LG U+ demonstrates autonomous parking technology

Telecommunications firm LG U+ introduced a 5G network-based autonomous parking solution, during a closed demonstration held in Seoul, Thursday. 　 In an online video demonstration, the carrier tested the self-driving vehicle, which traveled about five minutes on roads and managed to park itself in a public parking lot. 　 The test car, a Genesis GV80 SUV equipped with lidar and radar sensors, started off on a road 800 meters from the parking lot, followed traffic signals on the way and parked i

Dec. 17, 2020

SK Bioscience receives positive results from phase 3 trial of typhoid vaccine

SK Bioscience announced Thursday that the typhoid conjugate vaccine it is developing jointly with the International Vaccine Institute has garnered positive results from phase 3 clinical trials. The phase 3 clinical trials of vaccine material NBP618 were conducted on 1,350 people aged between 6 months and 45 years old. The company said the test subject group has shown immune responses as effective as existing typhoid vaccines. There was no side effect found, the company added. SK Bioscience n

Dec. 17, 2020

New mobile processors to draw attention in 2021

What determines a fair portion of success of new smartphones is the brain of the devices: the mobile application processor. With the news of an upcoming January launch of the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, attention is moving to what will be the core AP of the upcoming gadgets. According to various industry sources on Thursday, Samsung is highly likely to adopt the latest edition of its in-house chipset, supposedly called Exynos 2100, for the highest-end model of the Galaxy S21 series. Throu

Dec. 17, 2020

LG releases new 16-inch Gram laptop

LG Electronics Inc. on Thursday introduced a new 16-inch laptop that boasts better performance and portability. The South Korean tech giant said the LG Gram 16 will be added to its premium Gram laptop series, which has 14-, 15.6- and 17-inch models. The LG Gram 16 weighs only 1,190 grams and was certified by Guinness World Records as the world's lightest 16-inch laptop, according to the company. The latest product uses Wide Quad Extended Graphics Array high-resolution IPS display with a 16:10

Dec. 17, 2020

Samsung imposes ban on travel, face-to-face meetings

Samsung Electronics has tightened measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus on its campuses, including a temporary travel ban on its employees, ahead of a possible upgrade in social distancing rules by the government, the tech giant said Wednesday. A task force on pandemic response within its semiconductor division on Tuesday sent a notice to the executives and employees about enhanced rules banning nonessential trips and visits to public facilities such as restaurants and cafes o

Dec. 16, 2020

Firms switch strategy as 2021 tech shows go online

The year 2021 is approaching, but the tech world won’t have the excitement it used to have at the beginning of each year. As the unrelenting pandemic forbids in-person tech fairs, where major brands used to unveil innovative new products and technologies, local firms seem to be adjusting their strategies for new launches. The Consumer Electronics Show, the world’s largest event of its kind, which normally takes place in Las Vegas in early January, is set to be held on a virtual

Dec. 16, 2020

Samsung’s mobile chief hints at early launch of Galaxy 21, addition of S Pen

Roh Tae-moon, president of Samsung Electronics’ mobile business, suggested Wednesday through a blog post that the tech giant will unveil its flagship Galaxy S21 series in January, one month earlier than usual. Amid mounting rumors that Samsung would roll out the Galaxy S21 lineup next month, Roh raised the expectations of an early launch by saying, “I look forward to sharing more in January!” in his post titled “Samsung defines one-size fits-all mobile experiences with

Dec. 16, 2020

ICT Ministry asks Google to explain server outage

The Ministry of Science and ICT of South Korea said Tuesday that it has asked Google for a report explaining the server outage that interrupted Google services a day earlier. Multiple Google services, including YouTube, Gmail, Google Assistant and Google Docs, were down for around an hour late Monday. “The ministry has requested Google to report back to the authorities, to identify detailed causes for the recent issue with its services,” the ICT Ministry said. “The ministr

Dec. 15, 2020

S. Korea to increase investment in nanotechnology, new materials

The Ministry of Science and ICT will invest 287.9 billion won ($263 million) in the research and development of new materials and nanotechnology next year, according to the ministry’s announcement, Tuesday. The ICT Ministry’s 2021 budget for nanotechnology and materials R&D has increased 25 percent from the previous year and accounts for 70 percent of the 417.3 billion won allocated to support the materials, parts and equipment sectors here.　 Around 41.5 billion won will be in

Dec. 15, 2020

Samsung No. 1 player in foldable smartphone market this year: report

Samsung Electronics Co. took the No. 1 position in the global foldable smartphone market this year with the launch of new devices, a report showed Tuesday, as it tries to further solidify its status in the burgeoning sector. Samsung is estimated to take up an 88 percent share in this year's foldable smartphone market in terms of shipments, according to the latest report from industry tracker Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC). Samsung unveiled the vertically folding Galaxy Z Flip in Febr

Dec. 15, 2020

US expressed concerns over S. Korea’s efforts to curb Google: lawmaker

The US government has expressed worries over South Korean lawmakers’ move to block a new pricing policy of US platform giant Google, a lawmaker claimed Monday. According to Rep. Jeon Jae-soo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, multiple government ministries and agencies received a letter from the Korean Embassy in the US that summarized a phone conversation between the embassy’s official and the deputy United States trade representative. The discussion, classified as confid

Dec. 14, 2020

LG CNS wins W100b project digitalizing Indonesia’s tax system

LG CNS has clenched a contract worth 100 billion won ($92 million) to digitize Indonesia’s national tax administration system, the information and communication technology solutions provider said Monday. LG CNS, a LG Group company, was the only South Korean firm among the seven bidders for the project, which included IBM and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. Under the deal, LG CNS will digitize Indonesia‘s tax administration system, used by the nation’s 42 million taxpayers

Dec. 14, 2020

Disney+ to heat up video streaming competition in S. Korea

Walt Disney Co. has said it will launch its flagship streaming service Disney+ in South Korea next year, a move that could intensify competition between local and global streaming giants in the country. Disney said in a tweet for its investor day presentation on Thursday that South Korea is among the major markets, including Eastern Europe and Hong Kong, in which Disney+ will roll out next year. Disney+ has seen rapid growth since its launch in November last year, and the latest announcement f

Dec. 11, 2020

Celltrion Healthcare's adalimumab biosimilar in last step before EC approval

Celltrion announced Friday that the company’s adalimumab biosimilar candidate CT-P17 has received a positive opinion for marketing authorization from the Committee for the Medicinal Products for Human Use under the European Medicines Agency. Celltrion’s CT-P17 is a biosimilar of Humira, a treatment for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and psoriasis. The CHMP’s positive assessment will be soon reviewed by the European Commi

Dec. 11, 2020

S. Korean govt. to forge W26b fund to help digital content market

The South Korean government will create a fund worth 26 billion won ($23.9 million) by March next year to invest in local startups and small firms producing over-the-top solutions and digital content, the Ministry of Science and ICT‘s announced Friday. The government will inject around 16 billion won into the fund, while the remaining 10 billion won will be raised from private investors. About 60 percent of the fund will be spent to support media productions by local companies and hel

Dec. 11, 2020

Samsung unveils MicroLED TV

Samsung Electronics on Thursday unveiled the first MicroLED screen for home use, announcing its push for a whole new category of home entertainment. In an online press conference, the South Korean TV manufacturer showcased the new 110-inch MicroLED model, with a retail price tag of 170 million won ($156,612) for the domestic market. It refuses to call the new display a TV, preferring “screen” or “display solution,” it said. “As demand is rising for better home

Dec. 10, 2020

LG Innotek’s substrate developer wins presidential award

Son Kil-dong, senior vice president at LG Innotek, won a presidential award in recognition of his contribution for development of the electronic material industry. Son, who joined LG Electronics as an engineer in 1995, moved to LG Innotek, the parts making affiliate in 2008. He has led a variety of new technologies and manufacturing processes in the field of semiconductor substrate. His works include development of radio frequency-system in package substrate for telecommunications, and a

Dec. 10, 2020

S. Korea to spend over W400b in XR industry in 2021

South Korea said Thursday it will spend more than 400 billion won ($371 million) next year in the extended reality (XR) industry, such as augmented reality (AR) glasses and virtual reality (VR) content, setting its sights on leading the budding tech sector. The Ministry of Science and ICT said the government has set aside a total of 403 billion won for next year to boost XR development, which includes spending 44.6 billion won to integrate XR technology in key sectors, such as manufacturing, he

Dec. 10, 2020

New era for online ID certifications opens

The public online identification system, which has reigned as the single dominant security platform for online transactions here, will lose its legal, official status from Thursday, opening up a new market for private digital certificates providers, the government said Wednesday. “With the effectuation of the revised Electronic Signature Act on Dec. 10, the system will lose its official status given by the government,” the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of the Interi

Dec. 9, 2020

Expectations grow for Samsung’s expansion in US

Samsung Electronics may be considering ramping up its Austin, Texas-based semiconductor factory as part of efforts to strengthen its foothold in the foundry market, according to industry sources on Wednesday. Expectations are growing as Samsung seeks a zoning change for plots of land near its Austin campus it purchased in late October. Samsung Austin Semiconductor has filed a request with the Austin City Council for a rezoning of some 205 acres of the 258-acre land, which is about 104,089 sq

Dec. 9, 2020