4 Angles Ep19
- 9 years ago
A Near Future Envisioned at the Unification Expo
The 2015 Unification Expo was held at the Gwanghwamun Plaza on May 29. It was a small but meaningful opportunity to look back at the 70 years since Korea's independence and division and envision a new future of a unified Korea. Seven decades have passed since Korea was divided into two, and unification has become a forgotten issue for most Koreans. 4Angles looks at South Korea's effort to boost public awareness on unification and continue cooperation with North Korea.
My Body as a Key: Biometrics
We use our physical features to withdraw money and obtain certificates of authentication. It won't be long before our bodies are used as keys. Korea's biometric authentication technology is nearing commercialization. Seven parts of the body can be used for biometric authentication. Among them facial and fingerprint recognition is already being used in areas demanding high security measures. Iris identification is almost ready for on-site use as well. In combination with fin-tech, these biometric authentication technologies are likely to flourish in the smartphone market.
Rent Away: Booming Rental Services
With low monthly payments people can rent whatever they need, from a motorcycle costing thousands of dollars in retail to paintings and grand pianos. The rental market, which used to be confined to water purifiers, bidets and cars, has expanded to include roughly 24,000 items and is now worth almost 11 billion U.S. dollars. Rental services are popular because they let people use products they need without spending much money. But sometimes renting can cost 3 or 4 times more at the end than buying in installments, and cancellation fee can amount to 30 to 50% of the remaining payments. Regulations protect renters against heavy penalties in advanced countries, but they are not yet in place in Korea. Here are some ways to rent smart.
New Hallyu, Medical Tourism
Foreigners come to Korea to access the country's cutting-edge m
The 2015 Unification Expo was held at the Gwanghwamun Plaza on May 29. It was a small but meaningful opportunity to look back at the 70 years since Korea's independence and division and envision a new future of a unified Korea. Seven decades have passed since Korea was divided into two, and unification has become a forgotten issue for most Koreans. 4Angles looks at South Korea's effort to boost public awareness on unification and continue cooperation with North Korea.
My Body as a Key: Biometrics
We use our physical features to withdraw money and obtain certificates of authentication. It won't be long before our bodies are used as keys. Korea's biometric authentication technology is nearing commercialization. Seven parts of the body can be used for biometric authentication. Among them facial and fingerprint recognition is already being used in areas demanding high security measures. Iris identification is almost ready for on-site use as well. In combination with fin-tech, these biometric authentication technologies are likely to flourish in the smartphone market.
Rent Away: Booming Rental Services
With low monthly payments people can rent whatever they need, from a motorcycle costing thousands of dollars in retail to paintings and grand pianos. The rental market, which used to be confined to water purifiers, bidets and cars, has expanded to include roughly 24,000 items and is now worth almost 11 billion U.S. dollars. Rental services are popular because they let people use products they need without spending much money. But sometimes renting can cost 3 or 4 times more at the end than buying in installments, and cancellation fee can amount to 30 to 50% of the remaining payments. Regulations protect renters against heavy penalties in advanced countries, but they are not yet in place in Korea. Here are some ways to rent smart.
New Hallyu, Medical Tourism
Foreigners come to Korea to access the country's cutting-edge m