National Car ferry capsizes off southwestern coast; 2 rescued An 83-ton car ferry capsized off the southwestern coast Monday leaving two rescued and five others missing according to the Coast Guard and fire authorities Coast Guard officials rescued two passengers and are currently searching for five others Rescue crews were conducting a search near the accident site but strong currents from the high tide are complicating the operation The Coast Guard is investigating the exact circumstances of the accident Lee Jae-myung leads in hypothetical three-way race with Han Duck-soo the presidential candidate of South Korea’s main liberal Democratic Party holds a lead in a potential three-way race for the country’s next election 15% of Korean wage workers have flexible work schedules: data Azerbaijan urges Korean firms to invest in Alat FEZ UAE seeks Korean partnerships in water management 'Smile at me': Cancer-fighting senior influencer inspires with strength Respect wanes: Teaching no longer highly coveted job in S As unused homes increase in rural South Korea Supreme Court’s verdict sours Lee Jae-myung’s presidential bid Korean mothers are opting for C-sections at record rates South Koreans get creative with Parents’ Day gifts Costco’s steep membership hike tests loyalty of Korean shoppers Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The dates displayed for an article provide information on when various publication milestones were reached at the journal that has published the article activities on preceding journals at which the article was previously under consideration are not shown (for instance submission Atmospheric EnvironmentCitation Excerpt :Furthermore potential source regions were identified using potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis and cluster analysis As part of the Fine particle Research Initiative in East Asia Considering National Differences (FRIEND) project an international field campaign was simultaneously conducted at four sites across Northeast Asia: Seoul (SE) and Seosan (SS) in South Korea while the SE site is identified as a rural site All content on this site: Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. Chungcheongnam-do has launched a project to build the longest private highway in Korea from Taean to Anseong The project aims to dramatically improve accessibility by connecting a wide-area transportation network to Taean the only area in Chungcheongnam-do that does not have a highway and to improve transportation convenience between the west coast of Chungcheongnam-do and metropolitan areas by connecting two provinces South Chungcheong Province announced on the 19th that DL E&C (investor Hana Bank) recently submitted a proposal for a private investment project on the Taean-Anseong Expressway to the Ministry of Land The Taean-Anseong Expressway connects Taean-eup to Anseong through five cities and counties in the province The project cost is expected to be around 3 trillion won it will surpass the first stage (94km) of the Western Inland Expressway The Taean-Anseong Expressway is located along the west coast to greatly improve accessibility to the province and the metropolitan area and will also serve as a circular highway for Bay Valley it is expected to increase synergy between industries and lead balanced regional development as it is adjacent to major bases in the province such as Taean Enterprise City and Cheonan Future Mobility National Industrial Complex Chungcheongnam-do is expected to greatly shorten the travel time from the metropolitan area to Taean and contribute greatly to revitalizing tourism on the west coast The submission of a proposal for a private investment project on the Taean-Anseong Expressway came to fruition due to a combination of the province's efforts to connect the Taean-Seosan Expressway and the Naepo-Cheonan Expressway Chungcheongnam-do initially secured the legitimacy by reflecting the Taean axis in the 2nd National Road Network Comprehensive Plan (2021-2030) in order to promote the connection of the Taean Expressway as a national financial project it was proposed to reflect the Taean-Seosan Expressway in the third highway construction plan The Naepo-Cheonan Expressway has also set the direction of private roads and has been in contact with large construction companies since completing the preliminary feasibility study service last year and the Taean-Ansung Expressway initiative which has greatly increased its size during consultation with the Ministry of Land director of the Construction and Transportation Bureau in Chungnam-do "There have been several construction of the North-South Freeway in Chungcheongnam-do but this is the first time that we have proposed the East-West Freeway," adding it will have an economic ripple effect of more than 5 trillion won and 44,000 employment in the region." it is expected to solve the construction projects of Taean-Seosan-Napo-Cheonan at the same time as well as improve access to the metropolitan area and central inland areas and complete the Bay Valley Ring Expressway Network," he said "We will focus our administrative power to ensure that the eligibility survey is conducted and passed as soon as possible." ※ This service is provided by machine translation tool A powder fire extinguisher was sprayed from a first-year middle school classroom in Seosan-si and 19 students who inhaled it were taken to the hospital and returned home after treatment 119 paramedics who were dispatched after receiving a report of "drinking fire extinguisher powder" at 11:17 a.m transferred nine boys and 10 girls complaining of neck pain and headache to a nearby hospital The main ingredient of the powder fire extinguisher is ammonium phosphate which can cause respiratory problems if suddenly inhaled "It is understood that a student played with a fire extinguisher during a break and then sprayed it All of the students who were transferred to the hospital were treated and returned home because they had no major health problems." It’s not often that two nations’ tumultuous past can be summed up in one single object but such is the case for Japan and Korea and the Gilt-bronze Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue of Buseok Temple in Seosan the statue was enshrined at Buseok Temple in 1330 before being housed at Kannon Temple in Tsushima The statue stands 50.5 centimeters in height and weighs 38.6 kilograms There is considerable dispute as to how this statue of Avalokitesvara (Bodhisattva of Compassion) ended up in Japan The Japanese claim that it was a gift to the monk who founded Kannon Temple when he traveled to the Korean Peninsula in 1527 claims that the statue was looted in 1378 by Japanese pirates which shouldn't be confused with the more famous Buseok Temple in Yeongju was established in 677 by the famed monk Uisang (625-702) Little is known about the temple's history except that it was rebuilt during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) According to the foundation legend of Seosan’s Buseok Temple Master Uisang was studying in Tang China when he met a young woman named Lady Seonmyo When it came time for him to return to Korea she threw herself off a cliff and into the sea before turning into a dragon and guarding Uisang on his way home A dragon painting from the borrowed temple legend of Buseok Temple / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington Buseok Temple was originally built by Yu Geum-heon a Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) official who retreated to his hometown after the deposition of King Goyang and the foundation of the Joseon Dynasty a monk named Jeokgam converted the residence into a temple the Avalokitesvara statue was stolen from Kannon Temple by Korean thieves who had also stolen an eighth century standing Buddha statue from Kaijin Shrine Both were stolen on the same day with the intent of selling them The thieves were arrested on their return to Korea and were prosecuted in 2013 The Korean government confiscated both statues and returned the standing Buddha statue to Japan Buseok Temple filed a temporary injunction on the transfer of the Avalokitesvara preventing the Korean government from returning it The Gilt-bronze Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue is on display in a shrine hall at Buseok Temple in Seosan there were several court filings over whether the statue ultimately belonged in Korea or Japan Buseok Temple filed a legal action against the Korean government to gain possession of the statue the Daejeon District Court ruled in favor of the temple citing the documents found inside the statue as evidence that the Japanese had stolen the statue The Korean prosecution appealed the results and sought an injunction to suspend the ruling the Daejeon High Court overturned the lower court’s ruling stating that Kannon Temple had acquired the statue legally a person or entity may acquire ownership of property even if it didn't originally belong to them as long as they possess it "peacefully and openly" for at least 20 years The courts also stated that it was difficult to clearly establish that the Buseok Temple of the Goryeo period was the same entity as the current Buseok Temple while Kannon Temple became a legal entity in 1953 The Gilt-bronze Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue is on display at Buseok Temple in Seosan it was decided that the statue would be returned to Kannon Temple in Japan it will be on display at Buseok Temple from 10 a.m every day until Buddha’s Birthday on May 5 SK On has announced an investment of 1.5 trillion won (around 1 billion euros) in the expansion of its battery factory in Seosan With the construction of a third production line at the plant SK On aims to quadruple its battery cell capacity in South Korea from the current 5 GWh to about 20 GWh The third plant at the Seosan battery factory is scheduled to come online in 2025 and will be expanded to an annual capacity of 14 GWh by 2028 the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the city of Seosan and the provincial government of Hongseong-gun This agreement not only provides for construction on the approximately 44,000 square metre site in the “Seosan Auto Valley” complex but also for the participation of the city and province by means of “administrative and financial support” The financial support is not precisely quantified the administrative part refers to the granting of the relevant permits The first production of 200 MWh, officially called Seosan Plant 1, was commissioned back in 2012, and in 2018 it was expanded with Seosan Plant 2 to the current five GWh. Recently, SK On also opened a battery development centre next to its factory in Seosan SK On stresses that the existing facilities in Seosan have played an important role in building the company’s global production network SK On says it has “successfully established a global mass production system with a collective capacity of 89GWh across the US But the third local plant will not only differ in size The plan is to introduce a smart factory to optimise production processes the goals are to increase production speed by 30 per cent and to improve process accuracy the improvements are to be introduced later in the existing production Which cells SK On wants to produce in the new plant is not mentioned in the announcement the company has so far specialised in pouch cells and supplies carmakers such as Hyundai-Kia Ford (from its own production and in future via the BloeOval SK joint venture) and Volkswagen (ID.4 from US production) many carmakers are currently shifting their focus to battery cells with a solid housing (i.e as only with these are structurally integrated battery packs possible according to the cell-to-pack or cell-to-chassis principle skinnonews.com I agree with the Privacy policy electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013 we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology Hyundai Transys announced on the 17th that it has increased the accuracy of defective inspection by applying its own artificial intelligence (AI) quality inspection system "TADA" to production sites TADA is a digital platform created to drive work innovation in the entire Hyundai Transys business including ▲ development of AI systems to implement smart manufacturing technology ▲ big data platform to help make data-based decisions ▲ training to strengthen digital transformation capabilities of executives and employees It is contributing to the quality management of Hyundai Transys by increasing the production efficiency and defect inspection accuracy of manufacturing sites TADA smart solution is a vision inspection system in which deep learning AI catches defects during scanning processes such as bubbles and damage of parts during manufacturing and assembly The company explains that the TADA smart solution even catches defects that can be missed by humans and increases the inspection accuracy of the existing 93% to 99.9% It was introduced into seven Seosan plants including Hyundai Transys Jigok and Seongyeon and 54 processes at Georgia Powertrain plants in the United States TADA Edge Solution is a small AI inspection system developed so that even non-professionals can easily create customized deep learning models and apply them to the field If the production process images such as the installation status and number of parts desired to be inspected are collected and labelled through a small camera at the production site the TADA Edge solution will conduct a defect inspection after learning It is being used by four Hyundai Transys Seosan plants and partner companies in charge of manufacturing seat parts managing director of Hyundai Transys ICT Promotion Office we have been leading changes in the way employees work based on data through TADA in-house training We will strive to improve digital innovation and work efficiency in all business areas Environmental PollutionCitation Excerpt :Therefore the occurrences of NAs in the PM2.5 phase may be affected by primary sources (2022) suggested that the uptake of gaseous NDMA into the particulate phase would not be significant the atmospheric reaction involving NO2 and/or uptake from the gaseous phase could contribute to the formation of particulate NDMA ChemosphereCitation Excerpt :The contribution of the atmospheric reaction was relatively higher in winter because of the higher contribution of nitrosation which was enhanced by the concentration of NO2 (2022) demonstrated that the liquid water content (LWC) could enhance the ambient concentration of particulate nitrosamine by providing a medium for the aqueous aerosol phase reaction through simultaneous measurement at two different sampling sites with different emission characteristics (Choi et al. there was a large discrepancy between the measured and estimated concentrations of particulate nitrosamines in Seoul (the estimated to measured concentration in 2018 at Seoul was 33%) Environmental PollutionCitation Excerpt :Epidemiological evidences have demonstrated that the nitrates nitrites and N-nitroso compounds exerted strong potential relationship with esophagus cancer colorectal cancer and other digestive carcinogenic risk (Boetzel et al. The presence of N-nitrosamines and their precursors in drinking water and food was critical to ensuring public health (Choi et al. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a guideline value of 100 ng/L for NDMA commonly detected in drinking water (Cai et al. South Korea — A South Korean air force KF-16 fighter crashed Thursday morning shortly after takeoff at a base in Seosan city The KF-16 from the 20th Fighter Wing crashed just after at 8:20 a.m inside Seosan Air Force Base as it departed for a routine flight the spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone on Thursday South Korean officials regularly speak to the media on the customary condition of anonymity ejected from the aircraft and was checked out at a nearby hospital; no other injuries or damage to structures occurred The KF-16 was not involved with a joint flight with the U.S The incident marks the second KF-16 crash in less than a year a KF-16 pilot ejected from his aircraft before it crashed on a mountain near Wonju The aircraft flew with South Korean F-35A Lightning IIs and U.S Fighting Falcons near the peninsula’s west coast for a “rapid and flexible response” drill on July 28 The KF-16 is manufactured under license in South Korea by defense contractor Korea Aerospace Industries Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report including Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun Head of R&D Division of Hyundai/Kia Motors Albert Biermann two President of Hyundai Motor Kim Geol and Seo Bo-shin and President of Hyundai Mobis Park Chung-kook visited the battery factory of SK Innovation in Seosan the top management of the SK Group including Chairman of SK Group Chey Tae-won President & CEO of SK Innovation Kim Jun and President of SK Innovation’s Battery Business Jee Dong-seob greeted the top management of the Hyundai Motor Group including the Chairman Chey Tae-won and the Executive Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun exchanged opinions on the means of sharing the directionality and means of cooperation for the development of future new technologies including ▲ next-generation battery technologies such as high energy density and service platforms for leasing and replacement of batteries (BaaS They also discussed opportunities to expand EV and hydrogen fuel cell vehicle recharging infrastructure in South Korea by utilizing the nationwide SK Group network of petrol and charging stations The top management of the Hyundai Motor Group had a tour of the assembly line for the battery cells supplied to Niro electric vehicles within the Seosan factory of SK Innovation completed the expansion of the 7th assembly line last year thereby equipping itself with the manufacturing capacity for the annual supply of 4.7GWh of batteries Hyundai Motor Group is utilizing batteries manufactured by SK Innovation for the plug-in hybrid vehicles as well as Niro and Soul EV of Kia Motors that Hyundai and Kia Motors are currently manufacturing Hyundai and Kia Motors chose SK Innovation as the primary battery supplier for the ‘E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform)’ an exclusive electric vehicle platform that Hyundai and Kia Motors is scheduling to mass produce in 2021 Products of SK Innovation to be loaded in the ‘E-GMP’-based electric vehicles of Hyundai and Kia Motors are high performance next-generation lithium-ion batteries with marked improvements in performance and the companies will provide diversified values to the customers by combining these efforts with the special features of the exclusive models for electric vehicles “the meeting today was a highly meaningful opportunity to further discuss cooperation in a diversified range of new technological domains including next-generation batteries and so on between the two companies which have been cooperating closely in the electric vehicle and battery business realm for quite some time.” An interested party of the Hyundai Motor Group also stated that “Hyundai and Kia Motors are researching relevant technologies for the realization of the optimized battery performances necessary for electric vehicles with the best performance in the world,” and that “this visit is aimed at the examination of the current status of the development of high performance next-generation batteries to be loaded in the exclusive models or electric vehicles in the future and to share the directionality for the development of future batteries and new technologies.” SK On Selected as Battery Supplier for U.S. EV Startup Slate SK On Signs Battery Supply Agreement with Nissan SK On Unveils Diverse Battery Portfolio at InterBattery 2025 SK On, SK Enmove to Showcase lmmersion Cooling at InterBattery 2025 SK On to Showcase Expanded Battery Portfolio at InterBattery 2025 SK On Completes 3-way Merger, Driving Momentum for Sustainable Growth SK On Unveils R&D Breakthroughs on All-Solid-State Batteries SK On upgrades calibration capabilities to strengthen quality control SK On bolsters battery material supply chain with new lithium hydroxide supply deal in Korea 'SK Road' to be named in Hungary SK On introduces ‘Job Specialty College’ to enhance workforce expertise SK On earns highest Zero Waste to Landfill Certification SK On recognized as “best supplier” by Ferrari SK On signs MOU with ExxonMobil for lithium offtake in U.S. SK On develops polymer electrolytes for lithium metal batteries has commissioned its long-planned heavy-feed petrochemical complex (HPC) at the JV’s existing Daesan complex in Seosan Located within the fence line of Hyundai Oilbank’s 520,000-b/d Daesan refining complex the $2.5-billion HPC involved construction of a grassroots 850,000-tonne/year (tpy) ethylene steam cracker equipped with flexibility to produce low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and propylene from a mix of feedstocks including naphtha and refinery offgas it receives from the Daesan refinery Alongside presenting an overview of the project this article discusses Shell Catalysts & Technologies’ (SC&T) participation in readying the HPC for startup Hyundai Chemical is South Korea’s first JV between petroleum and petrochemical companies forming part of partners Hyundai Oilbank (60%) and Lotte Chemical’s (40%) strategies to strengthen cooperation in a way that would create business opportunities and ensure long-term sustainability and competitiveness for both companies which began commercial operations in November 2016 with startup of its first Daesan chemical plant uses a feedstock of condensate and naphtha produced by units at Hyundai Oilbank’s adjacent refinery to produce 1.35 million tpy of mixed xylenes (Fig Hyundai Chemical can also process 170,000 b/d of condensate to produce 3.5 million tpy of petrochemicals that and about 26 million bbl/year of finished petroleum products including diesel and jet fuel according to Hyundai Oilbank’s latest annual report to investors Officially approved for development by Hyundai Oilbank and Lotte Chemical in May 2018 Hyundai Chemical’s HPC specifically was designed to expand its use of by-products from units at the adjacent refinery for production of petrochemicals as part of the partners’ plan to boost the JV’s global competitiveness Siting the HPC on a 500-sq m tract of dedicated land inside the fence line of the Daesan refining complex ensures more than 60% of the new petrochemical complex’s feedstock would consist of refinery by-products such as LPG Less expensive than naphtha and produced on site use of the proximal feedstocks is intended to help boost Hyundai Chemical’s profitability and competitiveness the partners said upon announcing final investment decision on the project Hyundai Chemical let a contract to Daelim Industrial Co which—upon award of the contract—Daelim said was to include the following production capacities: Hyundai Oilbank confirmed a revision to previously announced planned production capacities SC&T—which delivered its proprietary C2 Front-End (FE) selective hydrogenation catalyst for the new complex’s core unit—confirmed in a news release that Hyundai Chemicals achieved a safe and expedited startup of the HPC with minimal flaring in December 2021 Use of the C2 FE catalyst—which enables ethylene producers to achieve higher yields due to its enhanced ethylene selectivity—allowed the operator to reach early stabilization of the ethylene plant Hyundai Chemical’s commissioning team leader for the HPC While neither the JV partners nor Hyundai Chemical directly has referred to the newly commissioned HPC as an element of the companies’ collective transition to a net-zero carbon future SC&T said its role in the startup process as well as the minimal flaring enabled by use of the C2 FE catalyst does come as part of Hyundai Chemical’s journey in the energy transition and decarbonization Robert Brelsford joined Oil & Gas Journal in October 2013 as downstream technology editor after 8 years as a crude oil price and news reporter on spot crude transactions at the US Gulf Coast He holds a BA (2000) in English from Rice University and an MS (2003) in education and social policy from Northwestern University takes a photo with South Chungcheong Governor Kim Tae-heum and Seosan Mayor Lee Wan-seob after signing an agreement of $1.1 billion battery investment in the city Wednesday SK On's battery manufacturing plant in Seosan Models pose with SK On's pouch-type batteries at the CES 2023 held in Las Vegas in January A statue of the Buddha dating back to Korea’s Goryeo dynasty that was stolen from a temple on the Japanese island of Tsushima belongs to the temple the Supreme Court upheld a high court’s refusal to grant a petition by Buseok Temple in Seosan to recognize its ownership of the Buddhist statue The statue at the center of the litigation depicts a seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with a height of 50.5 centimeters and a weight of 38.6 kilograms a written prayer was discovered inside the body of the statue that said the statue had been cast in February 1330 with the desire that the people of Seoju (modern-day Seosan) in the kingdom of Goryeo would be blessed by exhausting their misfortune in their current life and being reborn in paradise in the next one That made it clear that the statue had been made by Buseok Temple in 1330 during the reign of King Chungsuk of Goryeo including its beatific smile and distinct facial features have long drawn the attention of researchers Given accounts of five raids by Wokou pirates in the Seosan area between 1352 and 1381 that appear in the “History of Goryeo” and other historical records academics have concluded that the statue was taken to Japan during that period where it remained enshrined for nearly 500 years until Korean thieves stole it in October 2012 and smuggled it back into Korea But when they tried to sell the statue in January 2013 and the statue was seized by the authorities Buseok Temple in Seosan petitioned the government to prevent the statue from being returned to Japan on the grounds that it was a cultural artifact that had been stolen from them the Daejeon District Court accepted their argument and delayed the statue’s return for three years which marked the beginning of a decade-long legal battle Buseok Temple petitioned the court to give it full possession of the statue refocusing the debate on the question of the statue’s ownership acknowledging that the statue had been stolen by Wokou pirates a high court rejected Buseok Temple’s petition because the temple hadn’t established that it was the same as the temple in Seoju during the Goryeo dynasty even granting that the statue was a stolen cultural artifact the period of time when Buseok Temple could claim ownership of the statue had expired The Supreme Court acknowledged that modern-day Buseok Temple in Seosan was the same as the historical Buseok Temple in Seoju but still found that the statue belonged to Kannon Temple in Japan Since the statue had been in Kannon Temple’s possession for more than 20 years before it was stolen in 2012 the Japanese temple had ownership of the statue The court found that ownership of the Buddhist statue had legitimately passed to the Japanese temple through the principle of “adverse possession.” The Supreme Court settled a debate about which country’s civil law was applicable by referring to conflict-of-laws principles which indicated that it was best to apply the law of the country where the statue was located at the time that adverse possession took effect The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism objected to the court’s decision in a statement released Thursday “We want to express our strong regret about this decision Recognizing adverse possession of an obviously stolen cultural artifact that was plundered and taken overseas is not only patently absurd but may also encourage others to hide and maintain possession of plundered cultural artifacts,” Korea’s largest Buddhist order said in its statement Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr] the first international cruise ship in the Chungcheong region entered Seosan Daesan Port for the first time in the Chungcheong region on the 8th and opened a sea route in the West Sea The Costa Serena departed Daesan Port with 2,600 passengers and 1,100 crew members on board after the departure ceremony The Costa Serena is scheduled to return to Busan Port on the 14th via Okinawa (10th) and Jiroong (12th) in Japan for 6 nights and 7 days Passengers arrive at Busan Port and return to Seosan by chartered bus a ship of "Costa Cruise," a European cruise company based in Genoa The Costa Serena is called a "special hotel moving on the sea" with a grand theater established a foothold for international cruise ship operations in October last year through close cooperation which was released after confirmation of operation received so much attention that it was sold out in a month Chungcheongnam-do plans to build a foundation for the development of the cruise industry by establishing systematic cruise infrastructure developing differentiated tourism products at ports of call establishing strategic partnerships at home and abroad and target marketing and public relations activities with this first international cruise ship port Chungcheongnam-do Deputy Governor for Political Affairs Jeon Hyung-sik said at the departure ceremony "The newly opened sea road in Chungcheongnam-do will be a priming water for the establishment of an international marine leisure tourism belt on the west coast which is a pledge of the 8th popular election." "We will do our best to make a leap into an 'international city Seosan' by establishing an international transportation network such as sky-gil and railroad-gil starting with the open sea road as an international cruise ship." according to 2019 data before the spread of COVID-19 the cruise industry is a key industry with a large ripple effect with an economic effect of $55 billion worldwide and creating about 437,000 jobs Spotted seals were also spotted this year in Seosan and Taan Garorim Bay According to South Chungcheong Province on the 24th four spotted seals were identified in citizen monitoring conducted by the Seosan Taean Environmental Education Center in Garorimman Bay on the 12th Spotted seals rested or swam on the sandbank Garorim Bay is the only place in Korea where spotted seals can be observed with eyes from land Spotted seals are mammals in the family of carnivorous seals ■ ‘One-stop shop’ for battery safety at Seosan Plant is largest among Korean battery makers analysis capabilities; enhance efficiency in battery safety research a leading electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer announced today its advanced facility for battery safety evaluation has opened in South Korea as the company beefs up its testing and analysis capabilities on batteries located next to the company’s battery plant in Seosan has gross floor area of 36,510 square feet the largest among South Korean battery manufacturers SK On is now the first South Korean battery manufacturer to have a “one-stop shop” for battery safety covering from testing to product improvement analysis including non-destructive inspection using computed tomography (CT) scanning and conduct structure analysis through battery disassembly in a lab inside the facility SK On expects that the center will ultimately enhance efficiency in battery research as all battery safety-related tests and analysis can be carried out in a single building The center is also expected to help SK On to meet various customer needs on battery quality strengthening its manufacturing competitiveness SK On had to conduct tests at a module safety evaluation facility at the company’s battery technology institute in Daejeon and then send the tested products to external research partners for a CT scan before the company retrieves them to disassemble and analyze the results SK On said the center will have all of its testing equipment by the end of October Once the equipment installation is completed the company will conduct safety tests under various scenarios for battery cells SK On said the center will particularly focus on testing batteries under abnormal conditions such as verifying batteries’ reliability under extreme temperatures like -40 degree Celsius and 80 degree Celsius The center also enables SK On to perform various safety tests to reproduce EV field failures has been built with a blast resistant design to prevent damages from fire tests “SK On now has the country’s top-level battery safety evaluation facility,” Seo Hyung-kwon SK On Vice President in charge of quality solutions “We will research and conduct a variety of tests beyond the scope of normal battery safety warranties and beef up our competitiveness.” (Photo 1) SK On Battery Safety Evaluation Center in Seosan (Photo 2) The CT Scan Room inside SK On Battery Safety Evaluation Center located in Seosan All Headlines North Korea Sports Top News Most Viewed Korean Newspaper Headlines Today in Korean History Yonhap News Summary Editorials from Korean Dailies March 9 (Yonhap) -- The Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground has been proclaimed as an official international pilgrimage site by the Vatican The Holy See designated and proclaimed the Seosan martyrdom holy ground as an official international pilgrimage site on March 1 a South Chungcheong Province city about 280 kilometers south of Seoul the Vatican approved the Shrine of Haemi as an official international pilgrimage site and has since taken procedures for its proclamation This photo provided by Seosan City Hall shows the Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground in the central South Korean city The Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground is the site where about 2,000 Catholics in the central region were buried alive during a mass persecution of Korean Catholics by the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) between 1866 and 1882 A 16-meter-high memorial tower was set up to pay tribute to the nameless martyrs There are records of only 132 Korean Catholics who were martyred with their names or baptismal names The Haemi shrine has become the nation's second official international pilgrimage site proclaimed by the Vatican after the Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage Routes The Vatican's other existing official international pilgrimage sites include three historical places -- Jerusalem of Israel Rome of Italy and Santiago of Spain -- and 20 sites of Marian apparitions across the world "The proclamation of the Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground as an official international pilgrimage site is a glorious event that recognizes the faith of nameless martyrs as an example and makes it known to the entire world," a Catholic priest in charge of the shrine said Seosan Mayor Maeng Jeong-ho said the Vatican's proclamation has also recognized Seosan's historical significance vowing efforts to more systematically preserve the sacred site All News National Economy/Finance Biz Culture/K-pop Images Videos Korean Newspaper Headlines Korea in Brief Useful Links Weather Advertise with Yonhap News Agency In a lawsuit over the ownership of a Goryeo-era Buddhist statue that was brought back to Korea by thieves a South Korean high court has ruled that the statue does not belong to a Korean temple The ruling comes 11 years after the statue was taken from Tsushima The Korean temple that’s suing for ownership of the statue said it would appeal to the Supreme Court The first civil division of the Daejeon High Court (under judge Park Seon-jun) ruled on Wednesday that Buseok Temple (affiliated with the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism) had not established ownership of the Buddhist statue in question had asked the court to recognize its ownership of the statue which depicts a seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva The court found that while the statue had indeed originally been the property of Buseok Temple today’s Buseok Temple in Seosan cannot be regarded as the same temple as the one in the past “Considering factors such as how the Seoju area was devastated in frequent Wokou raids in the late Goryeo dynasty we do not find that the human and physical elements of Buseok Temple in Seoju are identical to or in continuity with the Buseok Temple in Seosan today,” the court explained “There is considerable evidence to believe that the Wokou seized the Buddhist statue in a raid and brought it illegally to Japan,” the court acknowledged but added that “because Kannon Temple [in Japan] held the Buddhist statue for 20 years after its establishment as a corporation in 1953 it completed the period for establishing ownership.” The Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue in question which measures 50.5 centimeters tall and weighs 38.6 kilograms was produced in the Goryeo dynasty in the 14th century A document found inside the statue said that the Buddhist statue was made in the second month of Emperor Wenzong of Yuan (that is the year 1330) and placed in the care of Buseok Temple in Seoju The Korean academic community refers to the statue as the “Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva of Boseok Temple in Seosan.” While it’s presumed that the statue was enshrined at Kannon Temple it’s uncertain how the statue reached Tsushima Since the Wokou pirates frequently raided Seosan after the statue was enshrined at Buseok Temple and since the statue still contained relics after being moved to Kannon Temple despite the lack of papers detailing an official transfer it’s widely thought that the statue was probably taken to Japan following a raid The Buddhist statue returned to Korea in October 2012 when a team of thieves stole it from Kannon Temple and brought it into Korea via the port of Busan The thieves were apprehended by investigators with the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency that December and the statue was confiscated and brought to Daejeon it sparked a debate about what to do with the statue that had returned to Korea after a 500-year absence Worshippers at Buseok Temple and other residents of Seosan set up a committee to “restore the Seated Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue to its rightful place” and launched a campaign for the statue’s reinstatement at the temple the Daejeon District Court granted Buseok Temple’s request for an injunction to halt proceedings for returning the statue to Japan That allowed the statue to stay in Korea for the time being After the injunction period ended in February 2016 Buseok Temple filed a lawsuit at the Daejeon District Court in March asking the Korean government to recognize its ownership of the statue the Daejeon District Court ruled that ownership of the Buddhist statue should be given to Buseok Temple “There is ample reason to presume that this statue belongs to Buseok Temple in Seosan We must assume that the statue made its way to Kannon Temple in Japan through theft or plunder rather than through normal means such as donation or sale,” the court ruled But the controversy continued after the district court made its ruling The Tsushima city council adopted a resolution asking for the statue’s return and Japan’s chief cabinet secretary and culture minister made the same request during meetings with their Korean counterparts public opinion was split between the view that the statue was Korean to begin with and the view that it was stolen property that should be returned to Kannon Temple According to a UNESCO convention about the illicit transfer of cultural property that was adopted in 1970 ownership of cultural properties that have been illegally transferred can be exercised by the original property holder the high court didn’t recognize Buseok Temple’s ownership of the statue parting ways with the district court’s ruling “Separately from our rejection of the plaintiff’s appeal for transfer of ownership the government of the Republic of Korea needs to address the question of returning this statue in light of the spirit of the convention about returning cultural properties and international legal principles for the protection of cultural properties,” the court said calling on the Korean government to tackle the issue representatives for Buseok Temple announced their decision to appeal to the Supreme Court “We absolutely cannot accept the court’s ruling that the Buseok Temple that was in Seoju during the Goryeo dynasty is not the same as the Buseok Temple that is in Seosan today The court ought to have employed another legal principle to explain the rationale for its ruling.” The statue is currently being stored at the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage Life&Culture [Newsmaker] Actor Kim Joo-hyuk laid to rest in Seosan The funeral ceremony of actor Kim Joo-hyuk took place Thursday at the Asan Medical Center in southeastern Seoul and was attended by Kim’s surviving family close friends and staff at the actor’s longtime management agency Namoo Actors A video clip featuring snippets of the late Kim was shown his ashes laid to rest at his family Columbarium in Seosan Many actors attended Kim’s two-day wake held at the Asan Medical Center who had filmed the travel variety show “2 Days & 1 Night” with Kim Song Joong-ki paid his respects on Wednesday the day after his wedding with actress Song Hye-kyo Variety program “Running Man” cast members Yoo Jae-suk Kim Jong-kook and Lee Kwang-soo also were spotted who had starred alongside Kim in “My Wife Got Married” (2008) and “The Truth Beneath” (2016) attended the wake as well was driving when he hit another car then veered off the road sending his vehicle violently flipping down the stairs in front of an apartment complex in Samseong-dong An autopsy Tuesday revealed the cause of death to be a fatal head injury The actor’s most recent work was TV series “Argon.” Two posthumous films “Heung-bu” and “Dokjeon” are scheduled for release in 2018 Netflix's 'The Devil’s Plan' returns with star-packed season 2 Seoul to host inaugural 'MyK Festa' in June Yoo Seung-ho returns to stage as Brutus in reimagining of 'Julius Caesar' Korea.net hosts networking event for Honorary Reporters Accord with Japan to protect both nations' people abroad A bilateral agreement with Japan will bolster cooperation in protecting the nationals of both nations abroad Click here to read more about the latest summit between leaders of both countries Talks with NZ seek to upgrade ties to strategic partnership Korea and New Zealand have agreed to advance talks on elevating the bilateral Partnership for the 21st Century concluded Korea and New Zealand have agreed to advance talks on elevating the bilateral Partnership for the 21st Century concluded in 2006 to a comprehensive strategic partnership Mixed boccia pair to face Hong Kong for Paralympic gold the Jeong-Kang pair will face in the final Hong Kong in mixed pair BC3 boccia 🌕 S-Tier food for Chuseok 🌕 | K-Cuisine Relay | Ep.28 Galbijjim & Samsaeknamul “Reading is so sexy!” — Headlined by The Guardian (UK)　| Balance Talk | Ep Korean German architect in Seoul seeks to innovate Hanok Grassroots group seeks to clean up trash from Jeju waters Polish capital hosts Korean cultural event at Breakfast Market Hanbok-clad children play traditional games President Yoon attends opening of Cyber Summit Korea Descendants of Korean War veterans attend event in Incheon Multicultural families attend Chuseok event Address by President Yoon Suk Yeol on the 79th Liberation Day Keynote Address by President Yoon Suk Yeol at the NATO Public Forum K-pop management innovation changes global music industry Korea-French friendship to drive future partnership Denmark's digital strategy to preserve global democracy 10th workshop of European Association for Korean Language Education (EAKLE) PNP launches TOP COP special class to enhance tourist safety K-Culture Extravaganza Lights Up Jozi: Korean Cultural Centre Unveils ‘Travelling Korea’ Korean Restaurant to open soon in Abuja-Envoy Jusung Gabriel Park & Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra Production Design: Scene Architects Build On-Screen Worlds attend the opening ceremony of the world's first byproduct hydrogen fuel cell power plant in Seosan The world's first byproduct hydrogen fuel cell power plant in Seosan A KF-16 fighter jet crashed during takeoff from its base in the southwestern county of Seosan on Thursday and the lone pilot safely ejected before being taken to a hospital The jet belonging to the 20th Fighter Wing went down at the base in Seosan while taking off on an unspecified mission "The pilot has made an emergency ejection and is safe," the Air Force said in a text message to reporters No civilian damage was reported as the accident occurred within the base The Air Force has formed a taskforce to determine the exact cause of the crash has completed the construction of a petrochemical complex using cheap heavy fuel oil as a feedstock in South Korea's western city of Seosan a move that diversifies its business portfolio and boosts the country's exports The heavy-feed petrochemical complex was built at major refiner Hyundai Oilbank's Daesan petrochemical complex in Seosan with a capacity of producing 850,000 tons of ethylene and 500,000 tons of polypropylene per year It is the country's first HPC project that uses such cheap materials as heavy fuel oil and by-product gas compared with existing facilities using liquefied petroleum gas and other materials Global energy group Shell was the only private entity that has petrochemical factories using low-price materials Hyundai Chemical is a joint venture between Hyundai Oilbank and Lotte Chemical Corp Compared with existing petrochemical factories the newly built one is expected to export 1.15 million tons of petrochemical products per year worth 3.8 trillion won (US$2.65 billion) based on its price competitiveness "This HPC project has heightened the competitiveness of the domestic petrochemical industry The government will actively ease regulations to help companies better achieve goals through new projects and investment," Second Vice Industry Minister Park Il-jun said during a ceremony to mark the completion of the farm The ceremony was also attended by HD Hyundai chief Chung Ki-sun and other officials of related firms shows Hyundai Oilbank's Daesan petrochemical complex in Seosan the petrochemical unit of South Korean conglomerate Lotte Group said Monday it is spending 602 billion won (US$502 million) to boost its advanced materials business including building a new factory for electric vehicle battery materials The company said it will spend about 233 billion won to build a new factory in its main domestic production complex in the southwestern city of Seosan to produce high-purity ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) used in electrolyte solvents in lithium-ion batteries Electrolyte is a key component in a lithium-ion battery that transports the lithium ions between the cathode and anode Electrolyte solvents help the lithium ions move smoothly between the electrodes and prevent battery degradation 60 billion won will be spent to build a new facility for carbon capture and utilization (CCU) with a plan to begin commercial production in the second half of 2023 It will also use 220 billion won to expand its production line for ethylene oxide adduct (EOA) The expansion will increase the company's annual EOA production capacity to 480,000 tons from 330,000 tons This file photo shows Lotte Chemical Corp.'s Daesan factory in Seosan Lotte Tourism Development opened its first cruise tour in Chungcheong Province Lotte Tourism Development successfully completed the departure ceremony of the Costa Serena cruise ship on the 8th with 2,600 passengers on board at Daesan Port in Seosan The Costa Serena is an extremely large Italian ship weighing 114,000 tons alone It is the largest cruise departing from Korea to its home port and can accommodate up to 3,780 people As large as four swimming pools with water slides a large theater with a capacity of 1,400 people to enjoy various performances and events and two restaurants that can accommodate up to 1,000 people "The departure of Daesan Port in Seosan is meaningful in that it is the first cruise in the Chungcheong area As one cruise accommodates tourists equivalent to 15 aircraft the cruise business will play a big role in creating jobs and revitalizing the local economy beyond simple travel." More than 100 major guests including CEO Baek and Seosan Mayor Lee Wan-seop The Costa Serena will return to Busan Port after traveling to major port cities such as Okinawa five-day trip to Busan and Japan's unique cities Sakaiminato and Kanazawa is also set to load 2,500 customers special chartered ships will be operated in September for Chuseok six-day products calling Sokcho Port and Otaru and Aomori in Japan on September 12 five-day products departing from Sokcho Port on September 17 and returning to Busan Port via Sakaiminato Lotte Tourism Development is an unrivaled leader in the domestic cruise industry and has accumulated 55,000 passengers with 48 cruise charter flights since 2010 July 26 (Yonhap) -- Massive oil mist leaks from a factory of Hanwha Total Petrochemical in central South Korea in May were caused by the company's failure to abide by safety procedures and a walkout of skilled employees a joint government-private investigation team said Friday The announcement came after two oil mist leaks at Hanwha Total Petrochemical's plant in the Daesan Petrochemical Complex in Seosan a South Chungcheong Province city 150 kilometers south of Seoul a total of 202 company employees and nearby residents underwent hospital treatment for symptoms Hanwha Total Petrochemical is an affiliate of Hanwha Group that manufactures chemical materials needed to make various consumer products A joint government-private investigation team announces the results of its probe into massive oil mist leaks at Hanwha Total Petrochemical in May in a news conference in Seosan The joint investigation team consisting of civilian experts and officials from the environment and labor ministries South Chungcheong provincial government and Seosan municipality said that 94.1 tons of styrene monomer (SM) a chemical used for the production of Styrofoam were leaked on May 17 and an additional 3.4 tons on May 18 It estimated the maximum spread range of SM at 2,800 meters on May 17 and 607 meters on May 18 The investigation team said the company failed to follow due safety procedures in its in-house transfer of SM while skilled employees in charge of handling SM walked out and were replaced by inexperienced substitute workers at the time of the leak incidents salt fields and other regional institutions have so far reported 56 cases of property damage from the leak incidents and the issue of compensation is now being discussed which asked prosecutors on June 13 to investigate Hanwha Total Petrochemical over its delayed report of the chemical leaks in violation of the Toxic Chemicals Control Act said it will additionally ask for a probe into the company's suspected emission of air pollutants through a secret exhaust pipe The government of South Chungcheong Province has also asked prosecutors to investigate the Hanwha company's suspected installation of a secret exhaust pipe and other illicit emissions of air pollutants while the municipality of Seosan has ordered the company to conduct a soil pollution survey in the areas surrounding its Daesan factory Hanwha Total Petrochemical's plant in the Daesan complex was hit by lightning amid downpours in the region at 9:32 a.m resulting in a power outage and the suspension of some of its production facilities which provides electricity to its Daesan plant The supply of electric power resumed one hour later but company officials said it will take two to three days to normalize the suspended production facilities