Tech

Samsung adding a new memory chip line in South Korea

Jim Stein June 1, 2020

SEOUL (Technology) – Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Monday it has begun construction of a new domestic production line for NAND flash memory chips, betting on demand for personal computers and servers as the coronavirus prompts more people to work from home. The world’s largest

Tech

South Korean robot fights coronavirus spread, armed with disinfectant

Jim Stein June 1, 2020

SEOUL (Technology) – A self-driving robot equipped with cameras and an LED screen greets visitors at the lobby in the headquarters of South Korea’s largest mobile operator, checking their temperature, dispensing hand sanitiser and disinfecting the floor. “Please take part in social distancing,” the white robot firmly but politely reminds three SK

Asia

China opposes U.S. THAAD defence system in South Korea

Jim Stein May 29, 2020

BEIJING (Asia) – China’s foreign ministry said on Friday it firmly opposes the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system in South Korea and urged the U.S. not to harm bilateral relations between Beijing and Seoul. American and South Korean troops brought replacement THAAD missiles to a base in South Korea overnight, […]

Tech

Robot barista in South Korea helps with social distancing

Nia N May 25, 2020

DAEJEON, South Korea (Technology) – The new robot barista at the cafe in Daejeon, South Korea, is courteous and swift as it seamlessly makes its way towards customers. “Here is your Rooibos almonds tea latte, please enjoy. It’s even better if you stir it,” it says, as a customer reaches for her drink on a […]

Tech

How South Korea turned an urban planning system into a virus tracking database

Nia N May 22, 2020

SEOUL (Technology) – When a man in Seoul tested positive for the new coronavirus in May, South Korean authorities were able to confirm his wide-ranging movements in and outside the city in minutes, including five bars and clubs he visited on a recent night out. The fast response – well ahead of many other countries […]

Asia

Students in South Korea return to school

Jim Stein May 20, 2020

SEOUL (Asia) – South Korean high schools opened on Wednesday for the first time this year, with mask-wearing seniors returning to class in the vanguard of a phased plan to reopen all schools under strict protocols to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The beginning of the spring semester has been postponed several times […]

Entertainment

BTS boyband’s management apologises over one of the member’s bar visit

Nia N May 19, 2020

SEOUL (Entertainment) – The manager of South Korea’s popular boyband BTS has apologised on behalf of one of its members who went to a bar in April, contrary to government advice, just as the country is trying to contain a recent coronavirus outbreak around Seoul’s club scene. Jungkook, the BTS’ main vocalist, visited a restaurant […]

Asia

Single-digit domestic coronavirus cases reported in South Korea

Jim Stein May 17, 2020

SEOUL (Asia) – South Korea on Sunday reported five new domestic cases of coronavirus, all linked to a cluster of cases centred around bars and nightclubs in the capital which has raised fears in the country of a fresh wave of contagion. After weeks of nearly no new domestic coronavirus cases, South Korea relaxed its […]

Asia

Coronavirus related video meeting between South Korea, China, Japan to be held

Jim Stein May 15, 2020

SEOUL (Asia) – The health ministers of South Korea, China and Japan will get together by video conference on Friday to discuss ways to work together in the global campaign against the novel coronavirus, South Korean officials said. The meeting is the first between top health officials of the East Asian neighbours since the outbreak […]

Tech

Digital data combed by investigators in South Korea to trace club coronavirus cluster

Jim Stein May 12, 2020

SEOUL (Technology) – South Korean authorities were combing through mobile phone data, credit card statements and CCTV footage on Tuesday to identify people who visited nightclubs at the centre of one of the capital’s biggest novel coronavirus clusters. More than 100 new cases linked to the nightclubs have brought fears of a second wave of […]