Samsung unveils Neo QLED with Quantum Mini LED tech

Samsung Electronics on Thursday unveiled its 2021 TV lineup, including the Neo QLED featuring its Quantum Mini LED technology during a virtual presentation ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show next week. The Neo QLED, a step up from the current QLED models, uses a new light source called Quantum Mini LED that is much tinier than current LED. The Quantum Mini LED is designed to be one-fortieth the height of a conventional LED. The number of LEDs used in a liquid crystal display TV is a lot

Jan. 7, 2021

Customization gains popularity in home appliance market

A recent trend in the home appliance market in South Korea has been owning a unique product with tailored colors and configurations. First introduced by Samsung Electronics in 2019, the Bespoke series allows consumers to pick the colors, materials and functionality of refrigerators, microwave ovens, induction cooktops, dishwashers and air purifiers. Samsung tried with the refrigerator first, luring younger consumers with a variety of color options for fridge panels, which turned out to be a

Jan. 6, 2021

S. Korea and NASA begin development of space telescope

The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute will begin a space project to develop a space telescope with the US space agency NASA and the California Institute of Technology, the ICT Ministry here announced Wednesday. The space project, titled the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explore, or SPHEREx, is a two-year mission designed to launch a space telescope that would collect data that could help understand the history of the universe, the

Jan. 6, 2021

Game and artificial intelligence, unusual guests to local pop music scene

Artificial intelligence technology restores the voices of deceased musicians to sing contemporary songs. A game company airs a song competition show for the soundtrack of its title game. The local music scene continues to evolve, with the convergence of media, technology and industries. South Korean game company Nexon adopted a TV competition show format to best fit Dungeon and Fighter, an arcade-style action game. The five-episode series, available on YouTube channel Dingo Music, has garn

Jan. 6, 2021

S. Korea, NASA start building space telescope

South Korea's science ministry said Wednesday it has started manufacturing a space telescope in a joint project with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Ministry of Science and ICT said NASA has approved the preliminary design for the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx), paving the way for its construction. The space telescope was first planned and

Jan. 6, 2021

Telcos eye more 5G users with cheap pay plans

South Korean mobile carriers are launching cheap payment plans to woo more 5G subscribers amid accelerating user migration to their high-speed 5G networks. LG Uplus Corp. said Tuesday it will release a new monthly data plan, offering 6 gigabytes of data at 5G speeds for 47,000 won ($43), following rival carrier KT Corp., which also launched late last year a monthly 5G plan at 45,000 won for 5 gigabytes of data. The new data plans are relatively more affordable than most existing 5G data plans

Jan. 5, 2021

Glimpse of tech world in 2021: Techs that help humans fight virus

As we live in a world continuing its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, attention to new technologies that might support humans in the war against the virus is growing more than ever. In the beginning of each new year, thousands of tech companies, experts and officials across industries gather at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to scope out what the future-shaping technologies will be. Unfortunately, 2021 will miss the original vibe of the huge show filled with new tech insigh

Jan. 5, 2021

Celim Biotech brand ‘Atomu’ received 14th Korea Excellent Patent Award

Celim Biotech’s brand Atomu won a patent award in the Household and Cosmetics category at the 14th Korea Excellent Patent Award held December 2020. The Korea Excellent Patent Award was hosted by Hankook Ilbo and sponsored by the Korea Institute of Patent Information and Korea Intellectual Property Strategy Agency, to promote domestic patent technology and foster products and companies, eventually securing competitiveness in the market. Around 400 companies have applied for the competit

Jan. 5, 2021

[News Focus] Lee puts compliance 1st in ‘new Samsung’ vision

For Samsung, South Korea’s No. 1 business empire, 2021 could be a year of historic changes under its third-generation leader, if things turn out as the company hopes. Amid adverse conditions expected out in the market under the unending pandemic, the biggest Korean tech giant appears to be bracing for more internal and fundamental changes in response to the needs of the time, amid a court verdict on its de-factor chief, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong. On behalf of the

Jan. 4, 2021

Samsung to disclose Galaxy S21 series next week

Samsung Electronics will introduce its new flagship smartphone Galaxy S21 on Jan. 15, the company announced Monday. The first launch from the global smartphone giant this year, the Galaxy S21 series comprises a 6.2-inch S21, 6.7-inch S21 Plus and 6.8-inch S21 Ultra, which have been drawing expectations for their upgraded specs and designs. The models to be launched in North America are expected to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor, while those for Europe and South Korea will

Jan. 4, 2021

Mobile carriers tipped to log robust Q4 results on 5G growth

South Korean mobile carriers are expected to report improved earnings for the final quarter of 2020 on the back of steady growth in 5G users, analysts said Monday. The combined operating profits of the country's three major telecom operators -- SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. -- are estimated at 670.9 billion won ($620.3 million) in the Oct.-Dec. period last year, compared with 497.9 billion won the previous year, according to a poll by Yonhap Infomax, the financial arm of Yonhap Ne

Jan. 4, 2021

[Graphic News] S. Korea’s 5G download speed fastest globally

　South Korea has the fastest 5G download speed in the world, reaching over 350 megabits per second, a report showed. 　The country’s 5G download speed stood at an average 351.2 Mbps, followed by Saudi Arabia at 272.8 Mbps and Taiwan at 247.7 Mbps, industry tracker Opensignal said in a report, citing data collected between Sept. 1 and Nov. 29 in 15 global markets with 5G networks. 　The result marks an improvement for South Korea from a previous report by Opensignal in October, which ha

Jan. 4, 2021

Samsung to unveil Galaxy S21 smartphone next week

Samsung Electronics Co. on Monday confirmed that new models of its flagship smartphone lineup will be unveiled next week as the South Korean tech giant tries to fend off challenges from Apple Inc. and Chinese brands. Samsung's Galaxy S21 smartphone series will be introduced at the Galaxy Unpacked online event at 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Jan. 14 under the theme of "Welcome to the Everyday Epic." "Over the past year, mobile technology has taken center stage in everyday lif

Jan. 4, 2021

S. Korea surpasses 10 million 5G users in November

The number of fifth-generation network users in South Korea surpassed 10 million as of the end-November, according to data released Sunday by the Ministry of Science and ICT. The number of 5G subscribers in November reached 10.9 million, up 930,000 from the previous month. By companies, SK Telecom secured 5.05 million users, accounting for 46 percent of the market. KT and LG U+ followed with 3.33 million and 2.54 million users. The ICT Ministry explained the increase was largely due to the

Jan. 3, 2021

Samsung Electronics enters digital certificate market

Samsung Electronics has begun offering digital certificates via its biometric authentication program Samsung Pass, heating up the local market for online ID certification. The service, launched by Samsung Pass on Dec. 30, enables users of Samsung Galaxy models to obtain certificates on their mobile devices after updating the application. Samsung Pass users can use the digital certificates for the annual tax return process, which starts in January. Samsung Electronics is one of the five priva

Jan. 3, 2021

Contactless technology takes spotlight in post-virus era

Moon Seon-woong, a junior at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, began his winter semester on December 23 by opening his laptop at home instead of going to campus. “It is nothing new,” Moon told the Korea Herald in a phone interview. “I have been taking classes online all year since the beginning of the spring semester.” “As the coronavirus outbreak became worse, all lectures suddenly turned into online classes and I did not know what to do at first,” he said.

Jan. 2, 2021

Assignment left to solve in contactless era: digital divide

Living in a crowded urban city, one can realize in the daily routine that the proportion of “going digital” has drastically increased over the year -- waking up to use smartphones for running bank errands, standing in front of digital kiosks for takeout orders during lunchtime and ordering groceries online after sunset. The unforeseen COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us further to a society where non-face-to-face interactions are strongly recommended across different tasks to halt furt

Jan. 1, 2021

S. Korea's 5G users near 11m in November: data

South Korea racked up nearly 11 million users on fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks as of end-November, data showed Thursday.  The country had 10.9 million 5G users last month, accounting for 15.5 percent of the total 70.5 million mobile subscriptions, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Science and ICT.  Subscriptions to the high-speed networks jumped by nearly 1 million from the previous month amid launches of new 5G phones, such as Apple Inc.'s iPhone 12 series, th

Dec. 31, 2020

South Korea will e-connect for New Year celebrations

New Year’s events are no exception to social distancing rules against COVID-19. People in South Korea will have to “e-connect” for the upcoming New Year’s celebrations, as the government maintains strict antivirus measures that include a ban on large gatherings. The annual bell-ringing ceremony on New Year‘s eve at the Bosingak Pavilion in Jongno in central Seoul will go virtual, as the Seoul Metropolitan Government officially canceled the in-person event for t

Dec. 30, 2020

Cloud of uncertainty over Samsung as chief Lee faces possible jail time

The country’s largest conglomerate Samsung has been left unsure of what its future holds as its de facto chief faces possible jail time for corruption. Whether or not Lee Jae-yong will be put behind bars again in the finale of a three-year court saga, leaving a void at the top of the world’s No. 1 chipmaker, will be decided by a Seoul court in January. Samsung Electronics on Wednesday appeared calm, at least on the surface, after local prosecutors demanded nine years in prison fo

Dec. 30, 2020