Korea

Chinese memory chips manufacturers are a nightmare for the US and South Korea. There is a lot at play

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Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) is one of the largest memory chips manufacturers in China. Its quota in the global market is approximately 6%so it is far from South Korean companies Samsung and SK Hynix, and also from the American Micron Technology, the three companies that lead this sector. Even so, Its weight in the Chinese market is very largeespecially because US sanctions They prevent American and South Korean memories manufacturers selling their most sophisticated integrated circuits to their Chinese clients. YMTC is in the spotlight of the US administration for more than two years. In fact, at the end of 2022 the Department of Commerce led by Gina Raimondo He decided to include this company in his blacklist because he had managed to develop an ambitious 128 layer memory chip. Currently YMTC is one of the companies that have the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology in China, and curiously, According to Techinsights He has reached this position without resorting to foreign technology. Not even Asml’s. YMTC aspires to intimidate the leaders of the memory chips market This achievement seems to have been possible because YMTC has the complicity of three of the most important Chinese lithography equipment: Naura Technology, Amec (Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. China) and Piotech Inc. The most shocking thing is that according to Techinsight analysts, which is a Canadian communication platform intimately linked to the semiconductor industry and with Great credibilityYMTC has managed to put avant -garde memory chips capable of rivaling the most advanced foreign solutions. YMTC has published about 20 new patents in which it describes processes that seek to increase efficiency And it has managed to refine its technology of stacking of memory cells in layers known as ‘xtacking’ until reaching a level of performance in its integrated nand type circuits similar to that of the comparable memories of Samsung or SK Hynix. However, this is not all. According to SCMPYMTC has recently published about 20 new patents in which it describes processes that seek to increase efficiency and optimize chips stacking structures. It is evident that the development of the technological capacity of Chinese manufacturers of integrated memory circuits represents a threat to Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron Technology. However, YMTC is not the only Chinese company with the ability to put in trouble the manufacturers of South Korean and American memory chips. Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) is one of the Chinese companies specialized in the production of memory chips, and, like other companies in the country led by Xi Jinping, it has chosen to compete in this market so attractive deploying a very aggressive pricing policy. CXMT in particular has increased its production capacity of DRAM chips almost five times during the last four years, which has allowed it to increase its global market share until it reaches a very worthy 9%. This growth has placed this company just behind Micron Technology if we stick to its market share, so it is already the fourth largest memory chips manufacturer on the planet. To curl the curl even more The Chinese government is supporting economically to its manufacturers of this type of semiconductors in response to the sanctions deployed by the US and its allies, so the competitiveness of Chinese companies is upwards. More information | SCMP In Xataka | China needs to develop a new type of immune chips to US sanctions. And their scientists have just achieved it

Russia and North Korea

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A few days ago, Donald Trump set up in anger, or at least that seemed like face the public. The president showed his anger with Putin for the obstacles in the negotiations of a high fire in Ukraine. The apparent initial closeness for this agreement with the Russian leader, where he even seemed to blame him for the war, gave way to a threat: to impose secondary tariffs up to 50% About Russian oil. Today, and after knowing each other An almost universal list Of tariffs by Washington, we lack two nations: Russia and North Korea. Indulgence to adversaries. It We count this morningto. In a new and unknown phase of his commercial war, President Donald Trump imposed high tariffs on some of the closest allies and partners in the United States, a list where we find Japan (24%), South Korea (25%), India (26%) or Taiwan (32%). Territories were also included tiny and remote like Tokelau (New Zealand) and Svalbard (Norway), However, it seems that it exempts from rates to adversary nations such as Russia, North Korea, Belarus and even Iran, a country to which only applied 10%less than Israel Tax (17%), its historic ally. Background: a policy that aligns with Trump’s strategy In his second term, one characterized by punishing allied countries, threatening them even with military actions, and showing themselves, although with asterisks, with traditional adversaries from Washington. The official position. The White House has left the step giving A justification. The total absence of tariffs to Moscow, together with countries such as Cuba, Belarus and North Korea, is due to the fact that “these nations already face sanctions and rates so high that they limit their trade with the United States.” However, the data show that, despite the sanctions, Russia still maintains commercial exchanges significant. Privileged relationship. They remembered a key In Firstpost To understand what is happening. Trump had formalized your affinity With Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeking to transform Russia as an adversary to partnerand this despite the fact that Moscow has not yielded in its aggression to Ukraine or has moderated its position towards the West. Despite the official justification from the White House that Russia, North Korea and others are already subject to sanctionsthe truth is that commerce with these countries is nothing less null. Namely: in 2024, the United States maintained exchanges with Russia by value of 3.5 billion dollars (yes, in 2021 the bilateral trade was from 35,000 billion of dollars), including US exports of Medical supplies and essential pharmacists. Even North Korea and Iran, under sanctions, maintain Reduced commercial flowsbut existing, in sectors such as pharmaceutical products, chemicals (and even works of art in the case of Iran). Meanwhile, allies as Ukraine (In full war) they also entered that 10% of tariffs, contradicting the logic that policy seeks to protect strategic partners. The validity of Russia. Moreover, like They explained in Axiosin practice, the United States trades more with Russia than with many of the countries sanctioned by new rates, evidencing a contradiction in the official justification. Karoline Leavittspokesman for the White House, he reiterated that Russia could face “new and strong sanctions” in the future, especially after Trump expressed that public discomfort towards Putin for his recent statements about Ukraine and threatened Impose secondary rates to Russian oil. Stagnant negotiations. Russia, on the other hand, has asked the Trump administration Partial withdrawal of sanctions As a key to negotiations for a fire in Ukraine, a process that remains practically frozen. Meanwhile, Trump seems to have chosen to hit traditional partners and smaller economies before Russia, maintaining that pattern that seems to characterize its foreign policy: hardness towards allies and flexibility, or At least containmenttowards strategic adversaries. The Israel-Iran case. We said it at the beginning. Especially striking is The case of Israelwhich recently eliminated its tariffs on American products as a gesture of good will, waiting for the exclusion of sanctions. It has not been so, and finally Trump has not only imposed a 17% tariff to Israelbut has applied a minor one, only 10%, to Iran, country considered declared enemy both from the United States and Israel and “sponsor” of hostile groups to both. What’s doubt, the decision has caused outrage at Tel Aviv And it has been interpreted as a sign that Trump’s commercial policy in his second term does not distinguish between strategic friends and enemies. Controversial turn. What seems clear is that the choice of some and the exclusion of others in the list is not due to random (not with other micro territories and uninhabited spaces). As a result, the strategy has generated bewilderment between Washington experts and allies, seeing how the country hardens its treatment with historical partners and, at the same time, softens your measures Against geopolitical rivals. Far from being only an economic measure, the pattern seems to reaffirm the Trump approach to destabilize traditional alliances in favor of direct relations, although inconsistent, with adversaries, even if they have not offered diplomatic or commercial concessions in return. Image | Office of the President of The Russian Federation In Xataka | The most surreal victims of US tariffs: remote islands, islets only inhabited by penguins and a secret base

In South Korea offered 14,000 euros to young people in exchange for them to get married. Young people did the same

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With $ 14,000 you can cover holes, take a few sabbatical months to travel around the world or invest in that business that has been around your head for years. What you will not get is to match two South Koreans to marry, form a home and have children to help the country out of the deep crisis of birth in which it has been mired for years. We know it because in Korea there are administrations that already They have thrown out of a checkbook and reached those figures (more than 10,000 dollars) in their efforts to act as a casameros. All without success. Moreover, that commitment to administrations to encourage matches is having a peculiar effect: it has made singleness A true business. Question of love … and money. In his efforts to leave the demographic pothole in which he has been plunged for a long time, he has not hesitated to pull a check -up. Its reasoning is simple: if birth can be encouraged with money, the government is willing to put it on the table. In recent months the authorities of the country have proposed to deliver large ‘baby checks’ to its citizens, offer Fiscal incentives To families with children, expand parental permits or even guarantee that the new moms have access to select food. Another of the country’s great bets has been to match its young people. And that has gone so much to create appointment programs Designed specifically for single to find love how to make it easy at the economic level, offering money so that the cost of a romantic dinner is not an obstacle. Perhaps it sounds exaggerated, but there is a fact that explains it: in South Pareja and Bulality they go hand in hand. So much, that less than 5% From babies they are born out of marriage. How much money do we talk about? A lot A good part of the southern Korean pairing programs start from regional organizations, so that photography can vary from one area to another of the country; But it arrives with a quick turn by Google to see news from cities or districts that try to raise their birth rate with expensive pairing programs. Recently We talked to you of the Seoul case, where the Metropolitan Government studied to deliver 700 euros to the couples who marry there. It is a lot. Although not as much as in other cities. In Busan, one from the main ones Metropolitan Areas of South Korea and that is suffering the effects of the demographic crisis in a form particularly hardthey have gone a step further blessing the new couples with hundreds of dollars. What does that translate? In which money ceases to be an obstacle to throwing girlfriend (or boyfriend). In June The Korea Herald He informed That one of the districts of Busan, Saha-Gu, planned a pilot project with local singles born between 1981 and 2001 to which it offered 360 dollars (to spend on appointments) only for ‘doing Match ‘ With someone. That is, each couple who left the event grabbed by the hand and with plans to be added 700 dollars for their romance. A figure: $ 14,000. Those 360 ​​dollars per person to enjoy as a couple were only the first part of the SAHA-gu program. The idea was to increase support as the relationship progressed until you reach the great wedding gift: 20 million wones In advance for couples who give themselves the ‘yes I want’, about $ 13,600. The district was even willing to offer newly married a larger deposit if they decided to buy a house or help them with rent. Such a bet is better understood in the light of the demographic tables of the Metropolitan City of Busan: if at the beginning of the 90s it passed from the 3.8 million inhabitantsin 2010 it was at 3.4 million. The trend does not clash with that of the country as a whole, which At the end of 2024 It became a “aging super society”, with 20% of its population above 65 years. Do these aid work? That was the big question that was driving … and just answered The Wall Street Journal (TWSJ) with A report in which the title is almost a sentence: “Not even a governmental aid of $ 14,000 can make the single South Korea marry.” Despite the promise of receiving a wedding gift of $ 14,000, the Saha-Gu program was not very successful. TWSJ assures that no participant demanded that reward. And that Saha-Gu is just one of the aid to which couples can opt. TWSJ remembers that not all support leaves administrations and that there are also religious companies or organizations that try to reverse the country’s demographic crisis. Two examples are the construction company Booyoung Group, which offered $ 75,000 to employees who have a child; and the Yoido full gospel churchwhich gives its members almost $ 1,400. The big question. With such incentives the question is evident. Why don’t South Koreans marry? Why do your birth continue well below of that of years ago? Part of the answer are social and cultural changes. TWSJ He quotes a survey recent that shows that three fifths of the South Koreans with employment do not see the slightest problem in not going through the altar, a factor to which others of an economic nature are added, such as the long working daysincreased cost of living or how will be The parenting of children in a society characterized by their demand level and competitiveness. Another key are The difficulties with which women are to rejoin to the labor market after being mothers. In fact there are courtship programs that have ended up suspending precisely because they could not gather a sufficient number of interested women. Other young people rule out simply registering for the heavy bureaucracy that accompanies this kind of initiatives. “It’s more problematic than you imagine,” Recognize one to TWSJ. Is the government … Read more

North Korea has built a “Manhattan” of 10,000 apartments … only for the most loyal to Kim Jong-un

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We could say without fear of being wrong that North Korea has a very clear plan in an economic key for this 2025: open (A little) abroad. How much? It will depend, not only on the nation itself, but on the rest of the countries and the ability to seduction for tourists from outside. Wonsan It will be the cornerstone that will define the rest of that expansion. And the locals? For them there is also great news: a new mega district in the capital, although it will not be for everyone. Hwasong and what we don’t know. North Korea has proudly revealed its new residential district of no less than 10,000 homes in Pyongyanga work that remembers the famous New York enclave and that symbolizes both the propaganda desire of the regime and some of its internal contradictions. Located In Hwasongthe new neighborhood of imposing skyscrapers and large avenues has been presented through the state agency KCNA as a sample of the Kim Jong leader’s commitment a with the improvement of the level of urban living. The official inauguration is scheduled for April 15day that, of course, has not been chosen randomly, since the birth of Kim Il Sungfounder of the country and grandfather of the current leader. The new urbanization represents the third stage of a ambitious five -year plan announced in 2021 for Build 50,000 apartments In the capital, an objective that is inserted into a greater offensive to renew infrastructure in a country whipped by poverty, international isolation and a wobbly economy. Luxury on the outside, doubts inside. Despite the images that show modern buildings and an architecture urbanistically imposing, including two towers linked by a bridge High, reality can be far from a luxury standard. Counted in a wide CNN report That, in North Korea, life on high floors is complicated due to the frequent power cuts left by inoperative elevators. In fact, that is the reason why the floors are assigned based on age of residents: young people occupy the upper floors, while the elderly receive units at low levels. This organization illustrates how structural deficiencies camouflage under a facade of urban modernization. Although Pyongyang enjoys conditions significantly better than other areas of the country, housing in rural regions and mining cities They are still precariouswith limited access to electricity, drinking water or basic sanitation services. The new district in Hwasong The modernization plan. The Hwasong project is not an isolated case. Adds to other recent urbanizations such as Look Scientists Street and Songhwa Streetthis last home of the second highest tower in the country, completed in 2022. All efforts of the regime to show a renewed image of the nation, while they underpin the cult of the personality of Kim Jong Un. Plus: As the state press explained, the leader has been directly involved in the design and planning of the new district, repeating the classical narrative of the regime that associate each achievement with your address staff. In fact, even constructions are designed to reinforce the country’s privilege system. As? Housing are assigned by the Government to people loyal to the regime or considered strategically usefulsuch as scientists, engineers or allegates of the party. Inequality. A report From the South Korean Institute of Civil Engineering and Construction Technology, it estimated that North Korea has enough homes only for 70% to 80% of their homes. Beyond Pyongyang, the housing situation seems critical. Despite the new projects in mining and rural areas, these works depend on the forced labor of soldiers and civilians, which work in hard conditions and Without worthy remuneration. Plus: Construction in North Korea is mainly driven By the popular armywhose participation not only responds to the magnitude of the works, but also to an ideological logic: each brick becomes a piece of propaganda that reinforces the image of the State as a modernizing force. Facade of glass. Although the regime promotes the speed with which it rates skid (as the case of the 70 -story building in Ryomyong New Town whose structure was completed in just 74 days), experts have expressed concern about The quality of the materials and technical supervision. In 2014, the collapse of a building in Pyongyangwhich allegedly housed dozens of families, highlighted the risks of an accelerated construction without adequate controls. The state press attributed the disaster to An “irresponsible supervision”without providing dead figures or assuming clear responsibilities, in a country where transparency is little less than non -existent. “Military” construction. It is another of the legs on which the civil “work” is sustained. The military apparatus it’s a central role In all these developments. With More than one million soldiers In active duty and a mandatory conscription system of at least ten years since the age of 17, the state labor becomes the main engine of these works. Even after serving their service, former soldiers are usually integrated into civil paramilitary forceswhich consolidates a system in which the population remains subject to state control through military obedience structures. Urbanization, therefore, not only responds to housing needs, but also to social surveillance and containment mechanisms. Reopening and isolation. In addition to everything described, the inauguration of the Hwasong district coincides with the first steps of North Korea Towards a reopening controlled after more than five years of closing by the pandemic. We have it: although the capital has remained mostly inaccessible, in 2024 the entry of A small group of Russian tourists. Another foreign group could only visit Rasona special economic zone near the borders with China and Russia. This still shy reopening context also serves as a backdrop to show internal achievements such as the new district, whose symbolic value exceeds the direct benefit that it can represent for North Korean citizenship. Seen this way, Hwasong is not only a residential district, but an emblem of how North Korea tries Project modernityhiding Behind concrete A reality closer to scarcity, control and structural inequality. Image | KCNA In Xataka | After years with its closed … Read more

Korea has a problem with celebrity suicides. The last one has caused an earthquake and sunk to a star

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He February 16 They found in their house in Seoul the lifeless body of Kim Sae-Rona 24 -year -old interpreter who had become famous for his papers for Netflix and Disney+. It was a friend who discovered the body and alerted the police. Kim was alone. There were no clues to suggest murder. No signs of violence. Nor were health problems. What did drag were dark years, claims of payments, harassment in the networks and the shadow of a scandal that sank his career. From A first moment Police handled the case as a suicide. The tragic death of Kim Sae-Ron has however raised a huge dust that touches several sensitive issues in South Korea: Suicideonline harassment to celebrities, Hypercompetivitygender inequality and relationships marked by the age difference, something that is now taking its toll (in the literal sense) To one of the greatest celebrities of South Korea, the actor Kim Soo-Hyun. A tragedy … and an earthquake Around what happened in the apartment of Kim Sae-Ron before one of his friends found it, a month ago, there are few doubts. “We believe it made an extreme decision and planned to handle it as suicide,” I recognized Shortly after the body lifting the Seoul Police. Without great doubts about that particular, the great question that remained throwing was, why? What led an actress of only 24 years to take “An extreme decision”? For Kim’s father there are few doubts. The same day of funeral He pointed to a YouTuber with more than 620,000 subscribers that basically dedicate gossip on celebrities. In one of the many incisive pieces that he dedicated to Kim, the influencer He made fun for example that the actress had been forced to work in a cafeteria. Moreover, he even accused her of being a paripé to get attention. “His videos caused him a deep anguish,” remember The father of the actress. After suicide, the Youtuber just eliminated the contents. In the case of Kim there are however much (a lot) more cloth than cut. Throughout the last month it has transcended more information that helps to understand how its last years of life passed. Some was already public domain. Another not so much. Among the first, what was already known, is The incident He starred several years ago for driving under the influence of alcohol. In 2022, in an episode that soon attracted the attention of the media, Kim crashed into a railing and an electric transformer for drunk driving. The consequence: a small blackout, A fine of 13,000 euros… And something else, a irreparable damage In his image that seemed to precipitate the end of his career. That same year the Gold Medalist and Kim agency They did not renew his contract and It is counted That the producers came to edit (or directly eliminate) scenes in which the young woman appeared, such as ‘Bloodhounds’, released in 2023. Whether or not, the truth is that Kim, who debuted as a model being still a baby and achieved her first leading role with only eight years, saw how her career was truncated from night to morning. Just a year ago he tried to return to the stage with a role in a theater play, but he retired claiming “Health problems”. The 2022 accident with alcohol in between, satirical videos and the withdrawal in extremis of 2024 were made known; But they are just a part of the chronicle of Jim Sae-Ron. Another circumstance that has aroused much more interest in South Korea is its relationship with Kim Soo-Hyun, A 37 year old actor Famous in the country (and outside) for its papers in ‘Queen of Tears’ or ‘One Ordinary Day’. Around the alleged romance there are many shadows among other reasons for how the controversial actor himself and the agency that represents him has managed, the same one that worked in his day with Kim Sae-Ron. According to India todayIn 2024 the company denied that such a relationship existed for amending shortly after. The truth is that I know They have disseminated photos in which you can supposedly see both young people In affectionate attitude and about him Affair The YouTube channel have been spoken Garosero Resarch Institute and (more importantly) the Sae-Ron family. The Korean press has not escaped a detail that lends itself to different interpretations: Sae-Ron decided to take his life on the same day of Soo-Hyun’s birthday, although the relationship between the two would have ended long ago. Click on the image to go to Tweet. And why is it important? For several reasons. The main is that, As he has denounced The aunt of the deceased actress, the relationship between Sae-Ron and Kim Soo-Hyun began when she was 15 years old and he 27. Until 2023 the age of legal consent in Korea It was 13 yearsalthough later he rose at 16. The age of majority is in any case in the 19th. The perspective between a famous 27-year-old actor and a 15-year-old teenager has generated an intense stir in South Korea, shaking the debate and placing in the eye of the hurricane to Soo-Hyun. Kim Sae-Ron’s family has greatly influenced the subject and has even apologized to the actor. “We ask Kim Soo-Hyun who admits to have left with SAE-Ron when he was a minor and It apologizes publicly. We also demand an apology from your agency, which has denied the relationship for the past three years and even reiterated this denial just three days ago, ” demand. Around the case there is also another key and it is the role of the Gold Medalist agency, whose link with SAE-Ron was cut years ago but still linked to Soo-Hyun. The reason is simple: in recent weeks the support he gave to the actress has been questioned, after the 2022 scandal, and the pressure he exerted for demand reimbursement of 700 million wones, equivalent to about 440,000 euros. The agency He has already responded Speaking of “invented and unacceptable accusations … Read more

The chip war between the US and China is already leaving collateral damage. Although in South Korea

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For the South Korean government Your semiconductor industry has a strategic role, like those of OLED panel production either Battery manufacturing. These three sectors have A very deep impact on its economyso it is understandable that the administration does everything in its hand to reinforce its position in the global market and increase its competitiveness. In mid -December 2023 Yoon Suk Yeol, the former president of this Asian country, traveled to the Netherlands with the purpose of consolidating an alliance with ASML in matters of integrated circuits, among other priority objectives. During the last months South Korea He has “faced” the US To protect the business of its main semiconductor manufacturers in China, among which are Samsung and SK Hynix. But his short -term perspective is discouraging. Sales of semiconductors to China have fallen in February 31.8% The Chinese market is essential for South Korea. It is at least if we stick to the integrated circuit industry. At the end of 2024 the country led by Xi Jinping represented approximately two fifths of all southern Korea technology exports, but the chips flow is plummeting. According to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy of this last nation in January 2025 the sale of chips It contracted 22.5% compared to the same month of the previous year. 2025 is going to be a bad year for the semiconductor industry due to the cooling of global demand and the impact of tariffs And in February the fall has been even more steep: 31.8% compared to February 2024. This trend supports the omens that predict for months that 2025 will be a bad year for the semiconductor industry due to the cooling of global demand and to the impact that tariffs presumably they are already having in the integrated circuit industry. In any case, to South Korea this incipient crisis seems to be affecting more than other countries that also live largely from chips, such as Taiwan. Samsung and SK Hynix lead the memory chips market, and much of their income comes from precisely these semiconductors. The US sanctions prevent them from selling their most advanced chips to their Chinese clients, which, precisely, are those that usually live with the GPUs for artificial intelligence (AI). China has responded by dedicating more resources to the development of Your own memory technologieswhat is causing A prices decrease which is clearly affecting the Samsung and SK Hynix business. Despite all the consultant Gartner has predicted that The AI ​​will pull the semiconductor industry For 2025, leaving the door ajar to the possibility that finally this year is not as bad for chips manufacturers as the first figures point. Image | Samsung More information | SCMP In Xataka | The virtuous circle: China has become the greatest added value of the planet thanks to feedback

South Korea has done an exercise with its F-16. They have mistakenly bombard a city near the border with the north

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The F-16 They are possibly one of the most popular fighters. These are monomotor combat airplanes developed by the American General Dynamics that went from being listed as “light hunting” to evolve to versatile. Inside, one of the most common air weapons on the planet: the pump without guide Mark 82. Up to eight of them have fallen near the border with North Korea by error. The incident. Two KF-16 fighters of the South Korean Air Force (Rokaf) They accidentally launched eight bombs MK-82 on a village/city in the Nogok area, on the outskirts from Pocheonabout 40 kilometers from Seoul and no less than 32 kilometers from the border with North Korea. Because? The error occurred shortly after 10 am during a real fire exercise in preparation for joint maneuvers with the United States. As a result, 15 people were injuredtwo of them in serious condition, and dozens of residents were evacuated, in addition to destroying, among other things, a church. The causes and the answer. The first investigations indicate that the pilot of one of the planes incorrectly introduced coordinates of the objective, causing the fall of the pumps in an inhabited area. However, it is not yet clear why the second plane also launched its explosive load. The South Korean Air Force has suspended all exercises of real fire to clarify the facts and have formed an emergency committee to investigate what happened. In An official statementthe authorities expressed their apologies and have promised assistance to those affected. Damage and testimonies. The explosions caused severe damage to infrastructure local, including homes, trucks and, as we said, a church. The impact of the pumps was strong enough to shake a center for people over more than half a kilometer from the place. Among the testimonies collected by local media, residents have described chaos scenes, with smoke rising to heaven, broken pipes and people trapped in vehicles. A witness reported that some houses They were “games in half” and that several people were injured inside a car en route to a construction work. Impact on joint safety and maneuvers. In addition, the incident occurs at a time of High voltage in the Korean Peninsulawith South Korea, the United States and Japan concerned with the growing military alliance Between North Korea and Russia. Seoul has repeatedly denounced that Pyongyang has sent soldiers to fight in Ukraine, and South Korean intelligence sources say that recently More North Korean They were deployed in the Russian city of Kursk. Plus: accidental bombardment has happened a few days before the start of the joint exercises called Freedom Shield, scheduled to start next Monday (from March 10 to 20). Although the South Korean authorities have ensured that the incident will not affect the development of these maneuvers, the security of real fire exercises has been, in question.

After years with its closed borders, North Korea has opened to foreign tourism. The price: more than $ 600

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Very shy, limited and with restrictions, but North Korea begins to open to foreign tourism five years after have sealed its borders to protect yourself from the propagation of COVID-19. The hermetic nation led by Kim Jong-un is about to be somewhat less hermetic, both for travelers from China and Western. Of course, at least for the moment and despite the fact that the country is building His own ‘Benidorm’ In Wonsan, the tours will focus on a specific (and controlled) area: Rason. No visits to Pyongyang. Border closure. Five years ago, even in the initial bars of the Covid-19 Pandemia, North Korea took A radical decision: At the end of January 2020, the view of how the virus spread for the Chinese neighbor, the authorities decided to close foreign tourists. The measure made sense if one takes into account that in 2019, tens of thousands of travelers arrived from the Asian giant had visited North Korea. Some sources speak of 350,000. Others point out that the country received in total 300,000 tourists foreigners, of which 90% were Chinese. One (long) temporary measure. The idea was that the borders remained “temporarily” as “preventive measure against coronavirus.” Or so He announced it In January 2022 Young Pioneer Tours, an agency that was dedicated to organizing trips to the country of Kimg Jong-un. What was not clarified was what exactly “temporary” meant, an uncertain horizon that extended one, two, three … until five yearswhich is what has ended up lasting the closure. The government already made A first gesture In 2024, allowing Russian tourist delegations, which were already pointed out as The first foreign travelers who accessed the country from the pandemic; But now North Korean authorities have decided to go one step further. Coinciding almost with the fifth anniversary of the closing of the borders, the country has allowed The passage of several travel companies and a very small group of visitors. What exactly? The Straits Times Explain that at the beginning of February the North Korean authorities allowed the country of a select group of travel operators. Select and Very small. Experience served to tote the land for the really important date: tourism reopening February 20although the latter has also been done in a limited way. Among the operators who stepped on North Korean soil after years of border closure was the Australian Rowan Beard, of the Pioneer Tours agency, based in Beijing. His business was expected to take A dozen tourists To the country, a figure similar to the one that was handled by another of the selected operators, Koryo Tours, who when Corea’s apartment already had a group of 15 people eager to walk around the country. And who have visited it? After the first trip of recognition and “familiarization”, that of Beard, foreign tourists have arrived, including people from Singapore, Australia, Germany or Romania, according to Precise The country. Other media They holdthat among visitors there are also citizens of the United Kingdom and Jamaica. The CNN even assures That among the “pioneers” is an American, Justin Martell, who would have mocked the prohibition of his country after becoming a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a Caribbean nation. Looking at China. After A first approach To Russia, the nation of Kim Jong-un already looks at its great tourism market: China. Kyodo News agency I advanced A few days ago the country prepares to resume tourist trips of the Asian giant, which until the closing of borders moved a flow of tens of thousands of travelers a year. The perspective of knowing North Korea may be more or less appealing from countries such as Spain, where the government even advised The visitbut it has its market. Packages for $ 670. Beard remember that when his agency announced the trips the company’s email “saturated” consultations. And that the experience requires scratching the pocket: Young Pioneer Tours, one of the few authorized, offers a five -day and four night package for $ 670. Another option is to pay $ 720 With several nights in Yanji, China. “For many people it is a very mysterious country,” Beard comments: “Technically there is no Internet or is limited. So life there works in a similar way to what we had in the 1980s.” Those who have already been in the country after reopening ensure that the rules when taking photos have relaxed, which does not mean that visitors can film what they want. “They only scold me once,” Recognize the CNN Gerg Vaczi, by Korko Tours, “and was to film a guide.” Opening, but with quotes. North Korea’s policy change has been important, but also limited. That he has decided to allow the passage of tourists again does not mean that they will move freely through the country or move to the capital, Pyongyang, supposedly closed For any tourist who Do not come from Russia. Visitors must settle at least for the moment with Rasona special economic zone established in the early 90s and presents certain important peculiarities. A special destination. To begin its location, it is strategic, northwest of the country, near the borders of China and Russia. It also does not have an international airport, with what the only way to arrive is to cross the limit with China under the control of the Border guards. The area also has peculiar administrative conditions and has been raised, Precise ABC News, as a kind of evidence field to test new economic policies. The idea It is that tourists who can reach drops visit spaces such as a factory, an aquaculture farm, Schoolsor have the experience of open an account Banking in the Golden Triangle Bank. Rason is also in a border and coastal area. Beard Recognize In any case that the area presents certain “logistics limitations”, such as the number of hotel places, guides and buses. And why now? The other big question. It is estimated that before the pandemic the country received hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists generated … Read more

Before the lack of crew, South Korea is developing ships with AI. And the US has already taken their eyes

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We have the whole day in the mouth. If a product does not have ia, it is not fashionable, and Despite loud recent failuresit seems that artificial intelligence It has come to stay and conquer it practically everything. A segment in which it has a lot of potential is in the improve autonomous capabilities of vehicles, especially in countries in which human workforce is increasingly scarce. This is the case of South Korea, which is promoting Autonomous ships up to ia To replace the lack of crew. But there are already those who look with sweet eyes thinking about applications in the military industry: United States. Samsung with Ia. Now in ships. South Korean national pride is Samsung, a company that recently presented its smartphones Galaxy S25 and that has been uploaded on the artificial intelligence ship. Samsung is a giant company that makes consumption technology much more. Both the main company and its subsidiaries have businesses in sectors such as construction or biotechnology, and one of them specializes in ships. Samsung Heavy Industries, or SHI, is one of the three large ship builders in the world, focusing on the construction of ships for special tasks such as ultragrandes ships, very specific transport ships, offshore platforms and navigation systems. One of the last projects in which it is involved is that of construction with ships equipped with autonomous navigation system thanks to AI. Ok, catamaran! Conducts. How can we read in Nikkei Asiain November last year, Shi tried a 12 -meter -long catamaran on Geoje island, south of South Korea. This ship could transport 12 people and its crew had a task: give voice orders to the ship. After scoring the route, he was dedicated to following the ‘line of points’ and details such as speed or obstacles were shown in real time on a screen. From the control center you can monitor your parameters thanks to the installed cameras, as well as make adjustments, but the AI ​​developed by sister Samsung Electronics is the captain of the ship. Government facilities. A wall against which there were companies like Samsung or Hyundai when trying autonomous vessels is the law. According to the Asian media, the regulations made it difficult for companies approved A law that precisely facilitates obtaining permits to perform tests in the real world. The reasons were not specified, but having South Korea one of the most alarming demographic situations on the planet And facing –Like Japan-, to the lack of workers in certain positions, an autonomous or semi -autonomous vehicle sounds like a good idea to alleviate the situation. Realizing Japan again, we have already seen even Robots with chainsaws to set the train tracks. Taxi! We mentioned Hyundai, since it is another of the great South Korean and, through Hyundai Heavy Industries, this year they will test an autonomous aquatic taxi in Busán. The idea is that the passenger introduces the destination, at which time the system will look for the ideal route and begin to travel it. Apart from the systems to recognize the environment thanks to 3D cameras, the idea is that you go accurately at the destination dock, ready to release a passenger and receive another. Returning to Samsung, the next steps of this project include tests to avoid collisions, as well as Improve satellite communication To be able to develop this pilot as something on a large scale. Satellite communication is another technologies that seem important to the company. The US looks carefully. Samsung has a key advantage: you can design and build these ships from scratch, integrating its own autonomous navigation technology. That is, with their naval experience, they can design a ship from scratch that includes the autonomous navigation systems that they provide from Samsung Electronics, being a more accurate solution than to place those navigation systems on a ship that is not specifically designed for it . And who is already looking closely at these advances is the United States, but not any aquatic taxi department, but the Department of Defense. In one call From Trump al, now dismissed, South Korean president Yoon Yeol, President Electro recognized the capacity of South Korea in the construction and maintenance of ships. Clue. South Korean ports are becoming a key to the US presence in the South China Sea and local media claim that contracts between South Korean and US companies have increased recently. It is a fundamental strategic enclave, especially in a scenario in which China is performing maneuvers that their adversaries watch closely. Beyond this, and seeing that Samsung is not the only one who is betting on autonomous ships, it is expected that we see a flourish of this implementation of AI in this type of vehicles in the coming months. Image | Shi In Xataka | This is the Zhu Hai Yun, the new ship of China: capable of navigating without crew and full of aerial and sailor drones

Many Russians injured in Ukraine are not returning home. They are flying with the expenses paid to North Korea

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During the last months, there have been times in the Ukraine War North Korean soldiers They have been the closest to ghost troops. Actually, and as usually happens in the contests, participants figures vary according to the sides, so we may never know the exact number of “shipments”. That said, and if there was any questions of The ties forged in the Cold War for both nationsin parallel, an unprecedented event is happening. Russian soldiers are not returning home, they are going to Pyongyang. From the battle front to Korea. From the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Thousands of Russian soldiers have returned home injured or with physical and psychological sequelae. Many of them have participated in state rehabilitation programs in sanatoriums distributed throughout Russia. However, an increasing number of military have had another destination. This group, secret until very recently, It has been sent to North Korea To receive medical care and rest, which marks a new chapter in the growing cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. Recovery with expenses paid. In The Guardian had cases of soldiers like Aleksei (fictional name), who, after suffering a shrapnel wound in the leg, requested a stay in a state sanatorium. The man hoped to be sent to one of the traditional rehabilitation centers in the Black Sea or the Altái mountains, but in the absence of availability, his unit in the distant Russian East offered him an unexpected destination: North Korea. Aleksei, like others, approached a two -hour flight from Vladivostok to Pyongyang, followed by A trip to a sanatorium in Wonsanon the eastern coast of North Korea. There, he spent a week with two other dozen Russian soldiers, in an environment that, although he says that clean and well maintained, lacked the specialized medical care he expected. The “healer” role of North Korea. He Shipping Russian soldiers injured to North Korea has not been publicly promoted through the Russian government, images of visits have not been disseminated. However, in a recent interview, Russia’s ambassador to Pyongyang, Aleksandr Matsegora, confirmed that “hundreds of Russian soldiers” have been treated in Sanatorium and North Korean medical centers. Not just that. The diplomat stressed that Accommodation, food and care services were totally freeand that when Russia tried to compensate for North Korea for expenses, North Korean authorities felt “offended” and rejected any payment. An exchange that is part of that close military and political collaboration between the two countries that we have been countingand that has intensified since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Rest without treatment. Aleksei told the British environment that during his stay in Wonsan he had access to swimming pools, saunas and recreational activities such as ping-pong and card games. But as we said, he noticed several limitations. Namely: he did not receive the expected specialized medical treatment, the meals “were tasteless and had little meat”, it was forbidden to leave the enclosure at night or interact with the local population, and Alcohol was extremely difficult to get. Aspects that, As the New York Times pointed outthey contrast with the image of the traditional Russian sanitariums, who usually offer a combination of physical therapy, rehabilitation and rest in natural environments. Be that as it may, for Aleksei, The experience was “different from the expected”and you are not sure if I would accept to return in case of a new offer. The doubt and strategic background. Some analysts have suggested that these soldiers’ shipments could have a hidden purpose beyond the rehabilitation itself. Like what? He Institute for the Study of War (ISW), based in Washington, has indicated that the arrival of Russian troops with an experience of fighting North Korea It could be an opportunity to train and share tactics with the North Korean armyunder the appearance of rest and recovery. The possibility of greater cooperation in this area reinforces concerns about the growing military alignment between Moscow and Pyongyang. A summer camp for Russian children. It The New York Times had exclusive. In parallel to the arrival of Russian military in North Korea, Pyongyang has also begun to receive children of Russian soldiers who died in the war. Russian President Vladimir Putin first mentioned the initiative in June 2023thanking North Korean leader Kim Jong-un organizing a camp for these children in the Songdowon complex, near Wonsan. This center, which already received Russian visitors before the war, has now become a symbol of the bilateral relationship. In fact, the Russian media have widely covered these trips, Showing images of children posing in front of statues of North Korean leaders. The Times said that even a young participant described the experience as a “total digital detox”highlighting the strict discipline of North Korean children, who were marching in training and continued with military precision. In short, the presence of Russian soldiers in North Korea seems to symbolize that growing convergence between both nationsin a context of international isolation. As military and economic cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang intensifies, these exchanges could represent more than simple rehabilitation, consolidating a new geopolitical dynamic in the 21st century. Image | Office of the President of The Russian Federation In Xataka | Russia gave animals, artillery and raw to North Korea. His last gift places his army at another level: space In Xataka | Thousands of North Koreans came to fight with Russia. The question now is where they have gotten two weeks

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