Korea's ICT exports grow 3.8% in 2020

South Korea’s exports of information and communication technology products in 2020 increased 3.8 percent on-year, data showed. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT on Monday, exports of ICT products reached $183.6 billion for the whole of 2020, the third-highest amount ever. Shipments had declined in the first half of the year due to a sharp contraction in global demand during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but bounced back in the following half, largely driven by semicon

Jan. 18, 2021

[Gadget Review] This time, Galaxy S21 over Galaxy S21 Ultra?

Entry models are often a compromise for consumers, second-best to the fancy and expensive premium models. When it comes to Samsung Electronics’ latest smartphone lineup, however, that may not be the case. With its sleeker design and slashed price tag, the Galaxy S21, the entry model in the latest series, immediately caught my attention. Then after getting my hands on it and the premium Ultra model over the weekend, I came to favor the cheaper phone over the extra-premium one. The two

Jan. 18, 2021

S. Korea requires Google, Facebook and 4 others to provide stable online services

South Korea's ICT ministry said Monday it has required global tech giants Google, Facebook and Netflix as well as local rivals Naver, Kakao and Wavve, to comply with the country's new law under which large data-hungry online companies must provide stable services. Last year, South Korea passed a law revision holding online content service providers accountable if they fail to maintain stable services amid growing complaints against streaming giants Netflix and Google, which operates YouTube, af

Jan. 18, 2021

S. Korea to end 2G network services by June

LG U+ said Sunday that the company would terminate its 2G network services by the end of June this year, which would mark the end of the aging network in the country. LG U+, currently the only company that operates 2G services, has reported its plan to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the company said, adding that a detailed schedule is yet to be finalized. LG U+ is the last mobile carrier here to terminate the aging network. SK Telecom ended its 2G services last July, and KT shut down 2G se

Jan. 17, 2021

Samsung offers free 3-day trial of Galaxy S21

Samsung Electronics announced Sunday that the company would allow customers to rent its new flagship smartphone Galaxy S21 models for up to three days. The promotional event for the company’s new smartphone models will run through March 14, the company added. Those who want to test out the smartphones can make a reservation on the company’s official website or visit Samsung Digital Plaza branches across the country. Those who purchase after renting will be provided with Samsung E

Jan. 17, 2021

Kakao Map faces user data leak dispute

South Korea’s popular GPS location service Kakao Map is dealing with controversy surrounding allegations of leaking user data, amid heightened concerns about private information following a string of recent incidents. Users of Kakao Map, which has some 5 million users, raised the issue earlier this week through a media outlet, claiming their personal information seems to have leaked from the location service. It turned out to be partially true, but it was also pointed out that the users

Jan. 15, 2021

AI chatbot creator to discard data, algorithms used in controversial persona

The South Korean developer of a controversial female chatbot said Friday it will discard all data and learning algorithms used in training the artificial intelligence (AI) platform amid mounting criticism over its data collection process and hate speech. Scatter Lab, a Seoul-based startup, said it has decided to pull the plug on its 20-year-old female chatbot persona called Lee Luda and dispose of its database and deep learning algorithms to address concerns among its users. The company on Mon

Jan. 15, 2021

LG Uplus to terminate 2G services by June

LG Uplus Corp., a major South Korean telecom operator, said Friday it will phase out its 2G services by the end of June, a move that would mark the complete termination of the country's aging network. The carrier said it has applied to end its 2G operations with the government and will decide on a specific time frame for the service's termination. The move comes after SK Telecom Co., South Korea's largest wireless provider, ended its 2G services in July last year, while rival KT Corp. shut dow

Jan. 15, 2021

Galaxy S21 draws 57m viewers during Unpacked event

The debut of the Galaxy S21 series, the first smartphones to be released globally in 2021, drew the largest number of viewers to its hourlong virtual Unpacked show in the wee hours of Friday morning here. According to Samsung Electronics, as many as 57 million viewers around the world tuned in to the show streamed via YouTube and the company’s homepage to check out the newest mobile devices to become available this year. The number of viewers marked the largest for an online unveiling

Jan. 15, 2021

[Newsmaker] Galaxy S21 comes with striking design change, most powerful processor

Samsung Galaxy S21, unveiled Thursday at midnight, boasts a new, striking design and is equipped with the most powerful processor yet. Plus, it comes with a lowered price tag. Samsung streamed the Galaxy S21 Unpacked show through various online channels to introduce its flagship smartphones for 2021 -- Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra -- one month earlier than previous years. The Ultra model supports the S Pen stylus for the first time. Samsung also introduced Galaxy Buds Pro

Jan. 15, 2021

Will commercial breaks give second chance to terrestrial broadcasters?

Terrestrial broadcasters will be allowed to air commercial breaks starting June, the first time since laws regulating the TV industry have been in place 48 years ago. 　 The Korea Communications Commission announced its “Broadcasting Market Promotion Policy Measures” on Wednesday. The Enforcement Decree of the Broadcasting Act states that commercial breaks will be allowed for all broadcasters regardless of their service providers. Current laws prohibit local terrestrial broadcasters

Jan. 14, 2021

Only 3% of companies currently use AI: report

Only 3.6 percent of companies have adopted artificial intelligence technology, a report from the Korea Development Institute showed Thursday. To see how AI is being used or perceived in different sectors, the KDI conducted a survey of 1,000 companies with at least 20 employees, including conglomerates and small and midsized businesses. Conglomerates made up 91.7 percent of all AI-using companies, according to the report. By industry, 55 percent of AI-using companies were in the service secto

Jan. 14, 2021

[Newsmaker] With Galaxy S21, Samsung gets aggressive to offset pandemic effect

Samsung Electronics, set to launch its first batch of mobile phones this year, is expected to take an aggressive pricing strategy to boost sales. The Galaxy S21 series will be unveiled Thursday at midnight, South Korean time, amid expectations that the new phones will be available at a wider range of prices than their predecessors. According to industry sources, Samsung will release three Galaxy S21 models -- the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra -- with prices ranging from 999,

Jan. 14, 2021

Personal data from chatbot Luda shared on Github

Scatter Lab, developer of artificial intelligence chatbot Lee Luda, has come under fire for uploading private messages on an open-source platform to train its AI model, local media said Thursday. Scatter Lab has reportedly uploaded around 100 datasets of KakaoTalk messages on GitHub dating from September last year, when the company started sharing its artificial neural network model for the chatbot, the reports said. The datasets contained personal information of users of the Science of Love

Jan. 14, 2021

South Korean research team contributes to discovery of photon avalanches

A joint research team from South Korea, the US and Poland has discovered a new phenomenon called “photon avalanche,” which is expected to open up new ways of research on fields that use optical technology. According to the research team from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, it has found that absorption of a single photon in some materials could trigger a chain reaction that produces a large burst of light. This special type of upconversion called photon avalan

Jan. 14, 2021

Half of Alzheimer’s patients show mild symptoms of dementia

Half of patients with Alzheimer’s disease have mild symptoms of dementia, a group of researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine said Wednesday. Using data from the Framingham Heart Study, the researchers found that 50.4 percent of the patients had mild symptoms, 30.3 percent had moderate symptoms and 19.3 percent had severe cases. The Framingham Heart Study is a long-term cardiovascular cohort study of residents of the city of Framingham, Massachusetts. The study began in

Jan. 14, 2021

3- and 4-year-olds hooked on TV, smartphones: survey

Teo, who just turned 3 years old this month, is cared for by a babysitter until sunset, as day care centers have been partially shut down due to COVID-19. After dark, the situation changes. “When I work overtime at home past 6 in the evening, it’s the smartphone that keeps Teo company in the living room,” the mother of Teo sighed, as she admitted that smartphone usage at such a young age may not be the best option for a child. A recent survey has demonstrated that Teo is not

Jan. 14, 2021

S. Korea's smartphone market tipped to grow over 10% this year

The South Korean smartphone market is projected to grow 11 percent this year from a year earlier, a report showed Thursday, on the back of increased sales of 5G handsets. Smartphone shipments in South Korea are estimated to reach 19 million units this year, up from 17 million units a year ago, according to market researcher Counterpoint Research. It predicted that expanded 5G smartphone models and the release of smartphones with new form factors, such as foldables and rollables, will push up h

Jan. 14, 2021

S. Korea to allow commercial breaks for terrestrial broadcasters

South Korea's media regulator said Wednesday it will ease rules to allow commercial breaks during TV programs for terrestrial broadcasters in a move to boost the country's slumping broadcast industry. Local terrestrial broadcasters are currently prohibited from airing commercial breaks to ensure viewer rights. Broadcasters, however, have skirted rules by dividing programs in two parts and airing commercials in between amid declining sales. The Korea Communications Commission said it will chan

Jan. 13, 2021

Celltrion's COVID-19 treatment reports clinical improvement of 54%

A coronavirus antibody treatment under development by local drugmaker Celltrion has shown a clinical improvement rate of 54 percent among mild and moderate COVID-19 cases, the company announced Wednesday. The immediate reaction from the industry was that a 54 percent improvement rate is too low to be considered a treatment. However, antibody treatments are meant to only alleviate, not cure, some were quick to add. Celltrion's treatment will require early detection of an infection. If found ea

Jan. 13, 2021