Samsung introduces video AS service

Samsung Electronics Service, an after-sales subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, said Tuesday it will introduce a video consultation service for customers who experience problems. When customers contact, a text message with a link to the video system will be sent. It will connect customers with service engineers, allowing them to show problematic parts of their products directly to the engineers.  (Samsung Electronics)“The service will help customers explain better the problems they face, while sa

May 21, 2019

Global startup community leaders take Daejeon by storm

DAEJEON -- All eyes are on Daejeon, South Korea’s fifth-largest metropolitan city, as it moves to put together leaders of the global startup community through Exit Daejeon 2019.The three-day conference, also known as Global Startup Festival Daejeon, kicked off at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Daejeon Convention Center, hosting some 300 participants in this city some 140 kilometers south of Seoul.“Here in Daejeon, we have a wonderful set of communities already in place with the best universities based in

May 21, 2019

[Newsmaker] Tada takes center stage in carpooling service dispute

　On March 7, South Korean ride-sharing company Kakao Mobility struck a deal with taxi unions that was expected to bring an end to protests by cab drivers. Two cab drivers had killed themselves by self-immolation to protest Kakao’s services, which they said would destroy their livelihoods. 　Although taxi unions accepted the agreement, which limits car-sharing services to four hours of operation daily on weekdays, some cab drivers remained unsettled, as other car-sharing services continued operati

May 20, 2019

[EXIT DAEJEON 2019] Chaebol to play key role in hardware renaissance: HAX founder

Cyril Ebersweiler, the founder and managing director of hardware accelerator HAX, is out to create a startup-driven hardware renaissance. And in his view, Korea has much potential. “We’ve been quite familiar with the Korean ecosystem and did a few investments there. I think it’s one of the most dynamic ecosystems in the world, and it is doing better than some of its Asia counterparts, while providing a decent market locally for Korean companies as well as quality manufacturing,” said Ebersweiler

May 20, 2019

KT to enhance partnership with Russia’s biggest telco

　Major South Korean mobile carrier KT said Sunday it has discussed business cooperation with Russia’s biggest telecom firm, Mobile TeleSystems, to boost their partnership in the fifth-generation cellular network. 　KT’s chief Hwang Chang-gyu met with MTS Group CEO Alexey Kornya on Friday at KT’s headquarters in downtown Seoul. MTS is the largest mobile operator in Russia, with more than 100 million subscribers in Russia and neighboring countries.  KT’s chief Hwang Chang-gyu(left) shakes hands wit

May 19, 2019

Market surprised by popularity of LG’s first 5G smartphone

　With LG Electronics’ first 5G-powered smartphone attracting more subscribers than its predecessors since its launch earlier this month, speculation is rife about the reasons behind the better-than-expected performance of the struggling smartphone manufacturer. 　According to Korean mobile carriers, they have sold up to 100,000 LG V50 ThinQ handsets since it hit the market on May 10. This is estimated to be four times more than sales of its predecessor V40 ThinQ that was rolled out last year.　The

May 19, 2019

[EXIT DAEJEON 2019] Junction seeks more exposure in world’s most wired country

Junction, a Finnish nonprofit organization that has successfully organized world-leading hackathons in Europe since 2015, hopes to expand its presence in Korea.As a part of this process, the Junction former Head of Global Operations Antti Hammainen will be visiting Korea and participate in EXIT Daejeon 2019, global startup event that will be held at Daejeon Convention Center from May 21 to 23. More details on the event are available at http://www.startup-exit.com.Junction former Head of Global O

May 19, 2019

[EXIT DAEJEON 2019] Startup’s success depends on team: Slush exec

All over the world, countless startups come and go. For investors, this means it has become tougher to pick the right one.According to Moaffak Ahmed, a Finnish serial entrepreneur and early-stage investor, team dynamics usually provide a good gauge in the early days of a startup.Slush board member Moaffak Ahmed“In the very early stage, when there are little or no metrics and evidence about business success, it’s really mostly about the team,” Ahmed said in an email interview with The Investor. “

May 19, 2019

Startup-driven innovation to take center stage at Exit Daejeon 2019

South Korea’s fifth-largest metropolitan city is poised to host the Global Startup Festival Daejeon 2019 from Tuesday through Thursday as part of its efforts to become a global hub for startup-driven innovation. The three-day Exit Daejeon 2019 event will take place at Daejeon Convention Center. It is co-sponsored by Daejeon Metropolitan City, Herald Corp., Daejeon Center for Creative Economy & Innovation and CEO Clubs Korea.The conference is expected to host 300 participants, including SME and S

May 19, 2019

[Herald Interview] Line pushes Thai startups to scale up

BANGKOK -- Thailand, an ASEAN country with a population of 69 million, is messenger platform Line’s second-largest market after Japan. In fact, 90 percent of the country’s mobile internet users are connected via Line, with the monthly number of active users amounting to 44 million. However, the company is now shifting from a messenger tool to an all-in-one app that provides various services ranging from e-commerce to contents. This not only corresponds to the increasing demand by c

May 18, 2019

From funny characters to yogurt ladies -- the evolution of fine dust apps

　With increasing numbers of South Koreans relying on mobile devices to address health concerns about fine dust, app developers are competing for popularity with creative marketing schemes. 　During a meeting hosted by Google Korea on Thursday, the country’s three major fine dust app makers discussed their efforts to improve air quality assessment and warning systems for the general public. 　Among the ideas that came up was the use of funny characters to help users understand fine dust levels more

May 16, 2019

Samsung SDI showcases optimized ESS in Europe

Samsung SDI showcased its latest energy storage system at one of the biggest ESS events, Ees Europe 2019, in Munich from Wednesday to Friday.The battery affiliate of Samsung Electronics presented its latest ESS, the E3, which has enhanced energy density and can store 20 percent more energy than previous models, according to the company. The physical size of the battery cell in the E3 remains the same, but the design of the rack and module have been optimized, with the technology advanced to acco

May 16, 2019

LG Chem signs EV battery deal with Volvo

　South Korean battery maker LG Chem said Wednesday it had signed a long-term supply deal with Volvo Cars for electric vehicle batteries, as the Swedish carmaker is aggressively pushing electrification initiatives. 　The Korean firm was selected to supply car batteries along with Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology. 　While the two companies did not elaborate on the details of the financial deal and supply amount, LG Chem said the agreement will allow it to deliver lithium-

May 15, 2019

SK Innovation to invest W580b in second Chinese battery plant

　South Korea’s SK Innovation announced Wednesday that it would invest 579.9 billion won ($488.3 million) to build a second electric vehicle battery factory in China, an effort to enhance its presence in the world’s biggest auto and EV market. 　According to SK Innovation, the investment decision was made Tuesday during a board meeting. The company did not specify its Chinese partner, the location of the new plant or its production capacity. 　SK Innovation said the goal of the investment was to en

May 15, 2019

[Non-memory Korea: 7] Samsung makes its non-memory ambition global

After a joint announcement with the South Korean government to make the country the world’s top semiconductor powerhouse last month, Samsung Electronics is gearing up to globalize its efforts to become the No. 1 chipmaker both in the memory and non-memory markets by 2030.  (Samsung Electronics)Starting with the annual Samsung Foundry Forum held Tuesday in California’s Silicon Valley, Samsung is planning to proclaim its blueprint to take the lead in the non-memory market in five countries. The fo

May 15, 2019

[Herald Interview] ‘Fortnite billionaire’ envisions VR social media

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney believes the next thing users need is a 3D virtual reality social media service.“There is something missing in conventional social media right now. We have social networks like Facebook, KakaoTalk, Twitter and Naver for communication. But they’re all based on text, pictures and movies,” Sweeney said in an exclusive interview with The Korea Herald. He was in Seoul to attend the company’s “Unreal Summit 2019” held Tuesday-Wednesday at Grand Intercontinental Parnas. Unrea

May 15, 2019

EDAF urges Thai startups to go beyond homeland

BANGKOK -- When Kulina launched its algorithm-powered online marketplace in Indonesia in 2016, there were high hopes that the startup could address the country‘s chronic last-mile logistics conundrum, while at the same time providing home-cooked meals at an affordable price,However, the startup soon ran into trouble.To turn the business around, Bangkok-born, US-educated Casper Sermsuksan rolled up his sleeves to add diversity to Kulina’s business model. During the process, he managed

May 15, 2019

[Herald Interview] Why correct information on clean air matters

In March, when Seoul encountered its worst-ever fine dust pollution levels for seven consecutive days, Derek Fichtner, who runs a Facebook community called Clean Air Ideas in Korea, spent a weekend encouraging people to use air purifiers. “At one time, I had three different people chatting with me as they stood in three different department stores, asking me all types of questions about which model they should purchase,” Fichtner said in an interview. “It was difficult to keep everyone straight.

May 15, 2019

Asia-Pacific telecom giants gather in Korea on 5G

　Regional telecom giants gathered in South Korea on Tuesday to discuss their business plans related to the 5G cellular network, as they seek to figure out ways to leverage it in various industries. 　The companies -- including AT&T, China Telecom and KDDI, and various telcos from the US, China, Japan and the Asia-Pacific region -- gathered in South Korea’s resort island of Jeju to attend the Pacific Partner Meeting, hosted by Korea’s KT. 　The participants are expected to discuss viable business m

May 14, 2019

Users in 50s most enthusiastic Youtube subscribers: data

Subscribers in their 50s and older are the most active users of YouTube in South Korea, data showed Tuesday.According to Seoul-based app analytics firm Wiseapp, people aged 50 and older spent the most time watching YouTube of all age bracket last month. They spent a combined 10.1 billion minutes, about 26 percent of total watching time across all generations. WiseApp said teenagers were the second largest age group with a combined 8.9 billion minutes of watching time on Youtube. It was followed

May 14, 2019