Korea Central News Net

Tag: technology

  • LG Unveils Korea’s First Hybrid AI Model ‘EXAONE 4.0’—Outperforming Global Giants

    LG AI Research has introduced “EXAONE 4.0,” Korea’s first hybrid AI model, positioning itself alongside top players like Anthropic and Alibaba in the global AI race. The announcement was made on July 15, ahead of the company’s upcoming “LG AI Talk Concert 2025” to be held on July 22 at LG Science Park in Seoul.

    EXAONE 4.0 uniquely combines two core AI capabilities: natural language understanding and generation powered by a large language model, and autonomous reasoning for problem-solving. It can not only respond quickly to knowledge-based queries but also hypothesize, verify, and explain complex ideas—essentially thinking like a human expert.

    LG’s new model achieved best-in-class results in multiple benchmark tests. It scored 92.3 and 81.8 in MMLU-Redux and MMLU-Pro (measuring knowledge and reasoning), outperformed rivals in coding (66.7 in LiveCodeBench v6), science (75.4 in GPQA-Diamond), and mathematics (85.3 in AIME 2025)—surpassing open models from Google, Meta, Microsoft, Alibaba, and Mistral.

    To ensure broad accessibility, LG has released EXAONE 4.0 as an open-weight model on Hugging Face, allowing the global research community to experiment and build on it.

    A Model with Real Expertise—Not Just Language Fluency

    EXAONE 4.0 comes in two variants: a 32-billion-parameter expert model and a 1.2-billion-parameter on-device model. The expert version passed six Korean national licensing exams, including for medical doctors and appraisers, demonstrating its practical depth and domain knowledge.

    The on-device model is optimized for edge devices like smartphones, home appliances, and vehicles. Despite its compact size, it surpasses OpenAI’s GPT-4o mini in key areas such as math, coding, and science, making it a strong contender in the emerging on-device AI market.

    EXAONE Now Available via API

    LG has partnered with Friendly AI to launch a commercial API for EXAONE 4.0. Developers and businesses can now access the model without high-end GPUs, making it easier to integrate powerful AI into everyday services.

    Earlier this year, LG Corp. CEO Koo Kwang-mo emphasized the company’s vision: “By making advanced technologies like AI accessible in daily life, we aim to create a new lifestyle where people can spend their time on more joyful and meaningful pursuits.”

    With EXAONE 4.0, LG not only delivers a technological leap but also signals its determination to lead in the global AI ecosystem—on devices, in research labs, and across industries.

  • KG Inicis launches customizable biometric authentication solution for the shopping mall digital payment service

    KG Inicis, a leading company in South Korea’s electronic payment market, announced on the 18th the launch of a biometric authentication feature for its custom payment solution designed for merchant-specific digital peyment systems.

    The newly introduced biometric authentication feature allows users to authenticate payments with facial and fingerprint recognition instead of a password. This not only improves payment speed and convenience but also enhances the overall security level of the service by implementing a hard-to-hack and unreplicable authentication method.

    This function is embedded in the premium easy payment solution “W Pay – Load My Card” (hereinafter referred to as “My Card”), which was launched in February. It is the first and only domestic solution equipped with both easy card registration and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, significantly shortening the card registration process.

    KG Inicis explained that in light of recent data breach incidents across the industry, the company developed this feature to provide a safer payment method using biometric authentication, which is difficult to replicate or steal.

    The biometric authentication rollout is part of the ongoing advancement of “My Card.” KG Inicis stated that the company plans to continue strengthening the security and convenience of its solution. According to the company, merchants that have adopted “My Card” experienced a 34% reduction in card registration time and a 20% increase in same-day card registration rate, reflecting an improvement in usability.

    KG Inicis emphasized that facial and fingerprint recognition are widely adopted and fast authentication methods, which significantly enhance the user experience. The company aims to offer a differentiated payment experience by upgrading the solution to ensure that all customers can make secure and convenient payments in various environments.

    Meanwhile, “W Pay” is a customizable, easy payment solution tailored to merchant needs in terms of design and payment methods. It supports fast and secure payments for over 200 online merchants, with a cumulative user base exceeding 18 million. Merchants who build their easy payment services with “W Pay” can also adopt the premium features of “My Card.”

  • Hyundai Motor launches the 2026 ST1 in Korea

    Hyundai Motor 2026 ST1 (Cargo) | Photo provided by Hyundai Motor

    Hyundai Motor launched the updated 2026 ST1 on July 16, enhancing the electric business platform’s features and introducing a new budget trim.

    The ST1, first released last year, is equipped with a 76.1 kWh battery, offering a driving range of 317 km for the Cargo model and 298 km for the Cargo Freezer version on a single charge. It supports ultra-fast charging at up to 350kW, allowing it to charge from 10% to 80% in just 20 minutes.

    Reflecting feedback from existing customers, Hyundai added several convenience features to the Smart trim of the 2026 ST1, including a sun visor mirror for the first row, a passenger-side assist handle, and a floor mat for the passenger seat. The company also enhanced the existing ‘Convenience’ package by adding heated and ventilated seats for the passenger side.

    To reduce the financial burden on customers, Hyundai introduced a new budget ‘Style’ trim for the ST1 Cargo model.

    Despite being priced 1.06 million KRW lower than the Smart trim, the Style trim includes popular features such as a 12.3-inch cluster display, 10.25-inch navigation system, electronic parking brake with auto hold, front and rear parking sensors, and an interior V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) system, ensuring a comfortable driving environment.

    The ST1 comes equipped with an infotainment system based on the Android operating system, offering scalability to tailor work environments to user needs.

    Hyundai has also newly integrated the logistics app “Sendy” into the 2026 ST1 to further improve business convenience.

    Sendy’s driver program uses AI technology to minimize empty vehicle mileage and optimize delivery routes, helping users enhance both work efficiency and profitability.

    The 2026 ST1 is priced as follows (before eco-friendly vehicle subsidies):


    Cargo–Style: 58.74 million KRW / Smart: 60.4 million KRW / Premium: 64.18 million KRW


    Cargo Freezer – Smart: 68.75 million KRW / Premium: 72.53 million KRW

    
Chassis Cab – Smart: 56.55 million KRW
High-top – Smart: 58 million KRW.

    Based on the Style trim for the Cargo model, customers in Korea can expect to receive government and municipal subsidies ranging from at least 15.1 million to as much as 24.57 million KRW, in addition to 3.6 million KRW in support for small business owners and 5.34 million KRW in VAT refunds for commercial vehicles. While varying by regions, these benefits are expected to significantly reduce the actual purchase cost.

    To mark the launch of the 2026 ST1, Hyundai is holding a special promotion offering a discount of 500,000 KRW for owners of small commercial vehicles and 300,000 KRW for owners of other old cars that are over seven years old.

    Hyundai stated that the ST1, as an electric business platform, continues to earn positive reviews for its advanced features and competitive total cost of ownership. The company added that the improved 2026 ST1, developed with close attention to customer feedback, is expected to enhance operational efficiency for its users further.