List of Korean inventions and discoveries

This is a list of Korean inventions and discoveries.

Agriculture

• Soybean cultivation

Early cultivation of the soybean dates back to 4,000 years ago, and originates in Manchuria and the Korean peninsula. Early Chinese records mention that soybeans were gifted from the region encompassing Manchuria and Korea. Korean soybeans dating to 3000 BP are the oldest to be discovered. The oldest preserved soybeans resembling modern varieties in size and shape, dating to about 1000 BC, were found in archaeological sites in Korea. Radiocarbon dating of soybean samples recovered through flotation during excavations at the Early Mumun period Okbang site in Korea indicates that soybeans were cultivated as a food crop in around 1000–900 BC.

• Heated greenhouse

Greenhouses that could manipulate the temperature first appeared in 15th century Korea. The 15th century treatise, the Sanga Yorok, contains descriptions of greenhouses designed to regulate the temperature and humidity requirements of plants and crops. One of the earliest records of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty in 1438 confirms growing mandarin orange trees in a traditional Korean greenhouse during the winter and installing an ondol system to provide heat.

• Pluviometer

The first standardized pluviometer (rain gauge), called the cheugugi, was invented during the reign of Sejong the Great in the Joseon dynasty of Korea. The cheugugi was used throughout the country for official purposes. In the 15th century, Korea was the only country to use a quantitative measuring device for the purpose of meteorological observation.

• Water gauge

In 1441, the Joseon scientist Jang Yeong-sil invented the world's first water gauge, called the supyo (수표/水標). The supyo was a calibrated stone column placed in the middle of a body of water, connected by a stone bridge, that indicated drought, normal, and flood levels.

Architecture

In the ondol system, heat and smoke from the kitchen stove circulates under the building, warming the floors, then exits through the chimneys.

• Underfloor heating

One of the earliest systems of underfloor heating, dating back 2,500 years, was invented and widely used by Koreans. The Korean ondol heating system was thought to be the oldest of its kind until the recent archaeological discovery of a similar heating system in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands. However, the archaeologist who discovered it agrees with Korean researchers that the two systems developed independently, based on the distance of 5,000 kilometers and the absence of ondol in the areas between them. Inspired by the Korean ondol hydronic radiant floor heating system, the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright developed and introduced the first "radiant heating system" using hot water pipes.

• Refrigeration

The ancient Silla kingdom created an early refrigeration system called seokbinggo, which were subterranean chambers used to store ice and food.

• Korean fortress

Koreans developed a unique and distinct fortress tradition. There are numerous types of Korean fortresses, including sanseong (mountain fortress), eupseong (city fortress), pyeongjiseong, gwanseong, jangseong, chaekseong, and more. Korean fortresses were based on a stone culture and built using stones, and often incorporated natural mountainous terrain, and therefore were conceptually completely different compared to Chinese fortresses, which were based on an earth culture and built using bricks from earth. Korean fortresses were invented by Goguryeo and spread to Baekje and Silla, and then inherited and further developed by Goryeo and then Joseon. Goguryeo fortress ruins have been found in about 170 sites to date, including in China; one of the most notable among them is Anshi Fortress, which successfully defended against Tang Taizong during the Goguryeo–Tang War. Korea, especially Goguryeo, has often been called the "country of (mountain) fortresses"; almost 2,400 mountain fortress sites have been found in Korea. Korean-style fortresses can also be found in Japan, which were constructed and supervised by immigrants of Baekje origin.

• Korean pagoda

Koreans created a unique and distinct pagoda tradition using stone. Pagodas were created in India using earth, then in China using wood, which spread to the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and then Japan; however, the pagoda tradition of East Asia diverged, with China creating pagodas using bricks, Korea creating pagodas using stone, and Japan continuing to use wood. Korean stone pagodas were first created in Baekje during the early 7th century and then inherited by Later Silla; 90% of the pagodas in Later Silla were made of stone. The stone pagoda tradition was propagated by the great abundance of high quality granite in Korea, which also led to other granite creations such as the Seokguram and Cheomseongdae. Goryeo, a devoutly Buddhist state, also inherited the stone pagoda tradition. Examples of Korean stone pagodas are: Mireuksa of Baekje; Dabotap and the Seven-storied stone pagoda in Tappyeong-ri of Later Silla; Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda of Goryeo; and Wongaksa Pagoda of Joseon. Examples of Korean wood pagodas are: Hwangnyongsa and Palsangjeon of Silla.

Astronomy

• Star chart

The earliest known constellation patterns in Korea can be found on dolmens dating back to 3000 BC. The Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido is a planisphere inscribed on black marble that was completed in 1395 during the reign of King Taejo; according to its inscription, it is based on a star chart from ancient Goguryeo that was lost during wartime. It is known as the world’s second oldest star chart engraved in stone, after the Chinese Suzhou Star Chart of 1247. However, the Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido's stellar positions indicate an epoch dating back to the first century AD, thus making it the oldest actual representation of the stars in the world.

• Astronomical observatory

The Cheomseongdae is the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in Asia, and possibly the world. It was constructed in Seorabeol, the capital of Silla, during the reign of Queen Seondeok in the 7th century. Modeled on Baekje's Jeomseongdae, which now exists only in historical records, the Cheomseongdae influenced the construction of a Japanese observatory in 675, and Duke Zhou's observatory in China in 723.

Writing

Hunminjeongeum

• Featural writing system

Hangul is the world's first featural writing system, wherein the shapes of the letters are not arbitrary, but encode phonological features of the phonemes they represent. The Korean alphabet is unique among the world's writing systems, in that it combines aspects of featural, phonemic, and syllabic representation.

• Phonemic orthography

Predating the creation of Hangul by hundreds of years, Koreans created various phonetic writing systems that were used in conjunction with Hanja, including: idu, hyangchal, gugyeol, and gakpil. Some of them may have influenced the development of kana in Japan.

Printing

• Movable type

Movable metal type was invented in Korea in the early thirteenth century, predating Gutenberg’s invention in Europe by two centuries. The first book to be printed with movable metal type is the Prescribed Ritual Texts of the Past and Present in 1234 during the Goryeo period. The earliest surviving book to be printed with movable metal type is the Jikji, dated to 1377. The first lead type in the world is the Byeongjinja created in 1436. Metal types were called juja (cast characters), and the Joseon government operated the jujaso bureau, a continuation of Goryeo's seojeogwon, to print books and documents to be distributed to the central and local administrations, village schools, scholars, and officials.

Music

• Musical notation

Jeongganbo is a unique traditional musical notation system created during the time of Sejong the Great that was the first East Asian system to represent rhythm, pitch, and time.

• Janggu

First depicted in Goguryeo murals, the janggu is the most widely used drum in traditional Korean music.

• Gayageum

The most representative traditional instrument of Korea, the gayageum was created in Gaya during the 6th century, and based on the Chinese guzheng.

• North Korean instruments

North Korea has developed many modernized instruments based on traditional instruments. The sohaegeum, junghaegeum, daehaegeum, and jeohaegeum are four-stringed fiddles of varying sizes, based on the traditional haegeum. The eoeungeum is a pear-shaped lute with 5 strings that is similar to the hyangbipa. The cheolhyeongeum and ongnyugeum are modernized zithers, and the jangsaenap is a modernized taepyeongso.

Artisanship

• Hydro-mechanically engineered dual-time clock: In 1433, Jang Yeong-sil invented an automatic time-annunciating water-clock called the Striking Palace Clepsydra or (Jagyeok-gungnu, 自擊宮漏) under the order from King Sejong the Great. The uniqueness of the clock was its capability to announce dual-time automatically with visual and audible signals. The signal conversion system developed by Jang made it possible to measure analog time and announce digital time simultaneously as well as to separate the water mechanisms from the ball-operated striking mechanisms. The conversion device was called pangmok, and was placed above the inflow vessel that measured the time, the first device of its kind in the world. Hence, it is considered to be the first hydro-mechanically engineered dual-time clock in the history of Horology.
• Inlay Technique: The invention of inlay technique (sanggam) in ceramics, particularly Goryeo celadon in mid-12th century.

Traditional medicine

• Kiln sauna

The traditional Korean sauna, called the hanjeungmak, is a domed structure constructed of stone that was first mentioned in the Sejong Sillok of the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty in the 15th century. Supported by Sejong the Great, the hanjeungmak was touted for its health benefits and used to treat illnesses. In the early 15th century, Buddhist monks maintained hanjeungmak clinics, called hanjeungso, to treat sick poor people; these clinics maintained separate facilities for men and women due to high demand. Korean sauna culture and kiln saunas are still popular today, and Korean saunas are ubiquitous.

• Hand acupuncture

Koryo hand acupuncture is a modern system of acupuncture, created by Yu Tae-u in the 1970s, in which the hand represents the entire body and is needled or stimulated during treatment. Hand acupuncture is popular among the general population as a form of self-medication in Korea, and has adherents in Japan and North America; it is also popular among overseas Koreans. Korean hand acupuncture is different from American hand reflexology, another form of alternative medicine.

Military

Traditional

• Multiple rocket launcher: Hwacha is a Multiple rocket launcher which was a platform device on wheels that used gunpowder to fire fire arrows, a predecessor of the modern MLRS.
• Armored warship: Turtle ships, also known as geobukseon, were large armored warships built during the Joseon dynasty from the early 15th century up until the 19th century. Yi Sun-sin used them against the Japanese in the Imjin War, which occurred during the last decade of the 16th century.
• Time bomb: The first time bomb called Pigyok Chinchollae (비격진천뢰;飛擊震天雷) was developed during the Imjin War (1592-1598) by a technician, Yi Chang-son (이장손;李長孫). It was used to project into enemy camps and formations by mortar. (대완구)
• Naval artillery: One of the world's first naval guns were used by the Koreans to counter Japanese piracy during the Goryeo Dynasty in the 1370s.
• Soft bullet-proof vest: A soft bullet-proof vest invented by Kim Gi-du and Gang Yun in the late 1860s in the Joseon Dynasty.
• Thousand-pace gun: A type of Jochong (matchlock musket) called Cheonbochong (천보총;千步銃) or "thousand-pace gun" was invented during reign of Sukjong of Joseon (1674-1720) by Park Yeong-jun (박영준;朴永準). It is said to have a maximum range of 1800m with an effective range of 900m as most matchlock muskets at that time did not exceed more than 180m. Unlike other Jochong muskets, it has an extremely long barrel with an accurate range. Its usage is thought to be similar to the Afghanistan Jezail or American Kentucky Rifle.

Modern

• Sentry gun: The Samsung SGR-A1 is a South Korean military robot sentry designed to replace human counterparts in the demilitarized zone at the South and North Korea border. It is a stationary system made by Samsung defense subsidiary Samsung Techwin in 2006.In December 2010, the South Korean firm DoDAAM unveiled the Super aEgis II, an automated turret-based weapon platform that uses thermal imaging to lock onto vehicles or humans up to 3 km away. It is able to function during nighttime and regardless of weather conditions. The system gives a verbal warning before firing, and though it is capable of firing automatically, the company reports that all of its customers have configured it to require human confirmation. It is used at various facilities in United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar, among other places, and has been tested in the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

Mathematics

• Hexagonal tortoise problem was invented by Joseon mathematician Choi Seokjeong (최석정,1646–1715), it is a mathematical problem that involves a hexagonal lattice, like the hexagonal pattern on some tortoises' shells and is similar to geometric magic square. Choi Seokjeong also said to devised the first orthogonal Latin square predating Leonhard Euler's work.
• Ree group: In the field of group theory, a Korean mathematician, Rimhak Ree discovered and constructed two infinite groups of the simple groups of Lie type which are named Ree groups.
• Chisanbop: An abacus-like finger counting method used to perform basic mathematical operations. It was brought to the West in the 1970s.

Modern science

Natural science

Simulation result for formation of inversion channel (electron density) and attainment of threshold voltage (IV) in a nanowire MOSFET

• Triangle of U: The theory describes the evolution and relationships between members of the plant genus Brassica. It was first verified in 1935 by Woo Jang-choon.
• Vinylon (also Vinalon) was the second man-made fiber to be invented, after nylon. It was first developed by the Korean scientist Ri Sung Gi at the Takatsuki chemical research center in 1939 in Japan. Trial production began in 1954 and in 1961 the massive 8 February Vinalon Complex was built in Hamhung in North Korea.
• Metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor: Dawon Kahng and Martin M. (John) Atalla at Bell Labs invented the transistor (MOSFET, MOS-FET, or MOS FET) in 1959. He is also an inventor of floating gate memory cell, which provides the foundation for many forms of semiconductor memory devices.
• Ring system Positron emission tomography: Zang-Hee Cho, a Korean neuroscientist, and James Robertson were the first to propose Ring positron emission tomography. Cho also developed the first "PET-MRI" fusion molecular imaging device for neuro-molecular imaging.
• Invisible Axion: A hypothetical elementary particle predicted by some theories of particle physics. Theoretical physicist Kim Jihn Eui suggested the existence of a very light particle, named the invisible axion and made a solution to the strong CP problem in the standard model.
• Brown-Rho Scaling: Mannque Rho, Korean theoretical physicist, suggested the theory with Gerald E. Brown which predicts how the masses of the hadrons disappear in hot and dense environments.
• Non-negative matrix factorization: It became more widely known as non-negative matrix factorization after a Korean-American physicist, Sebastian Seung with Daniel D. Lee investigated the properties of the algorithm and published some simple and useful algorithms for two types of factorizations.
• Digital holographic microscopy: Researchers from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) developed the Holotomography-1 or HT-1, a next-generation holographic microscopic tool for stain-free 3D live cell imaging, as well as time-lapse 4D video images. The HT-1 is the first system to achieve high-resolution tomographic microscopy with full optical/electronic control, and do so without having a mechanical rotation system.
• Color charge: Moo-Young Han a Korean physicist of Duke University along with Yoichiro Nambu of the University of Chicago, first introduced a new hidden symmetry among quarks in 1965 and credited with introducing the SU(3) symmetry of quarks, today known as the color charge.
• Lee-Weinberg bound: In 1977, Korean theoretical physicist Benjamin W. Lee with Steven Weinberg wrote an article about the lower bound on heavy neutrino mass. They revealed that if the heavy and stable particles in the early universe which can only be transferred into other particles through the pair annihilation remain as relics after the universe's expansion, then the strength of the interaction should be bigger than 2 GeV. This calculation can be applied to find the amount of the dark matter. This bound is called the Lee-Weinberg bound.
• Computational Materials Physics: Korean physicist Ihm Jisoon first introduced a new field in condensed matter physics, called computational materials physics in 1979.
• Cloned dog: Snuppy, an Afghan hound, is credited with being the world's first cloned dog. After Dolly the sheep was cloned in 1996, scientists had managed to clone numerous other animals, including cats, cows, gaur, horses, mice, mules, pigs, rabbits and rats but had been unable to successfully clone a dog due to the problematic task of maturing a canine ovum in an artificial environment. After several failed attempts by other scientists, Byeong Chun Lee, a professor of Seoul National University, were able to successfully create a clone using tissue from the ear of a 3-year-old Afghan hound. Snuppy has since been used in the first known successful breeding between cloned canines.
• Supersolid is a frictionless solid and the term was named by Eunseong Kim and Moses Chan.
• Graphene: In 2005 the Philip Kim, Korean condensed matter physicist, group together with the Andre Geim group demonstrated that quasiparticles in graphene were massless Dirac fermions. These discoveries led to an explosion of interest in graphene. In his Nobel Prize lecture, Andre Geim acknowledged the contribution of Philip Kim, saying, "I owe Philip a great deal for this, and many people heard me saying – before and after the Nobel Prize – that I would be honoured to share it with him." Byung Hee Hong and his team in South Korea pioneered the synthesis of large-scale graphene films using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) on thin nickel layers, which triggered chemical researches toward the practical applications of graphene.
• Gravitational microlensing: In 1979, Korean astrophysicist Kyongae Chang along with Sjur Refsdal showed that individual stars in the lens galaxy could act as smaller lenses within the main lens, causing the source quasar's images to fluctuate on a timescale of months, also known as Chang–Refsdal lens.
• Diversity-oriented fluorescence library approach: Young-Tae Chang pioneered the approach (DOFLA) using fluorescent dye library.
• Nano 3D printing: A team of Korean researchers have demonstrated for the first time 3D printed nanostructures made entirely of graphene applying a new 3D printing technique.
• FINEX, is the name for an iron making technology developed by POSCO and Siemens VAI. Molten iron is produced directly using iron ore fines and non-coking coal rather than traditional blast furnace methods through sintering and reduction with coke.
• Ciliary microrobot: A team from Department of Robotics Engineering at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), developed the world's first ciliary microrobots that can move and function like single cells.

Biomedical science

• Hantavirus causes renal syndromes and it was first isolated by Howang Lee. The first Hantavirus vaccine against Hantavirus hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) was developed in 1990 by South Korean scientists initially for use against Hantaan River virus which causes one of the most severe forms of HFRS.
• Preventive HIV vaccine: SAV001-H is the first preventive HIV vaccine using a killed or "dead version" of HIV-1 virus and is the first genetically modified, whole-killed vaccine to be approved for testing in humans. The vaccine was developed by a Korean professor, Dr. Chil-Yong Kang and his research team at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry in Canada.
• Human trial for Zika Virus Vaccine: The first human trial for Zika vaccine, is a synthetic DNA vaccine (GLS-5700) jointly developed by Inovio Pharmaceuticals and GeneOne Life Science, Inc. of South Korea, and is approved by American FDA in June 2016. Interim results of the Phase 1 study is expected in later 2016.

Structural diagram of gemifloxacin

• Gemifloxacin is a quinolone antibiotic for the treatment of acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and mild-to-moderate pneumonia developed by LG Life Sciences in 2003.
• Balofloxacin, an orally active fluoroquinolone antibiotic, has been developed by Choongwae Pharma in South Korea, for the treatment of urinary tract infection (UTI).
• Tedizolid, or Sivextro is an oxazolidinone-class antibiotic used for treating acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (also known as complicated skin and skin-structure infections (cSSSIs)). It was first developed by Dong-A ST, the specialty pharmaceuticals arm of Dong-A Socio Holdings.
• Gemigliptin, is an oral anti-hyperglycemic agent (anti-diabetic drug) of the new dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor class of drugs. It was first developed by LG Life Sciences.
• Evogliptin, is an antidiabetic drug in the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor class of drugs developed by Dong-A ST.
• Fimasartan, is a non-peptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist (ARB) used for the treatment of hypertension and heart failure. It was developed by Boryung Pharmaceuticals, who are presently seeking worldwide partnership under the brand name Kanarb.
• Radotinib, is a drug for the treatment of different types of cancer, most notably Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph⁺) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). It was developed first by Ilyang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd of South Korea.
• Zabofloxacin, is an investigational fluoroquinolone antibiotic for multidrug-resistant infections due to Gram-positive bacteria. It was discovered by Dong Wha Pharmaceuticals and licensed to Pacific Beach BioSciences for development.
• Udenafil, marketed under the trade name Zydena, is within the PDE5-inhibitor class (which also includes avanafil, sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil). Used, like other PDE5 inhibitors, to treat erectile dysfunction, undenafil was developed by Dong-A Pharmaceutical.
• Polmacoxib, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat osteoarthritis. It was developed as CG100649 and approved for use in South Korea in February 2015.
• Ilaprazole, is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) used in the treatment of dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease (PUD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD/GERD) and duodenal ulcer. It was developed by Il-Yang Pharmaceutical, and is still under clinical trials with US FDA. It has launched in Korea and China for the treatment of gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux disease and erosive esophagitis.
• Cancer-fighting nanobot: Scientists at the Chonnam National University in South Korea have developed a microscopic robot that can detect and treat cancer from inside the body. It is considered to be world's first cancer-fighting nanobot called Bacteriobot, where non-toxic bacteria, salmonella in this case, are genetically modified to attract chemicals released by cancer cells. These nanobots actively seek cancer cells and deliver drugs to them. The bacteria are engineered to have receptors, which bind to biochemicals secreted by diseased tissue; thus allowing the bacteria to diagnose cancer, and move towards the cell using flagella. Currently this technique is limited to detecting solid cancers like in breast or colorectal tumors, but it has potential to treat other tumors as well.
• Nanomedicine: Cheon Jinwoo of Yonsei University, is widely known as a pioneer in “nanomedicine”, as he first integrated nanomaterials and medicine in 2005. For the first time, he demonstrated the principle of size-dependent MRI contrast effects using nanoparticles.
• Smart prosthetic skin: A team of Korean and American scientists has developed a smart prosthetic skin that can sense pressure, heat and moisture. South Korean researchers at the Seoul National University are at the very frontline of this line of research.
• Stent for left main coronary artery stenosis: Park Seung-jung, a Korean cardiologist who first treated an anginal patient using a stent in korea in 1991, when less-invasive procedures were largely rejected by the mainstream medical communities in Korea and abroad. He pioneered a new method using a stent as an alternative treatment for left main coronary artery stenosis, an abnormal narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart.
• Robotic-assisted transaxillary thyroid surgery (RATS) or Robotic thyroidectomy (RT) is a new surgical approach to removing the thyroid and/or parathyroid glands through the axilla, and eliminates the visible scar in the front of the neck while also giving high-definition optics of the deep cervical anatomy. It was first pioneered at Yonsei University College of Medicine, South Korea in late 2000s and has been used in some centers in the United States. Gasless Transaxillary robotic-assisted thyroidectomy (TART) was also pioneered in South Korea and is often performed with a second chest incision, but the move toward single incision operation and placement of four arms by a single incision.
• Video-Assisted Minilaparotomy Surgery: In 2003, Dr. Koon H. Rha along with world-renowned laparoscopic surgeon Dr. Seung Choul Yang at Yonsei University co-invented a novel surgical procedure called Video-Assisted Minilaparotomy Surgery (VAMS) which is a hybrid of laparoscopic and open surgical techniques. It is currently commercially available in the United States.
• Percutaneous Endoscopic Cervical Discectomy (PECD) is minimally invasive spine surgery for cervical disc herniation or radiculopathy. It was first pioneered by Dr.Sang-Ho Lee of Wooridul Spine Hospital. It is the first laser-assisted endoscopic technique for herniated disc surgery.

Social science

• Blue Ocean Strategy denote all the industries not in existence today—the unknown market space, untainted by competition. The term was coined by W. Chan Kim. However, the book was published in English, by a U.S. publisher and researched and written at INSEAD, a non-Korean college.
• Ubiquitous City or U-City, is a 21st-century futurist city which enables urban functions and services such administration, traffic, crime prevention, fire prevention and home-networking of residential places, fusing high-tech infrastructure and ubiquitous information available into the urban area.

Technology

Electronics

• MP3 Portable Player: The first portable MP3 player was launched in 1997 by Saehan Information Systems, which sold its "MPMan" player in Asia in spring 1998.
• MP3 Phone: Samsung SPH-M2100, the first mobile phone with built-in MP3 players were produced in South Korea in August, 1999. Samsung SPH-M100 launched in 2000 was the first cell phone to have MP3 music capabilities in the US market.
• Curved Screen Smartphone: In December 2013, the world's first curved OLED technology smartphones were introduced to the retail market with the sale of the Samsung Galaxy Round and LG G Flex models. Samsung phones with more bends and folds in the screens were expected in 2014.
• Internet refrigerator: In June 2000, LG Electronics introduced the world's first digital refrigerator or internet refrigerator, called the Internet Digital DIOS. The technology was the result of a project that started in 1997 and staffed by a team of 55 researchers with a budget cost of 15 billion Won (US$49.2 million).
• Wall mounted drum washing machine: In 2012, Daewoo Electronics introduced the world’s first wall mounted drum washing machine called "Mini". In 2014, LG Electronics unveiled the world's first washing machine that allows for two separate loads to be washed simultaneously, called the "LG Twin Wash System".
• Solar cell phone: Samsung Electronics was the first to develop and market a solar-powered cell phone when it launched the Samsung Crest Solar E1107 in 2009. The phone was first available for purchase in India, before it was expanded to Asia, Africa, and Latin America as well.
• EyeCan, is an eye-tracking mouse, that enables people with disabilities to use computers through eye movements. It was first developed in March 2012 by Samsung and Yonsei University engineers. In 2014, Samsung unveiled the next-generation EyeCan+ which is an improved version than its predecessor with more accurate calibration and a better user experience. It is considered to be first of its kind, as it does not require users to wear any device, such as glasses.
• Smartwatch: In 1999, Samsung launched the world's first watch phone, the SPH-WP10. It had a protruding antenna, a monochrome LCD screen, and a 90-minutes of talk time with an integrated speaker and microphone.
• Completely touchscreen mobile phone: LG KE850 is the world's first Completely Touch Screen Mobile Phone using finger touch instead of stylus, having a main button directly below the display. The developer, LG Electronics has claimed the iPhone's design was copied from the LG KE850.
• Capacitive touchscreen mobile phone: LG KE850 is the first mobile phone with a capacitive touchscreen. It was announced in January 2007 and brought to market in May.
• Kimchi refrigerator: A kimchi refrigerator is a refrigerator designed to meet the storage requirements of kimchi. The first commercial kimchi refrigerator was created by Winia Mando in 1995.
• LTE Mobile phone: Samsung SCH-r900 is the world’s first LTE Mobile phone starting on 21 September 2010 and Samsung Galaxy Indulge being the world’s first LTE smartphone starting on 10 February 2011 both offered by MetroPCS.
• Retina display: A LCD-TFT IPS Display, named by Apple as the "Retina display", is a developed and produced by LG Display.
• 360-degree color hologram: South Korean research institute Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) developed the world’s first 360-degree color hologram in 2015.
• Universal Flash Storage: Samsung Electronics developed the world's first UFS memory cards in 32, 64, 128, and 256 GB storage capacities.
• Rolly keyboard: In 2015, LG announced the first Bluetooth keyboard that folds up along the four rows of keys that can be tossed in a purse or pocket. It is considered to be the world's first solid rollable wireless keyboard for smartphones and tablets.
• Flexible battery: In 2012, a team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) demonstrated the first fully functional all-flexible electronic battery system. In 2013, a team led by Professor Lee Sang-young of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) developed the world's first bendable lithium ion batteries.
• High Bandwidth Memory, is a high-performance RAM interface for 3D-stacked DRAM developed by SK Hynix and AMD.
• Wearable Thermo-Element, is a device that can generate electricity from one's own body temperature when worn through skin contact. It was developed by Professor Cho Byeong-jin of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
• Transparent Memory chip: In 2008, scientists at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), have created the world's first transparent computer chip called transparent resistive random access memory (TRRAM), which is similar to existing chips known as (CMOS) or metal-oxide semiconductor memory.
• Online Electric Vehicle: Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed an electric transport system called Online Electric Vehicle or OLEV where the vehicles get their power needs from cables underneath the surface of the road via non-contact magnetic charging in which a power source is placed underneath the road surface and power is wirelessly picked up on the vehicle itself. As a possible solution to traffic congestion and to improve overall efficiency by minimizing air resistance and so reduce energy consumption, the test vehicles followed the power track in a convoy formation. The city, Gumi has the world's first wireless electric bus in operation from March 2014 developed by KAIST.

Information technology

• Contactless smart transport card: Seoul has the world's longest experience of using contactless transport cards. The Korean system integrator Intec and Seoul Bus Union first launched a test of their system in a trial from October to December 1995. The first contactless e-Ticketing systems went live in 1996 in Seoul and 1997 in Hongkong.
• Coloring Ring back tone: A South Korean wireless services provider, invented this type of ringback tones for cellphone networks. CRBT (Coloring Ring back tones) are pieces of music and audio clips that callers hear instead of normal ringing tone when they dial a specific number. The original service first premiered by South Korean operator SK Telecom in April 2002.
• WiBro: An abbreviation of wireless broadband, refers to the Mobile WiMAX system developed and deployed in Korea.
• Digital Multimedia Broadcasting: The technology was developed in South Korea.
• Digital Mobile TV: By developing Digital Multimedia Broadcasting, Korea became the first nation in the world to introduce mobile television. In 1999, Samsung introduced the SCH-M220, the world's first TV phone.
• Virtual Store: A Korean supermarket chain, Home Plus has developed a "virtual" store by Homeplus CEO Lee Seung-han, who originally had the idea in 2008. It allows consumers to do their shopping with smartphones from the subway station with the Homeplus App and get the items delivered to their doorsteps. It opened at Seolleung subway station in Seoul, Korea.
• LTE service: The world's first commercial LTE device, developed by Samsung, was provided for the world's first LTE service in Stockholm. The South Korean company is providing the LTE infrastructure on the MetroPCS, North America’s first operator offering 4G LTE services.

Robotics

• HUBO, developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2004, is the world's second walking humanoid robot.
• EveR-1, developed by a team at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) in May 2003, is the world's second female android.
• Albert Hubo, a humanoid robot based on HUBO that was introduced in 2005, is considered to be the first ever walking biped robot with realistic, humanlike expressions.
• NBH-1, later known as MAHRU, is considered to be the first network-based humanoid in the world developed in March 2005 by professor Bum-Jae Yoo and his research team from the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).
• Crabster CR200, is the world's deepest and largest underwater robot that is being used in scientific exploration projects as well as fixing structures far beneath the waves such as pipes used to carry oil and gas, developed by Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI).
• Robo-guard, is the world's first robot prison guard that uses 3D cameras to detect abnormal human behavior patterns, developed by Lee Baik-chul, a professor at Kyonggi University, in Seoul, South Korea.
• Manned bipedal robot

Entertainment technology

• ScreenX: the world’s first multi-projection system that allows theater-goers to go beyond the frame of the movie screen by extending the images onto the theater walls, created by South Korean conglomerate and multiplex cinema chain CJ CGV in 2012. The technique provides a panoramic experience, but demands that film-makers take the two new 'screens' into account when shooting their movies.
• 4DX: the world's first and leading 4D Technology-based movie theatres, developed by South Korean company CJ 4DPLEX, a part of the CJ Group in 2009. 4DX allows a motion picture presentation to be augmented with environmental effects such as seat motion, wind, rain, fog, lights, and scents along with the standard video and audio.

Internet

• Electronic café: An archaic form of cybercafé called Electronic Café opened in front of Hongik University in March 1988 by Ahn Sang-Su and Keum Nuri in Seoul, South Korea. It had two 16bit computers connected to Online service networks through telephone lines. Online service users’ offline meetings were held in the Electronic Café, which served as a place that connected online and offline activities.
• LAN gaming center: PC Bang, otherwise called local area network-based gaming center, is a place where people can get access to high-speed Internet. PC bangs rose to popularity following the release of the PC game StarCraft in 1998. In 1997, there were only around 100 PC bangs in South Korea but by 2002 this number has increased rapidly to around 25,000.
• Question-and-answer site: Naver the number-one search portal in South Korea, pioneered a community-driven question-and-answer site called Knowledge Search in 2002. The program allows users to ask about any questions, such as requests for recipes for kimchi or how to subscribe to international magazines through the internet. Later in 2005, Yahoo! Answers launched a question-and-answer service, which was modeled from the Korean Naver's Knowledge Search.
• National intranet: North Korea's Kwangmyong (Bright Light) is generally considered the first national intranet, developed in 2000 as another alternative to state-controlled Internet services.
• eSports: eSports in the field of online gaming started its first league in 1997 when Starcraft became popular in South Korea. In December 1997, PC Bang chains opened the first national online gaming league, known as Korea Pro-Gamers League. The term, " eSports" was first coined by Park Ji-won, minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in February 2000 when he first inaugurated the Korean e-Sports Association.

Traditional games

• Yut is a traditional board game played in Korea, especially during Korean New Year. The game is also called cheok-sa or sa-hee. The suffix nori means "game".
• Polyhedral dice or Juryeonggu 주령구(酒令具) was first invented in Unified Silla period in the 7th century, it is a 14-sided wooden dice and was a popular drinking game among the nobility.
• Tujeon, a traditional card game played with long rectangular numbered cards decorated with animal motifs and characters on one side.
• Seunggyeongdo Nori, or "Government Career Ladder Climbing Game" (승경도놀이, 陞卿圖) or also known as Jongjeongdo (종정도, 從政圖), is a traditional board game that is played on a board with a list of all the bureaucratic posts ordered from lowest to highest rank. The objective is to reach the highest rank by the end of the game. It is attributed to Ha Ryun (1347-1416), a literati bureaucrat at the end of the Goryeo dynasty, who first created the game. It is very similar to another traditional popular board game called Seongbuldo (성불도, 成佛圖), or literally "a drawing of becoming Buddha" that was played during Goryeo dynasty. The game itself became popular abroad in China during Ming and Qing dynasties.
• Jangchigi, or "bat striking" (장치기놀이) is a traditional folk sport that is similar to field hockey, it was popular sport in Joseon dynasty and Goryeo dynasty among the general populace. It is similar to Gyeokgu, a traditional Korean polo sport, but without using horses.

Martial arts

Main article: Korean martial arts

• Taekgyeon is believed that it originated with warriors from the Silla Dynasty (57 BCE–668 CE) who learned subak from the neighboring Goguryeo armies when they appealed for their help against invading Japanese pirates. Practicing subak became part of the training for Silla's hwarang, and this contributed to the spread of subak on the Korean peninsula. But again, it is not known exactly which techniques the hwarang practiced. Buddhist monks, who added more spiritual aspects to the art, often instructed the hwarang. Their greatest contribution to the development of Korean martial arts is probably adding a spiritual dimension to the training practices, something that Korean martial arts lacked before. Empty-handed combat appears to have played a small role; most of the emphasis was on armed combat. It has only been recently that empty-handed combat has gained more popularity than armed combat.
• Ssireum is a form of folk wrestling native to Korea. In the modern form each contestant wears a belt that wraps around the waist and the thigh. The competition employs a series of techniques, which inflict little harm or injury to the opponent: opponents lock on to each other's belt, and one achieves victory by bringing any part of the opponent's body above the knee to the ground.
• Gukgung, also known as gungsul, is traditional Korean archery that makes use of the gakgung, the traditional Korean composite bow made of horn.

Sports

• Jokgu is a sport which combines aspects of association football and volleyball that was invented in 1960 by members of the Republic of Korea Air Force's 11th Fighter Wing.

Products

• Coffee mix: A stick-shaped packet filled with coffee powder, powdered cream and sugar. It was developed by Dongsuh Food Corp in the 1970s.
• Italy Towel, also known as the Korean exfoliating mitt, is a mass-produced bath product used to scrub and peel the outermost layer of skin; it was invented in Busan by Kim Pil-gon in 1962. Since then, the Italy Towel has become a household item in Korean homes and a staple item in Korean saunas. The Korean exfoliating mitt was named the Italy Towel because the viscose fabric used to make it was imported from Italy at the time.
• Electrically heated stone bed, also known as the dol bed or stone bed, is a manufactured bed that has the same heating effect as ondol and is purported to have health benefits. The dol bed industry is estimated to be worth 100 billion Korean won, comprising 30 to 40 percent of the entire bed industry in South Korea; dol beds are most popular with middle-aged people in their 40s and 50s.
• Amphibole stone cookware, also known as Gop-dol in Korean, similar to the dolsot (stone bowl), is made of natural stone which comprises an iron-rich amphibole rock. It has traditionally been used in Korean kitchenware.
• Steam mop: Invented by Romi Haan in 2001, the steam mop is a type of electric mop that uses hot steam to disinfect floors.
• Thundersticks are inflated plastic tubes that make a loud clapping noise when struck together. They are usually used at sporting events but have also been used at political rallies in Korea.

Other

• Whaling

The earliest depictions of whaling have been discovered in Korea at the Neolithic Bangudae site, which may date back to 6000 BC. Bangudae is the earliest evidence for whaling.

See also

• Science and technology in Korea
• Timeline of historic inventions

External links

Guide to Korean Culture 2016