S. Koreans spend all-time high on Netflix in Aug.: data

Netflix recorded record sales for South Korea in August, a local report said Thursday. According to the report released by industry tracker WiseApp, South Koreans’ payments to Netflix last month reached an estimated 75.3 billion won, up 78 percent from a year earlier. The number of people who subscribed to the US streaming service reached 5.14 million, increasing 63 percent from 3.16 million last year, according to WiseApp. By age groups, people in their 20s accounted for 40.1 percen

Sept. 23, 2021

LG buys Israeli automotive security firm, delves further into auto biz

LG Electronics is taking over an Israeli firm with expertise in cybersecurity for automobiles as part of its plan to strengthen its auto parts business portfolio. According to the South Korean electronics maker on Thursday, the company recently signed a deal with Tel Aviv-based Cybellum to acquire a 63.9 percent stake. Founded in 2016, the Israeli firm’s valuation is estimated at $140 million. It has around 50 employees. The company is recognized for a platform that is designed to analy

Sept. 23, 2021

Female scientists step up for leading roles in medical science: report

Four out of 10 medical research projects in South Korea are now led by female scientists, but in other fields of science, women are still significantly outnumbered by men, a local report revealed Wednesday. According to the Korean Federation of Women’s Science and Technology Association, a total of 5,028 medical research projects were led by women in the 2010-2019 period, taking up roughly 40 percent of the total. The study covered research projects in four categories of natural scienc

Sept. 22, 2021

LG’s plugless TV wins international design award

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics scooped various accolades at an international industrial design competition, the two companies said Wednesday. LG Electronics bagged 10 prizes, including a gold award for its StanbyME TV, famous for its moving stand design, at the 41st International Design Excellence Awards. The plugless TV model has previously received the main prize at the iF Design Awards and the Red Dot Design Awards 2021. Four other products -- LG’s Soundbar Eclair, a laundr

Sept. 22, 2021

[Photo News] Apple unveils new lineup for 2021

On Sept. 14, Apple held a virtual “California Streaming” event unveiling the new iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7.  The Apple Watch will come in new sizes at 41 mm and 45 mm, departing from its standard 40 mm and 44 mm sizing. No new health features are expected. The most significant difference is its all-new flat-edged design, in line with the iPhone 12’s sleek design.  Like previous models, the iPhone 13 will be offered in four different models – iPhone 13

Sept. 20, 2021

Spring flowers bloom earlier, ice freezes later than before: report

Spring flowers in Korea are blooming earlier while ice is forming increasingly later in the last three decades, a recent report from the Korea Meteorological Administration showed. The KMA on Tuesday released the latest climatological averages from 1991 to 2020, comparing the data with the previous figures recorded from 1981 to 2010. Used for analyzing changes in the ecosystem over a long period of time, seasonal observation is a study of animals, plants and weather phenomena at the same spot e

Sept. 19, 2021

Disney+ likely to be introduced via LG U+ first and possibly KT later

Disney+, the US entertainment giant’s streaming service, is expected to land in Korea via LG U+ first, the smallest of the country’s three IPTV providers. Then, it may team up with KT, the largest of the three, to further expand its reach. Earlier, Disney officially announced the Nov. 12 launch of Disney+, with a monthly subscription fee of 9,900 won ($8.40). It, however, did not disclose who its local partner is, fanning market speculation that the two Korean telecommunications

Sept. 19, 2021

KT creates investment arm for digital transformation

KT, one of South Korea’s leading telecom companies, said Friday it has created an organization dedicated to new investments and external partnerships in a bid to speed up the firm’s transformation into a digital platform business. The new organization is called “Group Transformation” and has been established under the CEO’s office. KT has appointed Yoon Kyung-lim, who had led KT’s media, future convergence and global businesses, as president of the new

Sept. 17, 2021

LG Energy Solution invests W35b in Chinese battery material supplier

South Korea’s leading battery maker LG Energy Solution will acquire a 4.8 percent stake in a Chinese battery material supplier for 35 billion won ($29.7 million), the company said Friday. The subsidiary of LG Chem said it has signed a deal with China’s Greatpower Nickel & Cobalt Materials for a stable supply of battery materials. Shanghai-based Greatpower has been building a plant in China for nickel sulfate, a major ingredient for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehi

Sept. 17, 2021

Samsung Display’s 90Hz OLED panel featured in ASUS’ new laptops

Samsung Display on Thursday said it began supplying the 90-hertz organic light-emitting diode panels for laptops of Taiwanese brand ASUS, as demand for higher-end laptop screens grow amid the pandemic. The display panels are to be featured on ASUS’ 14-inch Zenbook and Vivobook Pro series, it said. The supply marks a successful commercialization of laptop-sized OLED displays with a refresh rate of 90 hertz, which makes moving images on laptop screens look more natural. It is ideal for u

Sept. 16, 2021

[Herald Interview] Design at heart of Samsung’s evolution to better satisfy consumers: exec

In the field of consumer electronics, Samsung Electronics has taken strides design-wise. Following the success of the trendy and ingenious Bespoke home appliance lineup, its latest smartphone releases, Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3, became a hit among design-conscious consumers, heralding a new era of foldable devices. Behind the feats is the company’s dual focus on technology and design, or its strenuous effort to mingle the two worlds, with the aim of bringing real benefits to consumers

Sept. 16, 2021

SK Innovation wins shareholder approval for battery unit split-off

Shareholders of SK Innovation on Thursday approved a plan to split off the battery business, the company said With the endorsement, which was made at a general shareholders’ meeting held earlier in the day, SK Innovation, a refinery-to-battery subsidiary of South Korea‘s No. 3 conglomerate, will split into two entities, which will be respectively in charge of battery and petrochemical businesses. The new entities will be officially launched Oct. 1, according to the company. SK

Sept. 16, 2021

LG Uplus seeks to boost smart factory biz

LG Uplus Corp., a major South Korean telecom operator, said Thursday it aims to increase sales from its smart factory solutions business by sevenfold within five years as part of its broader push to boost its enterprise-focused services. The telecom operator has recently been developing industrial solutions that use its 4G and 5G networks to automate workload and improve safety. The carrier said in an online briefing its smart factory solutions are currently used in 150 locations across the co

Sept. 16, 2021

Disney+ expected to bring fresh spin to fast-evolving streaming market in South Korea

For die-hard South Korean fans of “The Simpsons,” Marvel and “Star Wars” franchises, the planned launch of Disney+ on Nov. 12 is a long-awaited day for celebration -- and binge-watching. Netflix and other streaming services currently available in Korea do not offer the much-coveted video library of the Walt Disney Co., so the introduction of another video service is a welcome development for viewers. The launch of Disney+ also signals a fresh round of competition in

Sept. 15, 2021

S. Korea to invest W2.6t in hyperconnectivity

The South Korean government said it will invest 2.6 trillion won ($2.2 billion) by 2025 in hyperconnectivity and related technologies used in newly emerging services, such as metaverse, blockchain and cloud technology. The Ministry of Science and ICT on Wednesday held an online meeting to discuss its future investment plans to support the development of key technologies in the information and technology industry. During the meeting, Minister Lim Hye-sook said, “The metaverse sector and

Sept. 15, 2021

SK Bioscience likely to secure vaccine supply deal from COVAX next year: report

SK Bioscience is expected to secure a large-size COVID-19 vaccine supply deal from the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility next year, a local brokerage firm said Wednesday. The possible deal will boost earnings of the South Korean pharmaceutical company, it added. GBP510, the firm’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, is a recombinant-protein vaccine funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which is leading the vaccine-sharing

Sept. 15, 2021

Google fights back, says it brings W11.9tr economic benefits to Korea

Google, under fire in South Korea for allegedly abusing others with its market power, on Wednesday hit back at the criticism, arguing it contributed 11.9 trillion won ($10.25 billion) in economic benefits to Koreans last year. Holding an online press event it called “Google for Korea,” executives of the US giant cited data from global market analysis firms to tout the positive side of its presence in Korea. “Last year, YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed around 1

Sept. 15, 2021

Chip sales drive last month’s ICT exports past $20b, the best August result

South Korea’s exports of information and communication technology products in August surpassed $20 billion for the first time in 34 months, on robust sales of semiconductor products, government data showed Tuesday. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the country’s outbound shipments of ICT products last month reached $20.27 billion, up 33.2 percent on-year. It was the best results ever recorded for the month of August, and second-best for any month. With that, the ICT e

Sept. 14, 2021

Google slapped with $177m in fines for abusing market power

South Korea‘s antitrust regulator said Tuesday it has decided to fine US-based tech giant Google 207.4 billion won ($176.8 million) for abusing its market power with the Android mobile operating system. In addition to the fine, the FTC ordered Google to stop forcing device manufacturers to sign an anti-fragmentation agreement, which has prevented the manufacturers from using operating systems developed by Google’s rivals or other variants of Android. The FTC began investigating ac

Sept. 14, 2021

Kakao creates W300 billion fund, pledges to work for society

Kakao Group, the largest mobile technology business in South Korea, pledged on Tuesday to spend 300 billion won ($255.4 million) to support small businesses and the self-employed, looking to soothe growing public criticism over its rapid business expansion. Top executives of Kakao Corp. and affiliates met Monday and Tuesday to devise a package of measures for its “co-existence” with small enterprises whom critics said the mammoth platform is driving out of market, which included th

Sept. 14, 2021