Turning to Arirang now, a number of tech startups are under the spotlight at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. For a look at some of the smartest new products from the smaller firms at the expo,... Kim Ji-yeon reports.

[REPORTER] Kim Ji-yeon
"This year's Mobile World Congress is not only an invitation for global tech giants to step up... but it's also a great business opportunity for startups and their creative inventions."

[SLUG]
Dot unveils world's first Braille smartwatch

Korean startup Dot has unveiled the world's first Braille smartwatch for the visually impaired.

The face of the device is covered in 30 braille dots. They can be used to help the user type and send messages. A special module set meant the watch could be shrunk to a wearable size. It also ensured the device could come with an affordable price tag of three-hundred U.S. dollars.

Dot says it plans to sell its product starting next year in G20 countries... and hopes to develop the world's first Braille pad in the near future.

Interview
Joo Jae-seong / Dot
(Korean)
"We worked with a lot of visually impaired people to maximize their sense of touch using Braille. In the process, we learned that one of their biggest worries was that they could break it easily since they're not used to handling sophisticated devices on their own. So we addressed their concerns by fitting the device with the strongest aluminum material we could find."

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247 unveils smartphone case equipped with stun gun

This smartphone case by Korean startup twenty-four-seven... is equipped with a stun gun for emergency protection.

With the flip of a switch located on the back of the phone, the case can emit up to 100-thousand volts of electricity and notify police in under two seconds.
Twenty-four-seven says the device is easy and safe to use.

[Interview]
Ashley Park / U.S. marketing supervisor, 247 inc.
(English)
"This is really safe because unless you put your finger in it safety finger it's not going to be activated and we also have the safety button. You're going to have to push it up to activate it. So you're going to have to put your fingertip and then after that you're going to have to push it up to activate the stun gun. So it's pretty safe if you're on the phone or when you're texting."

[CAMERA]
Hong Myung-ho

Twenty-four-seven thinks participating in the MWC will help them realize their goal of finding a business partner so it can launch products in other countries... in particular in the U.S. and Europe.

The startup says it wants to launch its app called "Volt" around May and the phone case sometime during the second half of the year.

Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News, Barcelona.