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 in which the temperature could be manually manipulated 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.

Namhan Mountain Fortress

Gyeongcheonsa Pagoda

• 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.

Horology

• Mechanical water clock

In 1433, the scientist Jang Yeong-sil invented an automatic time-annunciating clepsydra called the Striking Palace Clepsydra under an order from Sejong the Great; the uniqueness of the clock was its capability to announce dual-times automatically with both visual and audible signals. Jang developed a signal conversion technique that 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, the Striking Palace Clepsydra is the first hydro-mechanically engineered dual-time clock in the history of horology.

Ceramics

Inlaid celadon, 12th century

Buncheong, 15th century

• Inlaid celadon

Korean celadon reached its pinnacle with the invention of the sanggam inlay technique in the early 12th century.

• Buncheong

During the Joseon period, Koreans applied the sanggam tradition to create buncheong ceramics. In contrast to the refined elegance of Goryeo celadon, buncheong is designed to be natural, unassuming, and practical. However, the buncheong tradition was gradually replaced by Joseon white porcelain, its aristocratic counterpart, and disappeared in Korea by the end of the 16th century. Buncheong became known and prized in Japan as Mishima.

• Karatsu

The Japanese Karatsu style of ceramics originated in Korea.

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

18th century depiction of the geobukseon

• Multiple rocket launcher

The hwacha is a mobile multiple rocket launcher that uses gunpowder to fire up to 200 singijeon rockets at one time. The hwacha was invented in 1409, but saw its greatest use during the Imjin War, most famously in the Battle of Haengju, in which 30,000 Japanese were repelled by 3,400 Koreans with the help of 40 hwachas. Hwachas were used against both land and sea targets.

• Naval artillery

The world's earliest naval gunships armed with mounted cannons were used to great success in 1380 at the Battle of Jinpo, in which Goryeo ships decimated Wokou pirates using newly developed gunpowder and cannons by Choe Museon.

• Armored warship

The turtle ship, also known as the geobukseon, was the first armored warship in the world. Turtle ships were built during the Joseon dynasty beginning in the early 15th century up until the 19th century, but are most often associated with Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who used them in battle against the Japanese in the Imjin War (1592–1598).

• Bulletproof vest

The myeonje baegab was a soft bulletproof vest invented in 1867 in the Joseon dynasty.

• Thousand paces gun

The cheonbochong (천보총/千步銃), or the "thousand paces gun", was a type of jochong matchlock musket invented in Joseon during the reign of King Sukjong (1674–1720). Compared to other jochongs of the time that had a range of 120m, the cheonbochong was recorded to have a range of 1200m.

• Time bomb

The pigyok chinchollae (비격진천뢰/飛擊震天雷), also called the Flying Thunderbolt, was a time bomb with an adjustable fuse mechanism that was invented by Yi Jangson and first used in the Imjin War at the Battle of Gyeongju in 1592. It was projected into enemy camps and formations using the wangu mortar, and also used at sea.

Modern

File:SGR-A1.jpg

Samsung SGR-A1

• Sentry guard robot

In 2006, Samsung Techwin released the Samsung SGR-A1, a sentry guard robot designed to replace human counterparts at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. It is the first of its kind to have surveillance, tracking, firing, and voice-recognition systems built into a single unit. In 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 the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar, among other places, and has been tested in the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

Mathematics

• Hexagonal tortoise problem

The hexagonal tortoise problem was invented by Joseon mathematician Choi Seokjeong (1646–1715). It is a mathematical problem that involves a hexagonal lattice like the hexagonal pattern on a tortoise shell, and is similar to a geometric magic square.

• Latin square

The first literature on the Latin square dates back to the monograph Gusuryak by Choi Seokjeong, predating Leonhard Euler by at least 67 years.

• Ree group

The Korean mathematician Rimhak Ree discovered and constructed the Ree group in the mathematical field of group theory.

• Chisanbop

Chisanbop is an abacus-like calculation system using fingers that was invented in Korea in the 1940s and brought to the West in the 1970s.

Science

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

• Triangle of U

In 1935, the Korean-Japanese plant scientist Woo Jang-choon proposed the Triangle of U, named after himself, which describes the evolution and relationships between members of the plant genus Brassica.

• Vinylon

In 1939, vinylon, the second man-made fiber to be invented, after nylon, was developed by Ichiro Sakurada, Ri Sung-gi, and Hiroshi Kawakami at Kyoto University in Japan. However, the fiber was largely ignored until Ri Sung-gi defected to North Korea in 1950 and led its production. Vinylon is the national fiber of North Korea, and is used for the majority of textiles, outstripping fibers such as cotton or nylon.

• Metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor

In 1959, Dawon Kahng and Martin M. (John) Atalla at Bell Labs invented the metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a semiconductor that is the basic element in most of today's electronic equipment.

• Floating gate transistor

In 1967, Dawon Kahng and Simon Min Sze invented the floating gate transistor, which provides the foundation for many forms of semiconductor memory devices.

• Positron emission tomography

Zang-Hee Cho and James Roberston were the first to propose a ring system that has become the prototype of the current shape of PET. Zang-Hee Cho also developed the first "PET-MRI" fusion molecular imaging device for neuro-molecular imaging.

• Invisible axion

The invisible axion was first originally proposed by the theoretical physicist Kim Jihn Eui.

• Brown-Rho scaling

In 1991, Mannque Rho and Gerald E. Brown introduced Brown-Rho scaling, which predicts how hadronic masses scale in a dense medium.

• Holotomography

Researchers at KAIST developed the HT-1, a next-generation holographic microscope for 3D live cell imaging without the need for staining or labeling. 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

In 1965, Moo-Young Han and Yoichiro Nambu first introduced a new hidden symmetry among quarks, which is the origin of what is now called the color SU(3) symmetry.

• Lee-Weinberg bound

In 1977, Benjamin W. Lee and Steven Weinberg introduced the Lee-Weinberg bound, about the cosmological lower bound on heavy neutrino masses.

• Computational materials physics

In 1979, Ihm Jisoon first introduced a new field in condensed matter physics, called computational materials physics.

• Cloned dog

The world's first cloned dog, Snuppy the Afghan hound, was cloned at Seoul National University and born in 2005. Snuppy was also used in the first successful breeding between cloned canines.

• Supersolid

In 2004, Eunseong Kim and Moses H. W. Chan discovered the first evidence of a superfluidlike state in solid helium.

• Graphene

In 2005, Philip Kim and Andre Geim's groups independently demonstrated peculiar and outstanding properties of graphene, leading to an explosion of interest in graphene. In his Nobel lecture in 2010, Andre Geim said, "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." In 2009, Hong Byung-hee pioneered the synthesis of large-scale graphene by chemical vapor deposition, which triggered chemical researches toward the practical applications of graphene.

• Gravitational microlensing

In 1979, Kyongae Chang and Sjur Refsdal pointed out that a single star (a 'microlens') in a lens galaxy can cause flux variations on time scales of a year, leading to the Chang-Refsdal lens.

• Diversity oriented fluorescence library approach

Young-Tae Chang pioneered the diversity oriented fluorescence library approach (DOFLA) using a fluorescent library, allowing clear imaging of pancreatic cells.

• Nano 3D printing

Seung Kwon Seol's team at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute used a new 3D printing technique to demonstrate for the first time 3D printed nanostructures composed entirely of graphene.

• FINEX

POSCO and Siemens VAI developed a new iron-making technology called FINEX in which 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

Hongsoo Choi's research team at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology developed the world's first ciliary microrobots, that can move and function like single cells.

• Hantavirus

Hantaan, the prototype hantavirus, was first isolated by Ho Wang Lee and Karl M. Johnson in 1978, and the first hantavirus vaccine to protect against hantavirus hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome was developed in Korea in 1990.

• Preventive HIV vaccine

Chil-Yong Kang and his team at Western University developed the first genetically modified, whole-killed HIV vaccine to be approved for testing in humans, called the SAV001-H.

Structural diagram of gemifloxacin

• Gemifloxacin

Gemifloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic developed by LG Life Sciences that is used in the treatment of acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and mild-to-moderate pneumonia.

• Balofloxacin

Balofloxacin is an orally active fluoroquinolone antibiotic developed by Choongwae Pharma for the treatment of urinary tract infections.

• Tedizolid

Tedizolid is an oxazolidinone antibiotic developed by Dong-A ST, the specialty pharmaceuticals arm of Dong-A Socio Holdings, to treat patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections.

• Gemigliptin

Gemigliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor developed by LG Life Sciences to treat hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

• Evogliptin

Evogliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor developed by Dong-A ST.

• Fimasartan

Fimasartan is a non-peptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist developed by Boryung Pharmaceutical to treat hypertension and heart failure.

• Radotinib

Radotinib is a drug for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia, developed by Ilyang Pharmaceutical.

• Zabofloxacin

Zabofloxacin is an investigational fluoroquinolone antibiotic to treat multidrug-resistant infections due to gram-positive bacteria. It was discovered by Dong Wha Pharmaceuticals and licensed to Pacific Beach BioSciences for development.

• Udenafil

Udenafil is a PDE5 inhibitor developed by Dong-A Pharmaceutical to treat erectile dysfunction.

• Polmacoxib

Polmacoxib is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug developed by CrystalGenomics to treat osteoarthritis.

• Ilaprazole: Ilaprazole is a proton pump inhibitor developed by Ilyang Pharmaceutical to treat dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and duodenal ulcer.
• Cancer-fighting nanobot: Scientists at the Chonnam National University in South Korea developed the world's first cancer-fighting nanobot, a microscopic robot called a "bacteriobot", that is injected into the bloodstream and seeks out and destroys cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.
• Nanomedicine: Cheon Jinwoo of Yonsei University demonstrated, for the first time, the nanoscale size-dependent MRI contrast effect, opening a new gateway to “nanomedicine”, and also introduced the world’s most advanced nano-MRI technology, MEIO (magnetism-engineered iron oxide).
• Smart prosthetic skin: Researchers at Seoul National University developed a "smart prosthetic skin" that can sense pressure, heat, and moisture.
• Stent implantation of left main coronary artery stenosis: Park Seung-jung 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 thyroidectomy: Robot-assisted transaxillary thyroid surgery (RATS), also called robotic thyroidectomy (RT), is a minimally invasive surgical technique developed in Korea that can remove all or part of the thyroid without scarring the neck.
• Video-assisted minilaparotomy surgery:: Koon Ho Rha and Seung Choul Yang at Yonsei University invented video-assisted minilaparotomy surgery (VAMS), a hybridized form of laparoscopic and open surgeries.
• Percutaneous endoscopic cervical discectomy: Sang-Ho Lee of Wooridul Spine Hospital pioneered percutaneous endoscopic cervical discectomy, which is the first laser-assisted endoscopic technique for herniated disc surgery.

Social science

• Blue Ocean Strategy: The blue ocean strategy was developed by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, who argue that companies can succeed not by battling competitors, but rather by creating ″blue oceans″ of uncontested market space.
• U-City: U-City (ubiquitous city) is defined as a "next generation urban space" that includes an integrated set of ubiquitous services: a convergent form of both physical and online spaces. Songdo in South Korea is the first U-City in the world.

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.
• Smart TV: In 2011, Samsung was the first to use the term "Smart TV" that converged the computer and its integrated internet, a conventional TV, and set-top boxes.
• 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.
• 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.
• TV phone: In 1999, Samsung introduced the SCH-M220, the world's first TV phone.

Appliances

• Digital refrigerator

In 2000, LG Electronics introduced the world's first digital refrigerator called the Internet Digital DIOS.

• Wall-mounted drum type washing machine

In 2012, Dongbu Daewoo Electronics introduced the world’s first wall-mounted drum type washing machine called the "Mini".

• Dual washing machine

In 2015, LG Electronics unveiled the world's first washing machine that allows for two separate loads to be washed simultaneously using the "TWIN Wash System".

• Kimchi refrigerator

The kimchi refrigerator is designed to meet the storage requirements of kimchi. The first commercial kimchi refrigerator was created by Winia Mando in 1995.

• Steam mop

Invented by Romi Haan in 2001, the steam mop is a type of electric mop that uses hot steam to disinfect floors.

Information technology

• Contactless smart card

Beginning in 1995, Seoul was the first city in the world to use contactless smart cards, for electronic ticketing.

• WiBro

Developed in 2005 by Samsung Electronics, WiBro, an abbreviation of wireless broadband, is the first commercial mobile WiMax system in the world. In April 2007, KT began full commercial WiBro services in the Seoul metropolitan area and its vicinity for the first time in the world.

• Digital multimedia broadcasting

The digital multimedia broadcasting technology was developed in South Korea. It is a digital transmission system for sending multimedia to mobile devices.

• Mobile television

By developing digital multimedia broadcasting, Korea became the first nation in the world to introduce mobile television.

• Virtual store

In 2011, Homeplus launched the world's first virtual store at Seolleung Station, enabling consumers to purchase items with their smartphones by scanning QR codes using the Homeplus app, then having the products delivered.

• Caller ringback tone

The caller ringback tone (CRBT) service, which allows subscribers to choose a piece of music or an audio clip that callers will hear in place of the standard 'ringing' tone when dialing the subscriber's number, was first offered in South Korea in 2002 by SK Telecom. It was developed in 2001 by the Korean firm Witcom.

Robotics

• HUBO

Developed by KAIST and introduced in 2004, HUBO is the world's second walking humanoid robot, and the first to move with a natural gait.

• EveR-1

Developed by a team at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology and introduced in May 2003, EveR-1 is the world's second android.

• Albert HUBO

Introduced in 2005, Albert HUBO is the world’s first walking humanoid robot with an android head. It was a collaboration between Hanson Robotics and KAIST.

• MAHRU

Developed by a team at Korea Institute of Science and Technology and introduced in March 2005, MAHRU (originally known as NBH-1) is the first network-based humanoid robot in the world.

• Crabster CR200

Developed by the Korean Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Crabster CR200 is the world's deepest and largest underwater walking robot. It can be used in scientific exploration projects and repairing structures such as pipes used to carry oil and gas.

• Robot prison guard

In 2011, the world's first robot prison guard was introduced. Developed by Lee Baik-chul, a professor at Kyonggi University, the robot prison guard uses 3D cameras to detect abnormal human behavior patterns.

• Manned bipedal robot

South Korea's Method-2 is the world's first manned bipedal robot.

Entertainment technology

• 4DX

Developed by South Korean conglomerate CJ Group in 2009, 4DX is the world's first 4D cinema technology, allowing a motion picture presentation to be augmented with environmental effects.

• ScreenX:

Developed by South Korean conglomerate CJ Group in 2012, ScreenX is the world’s first multi-projection system. It extends the images onto the theater walls to provide a 270-degree viewing environment.

Internet

• Internet café

In 1988, an archaic type of cybercafé called the "Electronic Café" opened in front of Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea by Ahn Sangsu and Keum Nuri. It had two 16-bit computers connected to an online service provider through a telephone line. The first modern Internet café in Korea was opened in 1994. Korean Internet cafés, called PC bangs, are also LAN gaming centers, and boomed during the late 1990s thanks to the growth of the Internet and gaming cultures.

• MMORPG

Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds was released on April 5, 1996, making it one of the earliest graphical MMORPGs in the world.

• Question-and-answer platform

Naver, the leading search portal in South Korea, pioneered a real-time community-driven question-and-answer platform called Knowledge Search in 2002. In 2005, Yahoo! launched Yahoo! Answers, which was modeled, in part, on Naver's Knowledge Search.

• National intranet

North Korea's Kwangmyong is generally considered the first national intranet, launched in 2000.

• eSports

The first eSports league in the field of online gaming started in Korea in 1997. In December 1997, PC bang chains opened the first national online gaming league, known as the "Korea Pro Gamers League". The term "eSports" was coined by Park Ji-won, minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in February 2000 when he inaugurated the Korea e-Sports Association. OGN was the first online game specialty channel in the world, and opened the world's first eSports dedicated stadium.

• Social networking service

South Korea's Cyworld is the world's first mass social networking service. It was also the first in the world to have individual home pages and automated systems for contacting friends and relatives, leading to the creation of other popular sites such as Facebook and Myspace.

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

• Taekkyeon

It is believed that taekkyeon originated from the ancient martial art subak (手搏), based on the encyclopedia Manmulbo published in 1798. Taekkyeon almost disappeared during the 20th century but made a resurgence in modern times, and was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO in 2011.

• Ssireum

The earliest evidence of ssireum, or "Korean wrestling", dates back to the Goguryeo period. Originally used in military applications, ssireum became a popular pastime of the people, including many Korean kings, during the Goryeo and Joseon periods. In the 20th century, ssireum became a nationally televised sport in South Korea.

• Gukgung

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

Inspired by the Southeast Asian sport sepak takraw, jokgu is a modern sport invented in 1960 by members of the Republic of Korea Air Force's 11th Fighter Wing that combines aspects of football and volleyball.

Products

• Instant coffee mix

The ubiquitous instant coffee 'sticks' filled with instant coffee, cream, and sugar were developed by the Dongsuh Food Company in 1976.

• Italy Towel

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

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.

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.

• Thundersticks

Thundersticks, known as makdae pungseon in Korea, are inflatable plastic promotional noisemakers that are most often used at sporting events, political rallies, and concerts. Makdae pungseon were created by BalloonStix Korea and first used in 1994 at an LG Twins baseball game.

See also

• Science and technology in Korea
• Timeline of historic inventions

External links

• Guide to Korean Culture 2016