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[News Article] INSPIRE debuts Korean contemporary art series with 'NEW STRUCTURE: PRISM'

INSPIRE debuts Korean contemporary art series with 'NEW STRUCTURE: PRISM'   By Pyo Kyung-min, The Korea Times - Mohegan Inspire Entertainment Resort has unveiled its latest cultural offering, an art exhibition titled "NEW STRUCTURE: PRISM," featuring works of Korean sculptor and installation artist Gwon O-sang. Housed in the integrated resort's Rotunda — a versatile circular hall known for its kinetic chandelier — the "NEW STRUCTURE: PRISM" exhibition marks the inaugural initiative of its "Inspire Art Series," a collaboration between the resort and The Trinity Gallery to showcase Korean art and artists to the global audience. Gwon, the first artist of the project, has received international acclaim for his unique approach to sculpture, transforming two-dimensional photographs into three-dimensional sculptures and installations. The Rotunda, a central feature of the resort, attracts visitors with its dynamic digital chandelier and Gwon's artworks. The chandelier, which moves up and down, projects changing imagery that enhances the environment. Gwon’s large-scale photographic sculptures, which offer new interpretations of everyday objects, further enrich this distinctive space by adding depth and dimension. During an opening reception for the exhibition at the Inspire Resort's Rotunda, Yeongjong Island, Incheon, Thursday, Gwon graced the stage to express his gratitude in being able to kickstart the resort's new art series. "I am delighted to hold the largest exhibition of 'New Structure' at Inspire. The Rotunda’s circular space will allow visitors to fully appreciate the diverse facets of 'New Structure,' delivering new perspectives and meanings," Gwon said. The exhibition features seven of Gwon's large-scale works, including "New Structure 2 Shoes & Pineapple;" "New Structure 4 Prism & Macallan," commissioned by the whisky brand Macallan; and "New Structure 7 Star & Spoon," which criticizes modern capitalism. Other works include "New Structure 14," reflecting contemporary imagery; "New Structure 8 Black Bird & Crystal," the largest piece in the exhibition; "New Structure 15," focusing on the physical properties of sculptural materials; and "New Structure 6 Key & Blue," inspired by Gwon’s travels to Okinawa. The Inspire, located just 10 minutes from Incheon International Airport, is the first Asian outpost for the American casino and gaming company Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE). The resort offers a diverse range of artistic experiences, including the digital street Aurora. Aurora has gained popularity for its display featuring a giant pink whale swimming across a LED ceiling, which was shown in a Korea tourism promotion video starring K-pop group NewJeans. Michael Jensen, CMO of Mohegan Inspire, highlighted the spatial relations between Gwon’s works and the resort during the reception, saying the Rotunda's kinetic chandelier and Gwon's dynamic sculptures "will create a unique and inspiring art experience." "We aim to awaken artistic inspiration and new senses in visitors through collaborations with K-artists and diverse art content, from media art to contemporary art," Jensen said. Source: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2024/07/690_379496.html 

2024.07.29

[News Article] LG엔솔·삼성SDI, 배터리 폐기물 90% 이상 재활용

LG엔솔·삼성SDI, 배터리 폐기물 90% 이상 재활용   더일렉 이민조 기자 - LG에너지솔루션과 삼성SDI가 배터리 폐기물 재활용률을 크게 높였다.  29일 각 사의 지난해 지속가능보고서에 따르면 국내 대표 배터리 기업인 LG에너지솔루션과 삼성SDI는 사업장에서 발생하는 폐기물을 90% 이상 재활용하고 있다. 폐기물은 양·음극 전극, 폐액, 불량 셀·모듈 등의 형태로 배터리 생산 공정 중 발생한다. LG에너지솔루션은 지난해 24만4000톤 이상의 폐기물을 배출했으나 이중 22만톤을 재활용했다. 재활용률은 전년대비 7%p 증가한 90%를 기록했다. 사업장에서 배출되는 폐기물 매립 제로화도 추진하고 있다. 올해 사업자별 목표는 국내 오창 에너지플랜트 98% 이상, 중국 남경 사업장 100% 등이다. 중국 남경 사업장은 위험 폐기물 처리 신기술도 개발했다. 폐기물의 대부분을 차지하는 폐전극재료 NMP 용매 재활용률을 80%에서 97%까지 늘렸다. NMP 용매는 배터리 내부에서 전극과 전해질의 연결을 돕지만 독성이 높아 대체 용매에 대한 개발이 이뤄지고 있다. 삼성SDI도 지난해 발생한 17만5000톤 규모의 폐기물 중 약 16만5000톤을 재활용했다. 국내와 해외 사업장의 재활용률은 각각 96%, 94%를 기록했다.  글로벌 사업장을 대상으로 플래티넘 인증 사업장의 수도 증가했다. 2022년 플래티넘 인증 사업장은 국내 사업장 뿐이었으나 2023년에는 중국과 베트남 법인까지 총 9개가 됐다. 올해는 12개의 사업장에서 플래티넘 인증 획득이 목표다. 플래티넘 인증은 폐기물 재활용률이 100%일 경우 획득할 수 있다. 특히, 헝가리법인에서는 폐배터리 처리 방법으로 건식 방전을 도입했다. 지난해 4분기 비가동 설비를 ‘건식 방전 설비’로 개조해 자원순환 관리에 나선 것이다. 개발한 ‘건식 방전 알고리즘’을 통해 보다 안전하게 배터리를 완전 방전시킨다. 기존 습식 방전 대비 염수 사용을 줄여 폐염수 발생량도 줄였다. 지난해 해외 사업장의 폐염수 발생량은 전년대비 7% 감소했다. 출처: https://www.thelec.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=29317 

2024.07.29

[News Article] Korean Air selects GE Aerospace’s Safety Insight

Korean Air selects GE Aerospace’s Safety Insight  Asian Aviation - GE Aerospace announced a significant new Safety Insight contract with South Korea’s leading global airline Korean Air. The deal will see the airline use GE Aerospace’s Flight Data Monitoring system across the company. Safety Insight will empower Korean Air and its leading low-cost carrier, Jin Air, to enhance safety protocols and operational effectiveness through advanced analytics, automation, and high-speed processing of big data with high fidelity and quality. GE Aerospace’s Event Measurement System (EMS) and Flight Analytics solutions will further enable the airline to refine operational practices, manage data flow across its operations, and process thousands of flights in minutes—a task that previously took up to a half day to complete. As Korean Air expands the use of its Full Flight Data for diagnostics, operational analysis, and improved flight training, GE Aerospace’s Aviation Insight Portal will provide intuitive visibility and understanding of fleet status, data availability and simplified data sharing across the company to enable high value activities critical to its operational safety, efficiency and reliability. “By partnering with GE Aerospace, we are confident that our flight operations are equipped with top-tier software solutions capable of performing at a large scale,” said Do Kun Kim, Vice President and Head of Corporate Aviation Security Strategy, Korean Air. “Their alignment with our growth objectives and shared commitment to safety and excellence made them a natural partner.” “For over half a century, Korean Air has set the highest standard for excellence in global aviation. We are proud that our Safety Insight solutions will enable Korean Air to leverage their flight data to achieve even greater safety and operational performance,” said Andrew Coleman, General Manager, GE Aerospace, Software as a Service. Source: https://asianaviation.com/korean-air-selects-ge-aerospaces-safety-insight/ 

2024.07.29

[News Article] SK hynix to invest 9.4 tril. won in 1st fab in Yongin chip cluster

SK hynix to invest 9.4 tril. won in 1st fab in Yongin chip cluster   The Korea Times - SK hynix announced Friday a plan to invest 9.4 trillion won ($6.8 billion) in building its first fab and relevant facilities at an envisioned semiconductor cluster in Yongin, south of Seoul. The world's No. 2 memory chip maker said its board approved of the investment plan for the semiconductor cluster, which it aims to nurture into a key production base for artificial intelligence (AI) memory chips. SK hynix plans to begin construction of the first chip plant in March next year and complete it by May 2027. It will also build three additional fabs in the 4.15 million-square-meter cluster. "We will do our best to build the fab to cement the foundation for our company's future growth and to respond to surging AI chip demand in a timely manner," the company said. The investment amount includes the cost of building the first chip plant, as well as business facilities, such as water treatment facilities, power facilities and offices, according to SK hynix. SK hynix is a key HBM supplier to the U.S. AI chip giant Nvidia, a major player in the AI semiconductor market with its graphics processing units. SK hynix reported its highest quarterly profit in six years in the April-June period, fueled by solid sales of its premium memory chips used in AI computing. (Yonhap) Source: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2024/07/419_379433.html 

2024.07.29

[News Article] Posco threads new life to old uniforms for Philippine communities

Posco threads new life to old uniforms for Philippine communities   By Kim Jun-hong, The Korea Herald - Posco Group announced Friday that it donated 30,000 uniforms that no longer serve its employees to be upcycled for communities in the Philippines affected by disasters. After introducing new uniforms in February, Posco sought ways to utilize the former ones. This latest effort brings their total number of donated uniforms to 100,000, following previous donations to vulnerable groups in Mongolia and Madagascar. The company collaborated with non-governmental organizations active in international relief work to donate the uniforms to Igting, a social enterprise that aids the self-sufficiency of low-income families in the Philippines. The donated uniforms will be upcycled into new clothing and bags by women in the Towerville neighborhood, a resettlement area for urban migrants in the Philippines. Posco highlighted that this project not only emphasizes resource recycling but also supports the livelihoods of the relocated women through profits from the repurposed products. Around 300 people, including members of Posco's social contribution department, partner NGO representatives and local residents, participated in the donation ceremony on July 2. "We hope that Philippines' female householders, who are starting anew with uniforms imbued with the dedication and hard work of Posco employees, settle well and continue to prosper," said a company official. In addition to donating uniforms, the employees also provided essential daily items to underserved communities and participated in construction volunteer activities using the group's steel plates to build housing for those displaced by natural disasters. Beyond overseas uniform donations, Posco engages in various social contribution projects worldwide. In January next year, it plans to undertake eco-friendly construction, cultural performances and educational volunteer activities in Cilegon, Indonesia. Source: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240726050571

2024.07.29

[News Article] SPC 배스킨라빈스, 수익 3.1% 기부하는 '31데이' 사전예약 시작

SPC 배스킨라빈스, 수익 3.1% 기부하는 '31데이' 사전예약 시작   조선비즈 양범수 기자 - SPC그룹이 운영하는 배스킨라빈스가 오는 31일 패밀리 크기 제품을 하프갤론 크기로 변경해주는 ‘31데이’ 행사를 진행한다고 26일 밝혔다. 이번 행사는 사전예약과 증정 쿠폰 등 다양한 혜택도 함께 제공하며, 수익금의 3.1%를 기부한다. 사전예약은 오는 30일까지 SPC그룹 애플리케이션(앱)인 해피오더로 이뤄지며, 하프갤론 제품 사전 예약 시 추가 할인 혜택을 제공한다. 또 31데이 당일에 매장에서는 오후 6시까지 블록팩 추가 증정 행사도 진행한다. 배스킨라빈스는 또 하프갤론 업그레이드 행사에 참여하는 모든 고객에게 재방문 시 사용 가능한 싱글레귤러 1+1 영수증 쿠폰도 제공한다. 해당 쿠폰은 내달 1일부터 11일까지 사용할 수 있다. 올해 총 7번 진행하는 31데이 누적 참여 횟수에 따라 혜택이 늘어나는 31 VIP 스탬프 행사도 진행된다. 이달 31데이 수익의 3.1%는 어린이들에게 새로운 놀이터를 제공하기 위한 핑크드림 캠페인 시즌2 기부금으로도 적립될 예정이다. 핑크드림 캠페인은 NGO단체 월드비전과 협력해 31데이 행사를 통한 기부금으로 주변 이웃을 돕는 사회공헌 활동이다. 배스킨라빈스 관계자는 “무더위 7월을 달콤하게 마무리하실 수 있도록 사전 예약, 재방문 쿠폰 등 풍성한 혜택을 더한 31데이를 준비했다”며 “아이스크림을 즐기고, 노후된 놀이터를 재정비하는 기부에도 동참하시길 바란다”고 했다. 출처: https://biz.chosun.com/distribution/food/2024/07/26/ARSHSACQSNG5ND3255E7MHQWNA/ 

2024.07.29

[News Article] E-Mart’s No Brand success story: A Korean snack chain goes global

E-Mart’s No Brand success story: A Korean snack chain goes global   Sun A Lee, The Korea Economic Daily - When South Korean convenience store operator E-Mart Inc. launched its low-budget house label No Brand in 2015, few thought it would last long. Under its motto, “ultra-cheap prices beyond common sense,” No Brand has since unveiled snacks, food and daily necessities sold at even below half the usual prices found in other convenience stores in Korea. A 110-gram bag of No Brand potato chips, which began selling at 890 won (64 cents) in June 2015, bears the same price tag now. Such an ultra-low-price strategy has worked. The No Brand outlets have grown to 250, with the number of products sold there rising to 1,500 from just nine over the years. Having tasted success in Korea, E-Mart, a unit of Korean retail giant Shinsegae Inc., is now taking the business model abroad, intending to become something big like Trader Joe’s, a US grocery chain store operator, or Europe’s Aldi, a chain of low-budget retail stores. NO BRAND IN LAOS According to industry sources on Friday, E-Mart will open a standalone No Brand outlet in Laos next month. The No Brand outlet, its first in Laos, will largely be filled with its own brand products, just like Trader Joe's or Aldi. E-Mart aims to raise the number of No Brand outlets to three by the end of this year and increase this further to 70 over the next decade. In February, E-Mart signed a master franchise agreement with Kolao Group to foray into the Laotian market. Under the agreement, E-Mart also plans to separately open its own stores – as many as 20 – within a decade. Riding on the K-food popularity in Southeast Asia, E-Mart is already selling No Brand products at its stores in Vietnam and Mongolia. For its business in Cambodia, E-Mart, via its affiliate E-Mart24 Inc., in December 2023 signed a master franchise agreement with Saihan Partners, a joint venture between Cambodia’s food and beverage conglomerate Saisons Brother Holding Co. and Korea’s Hanlim Architecture Group. In the Philippines, E-Mart operates 19 stores that sell No Brand products. MERIENDA TIME To appeal to the Filipinos, who enjoy the “merienda” time, during which snacks or meals outside the traditional staples of breakfast, lunch or dinner are served, No Brand sells coffee and tea products in individual units instead of bunched bags. In 2023, E-Mart’s No Brand product exports to the Philippines, Mongolia and Vietnam rose 35%, 27% and 59%, respectively, from the previous year. “Our No Brand product prices are even lower than K-food sold locally in those countries,” said an E-Mart official. E-Mart’s private label products, including those sold under Molly’s, reached 37.4 billion won ($27 million) last year, up 37% from the year prior. Industry officials are closely watching E-Mart’s aggressive launching of its No Brand products in overseas markets to see if the Korean retailer can replicate the success of Costco’s Kirkland – a success story of a retailer’s house brand going global. Other Korean hypermarket operators such as Lotte Shopping’s Lotte Mart and Shinsegae’s Homeplus are trying to bring their house brand products overseas. Their brand awareness, however, is highly limited, said the officials. Source: https://www.kedglobal.com/retail/newsView/ked202407260013 

2024.07.29

[News Article] '이온' 손잡은 LG CNS, 日 에듀테크 시장 본격 공략

'이온' 손잡은 LG CNS, 日 에듀테크 시장 본격 공략  지디넷코리아 장유미 기자 - LG CNS가 일본 유명 교육업체 이온(AEON)과 손잡고 일본 에듀테크 시장 공략에 본격 나선다.  LG CNS는 최근 일본 내 300여 개의 직영 어학원을 운영하는 이온(AEON)과 업무협약(MOU)을 체결했다고 25일 밝혔다.   이번 협약을 바탕으로 LG CNS는 ▲일본 공교육용 영어회화 AI튜터 앱 구축 ▲'AI 스피크 튜터 2(AI Speak Tutor 2)' 앱 리뉴얼 ▲이온 온라인 학습 운영 플랫폼(Learning Management system, LMS) 고도화 ▲온·오프라인 학습 데이터 통합 및 분석 등 이온의 모든 교육사업에 DX기술을 심는다.  먼저 양사는 'AI 스피크 튜터 포 스쿨(for School, 가칭)' 앱을 신규 출시하고 일본 영어 공교육 시장에 진출한다. 일본은 2019년부터 일본 문부과학성의 기가스쿨 정책 일환으로 초·중교 학생들에게 1인당 1대의 ICT 단말기(노트북, 아이패드 등)를 지급했다. 현재 단말기 보급률이 99%가 넘는 것으로 알려져 있지만 단말기에서 이용할 수 있는 AI 기반의 영어회화 콘텐츠는 부족한 상황이다.   이 점에 착안해 LG CNS는 일본 성인 이용자에게 제공 중인 'AI 스피크 튜터 2'를 초·중교 학생 대상으로 특화하고 'AI 스피크 튜터 포 스쿨'을 개발한다. 양사는 일본 초·중교 학생들에게 영어 교과서를 활용한 AI 영어회화 서비스를 제공할 계획이다.  LG CNS는 기존 회화 중심의 'AI 스피크 튜터 2'를 ▲회화 ▲읽기 ▲듣기 ▲테스트 등을 제공하는 통합 영어학습 앱으로 리뉴얼한다. 이를 위해 양사는 50년 넘는 이온의 영어 교육 커리큘럼과 노하우, LG CNS의 기술력을 결합한다.   양사는 2021년부터 일본 에듀테크 사업을 위해 협력해왔다. LG CNS의 AI튜터 앱 '버터타임'을 기반으로 커스터마이징한 'AI 스피크 튜터 2'에서 이용자는 500개가 넘는 상황별, 직업별 대화를 AI와 역할을 나눠 연습하거나 챗GPT와 프리토킹이 가능하다. 또 언제 어디서나 영어 표현, 발음 등도 연습할 수 있다. 'AI 스피크 튜터 2'에 접목된 AI가 영어 발음, 발화속도, 정답 유사도 등을 분석해 이용자의 회화 실력을 측정하고 레벨을 진단한다.  LG CNS는 이온 온라인 학습 플랫폼도 고도화한다. 이 플랫폼에는 ▲강사 선택 ▲수업 예약 ▲AI 레벨 테스트 ▲커리큘럼 관리 ▲학생 관리 등 기능이 있다. 하나의 플랫폼 안에서 수강생들은 자유롭게 온라인 학습을 하고 강사들은 수 많은 수강생들을 편리하게 관리할 수 있다. LG CNS는 AI, 빅데이터 기반의 학생·강사·학습 통합 데이터 관리 기능도 탑재할 계획이다. 이온은 플랫폼을 통해 온·오프라인 채널에서 수집되는 ▲상담 기록 ▲강의 수강 데이터 ▲테스트 기록 등 수강생들의 모든 데이터를 수집, 분석할 수 있다. 이를 기반으로 이온은 수강생 개개인에게 꼭 필요한 1:1 맞춤형 학습과정 제공이 가능하다.  LG CNS는 국내에서도 에듀테크 사업을 활발하게 하고 있다. LG CNS는 교육출판 전문기업과 AI 디지털교과서 플랫폼 구축 사업을 진행하고 있다. 이 사업은 클라우드, AI, 보안 등 다양한 DX기술을 바탕으로 종이 교과서를 디지털화하고 AI로 학생들의 학업 수준을 파악해 맞춤 학습을 제공하는 고난이도의 프로젝트다. LG CNS는 ▲서울시 ▲경기도 ▲부산시 등 전국 12개 시도교육청에 다년간 공교육 영어회화 서비스를 제공한 경험도 있으며 자체 영어회화 AI튜터 앱 '버터타임'도 보유하고 있다.  LG CNS 통신·유통·서비스사업부장 박상균 전무는 "이번 협약을 기점으로 일본 에듀테크 사업 공략에 더욱 박차를 가할 계획"이라며 "이온과 함께 일본 에듀테크 B2C(기업과 소비자간 거래) 사업을 넘어 B2B(기업간 거래)·B2G(기업과 정부간 거래)로도 시장을 전략적으로 확대해 나가겠다"고 강조했다.  출처: https://zdnet.co.kr/view/?no=20240725093648

2024.07.29

[News Article] Hyundai Motor reports highest quarterly earnings on improved sales mix

Hyundai Motor reports highest quarterly earnings on improved sales mix Robust sales for hybrid cars offset falling demand for electric vehicles   By Lee Min-hyung, The Korea Times - Hyundai Motor set a new quarterly earnings record between April and June on its improved vehicle sales mix, focusing on profitable hybrid cars even amid falling demand for electric vehicles (EV), the carmaker said in a regulatory filing Thursday. It attained an operating profit of 4.27 trillion won ($3.08 billion) in the second quarter, up 0.7 percent from the previous year. Its sales also widened by 6.6 percent to 45.02 trillion won during the same period. This was driven by its optimized sales and production for diverse vehicle lineups. The company said it will focus on expanding sales of SUVs and value-added vehicles to address the ongoing slowdown in the global EV industry. “We will continue raising our profitability and global market share by improving the product mix with the focus on SUVs and value-added vehicles,” an official from Hyundai Motor said. The carmaker also expected demand for hybrid cars to grow further from a short-term viewpoint, as the EV market here and abroad entered a stagnation phase, known as the “chasm,” before its mass adoption at some point in the not-too-distant future. However, most major countries are moving to increase investment toward the environment, as demand for EVs will drive the eco-friendly vehicle market from a mid- to longer-term viewpoint, according to the company. Toward that end, the company shared plans to diversify the lineup of its flagship IONIQ EV brand and successfully launch its Casper Electric compact vehicle on the global market. It also reiterated its firm willingness to enhance its technological prowess for hybrid vehicles. The carmaker also said the prolonged high interest rates and its subsequent demand slowdown will keep posing a downward risk for its additional growth. Macroeconomic uncertainties in emerging economies will also make it harder for the carmaker to forecast its management environment down the road. Hyundai Motor also decided to fix its dividend per share at 2,000 won in the second quarter, up 33.3 percent from a year earlier. “We will keep reviewing an active set of shareholder return policies and enhancing shareholder value,” the official said. The carmaker also set a new record in sales for the first six months combined, with the figure reaching 85.67 trillion won, up 7 percent from a year earlier. But its operating profit slightly declined during the same period, after the figure reached 7.83 trillion won in the first half of this year, down 0.68 percent from the previous year. Source: https://koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2024/07/419_379363.html?utm_source=nans 

2024.07.26