, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and TV. AI enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence include live translation in Messages, FaceTime, and the Phone app, all of which are processed on-device. The public beta of iOS 26, including liquid glass and AI features, launches this summer, with the full release slated for this fall.