Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea Ref. No: 652.0

June 2019

Page 1 of 14

EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND

Contents

Swiss-Korean Joint Research Projects

Developed Self-controlling 'Smart' Fuel Cell Electrode Material

KAIST Develops Core Technology for Ultra-small 3D Image Sensor

Peering into the Nanoworld with Matter-Wave Diffraction

Samsung to unveil new wearable devices with S10

SK Telecom creates 5G-based smart office

LG Innotek eyes expansion in 3D sensing biz

Samsung unveils first foldable gadget

Samsung develops next-generation 5G RF chipsets

LG Electronics unveils 5G smartphone at MWC

Korea is home to 6 unicorn startups

---

Seminar about Swiss Science Policy at KAIST

Discover a gene that is responsible for intellectual disability in Down syndrome

Efficiently Producing Fatty Acids and Biofuels from Glucose

A wearable vibration sensor for accurate voice recognition

Korea to develop AI chips for self-driving cars

Samsung unveils customizable refrigerator for millennial consumers

Samsung unveils industry's highest-resolution image sensor

SK hynix launches data research lab, hires scientist for smart chipmaking

KT vows to invest W500b in cloud computing business

KITA opens Startup Branch at COEX

Contact Science & Technology Office Embassy of Switzerland in the Republic of Korea Tel: +82 2 3704-4712 Email: seo.science@eda.admin.ch Website: www.stofficeseoul.ch

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY NEWS

REPUBLIC OF KOREA, June 2019

B. Korea – Switzerland News 2

C. Science News 2

A. Open Calls 2

D. Innovation News 7

E. Start-Up News 11

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 2 of 14

A. Open Calls*aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

B. Korea – Switzerland News aaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Seminar about Science Policy in Switzerland June 26 - KAIST

On June 26, Mrs. Ji Hyun Lim, Deputy Head of STO Seoul had the opportunity to present at KAIST Swiss Science Policy in front of students and professors. The talk ranged from the Swiss higher education system, which is itself a way to boost innovation, to basic, applied and innovation oriented research and supports. The seminar, as in the case of the one organized by National research Foundation a few months ago, was the first of a series where Science Consellors are invited to introducte about the Country Science Policy to inspire potential cooperation. In both cases, Switzerland was the first Country to be invited as a result of a constant work of STO to facilitate relations with main Korean organizations.

C. Science News aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Discover a gene that is responsible for intellectual disability in Down syndrome

June 17 - UNIST

“Providing a potential way to treat intellectual disability in Down syndrome” Professor Kyung-Tai Min’s team at UNIST, Korea discovered that restoring a gene altered in Down syndrome called the Down syndrome critical region 1 (DSCR1) rescued adult neurogenesis and learning and memory de-fects in a Down syndrome mouse model (Ts65Dn). These results highlight that DSCR1 contributes to intellectual disability in Down syndrome, and further pave the way for treatment. Adult neurogenesis is the process of generating new neurons in the adult brain. Defects in adult hippocampal neurogenesis have been observed in various animal models of neurological disorders including schizophrenia, depression, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as Down syn-drome. However, the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying adult hippocampal neurogenesis and their links to neurological disorders are not well understood. Min’s team discovered that DSCR1 is required for adult hippocampal neurogenesis, and furthermore elucidated mechanisms underlying how DSCR1 regulates this process. They showed that DSCR1 binds to and modulates TET1 splicing, which subsequently controls miRNA-124 expression by regulating the methylation status of the

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 3 of 14

miRNA-124 promoter. Loss of DSCR1 leads to increase TET1 levels, resulting in miRNA-124 promoter hypo-methylation and increased miRNA-124 expression. DSCR1 transgenic mice display opposite changes, albeit they also have defects in adult hippocampal neurogenesis.

Strikingly, correcting DSCR1 dosage alleviates both the impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis and the de-fective learning and memory seen in a Down syndrome mouse model (Ts65Dn). Together, the results reveal that precise regulation of DSCR1 and the interplay between TET1 and miRNA-124 are crucial for normal adult hip-pocampal neurogenesis. These findings further highlight potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of Down syndrome and other neurological disorders associated with adult neurogenesis. The first author Chiyeol Choi, a PhD student, explained “The expression of two epigenetic regulators (TET1 protein and miR-124), mediated by the DSCR1 protein, is important for regulating adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. This is likely a key mechanism contributing to defective adult neurogenesis observed in the Down syndrome mouse model.”

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 4 of 14

Professor Min said “Our findings not only provide a basic understanding of the mechanisms regulating adult hippocampal neurogenesis, but will also contribute to the development of a novel therapy for the cognitive deficits manifested in Down syndrome patients.” This work is supported by the Leading Research Program, National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korean government (MEST), and is published in The EMBO Journal on June 11.

Efficiently Producing Fatty Acids and Biofuels from Glucose

June 19 – KAIST Researchers have presented a new strategy for efficiently producing fatty acids and biofuels that can transform glucose and oleaginous microorganisms into microbial diesel fuel, with one-step direct fermentative production. The newly developed strain, created by Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee and his team, showed the highest efficiency in producing fatty acids and biodiesels ever reported. It will be expected to serve as a new platform to sustainably produce a wide array of fatty acid-based products from glucose and other carbon substrates. Fossil fuels, which have long been energy resources for our daily lives, are now facing serious challenges: de-pletion of their reserves and their role in global warming. The production of sustainable bio-based renewable energy has emerged as an essential alternative and many studies to replace fossil fuels are underway. One of the representative examples is biodiesel. Currently, it is mainly being produced through the transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats. The research team engineered oleaginous microorganisms, Rhodococcus opacus, to produce fatty acids and their derivatives that can be used as biodiesel from glucose, one of the most abundant and cheap sugars derived from non-edible biomass. Professor Lee’s team has already engineered Escherichia coli to produce short-chain hydrocarbons, which can be used as gasoline (published in Nature as the cover paper in 2013). However, the production efficiency of the short-chain hydrocarbons using E. coli (0.58 g/L) fell short of the levels required for commercialization. To overcome these issues, the team employed oil-accumulating Rhodococcus opacus as a host strain in this study. First, the team optimized the cultivation conditions of Rhodococcus opacus to maximize the accumulation of oil (triacylglycerol), which serves as a precursor for the biosynthesis of fatty acids and their derivatives. Then, they systematically analyzed the metabolism of the strain and redesigned it to enable higher levels of fatty acids and two kinds of fatty acid-derived biodiesels (fatty acid ethyl esters and long-chain hydrocarbons) to be produced.

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 5 of 14

They found that the resulting strains produced 50.2, 21.3, and 5.2 g/L of fatty acids, fatty acid ethyl esters, and long-chain hydrocarbons, respectively. These are all the highest concentrations ever reported by microbial fer-mentations. It is expected that these strains can contribute to the future industrialization of microbial-based bio-diesel production. “This technology creates fatty acids and biodiesel with high efficiency by utilizing lignocellulose, one of the most abundant resources on the Earth, without depending on fossil fuels and vegetable or animal oils. This will provide new opportunities for oil and petroleum industries, which have long relied on fossil fuels, to turn to sustainable and eco-friendly biotechnologies,” said Professor Lee. This paper titled “Engineering of an oleaginous bacterium for the production of fatty acids and fuels” was pub-lished in Nature Chemical Biology on June 17. This work was supported by the Technology Development Program to Solve Climate Changes on Systems Met-abolic Engineering for Biorefineries from the Ministry of Science and ICT through the National Research Foun-dation (NRF) of Korea (NRF-2012M1A2A2026556 and NRF-2012M1A2A2026557).

<Figure: Metabolic engineering for the production of free fatty acids (FFAs), fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), and long-chain hydrocarbons (LCHCs) in Rhodococcus opacus PD630. Researchers have presented a new strategy for efficiently producing fatty acids and biofuels that can transform glucose and oleaginous microor-

ganisms into microbial diesel fuel, with one-step direct fermentative production.> Source Hye Mi Kim, Tong Un Chae, So Young Choi, Won Jun Kim and Sang Yup Lee. Engineering of an oleaginous bacterium for the production of fatty acids and fuels. Nature Chemical Biology ( https://www.nature.com/nchem-bio/ ) DOI: 10.1038/s41589-019-0295-5

A wearable vibration sensor for accurate voice recognition

June 24 - POSTECH [The research group led by Professor Kilwon Cho and Professor Yoonyoung Chung developed a skin-attachable vibration sensor for voice recognition]

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 6 of 14

A voice-recognition feature can be easily found on mobile phones these days. Often times, we experience an incident where a speech recognition application is activated in the middle of a meeting or a conversation in the office. Sometimes, it is not activated at all regardless of numbers of times we call out the application. It is because a mobile phone uses a microphone which detects sound pressure to recognize voice, and it is easily affected by surrounding noise and other obstacles. Professor Kilwon Cho of Chemical Engineering and Professor Yoonyoung Chung of Electronic and Electric En-gineering from POSTECH successfully developed a flexible and wearable vibration responsive sensor. When this sensor is attached to a neck, it can precisely recognize voice through vibration of the neck skin and is not affected by ambient noise or the volume of sound. The conventional vibration sensors recognize voice through air vibration and the sensitivity decreases due to mechanical resonance and damping effect, therefore are not capable of measuring voices quantitatively. So, ambient sound or obstacles such as mouth mask can affect its accuracy of voice recognition and it cannot be used for security authentication. In this study, the research group demonstrated that the voice pressure is proportional to the acceleration of neck skin vibration at various sound pressure levels from 40 to 70 dBSPL and they developed a vibration sensor utilizing the acceleration of skin vibration. The device, which is consisted of an ultrathin polymer film and a dia-phragm with tiny holes, can sense voices quantitively by measuring the acceleration of skin vibration. They also successfully exhibited that the device can accurately recognize voice without vibrational distortion even in the noisy environment and at a very low voice volume with a mouth mask worn.

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 7 of 14

This research can be further extended to various voice-recognition applications such as an electronic skin, hu-man-machine interface, wearable vocal healthcare monitoring device. Professor Kilwon Cho explained the meaning of this study in his interview. “This research is very meaningful in a way that it developed a new voice-recognition system which can quantitively sense and analyze voice and is not affected by the surroundings. It took a step forward from the conventional voice-recognition system that could only recognize voice qualitatively.” This research was supported by the Center for Advanced Soft Electronics under the Global Frontier Research Program of The Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea. Further results of this study can be found on the website of Nature Communications, published on the 18th of June.

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 8 of 14

D. Innovation News aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Samsung unveils customizable refrigerator for millennial consumers June 4 – Korea Times

< Kim Hyun-suk, president of Samsung Electronics' consumer electronics division, poses with the firm's BE-

SPOKE refrigerator at Samsung Digital Plaza store in southern Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Samsung Elec-tronics>

Samsung Electronics unveiled Tuesday a set of customizable refrigerators with several color choices and design options to meet various consumer tastes. The firm said its new refrigerators, under the brand name BESPOKE, are comprised of eight models ranging from single door to four doors. Consumers can then customize their own BESPOKE refrigerators, choosing from three different types of surface material ― metal, satin glass or glam glass ― and selecting the color or colors they prefer. "The BESPOKE refrigerator is mainly targeted at consumers seeking customizable refrigerators, especially among the millennial generation," said Kim Hyun-suk, president of the firm's consumer electronics division, during a press conference at the Samsung Digital Plaza store in southern Seoul. "We have said we will concentrate on producing customer-centric products. We will keep releasing products that put the consumers' needs first." The BESPOKE refrigerators can satisfy various consumer needs, not only of millennials but also multiple gener-ations. "Korean consumers usually use a refrigerator for more than 10 years. It is difficult for them to buy a new refriger-ator whenever they want to change their interior design or move to new home. But BESPOKE users can easily liven up the interior of their new homes by simply replacing the front door panels of the refrigerators," Kim said. Kim said the BESPOKE refrigerators are the firm's first output from Project Prism. "We recently launched Project Prism as we are trying to play the role of a prism that can reflect different lifestyles through our products. BE-SPOKE is the first product of the project," he said. The price of the new refrigerators range from 1.04 million won ($881) to 4.84 million won and the front door panels range from 80,000 won to 200,000 won. To help consumers test their own combinations of BESPOKE

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 9 of 14

refrigerator designs, Samsung will introduce a mobile app that will allow them to try various combinations in a virtual space. Samsung plans to launch the BESPOKE refrigerators in Europe and North America but has not decided when. "We will concentrate on the domestic market first. As the lifestyle of Korean consumers is different from those of Europe and North America, we will launch fully customized BESPOKE refrigerators to consumers here first," Kim said. By Baek Byung-yeul (baekby@koreatimes.co.kr)

Samsung unveils industry's highest-resolution image sensor June 4 – Korea Times

<The ISOCELL Bright GW1 developed by Samsung Electronics / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics>

Samsung Electronics has unveiled two new image sensors for smartphones, one of which offers the highest resolution on the market. The company said Thursday it was in response to growing demand for better image quality as more mobile phone makers launch products with multi-lens camera systems. The Korean tech giant introduced two 0.8-micrometer pixel image sensors: the 64-megapixel ISOCELL Bright GW1 and the 48-megapixel ISOCELL Bright GM2. With the addition, Samsung has expanded its 0.8-micrometer image sensor lineup, the smallest pixel size avail-able on the market, from the existing 20-megapixel to the ultra-high 64-megapixel resolution. The company said subminiature pixels have grown in importance with the multi-camera trend that requires smaller chips to realize higher resolutions, as more people cite picture quality as one of the most important features when buying smartphones. "Over the past few years, mobile phone cameras have become the main instrument for recording and sharing our everyday moments," said Park Yong-in, executive vice president of sensor business at Samsung Electronics. "With more pixels and advanced pixel technologies, Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 and GM2 will bring a new level of photography to today's sleekest mobile devices that will enhance and help change the way we record our daily lives."

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 10 of 14

The ISOCELL Bright GW1, which features the highest resolution among mobile image sensors, can produce bright 16-megapixel images in low light and highly detailed 64-megapixel shots in brighter settings, Samsung Electronics said. To take pictures resembling the way the human eye perceives its surroundings in a mixed-light environment, the GW1 offers a real-time high dynamic range (HDR) of up to 100 decibels, the firm said. The dynamic range of a conventional image sensor is about 60 decibels, while that of the human eye is typically considered to be around 120 decibels. The company said the ISOCELL Bright GM2 also produces highly detailed pictures with natural and vivid colors. The ISOCELL Bright GW1 and the GM2 are expected to be in mass production in the second half of the year, Samsung Electronics said. By Jun Ji-hye (jjh@ktimes.com)

SK hynix launches data research lab, hires scientist for smart chipmaking June 10 – Korea Herald

SK hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chip provider, has launched a data research lab to seek optimal solutions for its manufacturing processes and R&D projects via the use of artificial intelligence and data analysis. The new lab, along with the existing data science division, will be led by Kim Young-han, a computer engineering professor at University of California San Diego, renowned in the areas of learning theory and quantum information processing, the company said Monday. Kim graduated from Stanford University with a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in statistics and electrical engineering. Kim has received many academic awards, such as the IEEE Information Theory Paper Award in 2012.

< Kim Young-han, a computer engineering professor at University of California San Diego.>

SK hynix has been seeking to capitalize on advanced technologies to improve manufacturing and development processes, as the semiconductor industry requires manufacturers to enhance capabilities to process massive data promptly, according to the company.

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 11 of 14

"We are planning to deploy more data analytic expects this year to manufacturing and development processes," said Chief Information Officer Song Chang-rock. "By creating a culture where experts flourish, we will continue to expand AI-based business management system." By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)

KT vows to invest W500b in cloud computing business June 18 – Korea Herald

With government’s deregulation efforts, South Korean telecom seeks to compete against global giants in public cloud services market. South Korean telecommunications firm KT said Tuesday it will invest up to 500 billion won ($421 million) in expanding its cloud computing business, with an aim to target government agencies and financial firms. During a press conference in Seoul, KT announced its five-year business plan to support companies’ efforts to migrate massive data to cloud servers. KT pledged to increase the country’s cloud services market to 7 trillion won by 2023. As the government is seeking to ease regulations on cloud services for sensitive areas, KT said it has set its sights on the governmental and financial sectors to compete against global providers’ market dominance. “Private and financial markets are very sensitive to privacy issues and security breaches,” said KT Executive Vice President Shin Soo-jung, who leads the company’s information technology business. “We are going to lead the market by customizing the cloud computing service.” While Samsung, LG and most Korean conglomerates work with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft to establish cloud computing services, local providers have been seeking to create a niche market following the government’s deregulation efforts.

< KT Senior Vice President Lee Kang-soo presents on the cloud business during a press conference at KT’s

headquarters in central Seoul on Tuesday. KT>

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 12 of 14

In January, the government lifted a ban that prevented financial institutions from storing clients’ personal data on cloud service platforms. Efforts are also underway to introduce the clouding computing service to a wider range of government agencies, including municipalities. KT said it currently offers cloud service platforms to more than 130 government agencies, including Korea Post. As for the financial industry, KT started KEB Hana Bank’s cloud services in April. “The past few years have been tough” for the cloud computing business, said KT Vice President Kim Joo-sung, who leads the company’s cloud computing business. “We are hoping the government will encourage more finan-cial companies to adopt cloud service.” KT began its cloud computing business in Korea in 2010, but its presence has been overshadowed by global giants. Meanwhile, other local firms such as Naver have announced a series of business moves aimed at the domestic market. KT has expressed hopes to emerge as a lead player, citing its prowess in telecom networks and the capability to process massive data. Such efforts are expected to gain traction as the hyper-speed fifth-generation wireless network becomes more popular. The company said it would capitalize on “edge-clouding” technology to minimize latency for the 5G network. By the second half of this year, edge-clouding service will be integrated with artificial intelligence technology to become available for the internet of things. “We are the only local provider for integrated cloud services,” said KT Senior Vice President Lee Kang-soo. “Compared to local telecom firms who don’t have their own cloud services and global companies who don’t have 5G network infrastructure, I think we can provide better services.” By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)

E. Start-Up News aaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

KITA opens Startup Branch at COEX June 4 – Korea Times

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 13 of 14

<Industry Minister Sung Yoon-mo, third from left in the front row, and KITA CEO Kim Young-ju, fourth from left in the front row, pose with entrepreneurs and industry officials at the opening of the Startup Branch at COEX,

Tuesday. Courtesy of KITA> The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) has opened a "Startup Branch" at COEX, with an aim to provide an open platform for startups to scale up and globalize. All aspiring entrepreneurs, venture capital companies (VCs) and accelerators are welcome to use the branch, according to KITA, Tuesday. The Startup Branch is divided into offices where startups can pitch their disruptive ideas, a consulting area where startups, VCs and accelerators can engage in networking, and a cafeteria. "Considering declining exports and the sluggish economy, it is necessary to both globalize and scale up startups," KITA CEO Kim Young-ju said during a press conference introducing the Startup Branch. "The Startup Branch is an open platform for startups to not just expand their businesses, but also make connec-tions with established corporations. KITA can help with providing a meeting place and enormous networks." According to Kim, KITA can offer more freedom and creativity compared to the Korea Trade-Investment Promo-tion Agency and Korea SMEs and Startups Agency, which run similar programs, because it is not tied to govern-ment aid.

<KITA's new Startup Branch located on the second floor of COEX / Courtesy of KITA>

KITA introduced three pillars to support startups ― globalization, scale-up and open innovation. Globalization involves organizing meetings and matching startups with Fortune 500 Connect companies. Scale-up includes providing mentoring services and boosting cooperation with global companies such as Google and Facebook to reinforce global strengths. Meanwhile, open innovation matches startups with local conglomerates and mid-sized enterprises to explore overseas business opportunities. Apart from Seoul, KITA has opened two other branches in New York and Dubai to connect local startups with global companies. As well as its rich programs planned for the Startup Branch, KITA will hold "NextRise 2019, Seoul," a global startup conference in July with about 200 startups participating.

Science & Technology News from the Republic of Korea June 2019

Page 14 of 14

In the second half of 2019, the organization plans to launch an online platform to attract more entrepreneurs. By Kwak Yeon-soo (yeons.kwak@koreatimes.co.kr)