Links for August-October 2022

Here comes a dump of interesting links from the past three month period between August 2022 and October 2022. All kinds of articles and tweets about Korean tech news and society issues. 



Links from August - October 2022



The days are getting colder, and maybe you're looking for something to read while you sit and enjoy a steaming Americano at Starbucks. Speaking of which a pretty fancy new branch opened up in Daegu that really shows the traditional Korean aesthetic. I wish a lot more buildings were redone in this style. Pretty. 


Image: Starbucks Korea

Because it's easier for me to go back and collect, some of these links go to my Twitter, so you'll have to click through to see the article or images attached to those tweets. Sorry about that. 

But here is one that I found strangely interesting. Most of the Kakao Friends all have the same surname: Kim. 



Now here are just a few about the horrible incident in Itaewon during Halloween. Obviously there is a lot written about it, but these are just a few that fit the theme of the kind of stuff I usually post. Horrible news and condolences to all the families. 

My friend's son was in Itaewon with his buddies that night, and with spotty cell service probably due to overloaded networks, my friend's call to him wouldn't connect. Needless to say he was deeply anxious until a text came through from the son saying he was OK, he was on the subway heading back south. It had taken him nearly an hour to get two blocks from a bar they were at back to Itaewon subway station, due to the extreme crowding. They had the sense to get out of there and do something at a few local places instead. I wonder if that decision, which his friend group apparently debated about, turned out to be a life or death decision. You never know. 

Now on with the normal links. Let's try numbering them instead of bullet pointing. Maybe that's helpful. Maybe not. 

  1. Coupang's Rocket Delivery Service Available for Customers in Taiwan
  2. Spotify releases personalized playlist service capable of blending users' musical preferences with BLACKPINK's
  3. Young Koreans Prefer Delivery Work over Desk, Factory Jobs
  4. Samsung and LG Losing Domestic Laptop Market Shares
  5. LG U+ introduces ixi brand as it moves away from telecom
  6. Lee Lu-da, Korea's chatbot trainwreck, is back with a new brain
  7. Booking App Yeogi Eottae Opens International Travel Service amid Global Reopening
  8. DMLab aims to captivate AI market with English-speaking, human-like avatars
  9. Meta's pop-up store gives Korea a glimpse of the future
  10. Coupang launches the next-delivery service in Taiwan.
  11. 10원 Tips "Toss Place" terminals are growing. Accepting QR code payments, NFC (tap-to-pay type) payments, and traditional IC chip credit cards). Could be big boon for Apple Pay adoption. etnews.com/20221024000198
  12. 10원 Tips Good looking and consistently functional dark mode CSS for Naver sites. Actually works to darken Naver Blogs unlike many other "dark mode" extensions. GitHub - DarkenPages/Naver-Dark: Dark mode for NAVER github.com/DarkenPages/Na…
  13. 10원 Tips McDonald's McGriddles are selling out even earlier than expected in pre-release in Korea. fnnews.com/news/202210250…
  14. 10원 Tips Naver's AI dubbing tech is so good, have your loved one read a few sentences and boom, Naver can generate their voice speaking anything. Promoted as "loving" thing but sounds creepy and deepfakey to me. zdnet.co.kr/view/?no=20221…
  15. 10원 Tips Korean websites made special logos for today's Dokdo Day (#독도의날). Patriotic logo doodles from Naver, Daum, Chosun Ilbo, Ilbe.
  16. 10원 Tips Naver logo doodle for start of "sanggang" (상강, 霜降, "frost falls"), the 18th of the 24 traditional seasonal markers. Adorable. More info on sanggang: folkency.nfm.go.kr/en/topic/detai… #네이버 #상강
  17. 10원 Tips Naver "side" doodle for Police Day. I wonder why some holiday doodles become replacements for the main logo and other just become sidebar doodles. Maybe Police Day and Armed Forces Day are somehow not "all ages" days?
  18. 10원 Tips Foreigners must pay for Melon's streaming service to attend MMA2022 koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/10/20/ent…
  19. Seoul approves reconstruction of dilapidated Eunma apartment complex
  20. Korea Tourism Organization spends 800 million won developing virtual AI with controversial likeness to Irene
  21. Robot dogs, snakes to patrol industrial sites for safety
  22. Software maker Hancom, chief's home raided on cryptocurrency, slush fund suspicions - Yonhap News Agency
  23. 10원 Tips Korean lawmaker is concerned that Yeo Lizzie (여리지), the virtual spokesgirl for Korea Tourism Organization, looks too much like Kpop group Red Velvet member Irene. Agency says she (the virtual one) is "a composite of the face MZ generation likes."
  24. Apple Pay Capable of Becoming Game Changer
  25. In-house Enterprise Messenger Services Drawing Attention
  26. Upbit to introduce new login system after Kakao disruption
  27. 10원 Tips The Naver Papago parrot mascot, crying in apology for a disruption in service. NOW SHOW ME THE TEARS OF KAKAO FRIENDS RYAN!
  28. 10원 Tips While Kakao was utterly down, Naver was advertising its own Line messenger right on the Naver homepage with the tagline "the global messenger app that DOESN'T go down when you need to get in touch." Ouch. Via zdnet.co.kr/view/?no=20221…
  29. Vehicles Turning Right without First Stopping to Face Fines
  30. Hyundai reveals its future roadmap for SW-defined vehicles.
  31. Sinch Launches KakaoTalk in Its Conversation API
  32. Hyundai auto group reveals new roadmap to convert all cars to software-defined vehicles by 2025
  33. Samsung launches upgraded digital wallet to take on Apple Pay - KED Global
  34. Naver Webtoon launches serialized fiction app 'Yonder' targeting North American market
  35. Digital celebrity Sua makes international debut through modeling contract with Thai company
  36. Kakao’s service, including Kakaotalk, is down due to a fire in the data center.
  37. 10원 Tips The Netflix plan that includes ads will be 5,500 won in Korea
  38. 10원 Tips Haha, who told Google that 먹통 (doesn't work, link broken, can't communicate) means "sucks"
  39. Google to Open Data Center in Japan Next Year
  40. [Visual History of Korea] Celebrating Korean America, home to future Koreans
  41. 10원 Tips Naver logo doodle celebrating 20 years of Naver's "Knowledge IN", the Korean version of Quora
  42. 10원 Tips Naver logo doodle for International Migratory Bird day, by artist Suzy Yoo. Artist Instagram link: instagram.com/inmyflora
  43. 10원 Tips Looks like the "V Live" app, formerly owned by Naver but sold to K-pop entertainment group HYBE, is shutting down. allkpop.com/article/2022/1…
  44. Five Guys burger joint to come to Korea early next year
  45. SK Telecom records performances of legendary singers with realistic 3D images and volumetric capture technology
  46. Genie Music releases audio drama created by human and AI voice actors
  47. Hybe to discontinue 'V App' this year
  48. Comics Industry Lambasts Culture Ministry's Warning over High School Satire
  49. Korean retailers reel in loyal customers with paid membership programs
  50. SK Telecom stars AI human to promote content platform - KED Global
  51. Naver Jisik iN – How Can It Help Promote Your Business?
  52. Naver Shopping Live – Why Is It a Game-Changer for Online Retail in South Korea?
  53. S.Korea rejects patent claims for AI-invented products
  54. Naver acquires U.S. social ecommerce marketplace Poshmark to secure commerce competitiveness
  55. Seoul safety app available in English, Chinese, Japanese
  56. 10원 Tips Quick glance at some company market shares for various Korean products. Via kedglobal.com/korean-food/ne…
  57. Instagram Korea launches Family Center, encourages parent-child cooperation
  58. 10원 Tips People loved the English version of the "9 ways to divide Korea" map, but the Korean version is even funnier somehow. Also thanks to this I now realize the "gochujang+vinegar" is 초고추장. twitter.com/s4meLZ/status/…
  59. Twitch Cuts Max Resolution for South Korean Service
  60. 10원 Tips Today is Armed Forces Day in Korea. Naver didn't change their logo doodle, but did add a doodle to the side with this search box info result.
  61. 10원 Tips The Seoul Safety app (안심이 앱) now available in English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean. Open the app on your way home at night and it will monitor your GPS and have you visually monitored by CCTV controllers and can be in-touch with cops immediately. New meaning to Big Brother.
  62. Airbnb Wants to Add ‘Hanok’ as a Category amid Growing Interest in K-culture from International Travelers
  63. 10원 Tips KakaoPay app will show which stores/businesses around you accept KakaoPay and what bonuses etc you can get at each zdnet.co.kr/view/?no=20220…
  64. 10원 Tips Turns out elderly seniors actually LIKE getting robo-call check-ups. The AI remembers their complaints, asks about them, therefore "자식보다 낫다" (better than my own kids). Ouch. Love how the transcript shows the AI going "아이고..." to gramps. etnews.com/20220926000251
  65. China's Alipay+ connects Asean payment providers in Korea
  66. 10원 Tips Found on Reddit. 9 ways to divide Korea. Chungcheong people "slow and never to the point" is insanely accurate. Hands down the hardest people for me to try to communicate in Korean with. reddit.com/r/korea/commen…
  67. 10원 Tips Your daily dose of Korean AI influencer / virtual human. This is SUA (나수아), and she'll be the visual element for SK Telecom's AI voice tech. Young, pretty, female. Surely by coincidence of course.
  68. 10원 Tips Naver Mail on the web is getting a huge UI refresh. Finally losing the outdated cluttered look and switching to a fresh style similar to how the Naver Mail mobile app currently looks. These preview shots look great. Coming to desktop by end of Oct.
  69. Alipay+ Partners with Asian E-Wallets to Promote Cashless Travel in Korea
  70. 10원 Tips KakaoPay can now be used on Apple Watch. Like with Naver Pay on Apple Watch, it uses QR codes displayed on the watch, not tap-to-pay NFC. Via blog.kakaopay.com/380
  71. Samsung PCs Have Dominated S. Korean Market for Almost 3 Decades: Data
  72. Passenger boarding notification devices installed at 103 bus stops in western port city
  73. YouTube sites in Korea being hacked by crypto promoters
  74. Kakao Brunch – A Space for Future Writers of South Korea
  75. Korean deaf LGBT activists create new signs to express identities with pride
  76. "E7 visa includes internship experience"...Expanding the scope of overseas SW professionals
  77. POSCO Named Top Greenhouse Gas Emitter in S. Korea: Data
  78. 10원 Tips I mentioned before that Kakao seems to be getting into the healthcare lifestyle field. Lo and behold, the KakaoPay app (?) now step count pedometer feature. Compete with your KaTalk contacts. Rival to Apple Watch Fitness? blog.kakaopay.com/378
  79. 10원 Tips Naver logo doodle for the fall equinox (autumn for you fancy pants types) by artist Artmay [Insta: instagram.com/artmay155/]
  80. A Flurry of N. American Political and Business Figures Visiting Korea
  81. Korean Englishman-backed canned kimchi brand 'Picky Wicky' takes off
  82. 10원 Tips Naver logo doodle for International Car-free Day by artist Yishin Noh. Artist Instagram: instagram.com/noyisin
  83. 10원 Tips Uncomfortable having your Naver Blog URL default to your Naver ID username? You can finally make custom blog usernames seperate from your Naver ID! Announcement (in Korean) here: blog.naver.com/blogpeople/222…
  84. What the ‘Amazon of South Korea’ is doing in Seattle
  85. Nam June Paik's video tower returns after 3-year restoration
  86. Various startups from France are coming to Seoul due to Tech4Good.
  87. 10원 Tips Want to try out the official Seoul City metaverse environment? Download here. Fair warning, you'll need a fairly high-spec Windows PC to run it. Borrow your boyfriend's gaming rig. 3df.co.kr/download
  88. Google Pixel 1 Back in Fashion Thanks to High Inflation
  89. Beta release of Metaverse Seoul
  90. 10원 Tips References to "Apple Pay" have been added to the Korean Apple TOS. More evidence that Apple Pay is coming soon. And check out this shot found in iOS 16 Apple Wallet. etnews.com/20220915000231
  91. 10원 Tips Kakao Talk has this breathing exercises page at a "kakaohealthcare.com" domain that current just says "under construction" at the main landing page. Looks like we'll be seeing more of 카-건강 sooom.kakaohealthcare.com
  92. Naver Z joins Tech Coalition to fight against digital sex crimes
  93. Naver reveals the ecosystem based on the Smart Store Platform.
  94. FYI: New Pharmacy Info Sheet
  95. Seoul Metro On Track to Expand Private Warehouse Service at Subway Stations
  96. 10원 Tips Naver logo doodles for "International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer" 2022 (세계 오존층 보호의날)
  97. British music collective denounces Korean streaming platforms
  98. Koreans Now Eat More Meat Than Rice
  99. SK Telecom Commercializes PQC for Global VPN Services
  100. LG Uplus aims to export 'K-education' to global market
  101. Lotte Home Shopping to nurture Bellygom as a global character
  102. Krafton's virtual human ANA releases first digital single 'Shine Bright'
  103. Virtual university entrance ceremony garners attention from aespa fans
  104. Ikea Korea's sales fall for 1st time since its entry
  105. Korea Launches Emergency Call System for Situations When People Cannot Speak
  106. Typhoon takes toll on Korea's iceberg lettuce supplies, restaurants face shortage
  107. Apple to open fourth Korean store on Sept. 24 in Songpa District
  108. Phishing Websites Disguised as Korean Groupware Login Website Being Distributed
  109. 10원 Tips The McDonald's McGriddle (맥그리들) is coming to Korea this week https://t.co/UsJ50zzF9q Quoted tweet from @KOR_McDonalds: 9월 15일, 맥그리들 출시! 🥞달콤한 핫케이크 번 🍳신선한 1+등급 계란 🥓짭짤한 베이컨 또는 소시지 패티 단짠촉촉 맥그리들로 색다른 아침을 시작해봐! * 맥모닝 판매 시간 : 오전 4시~오전 10시 30분 #맥도날드...
  110. Naver sells 10 billion yen of webtoons and e-books in Japan in August
  111. YouTubers Criticized for Ignoring Safety Directives During Typhoon
  112. Dump Trucks Protect Glass Storefronts from Typhoon
  113. Korea at 'twins boom': twin rate rises to 5 percent among newborns
  114. Tmax Group to launch tool that builds app without writing code
  115. Kakao Mobility Launches EV Valet Charging Service Trial
  116. Samsung Electronics Apologizes for Customer Information Leak in the U.S.
  117. KT launches the lite version of AI Call Assistant.
  118. Number of Mobile Phone-Based Vehicle Management Service Subscribers on Steady Rise
  119. 10원 Tips During this Chuseok (Sept 9~12), video calls on SKT, KT, LGU+, and all budget/알뜰폰 carriers, are free. bloter.net/newsView/blt20…
  120. 10원 Tips Shinhan Card trials a "Touch Payment" system via Shinhan Play app for iPhone. Seemingly not NFC (Apple Pay) but some wacky sound-wave generation tech. Still requires terminal upgrade so I don't see the point. hankyung.com/economy/articl…
  121. Colon Cancer on the Rise Among Younger Koreans
  122. [ANALYSIS] 'Chip 4 aims to control Samsung-TSMC rivalry for Intel'
  123. HWP File Disguised as Personal Profile Form (OLE Object)
  124. S. Korea Expected to Become World’s Most Aged Country in 2044
  125. Slimmer Hinge is Key to Samsung Foldables’ Success: Executive
  126. Government YouTube channels cyberattacked
  127. Remote work, small offices revive S.Korea's printer market
  128. Virtual humans expand territory in real world
  129. ESTsecurity's ALYac antivirus program jams computers nationwide
  130. KT to provide Seoul real-time on-foot traffic analytics system for civil services
  131. [Newsmaker] Alone in the world: Two young adults talk life after aging out of foster care
  132. Naver Cloud unveils metaverse construction and operation solution called 'Metapod'
  133. South Korea’s tech giants bolster short-form video content services
  134. KT leverages big data to inform real-time population congestion.
  135. All study and no play makes Korean teens less physically active than their grandparents
  136. ‘Living in Korea’ Guidebook Available in 13 Languages for Multicultural Families
  137. Finance Ministry draws ire for social media post pitting ‘gourmet burgers’ against regular burgers
  138. S. Korean hip-hop garners explosive popularity on Spotify
  139. Malicious HWP File Disguised as a Happy Birthday Message (OLE Object)
  140. 1 in 5 Foreigners in S. Korea Undocumented: Data
  141. Attackers Using FRP (Fast Reverse Proxy) to Attack Korean Companies
  142. Researchers Develop Innovative Heat Exchanger that Can Store and Use Winter Cold
  143. 10원 Tips This creative ad looks at the life of a gamer's keyboard. Some keys (W,A,S,D,shift,space, etc) are used so often and beaten down. Others, like these function keys, live lives of ease, barely ever touched. youtube.com/watch?v=fpV6x4…
  144. 10원 Tips Nice guide by Woori Mobile (foreigner-friendly discount MVNO "알뜰폰" company) that explains internet speed. Protip: if you're a normal phone user, get a plan with low "full speed" data but unlimited "slow" 1~3mbps. I hardly notice the difference. Image: facebook.com/woorimobileser…
  145. Seoul Youth Portal introduced by Daeun!
  146. Naver signs MOU with Vietnam's Phenikaa, an online education company
  147. Record Number of Twins Born Last Year
  148. 2021 Saw Another Surplus in National Health Insurance Balance Concerning Foreigners
  149. Police probe chat-room child sexual abuse ring
  150. Kakao Mobility to expand ride-hailing business into Europe
  151. S. Korea introduces 2 numbers in 1 phone service with eSIM
  152. 10원 Tips Remember the "N room" sexual blackmail and underage porn distribution Telegram channels? Apparently cops have found one called "L room" which is even worse. lawtalknews.co.kr/article/LJAVKH…
  153. 10원 Tips Naver Dictionary has a new feature for creating/sharing English vocab quizzes. Could be fun way for teachers to encourage voca studying among smartphone zombie students. blog.naver.com/dic_master/222…
  154. 10원 Tips Naver's auto-dictation note taking app Clova Note lets you export transcripts to a variety of file types, including Excel and subtitle formats, timestamps too. This app is so good. blog.naver.com/clova_ai/22286…
  155. 10원 Tips Apple Pay in Korea! Partnership with Hyundai Card is on the way! Even T-money integration! etnews.com/20220830000209
  156. ​Microsoft introduces special incubation program for S. Korean startups
  157. Crumbling Apartments of South Korea
  158. LG U+ to expand its K-pop content business overseas
  159. Google Play Games for PC is now available to all players in five countries
  160. Dokdo unlabeled on Apple Maps in 22 countries
  161. Artists use avatars to perform and compete in anonymous virtual survival program
  162. LG Uplus' entertainment tool app to provide five foreign language services
  163. Conditions for Health Insurance Registration of Foreign Dependents to Tighten
  164. Remote Island Boasts Korea's Highest Employment Rate
  165. New Crime Reporting System Involves Simple Tap on Phone
  166. Falling literacy levels among Koreans is cause for concern
  167. 10원 Tips Naver logo doodle for today, Cheoseo (처서), the traditional end to the hottest days of summer. It does feel cooler in night/mornings now. Cheoseo info in English: folkency.nfm.go.kr/en/topic/detai… Artist Kwak Myeongju Instagram: instagram.com/mengju/
  168. Dog Meat Falls Out of Favor: Data
  169. [Weekender] The mundane job of teaching AI about the real world
  170. Naver VIBE provides natural and high-quality translation of foreign song lyrics
  171. Seoul National University to select freshmen without assigning majors in advance
  172. Candid Look at South Korea’s Start-Up Scene: Book Review
  173. 11 DMZ Hiking Trails to Open Next Month
  174. Naver updates its Webtoon service UI for Web and App.
  175. 10원 Tips Koreans are now preferring, by large margins, to drink weaker alcohols, less alcohol, and not mix drinks. So much for getting hammered every night on 소맥.
  176. [Herald Interview] Startup bets on proliferation of virtual avatars
  177. 10원 Tips This headline was the first time I noticed it, but apparently 반지하 really is transitioning into English. "Help promised for people stuck in banjiha" koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2022/08/16/nat…
  178. Seoul City to retrofit manholes to prevent fatal falls during floods
  179. 'The Netflix effect': Why Western women are heading to South Korea in search of love
  180. CJ ENM signs programming deal with NBCUniversal's Peacock
  181. Seoul to choose new slogan by December
  182. Lotte and Shinsegae pit their virtual models head-to-head
  183. 10원 Tips Naver Calendar app has a cute new feature to use it as a diary. iOS for now, Android coming soon. blog.naver.com/nvsmartdiary/2…
Plenty of stuff to go through there. My preferred method with link lists like this is to just scan the list on desktop, click-send interesting looking headlines to something like Pocket or other Read Later services, then browse later on mobile. 


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