KCC mulls probe of Facebook's collection of call, SMS history

South Korea’s communications regulator is considering opening a formal investigation into the latest suspicion facing Facebook, which has been accused of logging calls and text messages via its Messenger app, according to government officials on Wednesday. The Korea Communications Commission’s privacy infringement investigation division summoned top officials of Facebook Korea earlier this week to question the purpose of collecting logs of calls and text messages, the scope of the collection and

March 28, 2018

[Feature] Is game addiction a mental disorder? Korea’s industry experts rebut WHO’s labeling

As the World Health Organization prepares to make a final decision on whether to include gaming addiction in its official mental health disorder guidebook, medical experts and industry insiders worldwide remain divided on the scientific evidence and merits of the move.　　As debate ensues, medical professionals and industry experts in South Korea -- home to a thriving game industry and some of the world’s most enthusiastic gamers -- have cast concerns and doubts over the WHO’s push to medically la

March 28, 2018

Korea to send more scientists to int'l nuclear fusion reactor project: govt.

Korea said Wednesday it will send more scientists to an international consortium for the building of a nuclear fusion reactor so as to help build its own clean energy facility down the road.The Ministry of Science and ICT said it will proceed with plans to raise the number of Korean scientists at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor to 95 by 2026 from the current 32. The project currently employs 825 scientists from seven consortium partner countries.The ITER, being built in Cada

March 28, 2018

S. Korea to launch heavy-ion medical accelerator operations in 2023

South Korea will start operations of a heavy-ion medical accelerator in 2023, the science minister said Tuesday, a move that could offer a new and effective radiotherapy to cancer patients.Yoo Young-min, minister of science and ICT, said the government has ditched a long-delayed project to develop a heavy-ion medical accelerator and will instead buy it from a foreign country.  Yoo Young-min, minister of science and ICT (Yonhap)Treatment using a heavy-ion medical accelerator will be "available in

March 27, 2018

LG CNS obtains Korea’s first public cloud security certification

LG CNS, an internet technology solutions unit under LG Group, said Tuesday that it has become the first IT service provider here to obtain public cloud security certification from the South Korean government.　The certification, granted by the state-affiliated Korea Internet and Security Agency, is a prerequisite for providing cloud services to Korea’s government agencies and public institutions.  A view of LG CNS’ data center in Busan (LG CNS)Companies seeking the certification must pass KISA’s

March 27, 2018

Kakao rules out ICO, plans blockchain platform for Asia by year’s end

South Korea’s mobile messaging giant Kakao will introduce its own blockchain platform by the end of this year, while ruling out the possibility of an initial coin offering as part of its blockchain business agenda, Kakao’s co-CEOs announced Monday. 　Kakao’s primary focus now is to design an effective blockchain platform, similar to Ethereum, onto which various services can be built. With it, it hopes to court Asian developers interested in building new products and services based on blockchain n

March 27, 2018

KT launches VR fitting service for home shopping lovers

KT will launch the country’s first virtual reality-based 3-D fitting service for home shopping channels, it said Tuesday. Starting Wednesday on the Hyundai Home Shopping channel, local womenswear brand Joinus’ new blouses for spring will be sold with the help of a 3-D avatar trying on the new clothes on behalf of consumers at home. Subscribers to KT’s GiGa Genie speaker and Olleh TV UHD will be able to experience the service by choosing 3-D content on the IPTV menu. On the Shinsegae Shopping cha

March 27, 2018

IBM chief to meet with Shinhan chairman on Wednesday

IBM Chairman & CEO Ginni Rometty will meet with South Korea’s leading financial group Shinhan Chairman Cho Yong-byoung on Wednesday during her three-day trip to Korea, according to sources on Monday.  (Yonhap)“The meeting between the two chairmen will include talks on the current partnership between the American IT business and the Korean bank as well as future businesses on artificial intelligence and cloud computing,” a source said. The meeting will take place at the headquarters of Shinhan Fi

March 26, 2018

Koreans flock to mobile weather apps to battle fine dust

Mobile weather apps are gaining popularity in South Korea, as people need more detailed information about the fine dust situation. One of the popular mobile weather apps is Wongi Weather, according to digital marketing firm NHN AD. The app has been downloaded over 1.45 million times, topping the weather category.Wongi Weather is popular among smartphone users in their 40s and 50s due to its user-friendly and simple design.  (NHN AD)Trailing behind in the rankings are the K Weather and MiseMise a

March 26, 2018

[Exclusive] Samsung aims to sell 1.5m QLED TVs this year

Samsung Electronics’ visual display unit has internally set a goal of selling 1.5 million quantum dot-based light-emitting diode TVs this year in order to make clear its top position in the global premium TV market, according to sources Monday. “Samsung’s target sales volume for the QLED lineup is 1.5 million, a notable increase from last year’s 1 million,” an industry source told The Korea Herald. “By selling more of these expensive larger-size TVs than before, Samsung wants to raise the averag

March 26, 2018

Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange operator to invest W100b in blockchain tech

Dunamu, the operator of South Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, backed by local mobile messaging giant Kakao, announced Monday that it plans to invest 100 billion won ($92.5 million) toward blockchain technologies over the next three years.The exchange operator said it would invest in blockchain tech startups and firms pursuing areas that can be integrated with blockchain, including data analytics and management, artificial intelligence and financial technology via mergers and acqui

March 26, 2018

ICT ministry mulling details of 5G spectrum auction

South Korea's tech ministry is in the process of setting details of the upcoming auction for spectrum supporting the high-end fifth-generation (5G) network, industry watchers said Sunday.The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to complete its review in the near future and hold a public hearing next month, before completing the auction in June."We have conducted simulations on various scenarios for auctions, and gathered opinions from related organizations, mobile carriers, and manufacturers," a mi

March 25, 2018

Seoul Metro installs scream detection system in women’s bathrooms

A scream detection system has been installed in several subway stations in Seoul, along with other devices.Seoul Metro said Friday that it partnered with telecom company KT to provide services that use information and communication technology at its subway stations.Seoul Metro, which runs Subway Line Nos. 1 to 8 in Seoul, installed the scream detection system called “Safe Mate” in women’s bathrooms at 10 stations on Line No. 5 including Banghwa, Yeongdeungpo-gu Office and Gunja stations.  Gimpo

March 23, 2018

[Newsmaker] Facebook faces worldwide probe, plunge in reputation in data scandal

Facebook is neck-deep in troubles as its worst data breach crisis to date deepens. Governments around the world have begun to pursue investigations that could result in a hefty fine for the social network, while concerned users and advertisers are considering leaving the platform. Facebook’s reputation has taken a massive hit in the past week, after the revelation that it allowed Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy working for the Donald Trump campaign, to wrongfully harvest the profile

March 23, 2018

KT announces commercial launch of 5G in March 2019

South Korea’s leading mobile carrier KT said Thursday it will commercialize fifth-generation network services in March 2019 by launching an integrated platform applied with virtualization technologies.The 5G platform will be based on end-to-end (E2E) Orchestrator, a network virtualization control system, which will manage KT’s 5G network from core equipment to base stations to devices in real time. (KT)The platform will be essential to providing 5G-based autonomous driving, immersive media and i

March 22, 2018

[Exclusive] Samsung Galaxy Note 9 to adopt in-display fingerprint scanning: sources

Samsung Electronics is likely to adopt in-display fingerprint scanning for its upcoming flagship Galaxy Note 9 smartphones, according to industry sources on Thursday. “Samsung Display has prepared three or four solutions for Samsung Electronics to embed the fingerprint sensor inside of the main display, and both are seriously considering one of the solutions,” a source told The Korea Herald. “The delay in deciding on the final concept for the Note 9 is due to the work in adopting the in-display

March 22, 2018

Pwag, zoobs? Naver’s English dictionary contains nonsense, questionable definitions

When the pseudonym used by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in a forged passport was revealed in the media last month, those who searched online for “Josef Pwag” may have found an unusual match in Naver Dictionary.According to the site, “Pwag” is “the story of a man and boy who find love on the job.” But the problem is “pwag” is neither a real word nor slang in English. 　　This is not the only odd -- sometimes fake -- word defined by Naver Dictionary. 　　Definitions provided by the platform can ran

March 22, 2018

[Newsmaker] Facebook Korea to pay W396m for network cutoff, user inconvenience

South Korea’s state media regulator on Wednesday ordered Facebook to pay a 396 million won ($369,600) penalty for deliberately rerouting SK Telecom, SK Broadband and LG Uplus’ network connection to the social networking site, and causing a slowdown for local users. 　The Korea Communications Commission said that it considered Facebook’s actions as a breach of Korea’s telecommunications law, and ordered the firm to correct its practice and pay an administrative penalty.The KCC launched an investig

March 21, 2018

Kakao Taxi says addition of ‘paid option’ for faster pickup will not cause fare hike

South Korean users have been expressing concern over the latest news that Kakao Taxi, the country’s most widely-used taxi-hailing mobile app, will be adding a new option that allows users who pay an extra fee to catch taxis faster.Kakao Mobility announced last week that it is adding two paid options to its taxi-hailing service: “priority call” and “immediate dispatch.” It will continue to offer the current taxi-hailing service free of charge, under the “regular call” option.Critics have asserted

March 21, 2018

KT partners with Lina Life Insurance to provide AI-based health care services

KT will apply its artificial intelligence technologies to insurance and health care services in partnership with Lina Life Insurance, the mobile carrier said Tuesday.The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding Monday to improve Lina’s digital health care services by adding KT’s AI platform technologies at the insurer’s headquarters in central Seoul. Under the agreement, KT’s AI GiGA Genie speaker will offer users informative health care content insurance services provided by Lina, inc

March 20, 2018