The 21st presidential election of Republic of Korea is to be held on June 3, with early voting on May 29 and 30. A total of six candidates have officially registered.This special feature focuses on key policy comparisons. Among the six candidates, the nominees of the three major parties with the most seats in parliament were selected: Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, and Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party. Their main pledges are summarized across five key policy areas: science and technology, youth, regional decline, climate crisis, and soci

On May 6, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won issued a public apology following a massive data breach at SK Telecom (SKT), South Korea’s largest mobile carrier. SKT first notified some users of a breach on April 19, just a day after the attack. However, most users remained unaware until April 24, when SKT confirmed to the press that its Home Subscriber Server had been compromised by a backdoor malware attack.The data breach occurred due to a BPFDoor hacking module that had been installed on the system through an unknown route. BPFDoor is a utility software designed to analyze network packets that t

Imagine you are in the middle of the sea fishing. You are bored and you want to watch a movie, but the internet connection is too weak. Fortunately, you may not have to worry about this anymore. Global satellite communication corporations are competing for the technology you are looking for: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communication.LEO satellite communication uses satellites that rotate the LEO, the earth-centered orbits with an altitude of 2,000 km or less. This is contrary to the preexisting satellite communication, which utilizes geostationary orbit (GEO) with an altitude of about 36,0

The 2024 Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry were awarded to scientists who have successfully converged AI to their own field. AI has become an essential tool in our daily lives, and its application in various fields is now regarded as one of the most significant topics in STEM fields. Biology is one of them, and the key to this integration is the collection of biodata that AI could analyze and learn from.The collection of biodata is crucial in research for various diseases. Biological big data on rare diseases plays a pivotal role in identifying unknown pathways regarding diseases, which in

Wait…what was his name again? It is right there, on the tip of your tongue. You can picture his face, recall the movie he starred in, and even remember the color of his shirt in that one scene – but the name? Gone. Moments like this were rare. Yet, day by day, they happen more often. People may chalk it up to an exceptional situation or getting old. However, digital devices might be the reason for this phenomenon. In an ever-more digitalized world, there is no need to memorize information. Whether it is a phone number, a path to a particular location, or scheduled meetings, a digital device ke

Once among the world’s poorest nations, Korea has defied the odds, emerging as a leading force in technology, innovation, and economic growth. Without any valuable resources available from the land, Korea has made the impossible leap solely through human initiative. The dramatic rise of successful companies such as Samsung and Hyundai propelled Korea’s technological development. Nevertheless, Korea is failing to create companies with global influence these days, and even the existing businesses are struggling in the global market. Despite rapid growth in the past, Korea lacks the fundamentals

Oct. 13. In 2024, the seven-minute landing of the 71-meter-long rocket astonished the world. SpaceX, a private space company, achieved its first smooth and groundbreaking success. This opened the dimension of the reusable transportation system running in orbit.On Feb. 25, the Korean government announced a project to develop the next-generation reusable launch vehicle at the National Space Committee. As reusable launch vehicles become a mainstream trend, the government has shown strong commitment to new technology. Many countries, including China, Japan, and India, are also developing reusable

In a sudden and unexpected development, a relatively unknown Chinese AI startup, DeepSeek, has emerged as a major player in the artificial intelligence landscape, sending shockwaves through global technology markets. Its low-cost, high-performance AI model has ignited concerns over the future of US dominance in AI, contributing to a significant drop in stock prices for leading tech firms such as Nvidia, Microsoft, and Alphabet.DeepSeek is a Chinese artificial intelligence company based in Hangzhou and founded in 2023 by Liang Wenfeng. Liang, a seasoned entrepreneur with a background in electro

On Dec. 29, 2024, an aircraft attempting to land at Muan International Airport skidded off the runway. This accident resulted in the death of all passengers on the plane. A month later, on Jan. 28, a fire broke out at Gimhae International Airport, where the tail of an aircraft waiting for takeoff on the runway caught fire. On Jan. 29, an accident also occurred in Washington, USA, when a small passenger plane collided with a military helicopter in the sky, causing both aircraft to crash and killing all on board. Then, on Jan. 31, a small passenger plane with six people on board crashed into a d

Recent research by the ShadowServer Foundation has revealed that approximately 3.3 million mail servers worldwide are vulnerable to network sniffing attacks due to the absence of Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption. The servers, which primarily use Post Office Protocol (POP3) and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) for email retrieval, are at risk of exposing sensitive user data, including usernames and passwords. POP3 is a protocol that downloads emails from the server to a local device, often deleting them from the server in the process, making the emails accessible only from the d

Fireworks are an essential part of celebrations and commemorations. From the United States’ Independence Day to New Year’s fireworks in Rome, it is common to see fireworks used to mark special occasions. In Korea, large-scale fireworks festivals, such as the Seoul International Fireworks Festival and the Busan Fireworks Festival, are held annually. However, many would be surprised to learn that fireworks can harm not just people but also animals and the environment.Colorful fireworks have been used as entertainment to celebrate special days since ancient times. It is believed that the first fi

Used to be, but slightly different. We can easily recall changes among familiar companies. For example, Facebook changed the company’s name to Meta, and Pepsi simplified its logo. All these attempts are a part of rebranding. Rebranding is a rearrangement of business identity, which includes logo redesign, updating the business motto, or expanding the business area.Rebranding is a response to consumer demand. The shift in the main customer responsible for consumption would be an appropriate sign of the rebranding timing. One big example of this is a pop-up store. A lot of companies have opened

The difference between assisted dying and euthanasia lies in the method and the primary agent of medical intervention in a patient’s death.Assisted dying refers to a situation where a patient ends their life by self-administering prescribed drugs or following prepared procedures under a doctor’s guidance. The emphasis is on the patient’s autonomy and choice, with the physician providing the necessary drugs or tools but not directly administering them. Euthanasia, on the other hand, involves a doctor actively helping to end a patient’s life. This could include administering a lethal dose of med

The Korean National Assembly has once again proposed the “Tattooist Law,” which legalizes tattooing procedures performed by non-medical professionals. According to the current medical law in Korea, the tattooing procedure can only be carried out by medical professionals - doctors to be more specific. This restriction, however, has been criticized for being outdated, as tattooing procedures have become increasingly common. The tattooing procedure under the limitation includes not only regular body tattoos but also semi-permanent makeup such as eyebrow tattoos, and according to the Korean Minist

Donald Trump has been re-elected as the 47th President of the U.S., delivering a defeat to his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. The second presidency of Donald Trump begins on Jan. 20, 2025. In his victory speech, triumphant Trump declared, “This will truly be the golden age of America. This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again.”Weeks before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the media was filled with reports predicting a close race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. As Harris continued to bring a fresh wave of energy with her c

Since the Korean Armistice Agreement of 1953, Korea has remained divided into two separate states for more than seven decades. Despite the ceasefire, military tensions have persisted, leading both sides to engage in an arms race. While North Korea has focused most of its resources on developing nuclear weapons, South Korea has advanced in the production of conventional weapons, such as tanks, missiles, and aircraft. As a result, South Korea’s arms and defense industry has grown significantly, enabling the country to emerge as a global exporter of military equipment.In 2022, South Korea’s defen

Google is under investigation for its tie-in sales of YouTube Premium and YouTube Music services. According to the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), KFTC is inquiring whether Google’s policy to restrict the purchase of YouTube Premium service without YouTube Music is against the Enforcement Decree of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act. After the launch on Nov. 12, 2015, YouTube Music started its services in Korea in February 2020. At the time, YouTube was a latecomer to the music streaming market of Korea, since domestic music streaming services, such as Melon, were holding a large u

On Aug. 15, Korea’s National Liberation Day, Lee Ok-bi, a descendant of independence activist and poet Lee Won-rok (also known as Lee Yuk-sa), wept as she saw a photo of Lee Won-rok dressed in a turquoise Hanbok. This image was part of a video created by a food company in collaboration with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. It digitally recreated the appearance of Lee Won-rok, whose last known photo was a mugshot from his imprisonment. The video even showed independence activists walking outside Seodaemun Prison wearing Hanbok. These scenes were possible through deepfake technolog

Despite all the pessimistic predictions, Team Korea achieved great success at the Paris 2024 Olympics, held this summer from July 26 to Aug. 11. The 33rd Summer Olympics, branded as “Paris 2024”, drew significant public attention for its locational attributes prior to the opening ceremony. Satisfying the public’s expectations, various matches were held in representative locations of Paris, which left a powerful impression on those who admired the city. The beach volleyball matches were held with the Eiffel Tower as a background, and the fencing matches were held at the Grand Palais. The event

A historical fire caused by the Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle (EV) explosion remained ablaze for eight hours, damaging over 140 cars and residential property. Fortunately, there were no casualties. What is particularly unusual is that the vehicle caught fire from a stationary EV parked in an underground parking lot. The EV was not even plugged into the charger at the time of the explosion. The recent incident has sparked worries about the batteries used in EVs, and phobia towards EVs is spreading throughout South Korea. On Aug. 1, at approximately 6:08 A.M., a fire erupted in a Mercedes-Benz