JEJU, South Korea, Feb. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — The honeybee population in Jeju has been steadily declining, raising concerns among local farmers and environmental experts. According to data released by the Jeju provincial government on February 13, the number of beehives on the island has consistently decreased over the past five years, falling from 80,803 in [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — As South Korean semiconductor manufacturers pivot toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips in the artificial intelligence era, they face mounting uncertainties from aggressive Chinese competition and potential tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump. While analysts suggest that tariff impacts may be limited given the relatively small share of semiconductor exports [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Privacy watchdogs and government agencies are raising alarms about DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence platform, amid reports of extensive data collection practices. However, tech enthusiasts and small businesses are increasingly turning to the platform’s open-source models as an alternative. According to DeepSeek’s privacy policy released on February 9, the platform [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s ambitious deep-sea gas exploration project, codenamed “Daewang Whale,” faces an uncertain future after the first drilling attempt failed to yield economically viable hydrocarbon reserves. With the government unwilling to fund a second drilling phase and the Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) grappling with financial instability, the project’s continuation [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — While legal experts believe a Supreme Court reversal is unlikely, the extended legal process means Samsung must continue navigating uncertainties that could affect its strategic decision-making. The prolonged case may delay key investment decisions and hinder Samsung’s ability to recover from its recent struggles in the semiconductor industry. A senior [...]
HAENAM, South Korea, Feb. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Haenam County in South Jeolla Province has introduced an expanded financial support system for newborns, ensuring that a child born in 2025 will receive up to 91.56 million KRW ($63,100) in government assistance by the time they turn 18. According to Haenam County officials on February 7, the [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cautioned that downside risks to South Korea’s economy remain significant, citing prolonged political uncertainty as a key factor that could dampen investment and consumer sentiment while heightening financial volatility. In its 2024 Annual Consultation Report on South Korea, released on February 7, the IMF [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Ministry of Justice has embarked on a sweeping revision of the nation’s Civil Act, marking the first comprehensive overhaul since its enactment in 1958. The reform aims to modernize property and contract laws, reflecting economic shifts and aligning with global legal standards. The ministry announced on February 7 [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — In a vocational training center in Seoul’s Jung district, Shin Hae-cheong, 72, carefully measures wallpaper and prepares paste for his latest assignment. A real estate agent by trade, Shin traveled from his provincial home to the capital to earn a wallpapering certification — what he hopes will be his ticket [...]
SEOUL, Feb. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Leading South Korean companies and institutions are increasingly restricting the use of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence model, amid concerns over its excessive data collection practices. Kakao, which recently announced an official partnership with OpenAI, became the first major South Korean IT company to prohibit DeepSeek’s use for internal operations, [...]