S. Korea aims to commercialize 6G mobile services by 2028: ICT minister

South Korea will push to commercialize sixth-generation (6G) services by around 2028, the country's science minister has said. Science and ICT Minister Lim Hye-sook made the remarks on Tuesday during her speech at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022, a mobile technology trade fair under way in Barcelona. The MWC is one of the top three annual tech events in the world, along with the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States and the IFA in Germany. "We are continuing our preparations f

March 2, 2022

[MWC 2022] Samsung’s mobile head declares end of Galaxy Note

BARCELONA, Spain -- Samsung Electronics will discontinue its phablet Galaxy Note series to make way for the high-end Galaxy S22 Ultra lineup, Samsung’s mobile business head said Monday. “The Ultra line for S series will fill in the Galaxy Note lineup every year from now on,” Roh Tae-moon, president and head of Mobile eXperience business at Samsung Electronics, told reporters at MWC 2022 during his visit to Samsung’s exhibition. Samsung’s MX business oversees hands

March 1, 2022

[MWC 2022] Samsung CEO hints at XR comeback for metaverse trend

BARCELONA, Spain -- Samsung Electronics CEO Han Jong-hee has hinted at making a comeback to the global extended reality headset market with a new device that works on a metaverse platform, signalling a possible end to the firm’s three-year hiatus from the industry. “(Metaverse-related devices) are now the talk of the town, so we have buckled down to a task to cope with the trend. It won’t take too long,” Han, vice chairman and one of Samsung’s two CEOs who is in ch

March 1, 2022

[MWC 2022] KT debuts AI coaching app for K-pop dance

KT Corp. said Monday it has debuted a new artificial intelligence-based coaching app for K-pop dance, called KT Real Dance, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that kicked off Monday. When users dance in front of a smartphone camera along with a virtual instructor, the app records a synchronized video, analyzes dance moves, and offers tips on how to improve one‘s dancing skills. The app also counts calories burned during the dance classes as well. At its MWC exhibition booth, K

Feb. 28, 2022

Next-gen genome writing picked as future biotech

The technology of next-generation genome writing in the field of platform bio will be essential to leading the future in the competitive era of technology hegemony, the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology said Monday, as it announced 10 promising future biotechnologies for this year. The state-run institute said the technology of next-generation genome writing, which allows designing DNA and quickly combining it at a mass scale, will help mankind overcome technical limitat

Feb. 28, 2022

[MWC 2022] MWC back in full swing to offer new connected experience

BARCELONA/SEOUL -- Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest mobile tech show, kicked off its four-day run in Barcelona on Monday, with big name exhibitors, including Samsung Electronics and Google, returning to flaunt their latest technologies and products. The annual convention was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, and in 2021, it was a hybrid event, with most of the product launches held online. This year’s MWC, themed “Connectivity Unleashed,” is ba

Feb. 28, 2022

[MWC 2022] Samsung’s gadgets to clash with Chinese newcomers

Samsung Electronics expects the Mobile World Congress 2022 to become a proving ground for its newest 5G smartphones under the S22 series, with Chinese rivals heralding the launch of new phones in the same event in Barcelona, Spain. Samsung Electronics is the largest smartphone maker in Europe by shipments with a third of market share, but has seen its gap with Chinese competitors narrow. While Samsung‘s smartphone shipments in Europe surged 6 percent, its Chinese rivals such as Xiaomi

Feb. 27, 2022

Samsung Electronics to showcase new Galaxy Book and more at MWC

Samsung Electronics Co. said Sunday it will showcase a new lineup of goods from flagship smartphones to laptops during the upcoming global technology trade fair in Spain. The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022 is set to take place from Monday to Thursday in Barcelona. It is one of the top three annual tech events in the world, along with the Consumer Electronics Show in the United States and the IFA in Germany. First, Samsung will hold the virtual "Samsung Galaxy MWC Event 2022," which w

Feb. 27, 2022

[MWC 2022] Flying taxis, robots, XR: Korean telcos to unlock potential of future tech

One of the world‘s largest tech events, Mobile World Congress, is returning to Barcelona, and South Korea’s telecommunications firms this week are poised to showcase their future technologies for the next decade to come. Extending their network and connected intelligence technology with respective industrial partners, SK Telecom is set to boast underlying technology to enable flying taxis, while KT brings disinfection robots and LG Uplus presents Korean media contents that run on e

Feb. 27, 2022

[Weekender] Available at touch of button, mental care apps empower patients

Han Na-yeon, a pseudonym for a 34-year-old office worker, experienced an anxiety attack during a job interview six months ago, almost having a breakdown in front of interviewers. This encounter preceded a months long period of depression and repressed anger. Beginning to wonder if she had anxiety or some other issue, she delved into various online communities in an attempt to get to the bottom of her problem. Following a readily available online test, she was presented with a diagnosis of atten

Feb. 26, 2022

Nuri rocket’s 2nd launch set for June

South Korea’s first homegrown rocket Nuri will go for a second launch in June, aiming to complete the full launch sequence this time, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Friday. The first liftoff, which took place in October last year, came short of a successful mission as the rocket’s third stage engine shut down earlier than planned. The dummy satellite could not reach sufficient orbital speed as a result. The early stages of the launch were deemed successful as the three-stage

Feb. 25, 2022

Stock price recovery ‘possible’: Kakao CEO nominee

Kakao’s new CEO nominee Namkoong Whon said Thursday that he wishes to restore the company‘s stock price at over 150,000 won ($124.60) per share during his two-year term amid investors’ growing concerns over its underperforming stocks. 　 “We will be able to see (Kakao‘s stock price) to reach 150,000 won (per share) again if (we can) restore the market trust,“ Namkoong said during an online press conference. “I hope to see a boost in stock price within m

Feb. 24, 2022

[MWC 2022] SKT, Samsung to unveil advanced 5G tech at MWC

South Korea’s telecommunication carrier SK Telecom and wireless network equipment maker Samsung Electronics will unveil the test results of their 5G network architecture “Option 4” for enhanced connectivity at the upcoming Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The two firms recently tested the advanced 5G connectivity on a commercial network infrastructure for the first time within the industry. SK Telecom plans to commercialize the technology by 2023 in order to support urban

Feb. 24, 2022

[MWC 2022] Samsung’s mobile chief hints at greener, more inclusive Galaxy ecosystem

Samsung Electronics mobile head Roh Tae-moon said Thursday its use of recycled and eco-conscious materials will play a critical part in its mobile device innovations, a week ahead of the Mobile World Congress 2022 in Barcelona, Spain. Samsung’s Mobile Experience business, led by Roh, oversees operations related to smartphones, tablets, personal computers and wearable devices -- which Samsung seeks to connect under the Galaxy ecosystem that is turning greener and more inclusive. The Sou

Feb. 24, 2022

Hana partners with KAIST to boost scientific approach towards carbon neutrality

South Korea’s Hana Financial Group has partnered up with the nation’s top university in science and technology to bolster the scientific approach toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. On Thursday, Hana said it signed a deal with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology with the goal of developing new technology based on environmental, social and governance values. The goal would be based on the institutions’ joint efforts to resolve climate change issues,

Feb. 24, 2022

LG to quit solar panel business on rising costs

LG Electronics said Wednesday it is exiting its solar panel business, citing unfavorable market conditions such as rising costs and price competition as the key factors. The Korean tech giant, following a board meeting on Tuesday, said it would stop producing solar panels and modules by June 30, with some 900 employees being relocated to other business divisions, including those of other LG companies. LG started its solar panel business back in 2010 with an emphasis on higher-efficiency prem

Feb. 23, 2022

S. Korea joins top-tier group in democratic AI policy index

South Korea climbed to the first-tier group of countries last year in terms of how well its state policies for artificial intelligence are aligned with democratic values, a U.S. nongovernmental organization said Wednesday. In 2021, South Korea moved up by one notch to the first-tier group with 11 points, compared with 8.5 points the previous year, according to a report by the Center for AI and Digital Policy. Canada, Germany and Italy also stayed on the top tier last year. The Artificial Intelli

Feb. 23, 2022

Dunamu’s funding for startups tops W100b

Dunamu & Partners, the investment arm of Korea’s blockchain firm Dunamu, said Tuesday it has invested a combined 100.3 billion won ($83.9 million) in a total of 46 startups over the past three years. Dunamu said artificial intelligence and data startups make up almost half of the beneficiaries it has funded, while others in the fields of gaming, fintech, blockchain and digital healthcare are key recipients. Many of the startups showed strong performance in elevating corporate valu

Feb. 22, 2022

Local streamer Watcha to launch new platform with music, webtoons

Watcha, a homegrown over-the-top service, said Tuesday it plans to kick off a new platform that provides music and webtoon contents in addition to its current video streaming service. The latest move comes amid growing competition in the local video streaming market led by global streaming giant Netflix, followed by homegrown players Wavve and Tving. "Watcha will evolve from our current video streaming service provider into an integrated entertainment subscription service ... this will allo

Feb. 22, 2022

[MWC 2022] Korean telcos set sight on groundbreaking 5G network tech

The chiefs of all three major telecommunication firms in South Korea -- KT, SK Telecom and LG Uplus -- are poised to attend the forthcoming tech event Mobile World Congress 2022 onsite in Barcelona, Spain, where next-generation network technologies are set to take center stage. At the MWC 2022, which runs from Feb. 28 to March 3, Korean telcos will showcase how they have shifted gears in their radio access network technology. This shift has enabled mobile handsets to be connected with a core n

Feb. 22, 2022