Samsung expected to add flexible OLED facility this year

(Samsung Electronics)Samsung, the dominant player of flexible OLED, is expected to add new facilities in Tangjeong this year. “Samsung Display is expected to add new facilities at the end of this year to meet the growing demand. The official announcement is predicted to be made after the presidential election in May,” Chung Won-seok, an analyst at HI Investment and Securities said at Display TechSalon held in Seoul.  “(To meet the demand) Samsung Display needs to either shift its current LCD ass

April 4, 2017

Samsung Display predicts foldable phones to be commercialized in 2019

Samsung Display’s principal engineer said Tuesday foldable phones may not be commercialized until 2019 as bezel-free display currently sells well and the foldable display still has technical challenges to be addressed.There have been wide speculations in the market that Samsung may unveil its foldable phones that can both work as smartphones and tablets sometime this year or next year.“Because the bezel-free display currently sells well, we still have enough time to develop foldable display. The

April 4, 2017

Naver’s Papago to help convenience stores communicate with foreigners

South Korean internet giant Naver said Tuesday that it has entered a new partnership with GS Retail, agreeing to help employees at local GS24 convenience stores communicate more effectively with those who do not speak Korean. The two have signed a memorandum of understanding, under which Naver has opened a new section on its translation app Papago that shows translations of common customer service phrases used by convenience store clerks. Naver’s Chief Technology Officer Song Chang-hyun (left) a

April 4, 2017

Scientists develop artificial skin with sensitivity

A group of South Korean scientists has developed an artificial skin with sensitivity, the science ministry said Tuesday, a development that could be a boon to a variety of robots and products in numerous fields.The team lead by Kim Do-hwan at Soongsil University and Jung Hee-tae at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology co-developed the stretchable yet ultrasensitive artificial skin, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said. It said scientists developed the artificial sk

April 4, 2017

KT, Verizon test world’s first 5G live hologram call

Two mobile carriers from South Korea and the US held the world’s first live hologram international call service via the companies’ fifth-generation networks on Monday, testing the future of the telecom service industry.The demonstration came as the heads of the two companies -- KT CEO Hwang Chang-gyu met Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam -- held a meeting in Seoul to discuss ways to expand bilateral partnership on services under development including a live hologram video call. Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam

April 3, 2017

[Exclusive] CJ pulls ads from YouTube, joins global boycott

CJ CheilJedang has become the first major South Korean company to pull its advertisements from YouTube, joining a slew of other major global brands that have recently cut ties with the video-sharing platform over inappropriate ad placement.　CJ CheilJedang -- Korea’s biggest food company under CJ Group -- said Monday that it has partially terminated its partnership with YouTube, as the platform has been automatically attaching a promotional ad for one of its products to offensive videos promoting

April 3, 2017

Budget mobile carriers to sell Galaxy S8

South Korea's budget mobile carriers plan to receive preorders for Samsung Electronics Co.'s latest flagship, the Galaxy S8 series, industry sources said Monday.CJ HelloVision's mobile carrier brand Hello Mobile and SK Telink Co. -- the two leading mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) -- said they will start receiving early orders for the new premium smartphones Friday.(Yonhap)MVNOs refer to mobile service providers that rent networks from the country's three carriers: SK Telecom Co., KT Cor

April 3, 2017

LG increases workforce of smartphone business

LG Electronics Inc. has increased the number of employees serving in its smartphone division, a regulatory filing showed Monday, while that of its bigger rival Samsung Electronics cut back the number of workers for the fourth consecutive quarter.According to the regulatory filing, there were 6,790 workers at LG Electronics' Mobile Communications division as of the fourth quarter of 2016, up 18.8 percent from the earlier three-month period. The number had been falling after reaching its peak of 8

April 3, 2017

Korea, int'l vaccine institute to strengthen ties

South Korea's health ministry signed an agreement with a Seoul-based vaccine research institute Monday to expand cooperation in joint research efforts and to foster experts, officials said.The memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the International Vaccine Institute calls for comprehensive cooperation in research and development to make safe and effective vaccines for people in developing countries. (123RF)"The ministry believes the MOU will provide growth f

April 3, 2017

[Newsmaker] LG Chem unveils biggest R&D plan

DAEJEON -- An LG Chem researcher places two battery cells – one made with the company’s proprietary ceramic-coated safety reinforced separator, known as SRS, and the other made with polyolefin – on a hot plate of about 180 degrees Celsius. Immediately the polyolefin separator melts away and the cathode and anode in the battery gets mixed up, which the researcher explains makes it prone to catch a fire. LG’s patented separator, meanwhile, endures the heat and works normally in the battery, which

April 2, 2017

LG makes marketing push in US to promote G6 flagship

LG Electronics Inc., a major home appliance and smartphone maker, said Sunday that it has launched 25,000 hands-on events across the United States to promote its latest G6 flagship smartphone.The company that launched the premium device in late February said the promotional events take place just ahead of the phones reaching the world's largest consumer market. (Yonhap)In the US, the tech company said people who preorder the G6 will be able to get Google's artificial intelligence speaker Google

April 2, 2017

Samsung to engage in all-out promotional drive to woo consumers to S8

Samsung Electronics Co. said Sunday that it has kicked off an all-out promotional drive to allow as many consumers as possible to check out its newest Galaxy S8 smartphone. The world's leading smartphone manufacturer said it has opened some 3,000 special stores all across South Korea where people can actually hold and experience the various cutting-edge features of its flagship device. (Yonhap)The S8 has gotten mostly positive initial reviews for its panel-centric form factor that has done away

April 2, 2017

Korea to spend W41b won on 3D printing technology

South Korea’s science ministry said Sunday that it will spend 41.2 billion won ($37 million) this year to develop core 3D printing expertise to nurture the fledging industry.The 2017 budget will be spent on various 3D printing businesses to spur demand and strengthen national competitiveness, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said. (Yonhap)The ministry aims to assist the military and industries to produce components through the 3D printing technology, as well as help the medical s

April 2, 2017

Samsung's share of global DRAM, TVs rises as phones, displays lose ground

Samsung Electronics Co.'s global market share in DRAMs and TVs rose in 2016, while it lost ground in mobile phones and displays, the company's business report showed Sunday.The report based on data collected by various market researchers said the tech giant controlled 21.6 percent of the TV market last year, up from 21 percent in 2015. The gain comes despite very stiff challenges from rivals that saw sharp drops in demand in places like Latin America. (Yonhap)The company churned out 47.42 millio

April 2, 2017

Samsung curtails R&D spending in 2016: data

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest manufacturer of smartphones, slightly reduced its expenditures on research and development (R&D) projects last year, data showed Wednesday, as it sought to acquire key technologies through mergers and acquisitions, data showed Sunday.Samsung Electronics Co. spent 14.79 trillion won ($13.2 billion) on R&D last year, which accounted for 7.3 percent of its revenue. (Yonhap)Last year's R&D spending compares with 14.85 trillion won in 2015 and 15.32 trilli

April 2, 2017

Face recognition tech still insufficient for security

The facial recognition technology equipped in Samsung Electronics Co.'s new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, will not be sufficient to guarantee the phones' security, industry sources said Friday."The phones can be unlocked by the face of a sleeping person, or even just by a photo," an industry watcher said. "For now, the facial recognition technology is only intended for fun. It should not be considered as a foolproof security measure." (Yonhap)Samsung Electronics showcased the Galaxy S8 and

March 31, 2017

Artificial intelligence gains momentum among IT companies

Artificial intelligence, for the past few decades, used to be a staple of science fiction films in which a future was depicted as being full of robots that are as smart as humans. In "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 2001, a robotic boy even dreams of becoming "real" so he can gain the love of his human parents.Now, AI and cybernetics are moving beyond the realm of fiction and are penetrating deeper into our everyday lives. Without realizing it, AI has

March 31, 2017

Samsung unveils much-awaited Galaxy S8

Samsung Electronics has finally unveiled its flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone, the tech giant’s first premium phone since the embarrassing recall of its fire-prone Note 7 last year. The new features of the much-awaited smartphone -- artificial intelligence assistant Bixby, a bigger display and facial recognition -- did nothing to dispel the notion that the tech giant excels on hardware but is relatively weaker with software compared to its Western counterparts.Smart voice assistant Bixby, which had

March 30, 2017

[Game Industry] Korean game giants rise in global status

South Korea is home to one of the most advanced digital game markets in the world, ranking fourth in terms of game revenue by country after China, the US and Japan as of 2015.　Fueling the growth are Korea’s biggest game companies including Nexon, Netmarble Games, NCSoft and Smilegate — major content exporters that generate a significant part of their revenue from global markets such as China and Europe.Led by these players, the local game industry grew 7.5 percent on-year to 10.72 trillion won (

March 30, 2017

[Game Industry] Nexon out to expand presence in global digital game market

Nexon, a global online game company listed in Japan, is out to drive up its presence in the global game industry by continuing its efforts to offer well-developed games that are strategically localized for markets overseas.　Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Nexon is already an international company, as around 60 percent of its revenue is currently generated abroad, with China being the biggest overseas revenue driver.Since its foundation in 1994, Nexon has produced classic online games such as

March 30, 2017