Latest news with #Choi
Korea Herald
20 hours ago
- Health
- Korea Herald
Culture minister nominee Choi Hwi-young cautious on labeling gaming disorder as disease
Choi Hwi-young, the nominee to head the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, expressed a cautious stance regarding the classification of gaming disorder as a disease, according to Rep. Kim Seung-soo of the main opposition People Power Party on Tuesday. In a written response submitted to Rep. Kim regarding his confirmation hearing scheduled for later Tuesday, Choi stated, 'Gaming is one of Korea's representative leisure cultures.' He added, 'The scientific basis for viewing gaming disorder as a disease is not sufficient. The issue remains controversial not only among academia, the medical and gaming industries, but also internationally.' Choi, the CEO of Nol Universe and a journalist-turned-tech platform expert, noted, 'I believe that a broad social consensus must be reached before introducing a disease classification code for gaming disorder. Classifying game content, which is a major export sector, as a disease could significantly hurt the gaming industry and its exports.' In 2019, the World Health Organization designated gaming disorder as a disease and included it in the International Classification of Diseases. In response, the South Korean government established a public-private consultative body under the Prime Minister's Office to discuss whether to include gaming disorder in the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases. However, the country has yet to reach a consensus. Amid ongoing divisions between the medical and gaming industries ― as well as between the Health and Culture ministries ― the government had initially planned to launch a fact-finding study last year. The plan was postponed due to sharp disagreements over key issues such as research methodology, the lead agency responsible for the study, specific terminology and the phrasing of survey questions. 'If appointed as minister, I will actively coordinate with relevant ministries on this issue," Choi added. Regarding calls within the industry to allow "play-to-earn" games that utilize blockchain technology and cryptocurrency, Choi said it is too early for such a move. 'I believe a comprehensive decision should be made only after the Financial Services Commission has established a legislative framework to protect users and manage virtual assets," Choi said. 'There are concerns about harm to game users due to the lack of a robust regulatory framework for virtual assets.' Choi also outlined three key strategies to strengthen the competitiveness of Korea's gaming industry. These include expanding tax incentives and financial investment to support the development of major intellectual properties, promoting AI-powered tools to make game development accessible to anyone with creative ideas and supporting entry into new overseas markets to position gaming as a strategic export industry. The National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee is scheduled to convene at 2 p.m. Tuesday to discuss items including the adoption of the confirmation hearing plan for Choi's nomination.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
LS Electric targets 50% output boost at Vietnam plant
New production to serve Samsung SDI's ESS units, electrical needs of LG, Vingroup HANOI, Vietnam ― LS Electric aims to boost production capacity by 50 percent to $60 million at its facility in the city of Bac Ninh, just east of Hanoi, Vietnam, by expanding output for battery control panels and electrical protection devices. This strategic initiative is part of LS Electric CEO and Chair Koo Ja-kyun's commitment to Southeast Asia, the world's second-largest market for electric power systems after North America. '(On July 14,) Koo approved the construction project for a three-story building at the Bac Ninh plant,' said Choi Jong-hoon, general director of LS Electric Vietnam, during a group interview last Wednesday. 'The site will focus on the efficient manufacturing of mass-produced items, including battery control panels for Samsung SDI and air circuit breakers.' Battery control panels are control units designed to monitor and control battery voltage and protect battery systems in energy storage system products such as Samsung SDI's Samsung Battery Box. Air circuit breakers are devices that prevent abnormal electrical flow within power distribution systems used in industrial plants, commercial buildings, data centers and other facilities. According to Kim Sung-ho, technical director of LS Electric Vietnam, the Bac Ninh site seeks to increase its capacity from $40 million in 2022 to $60 million after completing the production expansion. Notably, it will manufacture approximately 10,000 air circuit breakers annually, spurred by recent investments from LS Electric's global competitors in Vietnam's electrical device market. Following the capacity growth, the facility will hire around 100 additional workers, increasing total employment to 500. As of May, it has 372 employees, with plans to expand to 400 by 2026. 'Starting with 20 billion won ($14.4 million) sales revenue in 2020, the Vietnam unit is set to achieve roughly 200 billion won this year,' noted Choi. 'In addition to the expansion project for the existing (Bac Ninh) plant, we are exploring the construction of additional facilities in Vietnam. Our goal is to reach $300 million in revenue by 2030.' Choi highlighted that the Vietnamese base is at the forefront of catering to the rapidly evolving global trend toward integrated energy solutions and high-value service offerings beyond production and sales. It already exports 60 percent of its production output to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Kenya and other countries. As a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Vietnam also benefits from exemptions on intraregional export tariffs. Previously, it had focused on high-end power distribution panels as well as low-voltage power equipment. It supplied electric power solutions for South Korean companies' commercial buildings in Hanoi, including the Lotte Mall, Lotte Center and Landmark 72. In addition to Samsung SDI, the plant currently supplies LG Group factories in the Haiphong industrial park as well as utility company Electricity of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City and Vingroup, Vietnam's largest conglomerate. One of the standout features of the Bac Ninh plant is how it uses flow production to maximize production efficiency, Kim noted. Unlike LS Electric's Cheongju facility in North Chungcheong Province, the site has few partner companies with which it can outsource manufacturing and support services. In the assembly line for battery control panels, the production team, identified by their green hats, manages the cabling for power connections in energy storage systems and places the modular components in pallets. Inspectors in yellow hats then determine whether they can proceed to the next stage and finally be attached to ESS products. These modules are designed to seamlessly integrate into the overall production process, enhancing time and cost efficiency while allowing for easy customization. Established in 1997, LS Electric's production facility in Dong Anh, inside Hanoi, relocated east of the city to Bac Ninh in 2022, expanding its capacity. Currently holding 40 percent market share in Vietnam's low-voltage power equipment sector, LS Electric Vietnam aims to capitalize on the Vietnamese government's renewable energy initiatives under its eighth Power Development Plan, which seeks to develop smart grids for modernizing power distribution systems.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
The Open sees worst ever opening tee shot set up unbelievably bad first round
(Image: Andrew Redington, Getty Images) K.J. Choi had a nightmare start at The Open Championship on Thursday, with a botched tee shot at Royal Portrush's first hole setting the tone for a disastrous first day. Choi was among the early starters in Northern Ireland, teeing off at 6:46 am and his performance on the Dunluce Course - known for its punishing nature - was less than ideal. Brutally bad in fact. In a moment that will comfort amateur golfers everywhere, the former world No. 5 failed to make clean contact with his drive, sending it just 176 yards. That fell short of the fairway - although it wasn't as poor as Romain Langasque's 84-yard effort at Royal Troon last year which is probably the best thing Choi will ever hear about it. To add insult to injury, the South Korean golfer pulled his shot left into dangerously thick rough. Marshals eventually located Choi's ball, and the 55 year-old managed to find the fairway. However, he couldn't avoid dropping a shot, which started a string of bogeys. Choi was eight-over-par through his opening nine holes, with another bogey following at the 11th hole. READ MORE: TV star sends The Open fans ducking for cover after firing wayward shot into the stands READ MORE: The Open star doesn't hold back on Padraig Harrington's comments – 'Stupidest thing!' The eight-time PGA Tour winner, whose major victories include The Players and the Memorial Tournament, is playing in The Open for the first time since 2014. He earned his place in the tournament by winning last year's Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie, finishing two shots ahead of Richard Green. He might well wish he hadn't bothered. Major success may have bypassed Choi in his earlier career, but he confessed that clinching a victory on the senior circuit was a "dream" come true. He expressed his joy: "I'm very happy for my life. If everyone can pray a lot, [it is] very historical for a Korean player to win this." Choi's difficulties seemed to spread to his playing partners in the day's second group, 2010 Open winner Louis Oosthuizen and Guido Migliozzi, who both had terrible starts at Royal Portrush. By the time they reached the 12th, each was five-over-par. The challenge of Portrush didn't spare Cam Smith, the 2022 Open Champion, or his compatriot Jason Day, as both Australians found themselves three-over-par after nine holes, leaving them with significant ground to make up too. American hopeful Max Geryserman endured a tough start, carding a six-over-par 42 on the front nine, putting him under pressure to make the cut.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Three dead as South Korean region hit by most rain in 120 years
At least three people were killed and more than 1,000 evacuated Thursday after South Korea was hit by torrential rains, officials said, with one region pummelled by the most rainfall per hour since full records began. South Korea typically experiences monsoon rains in July, but three areas in the country's South Chungcheong province this week saw some of the heaviest hourly downpours on record, official weather data showed. Three people were killed Thursday, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said, all in South Chuncheong province. "As of 4pm local time at least three people have died today due to torrential rains," a Ministry of Interior and Safety official told AFP, adding that more than 1,000 people had been evacuated. Police told AFP that one person was found inside a submerged vehicle, an elderly man was swept away near a stream, and another elderly man had been found dead in a flooded basement apartment after his son reported him missing. The western Seosan area was hit by rainfall peaking at 114.9 millimetres (4.5 inches) per hour, "a level typically seen only once in 100 years", a weather agency official told AFP, adding that this was the highest rate since full records began in 1904. The heavy rains were due to "warm and moist air flowing in along the edge of the North Pacific High, triggering strong atmospheric instability", the official added. South Korean broadcasters ran videos of severe flooding in Seosan, with water swamping markets and apartment complexes, as well as submerging parked cars. AFP reporters saw residents in Seosan struggling to clean up the aftermath of the floods on Thursday, with parking lots and shops still seen flooded with muddy water. Choi Hee-jin, a nightclub owner, told AFP it had been "heartbreaking" to return to her business after the floods had swept through. "Water had completely filled the club, and everything -- sofas, fridges, furniture, even computers -- was just floating around," Choi said. "How do you think it feels to see that? Honestly, it felt like the world was collapsing. There are no words to describe it." The national weather agency said in a statement that nearly 440 mm (about 17.3 inches) of rain had fallen in Seosan by 10:30 am on Thursday -- equivalent to 35 percent of the region's average annual rainfall. "The water is just too deep and so much mud has been pushed in that I've already been working for about five hours trying to drain it all out," said Kim Min-seo, a 50-year-old restaurant worker, as she scrubbed the muddy floor. "I'm still not done," she added. - Evacuation orders - Residents in Hongseong county, in South Chungcheong province, were ordered to "evacuate immediately to a safe location" early Thursday morning due to flooding from a nearby stream. Several schools and nurseries in the county were also closed. South Korea is regularly hit by flooding during the summer monsoon period, but is typically well-prepared and the death toll is usually relatively low. Scientists say climate change has made weather events around the world more extreme and frequent. South Korea also endured record-breaking rains and flooding in 2022, which left at least 11 people dead. They included three people who died trapped in a Seoul basement apartment of the kind that became internationally known because of the Oscar-winning Korean film "Parasite". The government said at the time that the rainfall was the heaviest since records began, blaming climate change for the extreme weather. hs/ceb/fox Solve the daily Crossword
NDTV
6 days ago
- Climate
- NDTV
3 Dead, Over 1,000 Evacuated As South Korea Hit By Heaviest Rain In 120 Years
At least three people were killed and more than 1,000 evacuated Thursday after South Korea was hit by torrential rains, officials said, with one region pummelled by the most rainfall per hour since full records began. South Korea typically experiences monsoon rains in July, but three areas in the country's South Chungcheong province this week saw some of the heaviest hourly downpours on record, official weather data showed. Three people were killed Thursday, the Ministry of Interior and Safety said, all in South Chuncheong province. "As of 4pm local time at least three people have died today due to torrential rains," a Ministry of Interior and Safety official told AFP, adding that more than 1,000 people had been evacuated. Police told AFP that one person was found inside a submerged vehicle, an elderly man was swept away near a stream, and another elderly man had been found dead in a flooded basement apartment after his son reported him missing. The western Seosan area was hit by rainfall peaking at 114.9 millimetres (4.5 inches) per hour, "a level typically seen only once in 100 years", a weather agency official told AFP, adding that this was the highest rate since full records began in 1904. The heavy rains were due to "warm and moist air flowing in along the edge of the North Pacific High, triggering strong atmospheric instability", the official added. South Korean broadcasters ran videos of severe flooding in Seosan, with water swamping markets and apartment complexes, as well as submerging parked cars. AFP reporters saw residents in Seosan struggling to clean up the aftermath of the floods on Thursday, with parking lots and shops still seen flooded with muddy water. Choi Hee-jin, a nightclub owner, told AFP it had been "heartbreaking" to return to her business after the floods had swept through. "Water had completely filled the club, and everything -- sofas, fridges, furniture, even computers -- was just floating around," Choi said. "How do you think it feels to see that? Honestly, it felt like the world was collapsing. There are no words to describe it." The national weather agency said in a statement that nearly 440 mm (about 17.3 inches) of rain had fallen in Seosan by 10:30 am on Thursday -- equivalent to 35 percent of the region's average annual rainfall. "The water is just too deep and so much mud has been pushed in that I've already been working for about five hours trying to drain it all out," said Kim Min-seo, a 50-year-old restaurant worker, as she scrubbed the muddy floor. "I'm still not done," she added. Evacuation orders Residents in Hongseong county, in South Chungcheong province, were ordered to "evacuate immediately to a safe location" early Thursday morning due to flooding from a nearby stream. Several schools and nurseries in the county were also closed. South Korea is regularly hit by flooding during the summer monsoon period, but is typically well-prepared and the death count is usually relatively low. Scientists say climate change has made weather events around the world more extreme and frequent. South Korea also endured record-breaking rains and flooding in 2022, which left at least 11 people dead. They included three people who died trapped in a Seoul basement apartment of the kind that became internationally known because of the Oscar-winning Korean film "Parasite". The government said at the time that the rainfall was the heaviest since records began, blaming climate change for the extreme weather.
