Korea's geostationary environmental monitoring satellite in orbit

South Korea's geostationary environmental monitoring satellite has successfully reached its designated orbit around the Earth, the science ministry said Sunday. The Chollian-2B that blasted off atop the Ariane-5 rocket from French Guiana on Feb. 18 (local time) is now in fixed orbit some 35,786 kilometers above the equator, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. The 3.4-ton satellite stationed at 128.25 degrees longitude will undergo a full systems optimization process in the coming mo

March 8, 2020

Samsung releases Galaxy S20 worldwide

Samsung Electronics on Friday launched its flagship smartphone Galaxy S20 models in 20 nations, including the US, Canada, Singapore, Vietnam, Puerto Rico and others -- with plans to release them in 130 nations by end-March. The new smartphone model comes in three types: 6.2-inch Galaxy S20, 6.7-inch S20 Plus and the 6.9-inch S20 Ultra. All the three variants support 5G network and camera system that utilizes artificial intelligence technology and the company’s high-end image sensor. Ho

March 6, 2020

[Weekender] How coronavirus has changed way Koreans exercise

As the new coronavirus spreads throughout the nation, more and more people are reluctant to go to the gym for a workout. The situation worsened Thursday, when the city of Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, said 80 people had tested positive for the virus after taking Zumba classes at local fitness centers or coming into contact with people who took those classes. “I used to take Zumba lessons at a fitness center near my home. Since last week, the center temporarily closed down and I

March 6, 2020

Parliament rejects revision bill on internet-only banks

The National Assembly on Thursday voted down a bill intended to loosen the eligibility requirement for the largest shareholder of an internet-only bank. A revision of the Act on Special Cases Concerning Establishment and Operation of Internet-only Banks failed to pass in parliament, as 82 of 184 lawmakers on hand in the plenary session voted against it. Only 75 lawmakers voted for the bill while 27 abstained. The revision bill calls for removing a record of antitrust and taxation law violatio

March 5, 2020

LG CNS spins off AI-based customs solution developer

LG CNS said Thursday that its in-house unit Hempking -- launched in 2018 -- has been spun off after the success of its customs service system that utilizes artificial intelligence and robotic process automation technologies. The newly developed solution can reduce the time required for customs clearance. Instead of the five hours it takes for a single item cargo the time can be cut down to five minutes, according to the company. The AI-based computer program uses optical character reader to r

March 5, 2020

Samsung clinches 5G deal with New Zealand’s biggest mobile carrier

Samsung Electronics said Thursday it has clinched a 5G network supply deal with New Zealand’s largest mobile carrier Spark. The South Korean tech giant said it will help establish Spark’s 5G network later this year with its latest new radio solutions -- including slim and lightweight massive multiple-input and multiple-output units. The equipment provides carriers with more flexible and scalable solutions that are simple and cost-effective to deploy, to accelerate commercial 5G

March 5, 2020

Samsung’s chip division creates own AI center

Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor division has launched its own artificial intelligence research center and is scouting global talent, according to industry sources Wednesday. The new unit under the Device Solutions division has been named Data & Information Technology Center, and is headed by Shim Eun-soo, senior vice president who led AI software research at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology. The purpose of the new research body is related to applying AI technologies to

March 4, 2020

Samsung SDS, Credorax ink blockchain-based financial services partnership

Samsung SDS has signed a memorandum of understanding with Credorax, an Israel-based fintech and smart payments provider to nations in the European Union and European Economic Area, according to the company on Wednesday. The two companies will cooperate on Samsung SDS’ Nexledger Universal platform to develop a blockchain-based finance solution for bank and merchants so they can automatically reconcile payments, remittances and invoices with their bank records. The partners also aim to d

March 4, 2020

Korean panel makers’ transformation from LCD to OLED meets virus hurdle

Market figures on Wednesday showed Korean display makers are accelerating their plans to shift their focus from the money-losing liquid crystal display business to the growing organic light-emitting diode industry. But there are worries about those plans being carried out at a slower pace than initially expected due to the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus. According to data from IHS Markit, LG Display and Samsung Display came in fourth and fifth place in terms of market share for lar

March 4, 2020

Samsung heir visits smartphone plant in Gumi

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Tuesday visited the company’s smartphone plant in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, to encourage employees who are working despite the coronavirus risks in the region. The plant produces Samsung’s latest premium smartphones, including the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip. But with a total of four confirmed cases of coronavirus infections among its employees, it had to shut down twice as of Monday.  Lee, with a face mask, checked

March 3, 2020

Chip industry rebounds despite coronavirus woes

The semiconductor industry, bellwether for the South Korean economy, showed signs of recovery last month, despite the aggravating coronavirus woes, according to various indicators Tuesday. The country’s total chip exports grew 9.4 percent to $7.42 billion in February compared to the same month last year, data by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy showed. It was the first on-year growth in silicon exports in 15 months. In spite of the extended Chinese Lunar New Year holiday l

March 3, 2020

[Video] Old-fashioned yet effective tips to prevent coronavirus infection

The abrupt outbreak of the novel coronavirus, officially named as COVID-19, has been dominating headlines around the world. The virus, widely believed to have originated from China’s Hubei province last year, has sparked global concerns outside the mainland ever since. Moreover, the epidemic has disrupted the everyday lives of many South Koreans in many ways. Concerns and fears are mounting here that the virus might escalate much more than SARS and MERS outbreaks in the past. The dema

March 3, 2020

Samsung’s Gumi plant has 4th coronavirus case confirmed

Samsung Electronics’ mobile business factory based in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, has confirmed the fourth case of coronavirus infection among its workforce, according to authorities Monday. An office worker at the Gumi site has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the company reported. All of the office rooms on the same floor as the confirmed patient have now been cleared for disinfection. “There is no shutdown of the production lines in the Gumi site as of yet,&r

March 2, 2020

[Herald Interview] SKT aims to take lead in AR/VR service

South Korea’s top mobile carrier SK Telecom is betting on high-end virtual and augmented reality technologies to increase its foothold, despite the complexity. Backed by many years of sturdy investments and its 5G mobile network, SKT has been releasing pilot VR/AR services -- promoted in the form of virtual zoo, for instance -- with the aim of eventually creating a whole new experience for customers. Behind its initiatives in the newly emerging market is Jeon Jin-soo, vice president a

March 2, 2020

SK Siltron taps EV, 5G markets with former DuPont biz

SK Siltron said Monday it has acquired the silicon carbide wafer business of Michigan-based DuPont to enter the electric vehicle and 5G network markets. The affiliate of SK Group -- the only wafer producer in South Korea -- decided in September to acquire the SiC wafer business from DuPont for 540 billion won ($450 million). The deal was concluded Saturday. SiC wafer is a next-generation chip material that is a compound of silicon and carbon, offering unique electrical and thermal propertie

March 2, 2020

[Chew on IT] Over-the-top services boom in Korea despite uncertainties

  While South Korean broadcasters and mobile carriers are scrambling to roll out new over-the-top services -- pledging to invest in exclusive contents -- it is uncertain whether they can compete with foreign service providers who are dominating the market. The online streaming services -- replacing traditional cable or satellite TV networks -- took off relatively late here compared to the US where user demand is high. But the demand has been rising, coupled with hyperconnected internet t

March 1, 2020

SKT forms global alliance with 9 telcos on 5G mobile edge computing

SK Telecom Co., South Korea's largest mobile carrier, said Sunday it has formed an international alliance with nine telecommunication firms to develop 5G mobile edge computing (MEC) technologies and services. SK Telecom said Telecom Edge Cloud TF was established with nine other companies at a GSMA meeting in London last week. Its members include Deutsche Telekom AG of Germany, KDDI Corp. of Japan and EE Ltd. of Britain. The TF aims to have global commercialization of 5G MEC by sharing each

March 1, 2020

Deutsche Telekom to test-run SKT’s 5G tech in Germany

Deutsche Telekom, the parent company of T-mobile, will start testing the 5G radio frequency repeater that it co-developed with SK Telecom during the second quarter of this year, according to a statement released by the South Korean mobile carrier on Thursday. SK Telecom’s 5G radio frequency repeater is a wireless device that receives 5G signals from outside and transmits it to users inside buildings and tunnels and on basement floors. In the second quarter of this year, Deutsche Telekom

Feb. 27, 2020

Samsung Display’s latest OLED globally recognized for quality

Samsung Display said Thursday its organic light-emitting diode panels for 5G smartphones have been certified as energy-saving and eye-care displays by multiple international organizations. The company is a major supplier for the latest Galaxy S20 series. SGS, a Switzerland-based certification institute, said Samsung’s latest OLED display for smartphones emit 6.5 percent blue light, the lowest percentage among comparable products. As of last year, other firms’ OLED products produ

Feb. 27, 2020

Samsung unveils upgraded smartwatches in S. Korea

Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday unveiled two new smartwatch models in South Korea in a move to expand its presence in the wearable device market. The Galaxy Watch Active2 Golf Edition and the Galaxy Watch Active2 LTE Aluminum models will be launched in South Korea on Friday, according to Samsung. The South Korean tech giant said that the golf edition will be available in the United States and Britain, while the LTE Aluminum version will be also sold in Europe and some Asian countries.

Feb. 27, 2020