SKT brings K-pop fan community service to metaverse platform

South Korean mobile carrier SK Telecom has unveiled a new K-pop service for its metaverse platform, ifland, designed as an arena where K-pop idols and their global fans gather and communicate with one another. Starting Monday, ifland will offer a fan community service with hotel-style spaces enabling fans to meet different K-pop groups and solo artists on each floor. Its introduction page provides an overview of the hotel's floors, while an artist lounge where each K-pop idol can check in t

June 9, 2024

Tesla upgrades in-car navigation software in China, introduces lane-level guidance

BEIJING (Reuters) -- Tesla released a software upgrade for its in-car navigation system in China on Friday, introducing new features such as displaying lane markings on its maps that correspond to the actual lanes on the road. The company announced the update on its official WeChat account along with a series of new features added in the latest over-the-air upgrade that it claimed would reduce users' reliance on smartphone applications while driving. Tesla did not specify the provider of th

June 7, 2024

SK, TSMC chiefs agree to boost collaboration on AI chips

SK Chairman Chey Tae-won and TSMC Chairman C.C. Wei agreed to boost collaboration on the development of advanced artificial intelligence chips, including the High Bandwidth Memory chips high in demand, on Thursday. Chey traveled to Taiwan to meet with Wei and other IT leaders in the country, as part of the effort to strengthen SK's network and gain a competitive edge in the burgeoning global AI market. “Together, let’s open the door to the era of artificial intelligence that ben

June 7, 2024

[Innovate Korea] We must control new technology: KAIST president

DAEJEON -- Lee Kwang-hyung, president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, underscored the importance of controlling new artificial intelligence technology ethically in his speech at Innovate Korea 2024, held at the Lyu Keun-chul Sports Complex in Daejeon on Wednesday. “In the era of ‘humanism 2.0,’ we are living with ordinary humans, physically improved humans, mentally enhanced humans and AI," he said. “I think that our country and our society

June 7, 2024

[Innovate Korea] Future of robots depends on AI: Rainbow Robotics founder

DAEJEON -- Oh Jun-ho, founder of Rainbow Robotics and a former mechanical engineering professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, underscored the future of robots lies in artificial intelligence technology. “Robots are ready to do anything, but on their own, they can’t do anything. Bringing movement to them requires human touch like programming, but in the future, AI will be able to take on that role,” he said in his speech at Innovate Korea 2024, hel

June 7, 2024

[Innovate Korea] Innovate Korea 2024 spotlights ‘new humanity’ in AI era

DAEJEON -- Innovate Korea 2024, a major annual science and information communication technology forum hosted by Herald Media Group, shed light on the new form of humanity in the era of advanced artificial intelligence on Wednesday, sharing insights from various experts across a wide range of professions. This year’s event at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon featured K-pop star G-Dragon, who took part in a panel discussion. Some 3,000 participants gathered,

June 7, 2024

[Innovate Korea] Naver CEO affirms commitment to develop safe, sovereign AI

DAEJEON -- Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon highlighted how sincerely the IT giant is approaching the burgeoning artificial intelligence technologies in her speech at Innovate Korea 2024, held in Daejeon on Wednesday. “AI technology is a game changer which is developing rapidly, although it also stirs up several concerns,” she said. “Naver has been sincere about AI and we’ve been putting much effort into making a perfect Korean-language AI model.” The Naver chief pointed out

June 7, 2024

Samsung, Verizon chiefs join hands to promote Galaxy series

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong took off for the US on a trip tightly packed with business meetings with tech leaders and government officials there, with the goal of strengthening existing partnerships for the company's future development, the tech giant said on Thursday. Lee will participate in some 30 meetings scheduled "minute by minute" with heads of major technology firms, and lawmakers and government officials across the US until mid-June, Samsung said. The places

June 6, 2024

LG Electronics introduces AlphaWare at US auto tech show

LG Electronics introduced AlphaWare, its suite of software solutions for software-defined vehicles, at AutoTech: Detroit 2024, revamping its commitment to expanding business in the automotive market. According to the tech giant on Thursday, it joined the global automotive tech show for the first time to share its insights on software-defined vehicles and discuss the challenges and future prospects. During LG’s presentation dubbed, "Beyond the Road: Navigating the SDV Transition,"

June 6, 2024

LG CNS debuts new ERP solution at SAP conference

LG CNS said Wednesday that it debuted its new enterprise resource planning solution at the SAP Sapphire 2024 trade show, which kicked off in Orlando, Florida, Monday. PerfecTwin ERP Edition is an automated testing solution based on actual transaction data. It is specifically tailored for SAP’s enterprise resource planning software to integrate and manage all enterprise operations. The latest solution stands out from traditional methods that verify errors using small data samples, the compa

June 5, 2024

Undervalued no more: Jusung Engineering to spin off chip business

Jusung Engineering, the first-generation chipmaking equipment firm in Korea, has decided to spin off its lucrative semiconductor equipment business into a new entity with hopes of elevating its undervalued market cap. Noting how the company has been suffering from undervaluation, Hwang Chul-ju, the founder and chairman, said the latest decision will boost the value of its chip business, the No. 1 at home. “The company is just way too undervalued when it has proprietary technologies used in

June 5, 2024

Tmax unveils new corporate identity to mark 27th anniversary

Korean software developer Tmax Group celebrated its 27th anniversary Monday by unveiling its renewed corporate identity. Held in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, 550 employees joined the anniversary event, with an additional 1,000 participating online through Tmax's collaboration solution, Tmax WAPL. The new CI, introduced by Kim Jae-hwan, chief marketing officer of Tmax, embodies the company's outstanding, boundless and integrative qualities. The vibrant blue color conveys a sense of vita

June 4, 2024

KT, Microsoft forge partnership for AI push

Korean telecommunications giant KT Corp. said Tuesday it has forged a strategic partnership with Microsoft to enhance ties on artificial intelligence, among others. The new partnership, aiming at jointly developing AI, cloud and IT services tailored for the Korean market, was sealed at Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on Monday, with KT CEO Kim Young-shub and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in attendance. With details of the partnership coming in September, this is the first

June 4, 2024

Green energy firms showcase innovations at ENVEX 2024

The Ministry of Environment and the Korea Environment Conservation Institute are co-hosting the International Exhibition on Environmental Technology and Green Energy (ENVEX) at Coex in Seoul, which began Monday and runs to Wednesday. Launched in 1979, ENVEX, now in its 45th year, aims to boost domestic demand and lay export bases for outstanding small and medium-sized green energy enterprises. It boasts the longest history among environmental technology exhibitions in Korea. ENVEX will showcase

June 4, 2024

Samsung out to reclaim foldable crown

Competition in the growing foldable smartphone market is set to get fiercer. Samsung Electronics is out to regain market leadership with a new foldable phone series next month, while Chinese rivals are trying to catch up with the Korean tech giant’s market dominance in the sector. Lenovo-owned Motorola has reportedly passed the Chinese government’s certification and is expected to roll out its new flagship foldable phone, Razr 50 Ultra, within the next month, according to industry so

June 3, 2024

Chey apologizes for 'public concern' after massive divorce settlement

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won issued an apology on Monday after his high-profile divorce settlement ruling -- ordering him to pay a record 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion) to his ex-wife -- raised concerns for the company's employees and stakeholders. Taking part in an extraordinary meeting held by the SK Supex Council, the conglomerate's top decision-making body, Chey also vowed to do his best to make sure his personal affairs do not have negative impacts on the company’s busines

June 3, 2024

Korea seeks to bolster ties with Tanzania, key supply chain partner

South Korea has been seeking to bolster ties with Africa, with its vibrant economies, young population and abundant natural resources. Tanzania, among others, is emerging as a key partner at a time when countries around the world are competing to secure high-value natural resources amid fast-reshaping supply chains for key industrial sectors. Korea has also been working to elevate economic ties with Tanzania, home to 633 million people – Africa's fifth-largest nation by population. Th

June 2, 2024

How will SK chief's W1.3tr divorce settlement affect his ownership?

The high-profile divorce settlement ruling ordering SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to pay his ex-wife a record 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion) has commanded attention for how the chaebol chief will raise the cash as well as the possible impact the ruling could have on the shareholding structure of the nation’s second-largest conglomerate. The Seoul High Court on Thursday ordered Chey to pay 1.38 trillion won in property division and 2 billion won in a one-off alimony payment to his estrange

May 31, 2024

Superintelligence to reshape human-machine collaboration

As humans are increasingly associating with artificial intelligence at home and in the workplace, global tech experts gathered Thursday at this year's EmTech Korea to discuss what these technologies might look like in the next decade. Orchestrated by the MIT Technology Review, the annual conference aimed at exploring the fusion of global technology trends and industries took place at the Coex convention and exhibition center in Seoul for the first time. In a panel discussion moderated by Ka

May 30, 2024

Tech influencers discuss AI, robotics, health tech at EmTech Korea

Global tech influencers and professors gathered at this year's EmTech Korea to discuss the impact and potential of breakthrough technologies encompassing artificial intelligence in various sectors including space and robotics, energy and health tech, in Seoul on Thursday. Orchestrated by the MIT Technology Review, the annual conference aimed at exploring the fusion of global technology trends and industries took place at the Coex convention and exhibition center in Seoul, for the first time

May 30, 2024