LG Chem to build JV battery plant in Nanjing

LG Chem said Wednesday that it will build a joint venture plant in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, to produce lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles by the end of next year.Officials from South Korea’s largest EV battery maker and Nanjing signed an agreement in Seoul, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Korea.LG Chem will establish the JV plant with two investment companies from Nanjing ― Nanjing Zijin Technology Incubation Special Park Construction Development and Nanj

July 2, 2014

SK Telecom prepares for ‘ICTnomics’

The integration of information and communications technology into a wide range of industries, including health care, education and security, is expected to create a great deal of opportunities while bringing revolutionary changes to people’s lives. SK Telecom, Korea’s largest mobile carrier, is envisioning such a connected future with a new type of economy created and powered by ICT.The company’s chief executive Ha Sung-min’s so-called “ICTnomics,” coined from the words ICT and economics, aims t

July 2, 2014

6 Korean products top global market

South Korea was one of the top five nations in terms of its superior products in 2013, according to a survey released by Japan’s leading business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun on Monday. The survey of the world’s top products based on their market shares showed South Korea, home to the world’s leading electronics giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, shared fourth place with China by topping the six product categories, down from eight in 2012. Samsung Electronics manufactured the products

June 30, 2014

Unmanned and untouchable

SACHEON, South Gyeongsang Province ― On the country’s southern coastal tip lies a facility as big as three soccer fields in which Korea Aerospace Industries’ engineers are busily producing its flagship aircraft and helicopters to meet their delivery deadlines.KAI makes FA-50 fighter jets, supersonic trainer T-50s, which the light attacker was based on, and the Surion utility helicopter. Now it seeks to expand its portfolio to accommodate the defense needs of Korea’s armed forces, as well as thos

June 29, 2014

Samsung partners settle with labor union

A union of contract workers for Samsung Electronics Service, the after-sales service company for Samsung Electronics, reached an agreement Saturday on new labor rules with their employers, most of which are partner firms of Samsung’s after-sales service provider, ending a yearlong period of industrial action.After holding a vote with its 1,500 members that day, most of whom are hired via Samsung’s partner companies, the labor union agreed with the firms to settle a string of labor issues, such a

June 29, 2014

[Weekender] Risks of Korean eating habits

While some Korean dishes, such as bibimbap, are considered a healthy meal, Korean soups and stews have one major flaw: They often contain too much salt.South Koreans are known to be heavy consumers of sodium, ranking at the top worldwide in terms of their daily intake. According to World Action on Salt and Health, South Koreans consumed a daily average of 4.878 milligrams of sodium in 2010 which is 2.4 times higher than the WHO’s recommended daily intake of 2,000 milligrams.Dr. Cho Young-yun fro

June 27, 2014

Samsung, LG at war over Android wearables

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have locked horns over wearables, this time after the U.S. release of the two tech giants’ new smartwatches, powered by Google’s new operating system.LG Electronics, which offered a glimpse of its first smartwatch earlier this year, introduced the G Watch at Google’s annual conference on Wednesday.The G Watch, running on Google’s Android Wear, features an “Always-On” 1.65 inch display, which keeps the screen on for 24 hours, and a built-in 400mAh battery.Al

June 26, 2014

[Graphic News] Kurds seek independence amid turmoil in Iraq

Iraq’s self-ruling Kurds are pushing for independence from Iraq amid continued armed clashes between Sunni insurgents and pro-state forces. The Kurdish military, known as “pesh merga,” recently took over Kirkuk and other nothernmost regions in Iraq. Kirkuk is considered the ancestral capital of Kurdistan and is abundant with oil. Through the new oil fields, the Kurdistan Regional Government is pursuing its own oil exports to Austria, Russia and Israel. While Iraqi Kurdish President Massoud Barza

June 26, 2014

LG Innotek opens auto parts plant in Mexico

LG Innotek said Thursday that it has built its first overseas automotive electronic parts plant in San Juan del Rio, Mexico.The 34,000-square-meter plant ― equivalent in size to five soccer fields ― will commence production of its automotive motors for dual clutch transmission systems beginning in August this year.Its 600 local employees will then expand manufacturing of other motors for antilock brake and electric power steering systems, with the aim of securing an annual production capacity of

June 26, 2014

[Herald Interview] Google planning OS for robots: engineer

Internet giant Google Inc., with its unceasing appetite for robotics, may be developing an operating system exclusively designed for robots, according to renowned robotics engineer Dennis Hong.He based his speculation on the recent string of robotic companies that Google has been purchasing, including U.S.-based Boston Robotics and Japan’s SCAHFT. In a similar vein, Google on Wednesday introduced its new operating system for wearables, TVs and cars at its annual developers conference.The Android

June 26, 2014