KT tests 5G-based autonomous cruise ship

KT Corp., a South Korean telecom giant, said Wednesday it has tested an autonomous cruise ship being remotely controlled hundreds of kilometers away on its high-speed 5G network. The telecom operator said a 12-person cruise ship navigated through the narrow 10-kilometer Pohang Canal in the port city, 302 kilometers southeast of Seoul, without a captain on board and with it being controlled from its offices in Gwacheon, just south of the capital. KT said it partnered with Avikus Corp., an auton

June 16, 2021

[Herald Interview] South Korean researchers first to discover cause of rare hearing loss

South Korean researchers became the world’s first to discover a gene variant that causes a rare type of hearing impairment whose origins had so far remained unknown. The newly identified gene will help doctors better treat patients with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder, or ANSD, and to find out if their condition can be improved through surgery, according to Dr. Choi Byung-yoon, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital’s otorhinolaryngology professor who led the research.

June 15, 2021

SKT unveils world’s 1st keycard combined with quantum, biometrics tech

SK Telecom said Tuesday it has launched the world’s first keycard applied with both quantum technology and biometric identification technology. Together with Switzerland-based quantum safety solutions firm ID Quantique and a local biometric identification startup Octatco, SKT co-developed the “EzQuant” keycard equipped with a quantum random number generator. “EzQuant combines QRNG technology with FIDO-based fingerprint certification keycard,” a company officia

June 15, 2021

Samsung releases new multi-chip package for 5G smartphones

Samsung Electronics Co. on Tuesday released a new multi-chip package (MCP) memory product for use in 5G smartphones as the South Korean tech giant tries to better target the fast-growing handset market. The world's largest memory chip producer said it has begun mass-producing low-power double data rate 5 (LPDDR5) universal flash storage (UFS) MCP that integrates high-performance DRAM and NAND flash memory chips in a single compact package. The latest MCP comes with Samsung's LPDDR5 mobile DR

June 15, 2021

LG Uplus launches AI call center biz

LG Uplus Corp., a major South Korean mobile carrier, said Tuesday it has joined hands with IT affiliate LG CNS Co. to develop call center services that use artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The service incorporates AI technology, such as speech recognition and synthesis as well as natural language processing, to respond to user questions and requests and can replace simple, repetitive tasks handled by call center agents. LG Uplus said it has accumulated the technology through its automa

June 15, 2021

Samsung likely to unveil new foldable smartphones in August

Samsung Electronics Co. is likely to unveil its new foldable smartphone in August, industry insiders said Tuesday, amid its push to popularize the foldable category. The South Korean tech giant is expected to hold its Galaxy Unpacked online event in early August to introduce the Galaxy Z Fold3 and the Galaxy Z Flip3 before officially launching those products later that month, according to the sources. Foreign tech reviewers have predicted that the event may take place on Aug. 3, but the sour

June 15, 2021

Celltrion proves efficacy of COVID-19 antibody treatment in phase 3 trial

South Korean pharmaceutical firm Celltrion announced Monday that its COVID-19 antibody treatment has significantly shortened the recovery time and rate of progression for severe symptoms. The firm disclosed top-line results from a global phase 3 clinical study of Regkirona, or CT-P59, which was conducted with 1,315 patients from 13 countries around the globe between January and April. Celltrion found Regkirona reduces the risk of cases progressing to severe COVID-19 by 70 percent. Among high

June 14, 2021

SKT buys into ViveStudios to enhance metaverse service

In an effort to lead the emerging era of the metaverse, SK Telecom has made a strategic equity investment in ViveStudios, a producer of virtual content, it announced Monday. The two sides did not disclose details of the deal, including the size of stake to be purchased or the agreed price. ViveStudios, based in Seoul, is recognized for its international award-winning virtual reality movie “Volt.” The producer is well known for superb 3D computer-generated images and visual ef

June 14, 2021

Naver-Kakao rivalry heats up in global webtoon market

South Korean digital comics platform operator Naver faces growing competition from its crosstown rival Kakao as the latter ups investment to tap into overseas markets. A webtoon refers to a series of comic strips published online. In South Korea, Naver and Kakao are the two largest online webtoon platform providers. Earlier last month, Kakao Entertainment launched its webtoon platform, Kakao Webtoon, in Thailand and Taiwan. Last week, the firm revealed that it has taken the top spot in the Go

June 13, 2021

Naver Labs unveils Alike, a step toward the digitalization of cities

Naver Labs, the research arm of the largest internet company in South Korea, unveiled a solution on Friday at the Seoul Smart Mobility Expo that could support the digitalization of large cities. Dubbed “Alike,” the solution can be used to create “digital twins” of cities, complete with roads and buildings. A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical object or process that serves as its real-time digital counterpart. By using aerial photography and artifi

June 11, 2021

[Herald Interview] Samsung’s ShoeDresser to replace shoe closet at home

One day, Koreans might bid adieu to bulky wooden shoe closets at the entrances of their apartments. Samsung ShoeDresser, a brand new category of home appliance, could replace old closets, changing entirely the way people store and care for their shoes, and also reflecting the importance of the fashion item to millennials. After launching clothing care system AirDresser in 2018, Samsung’s engineers at the consumer electronics unit caught the growing trend of shoe-lovers, which led to t

June 11, 2021

[News Focus] Legal risks persist at Samsung as Lee’s trial continues

Samsung Group’s de facto chief Lee Jae-yong attended a court hearing on Thursday as part of an ongoing trial on alleged irregularities surrounding his ascension to the helm of the South Korean tech conglomerate. As always, the tycoon, who is serving a 2 1/2-year jail term over a previous bribery conviction, didn’t utter a single word throughout the full-day session held at the Seoul Central District Court, as his attorneys fought hard to fend off additional convictions. The charge

June 10, 2021

[Exclusive] Government preparing Moderna vaccine for Samsung, SK, LG employees

The South Korean government is preparing to provide the COVID-19 vaccine from US pharmaceutical company Moderna to employees of some major domestic companies as part of efforts to help normalize their business operations early, according to industry sources Wednesday. The Ministry of Employment and Labor has sent out related guidance to companies including Samsung Electronics and its affiliates, SK and LG Group companies, multiple sources confirmed to The Korea Herald. According to the compan

June 9, 2021

Outlook for chip market gets brighter upon strong demand for memory

The world’s semiconductor market is projected to attain greater growth than initially forecast this year, mainly led by the memory sector amid rising demand for chips across various industries under the protracted COVID-19 pandemic. According to a forecast released by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics on Wednesday, the worldwide semiconductor market is expected to increase by 19.7 percent to $527 billion in 2021 from a year earlier, and continue to grow by 8.8 percent in 2022.

June 9, 2021

EuBiologics to start phase two clinical study of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate

South Korean biopharmaceutical company EuBiologics announced Wednesday that it will commence phase two clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate EuCOVAC-19. EuBiologics plans to conduct the clinical study of its synthetic antigen-based vaccine candidate from the end of this month on a total of 230 people, with an aim of completing it by October, the company said. EuBiologics said the company has seen positive results from the phase one trial in terms of the safety and immunogenicity

June 9, 2021

Homegrown driverless car to get first trial run

A homegrown autonomous driving vehicle will begin its first trial run next week, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute said Wednesday. AutoVe is a level 4 self-driving vehicle that does not have a driver’s seat. With no human assistance, the six-seater car is driven solely by the research institute’s artificial intelligence system, coupled with a self-developed voice recognition system. Passengers can just talk to the car to set up the destination, it said.

June 9, 2021

Daewoong Pharmaceutical signs $430m licensing deal for Fexuprazan

South Korea’s Daewoong Pharmaceutical signed an agreement to license out its gastroesophageal reflux treatment Fexuprazan to US biotech firm Neurogastrx, the company announced Tuesday. Under the contract worth $430 million in total, Daewoong will receive milestone payments of undisclosed amounts when stages are completed in the drug’s development process in the US, in addition to royalties based on its future sales in the US and Canada. Daewoong has also received a 5 percent equi

June 9, 2021

KT teams up with Amazon Web Services in AI, cloud tech

KT Corp., a South Korean telecom giant, said Wednesday it has partnered with global cloud service operator Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS) in a move to bolster its push to develop artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies. The two companies agreed to pursue joint research in AI and cloud technologies as well as collaboration in media businesses, KT said in a statement. The telecom operator said it plans to launch a contact center service that combines its AI-based contact center servi

June 9, 2021

[Herald Interview] LG automates vacuum cleaner dust removal

Cordless stick vacuum cleaners have made hoovering a lot more convenient, but they have a drawback: the need to empty dustbins frequently due to their small capacity. A team of engineers at LG Electronics worked to solve this problem for years and recently came up with an answer -- a new charging system integrated with automatic dustbin removal technology. Every time a user docks the vacuum cleaner in its stand to charge, the dustbin is automatically emptied. “Regardless of nationali

June 8, 2021

LG CNS provides AI solution for public English education

LG CNS, an IT solution affiliate of LG Group, said Tuesday the company will provide artificial intelligence tutor services to support public English education at elementary through high schools in Seoul. The LG affiliate said it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on Monday to cooperate on an English teaching service dubbed “AI Tutor,” which will run based on the firm’s artificial intelligence program. The memorandum will

June 8, 2021