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Korean Air launches AI chatbot service in 13 languages

Korean Air, Korea's flag air carrier, said Wednesday it has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot service to provide enhanced customer support using generative AI technology in 13 languages. The Korean Air AI Chatbot, trained on extensive datasets, including airline regulations and operational policies, analyzes customer intent in real time and understands complex queries — such as baggage allowance rules — to deliver more accurate and relevant responses, according to Korean Air. The chatbot provides answers with source citations and direct links to related pages to enhance transparency and reliability. It also incorporates a specialized database designed to minimize AI errors and hallucinations, the company said. The service is available on Korean Air's official website and mobile app, supporting 13 languages, including Korean, English, Japanese, French, Russian and German. Korean Air said it plans to expand the AI chatbot's functions to include ticket purchases and reservation management.

Feb 4, 2026By Yonhap
Korean Air launches AI chatbot service in 13 languages

Korean oil refiners expect benefits from US control of Venezuela

U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent control of Venezuela’s oil revenues after the capture of the South American country's President Nicolas Maduro has turned out to be a boon for Korea’s oil refining industry, rather than a risk to the sector. As it has become virtually impossible for Chinese companies to secure low-cost crude from Venezuela, refiners here expect the oversupply to ease. “Once Venezuelan crude is shipped to the United States instead of China and Iran’s crude exports decline, Chinese firms will struggle to source cheap oil,” an S-Oil official said during a recent earnings conference call for last year’s fourth quarter. “That will lower Chinese refiners’ capacity utilization, which will have a positive impact on refining margins across Asia.” According to industry officials, small Chinese refiners have been importing large amounts of Venezuelan oil through so-called “shadow fleets,” informal tanker fleets that evade international sanctions by turning off tracking systems, changing ship names, transferring oil between vessels at sea and switching na

Feb 4, 2026By Park Jae-hyuk
Korean oil refiners expect benefits from US control of Venezuela

TEST DRIVE Peugeot aims for major turnaround with 5008 hybrid SUV

GIMPO, Gyeonggi Province — The third-generation Peugeot 5008 family SUV has made a striking return with a lively yet composed driving feature that sets the vehicle apart from its rivals. After a decade, the vehicle has undergone a complete overhaul. Stellantis Korea hopes to jump on the booming SUV bandwagon by making the three-row family car its most strategic lineup this year. Peugeot has balanced the essentials of a large family SUV — flexible seating, usability and reasonable fuel efficiency — with a sense of refinement and unique driving dynamics. When the vehicle was taken for a round-trip drive between Gimpo and Incheon, with a distance of some 60 kilometers, the 5008 SUV dispelled the perception that a vehicle of this size would be relatively weak in responsiveness, compared to smaller, more typical sedans. However, the vehicle constantly delivered a breezy driving feel, powered largely by its well-balanced hybrid system. The 5008 SUV is equipped with a 1.2-liter PureTech gasoline engine with a 48-volt hybrid system. This setup allows the SUV to operate in electric-only mode

Feb 4, 2026By Lee Min-hyung
[TEST DRIVE] Peugeot aims for major turnaround with 5008 hybrid SUV

Hanwha Aerospace proposes ground defense solutions to Canadian minister

Hanwha Aerospace, a Korean defense company, proposed an integrated ground defense solution to Canada's defense procurement minister during his visit to the company's production facilities on Tuesday, the company said. Stephen Fuhr, Canada's secretary of state for defense procurement, visited Hanwha Aerospace's plants in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, following a visit to Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, the previous day. The visit was aimed at assessing Korea's defense industry capabilities ahead of Canada's large-scale military modernization program known as the indirect fire modernization (IFM) initiative, the company said. Canada plans to deploy about 250 infantry fighting vehicles in its army by 2030, six years earlier than originally scheduled. The Canadian delegation, consisting of about 30 members led by Fuhr, toured production lines for the K9 self-propelled howitzers and the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS), and observed live mobility demonstrations of the K9, the Redback armored fighting vehicle and the K21 infantry fighting vehic

Feb 3, 2026By Yonhap
Hanwha Aerospace proposes ground defense solutions to Canadian minister

OB showcases premium beer as fine-dining partner

Major Korean beer company Oriental Brewery (OB) on Tuesday demonstrated how a premium beer can complement fine dining experiences, challenging the belief high-end cuisines only pair well with alcohols like wine or spirits. The company hosted a food tasting event at Some Chavit on the Han River in Seoul, featuring Stella Artois, a popular Belgian beer brand imported by OB. To highlight the beer’s pairing potential, OB adopted a show-style concept inspired by Netflix’s hit cooking competition series “Culinary Class Wars," which concluded its second season last month amid strong viewership. The event consisted of two parts. First, bartender Jo Yeong-jun demonstrated Stella Artois’ “Perfect Serve” using the brand’s beer tap. Jo won Stella Artois’ Perfect Serve international competition in London last year. The program is promoted globally by the brand and follows a prescribed series of steps designed to deliver the beer at its optimal taste. Jo performed the Perfect Serve ritual in five steps. After the preparation stage, in which the chalice is kept chilled, the sacrifice s

Feb 3, 2026By Ko Dong-hwan
OB showcases premium beer as fine-dining partner

Korea's inheritance taxes get blame for world's 4th-largest millionaire exodus

Korea has emerged as one of the countries experiencing the world’s largest outflow of wealthy individuals, in part due to its rigid inheritance tax system. A recent analysis by British consultancy Henley & Partners showed Tuesday that the net outflow of Korean millionaires last year was estimated at 2,400, double the 1,200 recorded in 2024. The figure was the fourth largest globally, following the United Kingdom, China and India. “Korea’s inheritance tax rate of up to 60 percent may have been the main factor accelerating the migration of capital,” a Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) official said. With the National Assembly having suspended discussions on legislation to ease the world’s highest inheritance tax rate, the business association forecast that Korea’s inheritance tax revenue could reach 35.8 trillion won ($25 billion) by 2072, up from 9.6 trillion won in 2024. That projection stems from a steady increase in those subject to inheritance taxes, caused by repeated delays in legal revisions and the rising number of people dying at older ages. “Heavy inheri

Feb 3, 2026By Park Jae-hyuk
Korea's inheritance taxes get blame for world's 4th-largest millionaire exodus

Low-cost coffee chain The Venti opens 1st outlet in Middle East

SNC Sein, the operator of Korean low-cost coffee brand The Venti, said Tuesday it has opened its first outlet in the Middle East as part of its overseas expansion strategy. The company said the outlet, located in Amman, the capital of Jordan, has initially introduced seven localized menu items out of 11 planned offerings. "We plan to expand into other Middle Eastern markets based on our experience in Jordan," the company said. SNC Sein currently operates four The Venti outlets in Canada and one in Vietnam, in addition to around 1,600 stores in Korea. The company also plans to enter the U.S. market by opening its first outlet in Las Vegas later this year.

Feb 3, 2026By Yonhap
Low-cost coffee chain The Venti opens 1st outlet in Middle East

Coupang users drop 3.2% in January after data breach

Coupang's monthly active users (MAU) fell 3.2 percent from a month earlier in January, following a large-scale data breach disclosed late last year, industry data showed Tuesday. Coupang's MAU came to 33.19 million last month, down 3.2 percent, or 1.1 million, from the previous month, according to the data by market tracker Wiseapp Retail. The on-month decline was far sharper than the 0.3 percent decrease recorded in December. In January, Coupang provided discount vouchers worth 50,000 won ($34.5) to affected users as compensation for the data breach, which was revealed in late November and impacted its 33.7 million user base. Other leading e-commerce platforms, such as China's AliExpress and Temu, as well as South Korea's 11Street, also saw slight declines in user activity in January, with their MAUs falling 1.3 percent, 0.3 percent and 0.9 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, Naver Plus Store, an online shopping platform operated by internet giant Naver, posted 7.1 million MAUs in January, up 10 percent from 6.4 million a month earlier, ranking fifth among e-commerce platforms.

Feb 3, 2026By Yonhap
Coupang users drop 3.2% in January after data breach

CJ Olive Young partners with Polish firm to sell PB products in Europe

CJ Olive Young, the retail and distribution arm of Korea's CJ Group, said Tuesday it has partnered with a Polish company to export its private brand (PB) products to Europe. The company said it has signed an agreement with Poland-based cosmetics distributor Gabona to sell its PB cosmetics products through offline retail outlets across Europe. Gabona, which distributes more than 8,000 products in 60 countries, will initially introduce CJ Olive Young's skincare products — Bioheal BOH, Bringgreen and Colorgram — through its sales networks in Poland before expanding distribution to other European markets, the company said.

Feb 3, 2026By Yonhap
CJ Olive Young partners with Polish firm to sell PB products in Europe

GM Korea to boost local production of cars to 500,000 on overseas demand

GM Korea, the Korean unit of General Motors, said Tuesday it aims to produce 500,000 vehicles this year to meet growing overseas demand, particularly from the United States. The target represents an 8.5 percent increase from its output of 460,826 units last year amid renewed speculation that the automaker could scale back or exit operations in Korea due to higher U.S. import tariffs. GM Korea's vehicle sales had plunged to 223,623 units in 2021 from 409,830 in 2019, due largely to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales rebounded to 464,648 units in 2023 and 499,000 in 2024. The company said it plans to focus on producing the Chevrolet Trax crossover and the Chevrolet Trailblazer compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) by fully operating its Bupyeong and Changwon plants. "Parent company GM has recently requested GM Korea to operate the two plants at full capacity to produce 500,000 units," a company spokesperson said. GM Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mary Barra earlier said demand for models produced in Korea remained strong and that the vehicles were contributing to the company's profitab

Feb 3, 2026By Yonhap
GM Korea to boost local production of cars to 500,000 on overseas demand
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