Samsung SDS denies merger with Samsung C&T

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung SDS, the IT solutions unit of Samsung Group, denied once again on Monday speculations that it will spin off its logistics business to merge it with Samsung C&T, the group’s construction and trading unit and de facto holding company. “We have not been considering selling or splitting our logistics business to be merged with Samsung C&T,” the company said in a regulatory filing. “We have no plan to do so in the future.” Samsung SDS’ headquarters in Jamsil, southern SeoulThe

July 18, 2016

[DECODED: SAMSUNG] Ownership structure

July 18, 2016

Naver secures digital history, energy

CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province -- At the foot of Mount Gubong in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province stands an oddly-shaped building guarded with heavy security -- Naver’s Data Center Gak.　It is where South Korea’s leading search engine and web portal Naver operates thousands of servers that store and manage its expansive data from services including emails, online blogs, cloud services and search queries.Naver’s Data Center Gak in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province (Naver)To symbolize the spirit of the data cent

July 18, 2016

Antitrust watchdog disapproves SKT-CJ HelloVision merger

 [THE INVESTOR] South Korea’s antitrust watchdog said on July 18 that it has decided to officially oppose the planned merger between SK Broadband, an IPTV unit of SK Telecom, and CJ HelloVision, the nation’s No. cable TV operator, citing monopoly concerns in the media and telecom markets.After holding a meeting early in the day, the Fair Trade Commission announced its final decision, wrapping up a reviewing session that lasted more than seven months.CJ Hellovision headquarter“The FTC has decided

July 18, 2016

US Supreme Court to hear Samsung’s iPhone patent appeal on Oct. 11

[THE INVESTOR] The US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a drawn-out legal battle between Samsung Electronics and Apple on Oct. 11, the court announced recently as it posted its schedule for the October 2016 term. In March, the court announced it would hear the case, the first time the top court has looked at a design patent case since the 1800s. The rare decision comes after Samsung filed a request with the court last year to reexamine the case that it lost to Apple, which resulted in th

July 18, 2016

Samsung SDS denies merger with Samsung C&T

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung SDS, the IT solutions unit of Samsung Group, on July 18 once again denied speculation that it will spin off its logistics business to merge it with Samsung C&T, the group’s construction and trading unit and de facto holding company. “We have not been considering selling or splitting our logistics business to be merged with Samsung C&T,” the company said in a regulatory filing in the day. “We have no plan to do so in the future.” Samsung SDS headquarters in Jamsil, southern

July 18, 2016

Samsung to supply connected car solution to AT&T from August

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics will supply its own connected-car solution Samsung Connect Auto to US telecom behemoth AT&T from August in its latest push to make inroads into the futuristic car market.According to news reports on July 18, AT&T will offer the service based on a monthly payment plan. After gauging market reactions, Samsung aims to diversify corporate clients in the coming months. Samsung Connect AutoThe Korean tech giant first unveiled the Connect Auto solution during the Mobi

July 18, 2016

Samsung joins US gov’t body for next-generation tech

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics announced on July 18 that it will become a board member of the Advanced Wireless Research Initiative, led by the US government to facilitate next generation wireless technologies and develop a faster 5G mobile network.The new project will include contributions from over 400 researchers and tech and mobile majors like Nokia, Qualcomm, Intel, Oracle, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile.Samsung Electronics will share its expertise in 5G network architecture and the

July 18, 2016

LG Chem to supply batteries for NASA's spacesuits

LG Chem Ltd., Korea's largest chemicals maker, will start supplying lithium-ion batteries for NASA's spacesuits in the second half of the year, the company said Monday. The contract with NASA marked the first such deal for a Korean company, LG Chem said.  (Yonhap)LG Chem said its new battery's lifespan is five times longer than conventional silver-zinc batteries that are used in military and aerospace industries. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Lee Ung-beom, head of LG Chem's bat

July 18, 2016

[Graphic News] ‘Pokemon Go’, global sensation among smartphone users

“Pokemon Go” developed by mobile game maker Nintendo has become a global sensation since its release in early July. Although the popular augmented reality game has not been released in South Korea yet, an estimated 1 million South Koreans have downloaded “Pokemon Go,” according to market research firm WiseApp. Players of “Pokemon Go” spend more time on average on the game then social media platforms. As of July 11, the average time spent on the mobile game was 33 minutes 25 seconds per day, long

July 17, 2016

Cloud market to grow further: Oracle CEO

[THE INVESTOR] In the pre-cloud era, access to a company’s data may was quite a laborious task. A chief executive might have had to send emails back and forth just to acquire necessary data such as those related to sales. Now emerging cloud services allow easy access to analytic data, even on the go.Oracle chief executive Mark Hurd speaks during an interview in Seoul last week.(Oracle)By simply using a mobile app, a company chief is able to get information that span a broad range of queries such

July 17, 2016

NASA space suits to use LG Chem batteries

Chemical and battery firmLG Chem is slated to supply its batteries to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the second half of this year, according to the company Sunday. The local battery maker recently signed a supply deal with NASA to provide its lithium ion batteries for the agency’s space suits used for space exploration.  An astronaut wearing a NASA space suit (LG Chem)“The batteries will serve a key role in the spacesuits, which have various functions such as oxygen su

July 17, 2016

Samsung’s PCs rank No. 1 in Brazil

[THE INVESTOR] Tech giant Samsung Electronics has become the most popular PC brand in Brazil, according to local media on July 17. The Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, based on its annual brand survey, reported that Samsung grabbed the top spot among all PC brands, beating its American rivals Apple and Dell. Last year, Apple ranked No. 1, while Samsung and Dell shared second place. Samsung’s feat came amid a slump in the local and global PC markets. The sales of all desktops and laptops

July 17, 2016

[Newsmaker] What’s next for Naver after Line IPO?

CHUNCHEON, Gangwon Province — After mobile messenger app Line Corp.’s high-profile stock market debut in the U.S. and Japan, the company and its parent Naver face a hefty task — staying competitive in the global mobile messenger and Internet market dominated by U.S. and Chinese Internet giants, such as Facebook, Google and Tencent.　Japan-based Line Corp. owned by South Korean Internet giant Naver, went public on the New York Stock Exchange and Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday and Friday after ra

July 15, 2016

[Weekender] Pangyo shakes things up with young, creative approach

Pangyo Techno Valley, a tech hub modelled after Silicon Valley in the U.S., is emerging as a new national growth engine as South Korea’s conventional manufacturing industries stutter.The complex located in southern Gyeonggi Province is comprised of more than 1,000 tech start-ups specializing in biotechnology, media content and nanotechnology. Big game companies such as NHN Entertainment, Nexon and NCsoft, as well as security giant AhnLab and mobile messenger behemoth Kakao all have a presence th

July 15, 2016

Samsung to acquire stakes in Chinese EV giant

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is renewing its automotive push with its latest decision to acquire sizeable shares in China’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD. The company confirmed the deal on Friday but declined to reveal the specific size of the investment. Earlier in the day, a local newspaper reported that Samsung would invest 3 billion yuan ($448 million) in the Chinese company. “The latest investment aims to strengthen our partnership on automotive and smartphone parts. Sams

July 15, 2016

About 410,000 Koreans estimated to download 'Pokemon Go' app

The number of South Koreans who have downloaded the popular "Pokemon Go" augmented reality game was estimated at about 410,000, although the game is not currently available in the country, according to a survey by an app analytics company on Friday. Since the mobile game was launched in the United States last week, it has become a global hit with millions of users downloading Nintendo Co.'s latest game. Because the game uses data from Google's mapping service, which is restricted by the South Ko

July 15, 2016

Samsung to sell Galaxy S7 Edge Olympic Games Edition in S. Korea

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics said on July 15 that it will launch the Galaxy S7 Edge Olympic Games Edition in South Korea on July 18 in celebration of the Rio Olympic Games. The company has set the price at 1,067,000 won (US$ 943). The sales will begin at 10 a.m. exclusively on its online store, the company said. The phone features Olympic Games design with the five official colors of the Olympic Rings, around the phone and on the key apps. “We produced the limited edition version with full

July 15, 2016

Naver's Line Corp. listed on Tokyo bourse

Line Corp., a Japan-based global chat app operator, successfully debuted on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Friday following a strong start on Wall Street overnight.The subsidiary of South Korea's dominant internet service firm Naver Corp. finished at 4,345 yen (US$41), up 32 percent from the IPO price, heralding a successful debut. Line sold a total of 13 million shares in Tokyo and 22 million on Wall Street.The dual listing drove up the firm's market value to around 10 trillion won (US$8 billion).

July 15, 2016