Korea Central News Net

Tag: technology

  • Hyundai Motor Group signs multilateral MOU to build hydrogen city in North Chungcheong Province

    From left: Jin Soo-nam, Acting President of Korea Gas Technology Corporation; Kim Dong-wook, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group’s Strategic Planning Division; Kim Young-hwan, Governor of North Chungcheong Province; Lee Beom-seok, Mayor of Cheongju; Park Kyung-guk, President of Korea Gas Safety Corporation; and Lee Joong-ho, Head of Korea Electric Power Corporation’s North Chungcheong Branch, pose for a commemorative photo during the MOU ceremony | Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Company

    Hyundai Motor Group signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding (MOU) on June 24 at OSCO in Cheongju to promote the establishment of a hydrogen city in North Chungcheong Province. The signing ceremony was attended by Kim Dong-wook, Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group’s Strategic Planning Division; Kim Young-hwan, Governor of North Chungcheong Province; Lee Beom-seok, Mayor of Cheongju; Park Kyung-guk, President of Korea Gas Safety Corporation; Jin Soo-nam, Acting President of Korea Gas Technology Corporation; and Lee Joong-ho, Head of Korea Electric Power Corporation’s North Chungcheong Branch.

    The hydrogen city initiative is a large-scale project aimed at transforming Cheongju into an eco-friendly smart city powered by hydrogen energy. It aligns with the South Korean government’s Carbon Neutral 2050 goal and policies to boost the hydrogen economy. The project focuses on establishing a hydrogen ecosystem throughout the central inland region of the country.

    Under the agreement, Hyundai Motor Group plans to quadruple the capacity of its clean hydrogen production facility in Cheongju, which uses biogas. Once expanded, the facility will be capable of producing 2,000 kilograms of clean hydrogen daily, ensuring stable local supply.

    Hyundai will also support the expansion of hydrogen refueling infrastructure and the introduction of hydrogen mobility solutions in the region.

    The North Chungcheong provincial government and Cheongju city will provide active support in terms of budgeting and regulatory approvals necessary for the hydrogen city initiative.

    Korea Gas Safety Corporation will oversee the establishment of a Hydrogen Gas Safety Hub Center and facilitate training programs for specialized personnel, while Korea Gas Technology Corporation will be responsible for project progress and performance management. Korea Electric Power Corporation will build smart power infrastructure to support the hydrogen city.

    Hyundai Motor Group expects this initiative to energize the regional hydrogen economy and accelerate the transition to a hydrogen-powered society.

    At the “North Chungcheong Hydrogen Economy Forum” held following the MOU ceremony, Hyundai Motor Group presented the status and future plans of its global hydrogen initiatives centered on HTWO, the company’s hydrogen brand and business platform.

    The group emphasized that by spearheading the first hydrogen city project in North Chungcheong Province, it aims to revitalize the local hydrogen economy and contribute to national carbon neutrality. Hyundai also reaffirmed its commitment to expanding the full hydrogen value chain—from production to utilization—through strategic partnerships and global investments.

    The group is also pursuing a range of hydrogen ecosystem projects, including a hydrogen production demonstration project at the Food Waste Bio Center in Chungju, a circular hydrogen project with Paju City and the Korea Institute of Advanced Technology to build a mini hydrogen city, and a resource-circulating hydrogen solution project in West Java, Indonesia, where the group operates major production facilities.

  • [Global AI] LIKELION USA concludes global AI hackathon with 400 AI talents from around the world

    Participants try out AI demos during the 2025 Dream AI Hackathon held in Cambridge, Massachusetts | Photo by LIKELION

    Edtech startup LIKELION (멋쟁이사자처럼) announced that it successfully hosted the “2025 Dream AI Hackathon” from June 21 to 22 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, bringing together over 400 AI talents from around the world.

    The global AI hackathon was co-hosted with the Founder Institute, a U.S.-based startup accelerator. Participants included students from top universities such as Harvard and MIT, professionals from major tech companies, AI startup founders, and developers. Under the theme “Solving Real-World Problems with AI,” the event spurred the creation of various innovative AI-based solutions.

    Teams tackled challenges across industries including healthcare, education, sustainability, and finance. Their projects were judged based on criteria such as problem fit, market potential, business model, go-to-market strategy, and social impact.

    The judging panel comprised Harvard and MIT alumni who now work as investors and tech experts across Silicon Valley and other parts of the U.S. They evaluated the AI maturity of each project along with its potential influence and feasibility in the global market.

    Leading AI companies including ElevenLabs, Glimpse, BizCrush, Clix, UClone, Branch and Bound, vespexx, Zorder, and Typecast supported the event. They provided technical resources and mentorship, significantly contributing to the practical growth of the participating projects.

    Max Min, Head of LIKELION USA, said, “This hackathon was a meaningful opportunity to witness how rapidly advancing AI technologies can be applied to real-world problems. It reaffirmed our belief that AI can be a practical tool for everyday challenges.” He added, “We will continue building platforms where global AI talents can connect, collaborate, and grow beyond borders and backgrounds.”

    Founded in 2013, LIKELION believes in “connecting people with technology” and providing opportunities for anyone with the will to grow. The company offers a range of education programs from basic IT literacy to full-scale bootcamps for career transitions into tech. Going forward, it aims to deliver globally relevant education in programming, design, planning, and business, along with community support, to help aspiring tech creators build real products and achieve their goals on a global stage.

  • L&F accelerates digital innovation with in-house generative AI ‘Lucid’

    AI-powered internal chatbot ‘Lucid’ supports smart work environment | Photo courtesy of L&F

    L&F, a global advanced materials company specializing in secondary batteries, announced the full-scale implementation of its in-house developed generative AI platform, marking a major step forward in its digital transformation strategy. The adoption of AI aims to enhance employee productivity and strengthen the company’s organizational competitiveness by streamlining work processes.

    Lucid, the company’s proprietary generative AI chatbot, is designed to support internal operations by learning from L&F’s corporate knowledge base and providing employees with customized responses. It significantly reduces time spent on information search and retrieval, facilitates interdepartmental collaboration, and shortens onboarding time for new employees—ultimately promoting knowledge sharing across the company. By automating repetitive and simple tasks, Lucid enables employees to focus on critical decision-making and core responsibilities.

    L&F is implementing a four-phase AI innovation strategy: AI Preparation (analysis and strategy development), AI Insight (enhancing AI capabilities), AI Integration (enterprise-wide platform deployment), and AI Advancement (AI sophistication). This systematic approach is already producing tangible results, such as improved work quality and reduced error rates, by enabling more accurate data-driven decisions in real-world operations.

    To strengthen employees’ AI literacy and application capabilities, L&F also operates training programs focused on generative AI and workflow automation. The company provides hands-on training tailored to departmental needs, as well as opportunities to share best practices, allowing staff to quickly adopt AI technology and apply it in their daily work.

    Moreover, L&F plans to extend its use of generative AI beyond administrative tasks and into smart factory operations. The company will leverage its in-house AI talent to tackle repetitive work and improvement projects, with the goal of achieving AI self-sufficiency and leading digital transformation. Ultimately, L&F aims to build an agentic AI platform that enables data-driven decision-making and supports the transition to an integrated AX (Advanced eXperience) automation environment.

    Donghwan Kim, Head of IT Operations at L&F, stated, “In the rapidly changing secondary battery market, generative AI is a core driver of future competitiveness. With our in-house solution, we’ve secured security and specialized functionality, and we’ll continue expanding AI adoption across manufacturing, R&D, and quality control to reinforce our technological leadership in the global battery materials sector.”