DRAM, NAND flash to be 2 fastest growing chips this year: report

DRAM and NAND flash are expected to be the two semiconductor products that outshine this year, a report showed Saturday, boding well for South Korean chipmakers that dominate the world's memory chip market. Sales growth for DRAM and NAND flash were projected to be 18 percent and 17 percent, respectively, making them the two sharpest-growing chips among the 33 integrated circuit products in 2021, according to the McClean Report released by market tracker IC Insights. DRAM, or dynamic random-a

Jan. 30, 2021

S. Korea's 5G users near 12 million in 2020: data

The number of 5G subscribers in South Korea approached nearly 12 million last year since the launch of the latest mobile network in April 2019, data showed Friday. South Korea's 5G users stood at 11.85 million as of end-December last year, up over 900,000 from the previous month, according to the data from the Ministry of Science and ICT. The figure accounted for 16.8 percent of the total 70.5 million mobile network subscriptions in the country. The number of 5G users picked up in the second

Jan. 29, 2021

S. Korea to develop AI translator in support for OTT industry

South Korea's ICT ministry said Friday it will develop an artificial intelligence-powered translator for local video streaming services as part of its broader support plan for the fast-growing over-the-top (OTT) media industry. The Ministry of Science and ICT said it is pursuing the development of the AI-based translation technology as the country's OTT market experiences rapid growth and local OTT services begin eyeing overseas expansion with their Korean-language content. South Korea's OTT u

Jan. 29, 2021

Galaxy S21 launched globally, set to sell in 130 countries by next month

Samsung Electronics Co. said Friday its new flagship smartphone line has been officially launched globally as the South Korean tech giant hopes its latest handsets can drive the company's mobile business amid fierce challenges from its rivals. Sales of the Galaxy S21 series have started in 60 countries, including South Korea, the United States, Britain and India, according to Samsung. The new mobile devices will be available in 130 countries by the end of February. The Galaxy S21 series, which

Jan. 29, 2021

SK hynix’s 2020 operating profit jumps 84% on-year

SK hynix, the world’s second-biggest memory provider, reported Friday an 84 percent on-year growth in its annual operating profit in 2020. The chipmaker posted 31.9 trillion won ($28.6 billion) in revenue and 5.01 trillion won in operating profit in 2020, up 18 percent and 85 percent from a year earlier, respectively. Its net income of 2020 stood at 4.76 trillion won, while the operating margin was 16 percent, and net margin was 15 percent. “Due to the global pandemic and the in

Jan. 29, 2021

Mobile carriers push for online platforms, unmanned stores amid pandemic

South Korean mobile carriers are launching unmanned stores and expanding their online retail platforms as the COVID-19 pandemic limits in-person contact and accelerates the use of virtual services. KT Corp. said Thursday it launched its first unmanned store equipped with digital kiosks for customers to buy phones and switch data plans all on their own. The store, located in the southeastern city of Daegu, is run by employees during the day and operates unmanned at night, allowing virus-wary cu

Jan. 28, 2021

Samsung, Deutsche Telekom complete 5G standalone trial in Czech Republic

Samsung Electronics Co. has successfully completed its first 5G standalone (SA) trial with Deutsche Telekom AG, according to the company, as the South Korean tech giant tries to expand its presence in the European 5G telecommunications market. Samsung and Deutsche Telekom, Europe's leading telecom service operator, conducted their first 5G SA trial in Pilsen, the Czech Republic, verifying performance of 5G SA multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technologies, Samsung said late

Jan. 28, 2021

Korean kids eat too much sugar: Food Ministry

Young people in South Korea eat too much sugar from processed food, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Wednesday, citing the World Health Organization’s recommendations. Using data from a health and nutrition survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the Food Ministry looked into the daily sugar consumption patterns of some 7,000 Koreans in 2018. The daily sugar intake from processed food accounted for 10.1 percent of total calories for children aged 3

Jan. 27, 2021

Telecom firms unload assets to cope with market changes

Major telecommunications firms in South Korea are speeding up asset sales as part of their strategies to seek new growth opportunities in the non-telecommunications market. SK Telecom, the industry’s largest in terms of mobile subscription, announced Tuesday its sale of professional baseball team SK Wyverns to Shinsegae Group’s supermarket chain E-Mart. The deal, estimated at 135 billion won, includes a 100 percent stake in the baseball team as well as the team’s property h

Jan. 27, 2021

Pets and COVID-19: What owners should know

A kitten became the first pet to be confirmed infected with the novel coronavirus in South Korea on Sunday. The authorities tested three cats -- a mother and her two kittens -- at a prayer house in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, after both of their owners were diagnosed with the disease and had to be taken elsewhere for care. The kitten is now at a pet hotel and being cared for by an animal protection agency, alongside its mother and littermate, an Agriculture Ministry official told

Jan. 27, 2021

KT tests standalone 5G on commercial network

KT Corp., a major South Korean telecom operator, said Wednesday it has started testing standalone 5G on its commercial network in its latest push for 5G technology. Currently, South Korean mobile carriers operate the non-standalone version of the latest generation network, requiring support from the previous 4G LTE network. The standalone version has benefits as it solely uses the 5G network, leading to decreased latency and improved battery life for devices, according to KT. While local mobi

Jan. 27, 2021

S. Korean products sweep 101 awards at CES 2021

A total of 101 products from South Korean companies were awarded at this year’s CES, taking 26 percent of the honors up for grabs, according to the Korea International Trade Association, Tuesday. In the most coveted Best of Innovation Awards, which recognized 27 items, seven local products took home prizes, up from six a year earlier. By category, South Korea grabbed 13 awards for health and wellness products, six for smart home solutions and five for sustainability. “CES 2021

Jan. 26, 2021

S. Korea to further expand 5G infrastructure

South Korea will increase the coverage of the next-generation mobile networks, dubbed as 5G, to 85 cities across the country this year, from the current seven major cities, the Ministry of Science and ICT said. The ministry’s plan, unveiled Tuesday, also include an expanded support for local firms to transition to the ultra-fast networks, investments in research and development of mobile edge computing, a key component in driving the commercial use of 5G in areas such as virtual reality

Jan. 26, 2021

Samsung heir urges employees to keep Samsung going

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, in another message from prison, asked the company’s executives and employees to carry on with planned investments. Samsung’s three CEOs -- Kim Ki-nam, Koh Dong-jin and Kim Hyun-suk -- wrote on the company’s intranet, Samsung Knox, on behalf of Lee, conveying the heir’s message to the employees. “To my Samsung family, I regret that I have caused worries because of my shortcomings,” Lee said. “Samsung fac

Jan. 26, 2021

LG releases new air conditioner with upgraded design, hygiene features

LG Electronics Inc., a major home appliance maker in South Korea, released a new air conditioner with upgraded design and hygiene features Tuesday as the company aims to increase sales amid the pandemic. The LG Whisen Tower comes with the company's new design for standing air conditioners that highlights minimal aesthetics after combining characteristics from its luxury brand LG SIGNATURE and its customizable home appliance line LG Objet Collection. It is LG's first standing air conditioner in

Jan. 26, 2021

Samsung Display develops low-power OLED panel for smartphones

Samsung Display Co., a major display maker in South Korea, said Tuesday it has developed a low-power consumption organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel for smartphones. The affiliate of Samsung Electronics Co. said the latest OLED display reduces power consumption up to 16 percent compared with its previous smartphone panels. The new OLED panel is already being used in Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphone unveiled earlier this month, it added. OLED displays do not require a separate light

Jan. 26, 2021

Kakao merges two arms to launch Kakao Entertainment

Kakao, the company behind Korea’s most popular messaging app KakaoTalk, announced Monday the launch of Kakao Entertainment following the merger of its two subsidiaries Kakao M and Kakao Page. The process of binding mobile-based web comic platform Kakao Page and entertainment firm Kakao M is set to be completed by March 1. The largest scale reorganization at Kakao, the deal is subject to a final approval at a board meeting on Tuesday. Kakao Page currently holds intellectual property ri

Jan. 25, 2021

For some survivors, COVID-19 won’t go away

Almost a year into the pandemic, former COVID-19 patients are reporting symptoms that persist well beyond the course of their recovery -- a phenomenon also known as “long COVID.” Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Deputy Director Kwon Jun-wook said over the weekend that pulmonary fibrosis, or lung scarring, had been observed in seven people within a group of 40 recovered COVID-19 patients. All of them were in their 40s or older. “Decline in lung function, breathles

Jan. 25, 2021

Samsung’s jailed heir gives up appeal

After Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong decided not to appeal last week’s court ruling, his absence from the country’s top conglomerate was finalized. With Lee in jail, the conglomerate won’t be able to pull off new sizable investments, market observers said. According to lawyer Lee In-jae on Monday, the Samsung heir expressed his will to respect the court ruling that sentenced him to two and half years in prison in a retrial of the former president‘s brib

Jan. 25, 2021

AI, robotics: New keywords for LG

LG Electronics, a household name in home appliances, is preparing for the future of homes by investing in robotics and artificial intelligence technology. The company, which has so far launched more than 10 kinds of robots, is seeking more innovation opportunities with global partners and experts to raise competitiveness in the field. CLOi robots At the 2021 CES, LG Electronics garnered attention with its CLOi UV-C robot, which can move around and sanitize indoor spaces with ultraviolet

Jan. 24, 2021