The Korea Herald

Optimus L series’ sales top 15 million

LG Electronics Inc. said Friday it has sold more than 15 million units globally of its third-generation “Optimus L” phones.LG has sold more than 15 million units of the L3, L5, L7 and L9 models since first releasing the L3 model in March last year, the company said in a press release.The L series, noted for its rectangular design and third-generation connectivity, has been launched in 50 countries in Asia, Europe and the Americas.LG plans to promote a follow-up series of the line-up in countries

TechnologyFeb. 15, 2013

BlackBerry may mull exit from Korea: sources

BlackBerry, a Canadian smartphone maker, may pull out of the South Korean market in the first half of this year due to sluggish sales, industry sources said Friday.Speculation arose of BlackBerry's possible exit from South Korea following its recent announcement that it plans not to unveil new products in Japan. Industry analysts took it as a move by BlackBerry to leave from South Korea and other countries in the region.Canadian-based Research in Motion (RIM) changed its name to BlackBerry in Ja

IndustryFeb. 15, 2013

Seoul shares end higher amid weak EU growth

South Korean stocks closed marginally higher Friday as investors took a breather following a two-day rally and weak output data in the eurozone, analysts said.The local currency strengthened against the U.S. dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) edged up 1.57 points, or 0.08 percent, to finish at 1,981.18. Trading volume was heavy at 590.5 million shares worth 3.86 trillion won (US$3.56 billion) with gainers outpacing decliners 422 to 374."Lackluster corporate performan

Feb. 15, 2013

Ilsung attains approval for revival plans

　Ilsung Corp., a local manufacturer of equipment for oil refining and petrochemicals, said on Friday that as of last week, it was on track to get back on its feet.　The company said that on Feb.7, the court issued an approval for its self-restructuring plans, which involved lay-offs and other efforts to trim down and stay more efficient. 　The move came less than a year since Ilsung first entered into court receivership in April of 2012. 　Ilsung, which had been recording sales of an annual 200 bi

IndustryFeb. 15, 2013

U.S. scientists searching for alien life -- on Earth

Some U.S. scientists are helping search for evidence of alien life not by looking into outer space, but by studying some rocks right here on Earth.Some of the rocks are up to 3.5 billion years old. The scientists are looking for crucial information to understand how life might have arisen elsewhere in the universe and guide the search for life on Mars one day.“There's a story always hidden in rocks,” said geoscientist Clark Johnson, the lead investigator for the Wisconsin Astrobiology Research C

TechnologyFeb. 15, 2013

U.S. scientists searching for alien life -- on Earth

Richest cosmic star field caught in image

A telescope in Chile has captured an image of a portion of the Milky Way so dense with stars almost no dark sky is seen across the picture, astronomers say.A 7-foot telescope at the European Southern Observatory‘s La Silla location took a photo of the Large Sagittarius Star Cloud in the constellation of Sagittarius.The cloud is one of the richest star fields in the entire sky, a release from ESO headquarters in Garching, Germany, said Wednesday.A small, isolated dark area, described as “a drop

TechnologyFeb. 15, 2013

Richest cosmic star field caught in image

Seoul shares down 0.03 pct in late-morning trade

South Korean stocks traded marginally lower late Friday morning, as automakers and shipping lines drove the key index down, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) slipped 0.69 points, or 0.03 percent to 1,978.92 as of 11:20 a.m.No. 2 shipyard Hyundai Merchant Marine plunged more than 4 percent following a market forecast that its earnings had dwindled in 2012. Industry leader Hyundai Motor fell 1.8 percent. In contrast, domestic-focused issues gathered ground, wit

Feb. 15, 2013

ING unloads KB Financial shares following botched deal

ING, a Dutch banking group, has sold its stakes in KB Financial, in an apparent move to rebuild its capital base and break away from its long-term relationship with the Korean banking group. The move comes after the sale of ING Life to KB Financial broke down between the two sides as KB backed away from the potential deal last year. ING is currently also looking to unload its shares in a KB insurance subsidiary.The Amsterdam-based company had been a major shareholder in KB Financial with a 5.02

IndustryFeb. 15, 2013

iPhone bug opens phone without passcode

A bug in the iPhone's iOS 6.1 operating system allows anyone to unlock one and access data on the device without knowing the passcode, tech watchers say.The issue, uncovered by a YouTube user who posted a video demonstrating how it can be done, allows unlocking the phone and accessing call logs, contacts, voice mails, and even allows phone calls to be made, ZDNet reported Thursday.The phones lock can be circumvented by quickly making and cancelling an emergency call while briefly holding down th

TechnologyFeb. 15, 2013

The number of cancer-related deaths in Seoul rose more than 20 percent over the past 10 years, data showed Friday.According to a comprehensive analysis on the health and welfare of citizens by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, for every 100,000 people 119.6 died of cancer in 2011, up from 98 in 2001. Lung cancer was the No. 1 cause of cancer-related deaths in 2011, killing 24.5 out of every 100,000 citizens, followed by liver cancer with 17.4, stomach cancer with 15.3 and rectal cancer with 13.

TechnologyFeb. 15, 2013

Seoul shares inch down after strong start

South Korean stocks opened higher Friday but then fell slightly as a decline in the quarterly output of European nations spurred losses in key local exporters, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) dropped 0.39 points to 1,979.22 as of 9:15 a.m.Market bellwether Samsung Electronics slid 0.6 percent and automaker Hyundai Motor dipped 1.4 percent. The 17-nation eurozone economy reported on Thursday its gross domestic product declined 0.6 percent on-year in the four

Feb. 15, 2013

Foreign banks cut dividends under officials’ pressure

Foreign banks operating in Korea appear to have scrapped their plan to offer more generous dividend payouts to main shareholders in the face of alleged opposition from the nation’s regulatory officials.Among the lenders are Standard Chartered Bank Korea and Citibank Korea, according to the Financial Supervisory Service.“Paying huge dividends to main shareholders ― more specifically to their parent groups in the U.S. and U.K. ― is spurring concerns about massive capital outflow and the local unit

Feb. 14, 2013

Instant coffee mix, creamer contain more saturated fat than meat

Both instant coffee mix and powdered creamer contain high fat levels equivalent to fatty pork, a report found on Thursday. According to a research team led by professor Hwang Geum-taek of Seoul National University, most instant coffee stick products and creamers had a high level of saturated fat that can raise the cholesterol level in the blood.The team studied proportions of fat and saturated fat in 14 different creamer products and 11 instant coffee mix sticks currently on the market.The propo

TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013

Second Korean iCJD patient died in January

Health authorities confirmed on Thursday that a 50-year-old man died of iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in late January. The patient surnamed Baek was the second person diagnosed with the incurable and fatal brain disease in the country, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The first case of the disease was reported in November 2011, after the patient had died.Baek is believed to have contracted the disease after he received a dura mater graft transplant to treat an intrac

TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013

New virus may have spread between people

British officials say a mysterious virus related to SARS may have spread between humans, as they confirmed the 11th case worldwide of the new coronavirus in a patient who they say probably caught it from a family member.The new virus was first identified last year in the Middle East and the 10 people who have previously been infected had all traveled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan.According to Britain’s Health Protection Agency, the latest patient is a U.K. resident with no recent tr

TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013

New virus may have spread between people

Cold weather and angina

Various diseases are aggravated by the cold weather. However, those with cardiovascular diseases, such as angina, hypertension or stroke, must take particular care.They say that the cold weather leads to the worsening of cardiovascular diseases. This is because the cold weather leads to blood vessel constriction, leading to increased blood pressure, which puts a greater workload on the heart. Thus, people may experience worsening angina symptoms, or have increased blood pressure in colder season

TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013

Japan researchers close in on stem cell trial

TOKYO (AFP) ― Researchers in Japan have moved one step closer to clinical trials using adult stem cells in a therapy they hope will prove a cure for common sight problems, an official said Thursday.The ethics committee at the Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation in Kobe, west Japan, on Wednesday approved a trial treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells.The trial is aimed at creating retinal cells that can be transplanted into the

TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013

Unspeakable pain ― premenstrual syndrome

Kim Min-sun, a 28-year-old office worker, takes a day off every month for one physical reason that she wouldn’t speak aloud ― premenstrual syndrome. “I feel ashamed of asking for physical leave. But I think it is better to take a day off rather than suffering from cramps and back pain all day long at the office,” she said.Like Kim, the number of young women claiming their right to deal with premenstrual syndrome is on rise. The number of patients with PMS-related problems surged nearly 50 percen

TechnologyFeb. 14, 2013

Unspeakable pain ― premenstrual syndrome

LG vows to top next-generation TVs

LG Electronics said Thursday it would roll out 55-inch organic light-emitting diode televisions nationwide on Monday as it strove to obtain the top position in next-generation TVs.The world’s No. 2 TV maker said that it would be the world’s first to display the OLED TVs at stores across the nation on Feb. 18. It will begin shipping its 100 pre-ordered TV sets on the same day. The price of the new 55-inch OLED TV will be above 11 million won ($10,144).The company said it aimed to increase its fla

IndustryFeb. 14, 2013

Mahindra chief: No exit strategy for Ssangyong

Mahindra & Mahindra, the majority shareholder of Ssangyong Motor, on Thursday approved a plan for investing 80 billion won ($75 million) into the nation’s smallest carmaker. This will mean, for this year at least, Ssangyong will have some 170 billion won worth of capital to work on the development of new models and facility investment.“We see a bright future in Ssangyong,” Pawan Goenka, president of Mahindra’s automotive and farm equipment sectors, told The Korea Herald. “We have no exit strateg

IndustryFeb. 14, 2013

Mahindra chief: No exit strategy for Ssangyong