News

World News: Israeli drone fire kills two Palestinians in Gaza amid ceasefire deal deadlock

2025/03/04 17:00

This is The World Now, bringing you the latest stories around the globe. At least two people were killed by Israeli drone fire in Rafah, and three others were injured in Khan Younis on Monday, local time. This comes amid growing fears of renewed conflict after the first phase of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came to an end over the weekend. The initial ceasefire, which began in January, expired without an agreement on how to proceed. Hamas is demanding the immediate implementation of a second phase, calling for a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza. However, Israel has proposed a temporary extension of the ceasefire until April, contingent on further hostage and prisoner exchanges. After negotiations to extend the ceasefire broke down Israel on Sunday, imposed a total blockade on Gaza, cutting off all supplies, including food and fuel, to the enclave. At least two people were killed and 11 others were injured in the western German city of Mannheim on Monday, local time when a car was driven into a crowd during a carnival celebration. Authorities have arrested the suspect, a 40-year-old German man, who is now under investigation for two counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder. According to Mannheim prosecutors, the man shot himself following the attack but survived and is in a stable condition in hospital. They also said the attack did not appear to be politically or religiously motivated but suggested the suspect may have been mentally unstable. Police in Mannheim had been on high alert after a surge in violent incidents in Germany in recent months. In December, a similar car-ramming attack occurred in Magdeburg, followed by another in Munich last month. Pope Francis is back on a ventilator in a hospital in Rome after experiencing two episodes of acute respiratory distress on Monday. According to a Vatican official later the same day the pope's acute respiratory distress had stabilized and the 88-year-old pontiff was under "careful observation." Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital on February 14th due to a respiratory infection with pneumonia detected in both lungs. The latest setback means the pope will miss the procession and mass on Wednesday marking the first day of Lent. U.S. space company Firefly Aerospace successfully landed its uncrewed lunar lander, Blue Ghost, on the moon, becoming the second private company to successfully land on the moon. Blue Ghost, about the size of a compact car and equipped with four legs, carried 10 scientific payloads. It landed in the northeastern region of the moon in the early hours of Sunday, U.S. time. Firefly claims it is the first to achieve a "fully successful" soft landing. Previously, Intuitive Machines landed its Odysseus lander last year, but it touched down at an angle, causing many of its onboard instruments to malfunction. Yoon Se-young, Arirang News

Train group tour visiting spots near DMZ offered marking 80th anniversary of liberation

2025/03/04 17:00

In other news. A special tour program took place this past weekend offering those interested a rare glimpse of civilians across the inter-Korean border and more. Our defense correspondent Kim Bo-kyung has details. Hundreds of people have gathered at Seoul Station, to visit strictly controlled tourist spots near the Demilitarized Zone. They are on group "DMZ Peace Train" tours offered by national railroad operator KORAIL's subsidiary, KORAIL Tourism Development, headed by Kwon Beack-shin, Gyeonggi-do Province and its cities of Gimpo and Paju, marking the 80th anniversary of the country's liberation. This limited one-day trip provides three courses, and one is visiting Gimpo. Going on a train itself gave them the journey's excitement, but scheduled events spiced things up. "In Gimpo, a coastal barbed-wire trail runs along the Hangang River, offering a unique experience of walking along the DMZ border. Also, visitors can experience local culture by trying coffee grounds using a Korean traditional millstone, setting it apart from other places." "There were guides leading everyone, so we could travel comfortably on schedule. We could also wear military uniforms on the train, and there were many other enjoyable activities." The pre-set itinerary offers a lot, but the most notable is a visit to the Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo City. At Jogang Observatory, people can see North Korea's border county of Kaepung, just 1-point-4 kilometers across the Imjingang River. "Within this restricted military zone lies a branch of the iconic capitalist coffee brand Starbucks, which operates under strict security protocols. It has already attracted many visitors eager to get a rare glimpse of North Korean civilian villages." Coffee in hand, visitors can take a look at the villages, with some lucky enough to find North Koreans plowing and doing laundry in the spring. That is, however, not the only feature of Aegibong Park. "Although it is located within the Civilian Control Line, it opens at night once a month. About ten years ago, there was a steel tower where a Christmas lights ceremony was held every year. This no longer exists. but instead, we offer a unique trail that looks like a Christmas tree as a whole." An opportunity to witness the traces of a divided nation's history, and have a peek at North Korea from up close. The DMZ Peace Train program will continue this year, starting in mid-April. Kim Bo-kyoung, Arirang News, Gimpo.

BTS J-Hope to perform new track 'Sweet Dreams' on The Tonight Show

2025/03/04 17:00

On the K-pop front. BTS member J-Hope will perform his new track "Sweet Dreams" on the popular American talk show "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." According to his agency BigHit Music on this Tuesday J-Hope will be on the show next Monday for the first time as a solo artist. Meanwhile his new track features global R&B star Miguel and will be released worldwide this Friday at 2 PM Korean time. Exclusive previews of the track can be found on J-Hope's official TikTok account.

S. Korea hit by heavy snowfall leading to facilities damage, ship cancellations

2025/03/04 17:00

Most parts of Korea witnessed snow and rain starting Tuesday morning and in quite a few places the precipitation will persist into the the late hours of this evening. Dozens of ferries and flights have been canceled and property damage of greenhouses and livestock sheds has been reported. Accordingly the Interior Ministry has raised its alert level from "attention" to "caution". Also as of noon a heavy snow advisory was issued for some regions including eastern Seoul and some parts of eastern Gangwon-do Province. About three centimeters of snow has fallen in Seoul while about seven centimeters of snow accumulated in Ulsan in the southern part of the country. The advisory is issued when more than five centimeters of snow is expected to accumulate within 24 hours.

Acting President Choi calls for nat'l unity amid opposition's boycott of joint consultative body

2025/03/04 17:00

Acting President Choi Sang-mok has called for unity on the national front as Korea faces a host of concerns amid the threat of U.S. tariffs and shifting global order. Remarks to this end were shared during a Cabinet meeting earlier on this Tuesday during which he urged the main opposition party to rejoin the multilateral talks with the government and ruling party on state affairs. The talks fall under the consultative body launched by the parliament and government amid the current political turmoil. Last week opposition lawmakers refused to partake in the talks citing acting President Choi's continued failure to appoint justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk to the Constitution Court as recommended by the National Assembly. Now there has been a more recent development in this story. Ruling and opposition lawmakers have agreed to meet this coming Thursday afternoon for talks on state affairs in the absence of the government amid the ongoing conflict over the appointment of justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk .

SEOUL & TOKYO CELEBRATE 60 YEARS OF TIES

2025/03/04 17:00

Hello and welcome to this workweek's FIRST edition of Press Perspective as we here in Korea return from a long weekend to mark the March 1st Independence Movement Day. Today that is Tuesday March 4th we touch upon ties between Seoul and Tokyo as the two countries celebrate six decades of diplomatic relations this year. For more I have Koichi Yonemura the deputy foreign news editor at The Mainichi. Koichi it's been a while. Welcome back. I also have Professor Lim Eun-jung of International Relations at Kongju National University with the pundit's take on today's discussion. Professor Lim as always it's a pleasure. 1) Koichi, let's start with details of this survey by the Japanese Cabinet Office. 2) Koichi, the same survey showed the percentage of Japanese people who believe Tokyo and Seoul have good ties also rose over five percentage points to 51.2% What do you believe is behind this improvement? 3) Professor Lim, how does a shift in political landscape here in South Korea look to affect Seoul-Tokyo ties going forward? I mean some say a change in leadership from conservative to liberal may hamper advances in bilateral relations. Others believe Trump's protectionist policies may push Seoul and Tokyo closer together regardless of which political party gains power. What are your thoughts? 4) Koichi, speaking about Korea's political turmoil. A Hong Kong–based news website claims Japanese newspapers are voicing concern over the deepening political divide in South Korea, fearing that North Korea may seek to take advantage of the polarization. Do tell us more. 5) Professor Lim, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya become the first top diplomat to visit South Korea in January amid the country's political turmoil, and both he and Foreign Minister Cho Tae Yul shared hopes for a trilateral meeting with China in the near future. Again, what are the PROSPECTS of productive ties among these three East Asian countries amid the current changes in the global geopolitical landscape, and what would be the GAINS of active trilateral interactions? 6) Koichi, Tokyo hosted a trilateral secretariat meeting among South Korea, Japan and the U.S. last Thursday. What was the gist of that gathering? 7) Professor Lim, what are your prospects with regard to the trilateral partnership among South Korea, Japan and the U.S. under the Trump administration? 8) Meanwhile Koichi, on a light note beyond politics and diplomacy. A host of joint productions between South Korea and Japan are showing on Netflix this year including a food show and a drama series as well as movies for the big screen. Do you see these efforts on the entertainment front encouraging constructive interaction between the two countries on security and trade? All right.

K-wave AI News

2025/03/04 14:00

Hello and welcome to your AI guide to the latest cultural updates from Korea. Here's our top story. The Leeum Museum of Art, one of Korea's most prominent museums, has launched this year's exhibition program with works by French artist Pierre Huyghe. Huyghe has long explored the relationship between human and non-human entities, integrating artificial intelligence technology and living organisms into video, sculpture, installation, and performance art. The exhibition runs until July 6. Marking the 60th anniversary of the Samsung Foundation of Culture, Leeum's operator, the museum is also presenting its contemporary art collection. It features 44 works by 35 artists, including "The Burghers of Calais" by French sculptor Auguste Rodin and "Tall Figure III" by Alberto Giacometti, one of Leeum's signature holdings. It will be showcased for an indefinite period of time. A volume of Samguk Sagi, a crucial historical text for the study of Korea's three kingdoms period, has been put up for auction. Kobay Auction will hold an online auction on Wednesday featuring more than 600 items, including the volume of Samguk Sagi. As the oldest surviving historical record in Korea, Samguk Sagi is widely regarded as the foundation of Korean historical research, offering a detailed account of the rise and fall of Silla, Goguryeo, and Baekje. The starting bid is set at 150 million won, or roughly 103 thousand U.S. dollars. The auction will also include a reprint of "Hyeol-ui Nu," or "Tears of Blood," a novel by Lee In-jik that set the highest bid record for modern Korean literature at a domestic auction last year. The "2025 Taean World Tulip Festival" will open on April 8 on Anmyeondo Island, Chungcheongnam-do Province. Held at Korea Flower Park near Kkotji Beach, the festival is a major local event that received a prestigious award at the World Tulip Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, last year. Under the theme "Spring in My Hometown," the festival will showcase over 2.7 million tulips and 1.4 million flowers of various species, welcoming visitors through May 6. Guests can also enjoy the stunning sunset at Kkotji Beach, renowned for its Halmi and Harabi Rocks, which is one of Korea's top three sunset spots on the West Coast. That's all from me. Keep it tuned to the Kulture Wave.

Hallyu People_Reflecting on 80 years of Korean liberation through digital ambassador campaign by VANK

2025/03/04 14:00

1) Mr. Park, the Voluntary Agency Network of Korea, or 'VANK', is known as an organization that's active in public diplomacy. Could you please introduce your organization in more detail? 2) Ms. Kwon, every year you have been holding events and activities to commemorate March 1st Independence Movement Day. Please tell us about those. 3) This year, marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, a special digital ambassador campaign is being held. What's that about Mr. Park? 3-1) How are the ideas for this campaign gathered and what kind of people are participating? 4) Ms. Kwon, according to an article, you are also promoting seven projects in line with the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation? 4-1) What is it that you want to achieve through this project? 5) Mr. Park, VANK recently also ran the "Korea Brand Up" exhibition. Introduce us to this event please. Was this year's event also themed around Liberation Day? 6) Ms. Kwon, with hallyu attracting more interest from around the world, it must be even more important to promote Korea in the right way. What are your thoughts on this? 7) Marking the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation, do you have a wish or goal you'd like to accomplish this year? Let's start with you Ms. Kwon. And Mr. Park? Thank you very much Mr. Park for sharing your thoughts and organization's projects with us.

[K-Enter] BLACKPINK's Lisa receives standing ovation at the Academy Awards

2025/03/04 14:00

Now it's time for our daily dose of K-enter news with Walter Lee. Starting off with some news from the Academy Awards. History was made for K-pop when BLACKPINK's Lisa became the first K-pop singer to perform at the Academy Awards. On Sunday local time, Lisa took the stage at the 97th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. She was then followed by performances by Doja Cat and RAYE. Lisa performed "Live and Let Die", Doja Cat sang "Diamonds Are Forever", and RAYE performed "Skyfall", all hit songs from the James Bond franchise. Originally, the three were supposed to sing Lisa's latest release "Born Again," which features Doja Cat and RAYE, but this was changed. After the performances, the three artists greeted the audience together, receiving a standing ovation. Although Lisa wasn't able to perform her own song, I imagine it was fulfilling to sing at such a prestigious award ceremony. Moving onto movies now, you have some figures on how Bong Joon-ho's latest movie "Mickey 17" has been doing. Korean director Bong Joon-ho's latest film "Mickey 17" has surpassed 1 million moviegoers domestically within four days of its release, making it a perfect movie for the long weekend. As of Monday morning, "Mickey 17" had accumulated over 1.11 million viewers. The film was released last Friday, and as of Tuesday morning, the total audience count had reached approximately 1.3 million. To put this into context, "Mickey 17" reached 1 million moviegoers in a shorter time than Christopher Nolan's 2023 film "Oppenheimer." The movie is based on "Mickey 7," a novel by American author Edward Ashton. "Mickey 17" is Bong Joon-ho's first film in six years since the Academy Award winning "Parasite." The film stars Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo. The production of "Mickey 17" cost around 118 million U.S. dollars, approximately 170 billion Korean won. It is the most expensive film ever made by a Korean director. It was a movie that many had high expectations and it seems that "Mickey 17" is living up to them. Now even though Squid Game season 2 has been out for a while, the fever has not slowed down Tell us what news you have on the series. Welcome to the "Squid Game: The Experience"! What is it you may ask? Well it is an immersive attraction where visitors can directly engage with the thrills and excitement unique to the massive Netflix series "Squid Game". First launched in New York in October last year, it has since expanded to major cities such as Madrid and Sydney and it opened in Seoul last Friday. What can you do at this place located in the hip area of Seongsu? Well, a variety of games. Participants can take on six unique challenges inspired by the series, including marbles, a treasure hunt, memory steps, red light, green light, tug-of-war, and round and round. Also visitors can eat food from the show, snap tonnes of memories in the photo zones, and purchase exclusive merchandise. "Squid Game: The Experience" has been running from February 28 and will until June 25. Sounds like a whole lot of fun! Thanks for the entertainment news Walter. Thank you. Now time to go over to our AI anchor Ari, for other culture related news. Ari, take it away!

[Features-reporter] How young conductors in Korea are fine-tuning their skills

2025/03/04 14:00

Korea has been hitting all the right notes in the classical music world with stars like Lim Yun-chan and Cho Seong-jin taking the world stage. Now the industry is setting the stage for a new generation of conductors to take the baton. Our culture correspondent Song Yoo-jin tells us how. Inside this hall, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is full in rehearsal. But today, a new face leads the podium, under the watchful eye of a familiar one, music director Jaap van Zweden. The orchestra has opened its doors to rising conductors through the "2025 SPO Jaap van Zweden Conducting Fellowship." Here, the baton isn't just passed. It's being earned. "To be in front of an orchestra, and be with them, and work with them is a completely different experience than preparing this in a room where you are alone or just with a pianist." The eight young conductors, selected through an open audition, worked closely with Korea's top orchestra for three days. "So 1, 2, 3, and then 4, 5, 6." Van Zweden focused on three key skills: mastering the smallest detail, knowing when and why to stop the orchestra, and most importantly, how to fix something that's gone wrong. "We always have to learn that the power is with the orchestra and not with us. We just bring out all the potential. Orchestra don't want authority by just being an authority, but they want to see the authority of knowledge, what you know about how to fix things." These young conductors have already built impressive careers, working with orchestras across Europe and the U.S. and training at top music schools. Yet, they seized this chance to grow, because in music, as in life, there's always more to learn. "It's really special that the maestro took the time to praise us. As young conductors, we need that encouragement. It gives us the confidence to push ourselves further. He doesn't overlook that." "Most masterclasses last for just a day. This program is on a whole other level. We spent an entire week working closely with the music director and rehearsing with the orchestra. Opportunities like this are invaluable." It's a priceless lesson, freely given, where a legend hands down everything they know, shaping the maestros of tomorrow. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

Trump says tariffs to go ahead as planned

2025/03/04 10:00

Despite a deal that's given Canada and Mexico a one month "grace period," the U.S. will go ahead with its tariff impositions starting Tuesday. That's not all an additional 10% tariff is also on the way for China. Our Ahn Sung-jin reports. U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that the imposition of 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico will go ahead as scheduled on March 4th. Likewise, Tariffs on China will be doubled, to 20 percent on March 4th. Trump again cited drug trafficking as a major reason for the import taxes. "No room left for Mexico or for Canada. No, the tariffs you know they're all set." Trump on his social media further announced that the U.S. will be levying tariffs on crop purchases as well starting from April 2nd. Fruit, vegetable and nut imports have been climbing, leading to an agriculture trade deficit in the U.S. As Trump continues to slap tariffs, the U.S. economy has been startled. U.S. stocks plunged on Monday with the Nasdaq dropping by around 3 percent and the Dow Jones losing nearly 2 percent. Pundits say as investment confidence has fallen following the tariff impositions, there are growing concerns for the U.S. market, especially regarding inflation. "I think the tariff scenario is definitively an inflationary aspect to what can happen within the economy, in the market. Right now, what I'm seeing is and hearing is a little bit of a stagflation concern." The tariffs are raising concerns that tit-for-tat levies could eventually lead to a global trade war. Ahn Sung-jin, Arirang News.

[Weather] Winter-like conditions back with nationwide wintry mix

2025/03/04 10:00

Just when we thought springtime was well underway, snow and chilly air bring back winter-like conditions. The wintry mix that started in southern provinces will gradually expand to the capital area and Gangwon-do Province. Mountainous regions in Gangwon-do Province could see up to 40 centimeters of snow through tomorrow, Chungcheong-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do Provinces could receive up to 10 centimeters with a heavy snow advisory issued in those areas. Meanwhile, the capital could see 1 to 5 centimeters of snow. A strong wind advisory is in place for Jeju and the south and east coasts. Wind chill will make it feel colder than the readings show. Keep your winter jackets on today, Seoul gets up to 4 degrees, a huge drop from the weekend's warmth Daegu and Gyeongju top out at 5 degrees. A chilly day ahead, but things will gradually warm up starting tomorrow, with a beautiful and pleasant stretch of weather expected under sunnier skies. But there could be evening chaos tonight, be extra careful on the road!

U.S. company Firefly Aerospace achieves moon landing with Blue Ghost spacecraft

2025/03/04 10:00

U.S. space company Firefly Aerospace successfully landed its uncrewed lunar lander, Blue Ghost, on the moon, becoming the second private company to successfully land on the moon. Blue Ghost, about the size of a compact car and equipped with four legs, carried 10 scientific payloads. It landed in the northeastern region of the moon in the early hours of Sunday, U.S. time. Firefly claims it is the first to achieve a "fully successful" soft landing. Previously, Intuitive Machines landed its Odysseus lander last year, but it touched down at an angle, causing many of its onboard instruments to malfunction.

Pope Francis returns to ventilator following respiratory failure

2025/03/04 10:00

Pope Francis is back on a ventilator in a hospital in Rome after experiencing two episodes of acute respiratory distress on Monday. According to a Vatican official later the same day the pope's acute respiratory distress had stabilized and the 88-year-old pontiff was under "careful observation." Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital on February 14th due to a respiratory infection with pneumonia detected in both lungs. The latest setback means the pope will miss the procession and mass on Wednesday marking the first day of Lent.

2 killed as car rams into crowd at carnival in German city of Mannheim

2025/03/04 10:00

At least two people were killed and 11 others were injured in the western German city of Mannheim on Monday, local time when a car was driven into a crowd during a carnival celebration. Authorities have arrested the suspect, a 40-year-old German man, who is now under investigation for two counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder. According to Mannheim prosecutors, the man shot himself following the attack but survived and is in a stable condition in hospital. They also said the attack did not appear to be politically or religiously motivated but suggested the suspect may have been mentally unstable. Police in Mannheim had been on high alert after a surge in violent incidents in Germany in recent months. In December, a similar car-ramming attack occurred in Magdeburg, followed by another in Munich last month.

Israeli drone fire kills two Palestinians in Gaza amid ceasefire deal deadlock

2025/03/04 10:00

At least two people were killed by Israeli drone fire in Rafah, and three others were injured in Khan Younis on Monday, local time. This comes amid growing fears of renewed conflict after the first phase of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came to an end over the weekend. The initial ceasefire, which began in January, expired without an agreement on how to proceed. Hamas is demanding the immediate implementation of a second phase, calling for a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza. However, Israel has proposed a temporary extension of the ceasefire until April, contingent on further hostage and prisoner exchanges. After negotiations to extend the ceasefire broke down Israel on Sunday, imposed a total blockade on Gaza, cutting off all supplies, including food and fuel, to the enclave.

How young conductors in Korea are fine-tuning their skills

2025/03/04 10:00

South Korea is home to many K-pop stars and artists now the country is on the hunt to cultivate and foster conductors who will lead the field of classical music. Our Song Yoo-jin tells us more. Inside this hall, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra is full in rehearsal. But today, a new face leads the podium, under the watchful eye of a familiar one, music director Jaap van Zweden. The orchestra has opened its doors to rising conductors through the "2025 SPO Jaap van Zweden Conducting Fellowship." Here, the baton isn't just passed. It's being earned. "To be in front of an orchestra, and be with them, and work with them is a completely different experience than preparing this in a room where you are alone or just with a 피아니스트." The eight young conductors, selected through an open audition, worked closely with Korea's top orchestra for three days. "So 1, 2, 3, and then 4, 5, 6." Van Zweden focused on three key skills: mastering the smallest detail, knowing when and why to stop the orchestra, and most importantly, how to fix something that's gone wrong. "We always have to learn that the power is with the orchestra and not with us. We just bring out all the potential. Orchestra don't want authority by just being an authority, but they want to see the authority of knowledge, what you know about how to fix things." These young conductors have already built impressive careers, working with orchestras across Europe and the U.S. and training at top music schools. Yet, they seized this chance to grow, because in music, as in life, there's always more to learn. "It's really special that the maestro took the time to praise us. As young conductors, we need that encouragement. It gives us the confidence to push ourselves further. He doesn't overlook that." "Most masterclasses last for just a day. This program is on a whole other level. We spent an entire week working closely with the music director and rehearsing with the orchestra. Opportunities like this are invaluable." It's a priceless lesson, freely given, where a legend hands down everything they know, shaping the maestros of tomorrow. Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.

MWC 2025: What to expect at the world's largest mobile and telecomm event

2025/03/04 10:00

Over in Barcelona, the annual Mobile World Congress is in full swing The 38th edition is all about AI as well as its power that bridges all fields and industries. Lee Soo-jin is there. The world's largest and most influential mobile telecommunications event, the Mobile World Congress, is opening its doors once again. The 2025 edition of the MWC, held every year in Barcelona, kicks off on Monday, local time. The theme for this year's four-day event is "Converge. Connect. Create." emphasizing the event's focus on uniting industry leaders to shape the future of technology. The more than 2-thousand-7-hundred companies from over 2-hundred countries set to attend are expected to draw a record 101-thousand attendees. South Korea's Big Three Telecom companies, SK Telecom, KT Corp., and LG Uplus, will all be participating, with LG Uplus marking its first solo attendance at the event by unveiling AI security solutions. And SK Telecom will feature advanced AI data center technologies, while KT showcases how AI technologies can be integrated into daily life at its "K-Street" pavilion. Chinese mobile companies are also attracting attention, with Xiaomi unveiling its latest flagship Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and Huawei, the world's first triple-foldable smartphone. But it's not just the big names that are aiming to make a splash. "At MWC, many cloud service providers and GPU-heavy companies ---our core clients ---are present. We've designed our new technology to seamlessly switch to local processing if an issue arises in the cloud, ensuring no disruptions." This technology further enhances the company's flagship product, Backend.AI, an AI platform software that maximizes GPU utilization for high-performance AI workloads. It's also the only software in Asia officially validated by NVIDIA to run efficiently on DGX systems, or AI supercomputers. Yet another domestic startup, making its MWC debut at the Daejeon Technopark pavilion, is showcasing how it is using AI to enhance brain tumor diagnosis. "Our technology converts 2D MRI scans into 3D, which makes it easier for neurosurgeons to carry out precise and efficient diagnosis." He added that the company hopes to leverage MWC to expand into hospitals worldwide. With participants from tech giants to startups, this year's MWC promises new opportunities and industry collaboration for business growth and global partnerships. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.

China's 'Two Sessions' opens Tuesday with focus on countermeasures against U.S. tariffs

2025/03/04 10:00

So Trump is doubling a 10% levy on China to 20% starting Tuesday And with with China's largest political event taking place, Beijing is expected to look for ways to deal with Trump's tariff salvo. Lee Seung-jae has more. On Tuesday, China begins its largest political event of the year with the annual plenary sessions of the National People's Congress and of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference,.. collectively known as the "Two Sessions." Much of the discussion is expected to focus on countermeasures against Trump's tariff war. On top of the 10 percent tariff U.S. President Donald Trump initially imposed on China, another 10 percent tariff was added on top, as the U.S. leader felt that not enough was being done to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States. This brings the combined tariff to 20 percent on Chinese imports since the start of the Trump administration. According to China's foreign ministry spokesperson last Friday, Beijing will seek necessary measures to "firmly safeguard" its interests. "The U.S. has once again threatened to impose additional tariffs on Chinese products exported to the United States under the pretext of the fentanyl issue. China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to this. We will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard our legitimate interests. China has repeatedly stated that there are no winners in trade wars and tariff wars. The unilateral imposition of tariffs by the United States seriously violates WTO rules and harms the interests of both countries and the world." According to experts, China could respond to Trump's tariffs, by targeting American agricultural products and food. As China is a major importer of American agricultural products, such retaliatory measures would greatly affect American farmers and exporters alike. With the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference opening the 'Two Sessions' on Tuesday, the top political advisory body will first discuss countermeasures against the tariffs. They're also set to discuss economic policies as the country sees an economic downturn. During the 'Two Sessions' an economic growth target of around five percent is expected to be announced, and a policy of replacing old consumer goods with new ones will be further expanded to increase domestic demand. A special national bond issuance is also expected to be used to stimulate the economy. Meanwhile, the National People's Congress on Wednesday is expected to present China's national administration direction. Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.

TSMC to invest US$ 100 bil. to build semiconductor facilities in U.S.

2025/03/04 10:00

With U.S. President Donald Trump eyeing higher semiconductor tariffs, TSMC, one of the world's largest chipmakers, announced plans for a further 1-hundred billion dollar investment in the U.S. Following a meeting with the company's CEO on Monday, Trump said the investment would boost domestic production and national security. The new investment will used to build additional chip facilities in the U.S. in the coming years, creating thousands of jobs and making the U.S. less reliant on chips made in Asia. TSMC had already pledged 65 billion dollars worth of investment between 2020 and April of last year, when the company also said it would add a third semiconductor factory in Arizona by 2030.