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Park Jin-hai

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.

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Companies

Hyundai Motor to make fully autonomous car by 2030

By Park Jin-haiKwon Moon-sik, Hyundai Motor Group vice chairmanHyundai Motor’s top executive during a meet-the-customer event said it will produce fully-autonomous cars by 2030.Kwon Moon-sik, Hyundai Motor Group vice chairman, said that the company’s autonomous driving technology is advanced in comparison to that of Google’s during the Maum (Heart) Dream event Hyundai organized to enhance communication with its customers.“The Google driverless car employs a rotating rooftop camera, but Hyundai cars have a three-dimensional scanning system,” he said, stressing that Hyundai’s technological prowess before 200 guests arrived, mainly engineering university students, at The K Hotel, in southern Seoul, Monday.“We forecast Hyundai will realize highly autonomous driving by 2020 and fully-autonomous driving by 2030,” he added.Starting with the EQ900, a luxury sedan to be launched next month under the Genesis brand, Hyundai will produce a partially autonomous driving car with highway driving assist. The feature, as an early stage of autonomous dri

Nov 18, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Hyundai Motor to make fully autonomous car by 2030
Companies

Oil refining businesses to hit record year

By Park Jin-haiLocal oil refiners are forecast to post the best performance this year, buoyed by low crude prices and increased margins.According to industry data, the big four local refiners ― SK Innovation, GS Caltex, S-Oil, and Hyundai Oilbank ― are expected to report yet another good performance in the fourth quarter, following a 4.47 trillion won combined operating profit in the previous quarter, the highest in four years.Industry watchers are now weighing in on whether their 2015 performance could break the 2011 record.  It is a sharp turnaround from their 2014 performance, when they posted 1.4 trillion won in operating losses. In particular, losses in the refining sector were over 2.3 trillion won, according to data from the Korea Petroleum Association.Their operating profit has been on a downturn since reaching a high of 5.3 trillion won in 2011, slipping to 1.7 trillion won in 2012 and to 1.6 trillion won in 2013.  Lowered crude prices could be bad news for refiners in the short term because it could lead to increased end product prices. But in the long r

Nov 18, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Kolmar Korea bags W72 billion export deal in China

By Park Jin-haiLocal cosmetics maker Kolmar Korea said Tuesday it had clinched a 72 billion won worth supply agreement with China’s to door-to-door seller Quanjian Group.Under the strategic partnership, the Chinese firm will establish a Korean office within this year and exclusively receive cosmetics from Kolmar. Those made-in Korea products will be exported back to China.Kolmar as original design manufacturer will produce, manufacture and carry out research and development.Kolmar BNH, Kolmar’s health food unit, will export its products to China, while also establishing a plant in Jiangsu Province, jointly with the Quanjian Group. Products made there will be sold through the Chinese firm’s nationwide sales networks.“As early as the first quarter of next year, our cosmetics and health foods will hit the market,” said a company official.Jung Hwa-young, Kolmar BNH CEO, said, “By entering into the 40 trillion won Chinese health food market that posts an average 15 percent growth each year, we expect our sales will substantially grow.”The Quanjian

Nov 17, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Local builders vie for Vietnam project

By Park Jin-haiMajor local builders are in fierce competition to bag a construction project of over 100 billion won in Vietnam.Five builders ― Daewoo E&C, SK E&C, Hyundai Development Company, GS E&C and Daelim ― have participated in the bidding for the construction of the Hung Ha Bridge in Vietnam, which was closed on Nov. 5.It is a construction project for a 6.3 kilometer bridge connecting Hung Yen Province and Ha Nam Province.With the total construction cost of 104.6 billion won ($90 million), the selected bidder will complete the bridge in 36 months.As a Korea Exchange Bank’s overseas construction project, the winning local builder will be able to tap into the bank’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund. The Korean government is striving to help Korean companies win upcoming large-scale national projects in Vietnam by providing various types of assistance such as development finance, project loans and payment guarantees.The Hung Ha Bridge project is part of the Vietnam Transport Network Master Plan, upgrading its transportation infrastructur

Nov 16, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Merck Korea embroiled in labor dispute

By Park Jin-haiMerck Korea has been facing protests from its unionized workers as company management refuses to recognize the union.The labor union claims that what Merck Korea, the Korean unit of the multinational pharmaceutical giant based in Germany, has put on the negotiation table was “rubbish” and the company has constantly discouraged the participation in the union.The company’s union members have been holding a one-man protest in front of the company headquarters in southern Seoul since Oct.12, calling for the company headed by CEO Michael Grund to come to the table in earnest.The collective agreement submitted by the drug giant for this year failed to mention employees’ welfare.“I have never seen anything like Merck’s collective agreement,” said Jang Hwan, spokesperson for the Korea Democratic Pharmaceutical Union which includes 90 unionized workers from Merck’s, during a phone interview with the Korea Times, Friday. “Unlike others that have multi-page agreements with at least 60 clauses, Merck’s was only two pages

Nov 13, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

KEPCO to train technicians in Ghana

By Park Jin-haiKorea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) signed a $2.5 million agreement with Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to train Ghana’s electrical technicians, said the company Friday.As part of KOICA’s aid program, the state-run power company will offer advice on establishing a master plan for nurturing human resources, set up a training center and develop educational programs in the following 25 month, in cooperation with the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo).It is KEPCO’s second such agreement with KOICA’s project in Ghana. In 2013, the power company bagged a $1.5 million aid program where it offered to strengthen the African nation’s power industry potential during a 30 month time frame.KEPCO invited trainees to Korea and conducted six educational sessions here, while four educational sessions were carried out in Ghana. A total of 147 people benefited from the program.KEPCO said its technological advisory service on power transmission and transformation helped GRIDCo to the extent that it led to its second contract in Ghana.“Ba

Nov 13, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Kumho Tire accepting applications for multiracial family support program

By Park Jin-haiKumho Tire announced Wednesday that it is accepting applications for its annual multiracial family support program.Under the Korea-Vietnam multiracial family support program, the local tire manufacturer will select ten families comprising Korean men with Vietnamese wives, who have economic difficulties, and sponsor a six-day trip for them to Vietnam, covering all expenses including airline tickets.As part of its corporate social responsibility program, Kumho Tire has been conducting the program, in which a total of 43 families have benefited, since 2013.It aims to help Vietnamese wives in Korea better adapt to their new environment here and provide opportunities for their children to learn about their mother country.The ten families to be selected this year will visit Vietnam in January, 2016.“Each year, we have been receiving greater responses from those families. We hope many multicultural families will apply for this meaningful program this year,” said Kim Soo-ok, general affairs and administration vice-president at Kumho Tire.The tire maker, beginning w

Nov 12, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Imported carmakers strikes back with aggressive sales promotion

By Park Jin-haiImported carmakers, involved in multiple recent misfortunes here, ranging from an emission cheating scandal and vehicle fires, have upped their sales promotions.As the nation’s largest carmaker, Hyundai, is set to launch its first luxury sedan, the EQ900, here next month, imported carmakers are making a last ditch effort to fight for market share over the remaining months of the year.Volkswagen, whose October sales dropped more than 60 percent from a month earlier, has been making the most aggressive sales promotions.Customers think this is a good time to purchase a car.“I have waited for about ten minutes, because all dealers in the shop were talking with customers,” said Kim Yeon-seo, who signed a contract to purchase a Beetle, at a Volkswagen showroom in southern Seoul, crowded with customers.“The carmaker is giving big discounts at the moment, and I think it is good time to buy a car at cheaper price. Say, ten years from now, I think the carmaker will be recovered from the recent turmoil, with its vehicle prices going up again,” she ad

Nov 11, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Hyundai Motor unveils new Genesis

The Hyundai EQ900, globally named the G90, was unveiled, Tuesday. The partially autonomous luxury sedan will be the first car bearing the new Genesis brand. / Courtesy of Hyundai MotorBy Park Jin-haiHyundai Motor unveiled its first premium luxury sedan, the EQ900 (globally to be named the G90), under the new Genesis brand.The EQ900 is the latest edition of Hyundai Motor's Equus flagship luxury model, which was consolidated with the Genesis brand after its launch on Nov. 4. The luxury vehicle, larger but sharper looking than the Equus, has been widely expected to herald a new era of assisted driving in the country, as it is the first mass-produced car with highway driving assist, a feature that enables partially-autonomous driving.  “The EQ900 is the first mass-produced luxury car after we launched our new Genesis brand. We have worked for years to create a human-centered luxury sedan. It will present the beginning of new luxury,” said Yang Woong-chul, Hyundai Motor vice chairman in charge of research and development, during a press preview at the Hyundai Na

Nov 10, 2015By Park Jin-hai
People & Events

SeoulTech appoints president

Kim Jong-hoBy Park Jin-haiKim Jong-ho has been appointed president of Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SeoulTech), the university said Monday.Kim, a professor of mechanical systems and design engineering at SeoulTech, will serve his four-year tenure from Monday, succeeding Namkoong Keun.  A Seoul National University graduate majoring in mechanical engineering, Kim earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and a PhD in industrial engineering at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.He has been a professor at SeoulTech since 1985.He previously worked as an organizing committee member for the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology technicians’ training program, and strategic technology development project adviser under the Knowledge Economy Ministry (now Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy).Kim won a majority in the first vote from the recommendation committee in July. After further evaluation of his research ethics, he was recommended for the post to the Minister of Education.“I will create an environment where more

Nov 9, 2015By Park Jin-hai
SeoulTech appoints president
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