Naver introduces social media influencer search function

South Korea’s internet giant Naver unveiled on Tuesday a social media “influencer research” function as part of its efforts to provide a creator-friendly platform and technology. The new search function will be launched as a beta version with a focus in beauty and travel sectors at the end of this year, Naver CEO Han Seong-sook said during Naver Connect 2020, an annual event that shares the company’s focus and strategy for the next year. Influencers, referring to individu

Oct. 8, 2019

Samsung hints at recovery in demand for memory chips, forecasts robust Q3 earnings

Samsung Electronics on Tuesday hinted at a recovery in the memory chip market, as it released its preliminary guidance for third-quarter earnings. Vice Chairman and CEO Kim Ki-nam said he foresees various signs that a recovery in the memory chip market is around the corner. “There are various signals related to the market recovery,” the chief of Samsung’s semiconductors division told The Korea Herald as he arrived at Coex in southern Seoul to attend the Korea Electronics Show 2

Oct. 8, 2019

LG Electronics reports largest-ever 3Q sales

LG Electronics said Monday it posted its largest-ever third-quarter sales this year, as it released its preliminary guidance for its third-quarter earnings. LG is forecast to post 15.69 trillion won in sales and 781.1 billion won in operating profit for the period between July and September, the company said.  The sales and operating profit both are expected to increase 1.8 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, from the same period last year. The third-quarter sales marked the greatest amo

Oct. 7, 2019

Samsung to fund W33b for research on future tech

Samsung Electronics said Monday it will dole out 33 billion won ($27.6 million) for academic research projects on future technologies in the fields of basic science, materials and information communications technology. The South Korean tech giant will support 26 research projects, including seven in basic science, 10 in material technology and nine related to ICT. In basic science, Samsung will offer funds for discovering treatments for brain tumors and theorization for quantum optics, it said.I

Oct. 7, 2019

Nuclear plant operator remains vulnerable to cyberattack: lawmaker

　Cyberattacks targeting South Korea’s nuclear plant operators have occurred constantly over the past decade, with the number of hacking attempts during the period reaching more than 1,300, a lawmaker said Monday. 　According to Rep. Shin Yong-hyeon from the minor Bareunmirae Party, there have been 1,366 hacking attempts against Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power since 2012. KHNP is the country’s largest electric power company, managing nuclear and hydro plants across the country. 　By cat

Oct. 7, 2019

[Graphic News] Dementia cost Koreans more than W2tr last year

　As the population ages, the number of South Koreans with dementia has soared in recent years and so have associated costs, data showed. In 2018, dementia-related medical spending exceeded the 2 trillion won ($1.67 billion) threshold for the first time.　According to the data provided by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Rep. Kim Kwang-soo, the number of people diagnosed with various forms of neurodegenerative disease rose from 416,309 in 2014 to 547,700 in 2016 and hit 712,386 last year. 　Du

Oct. 6, 2019

LG Display sheds one-quarter of executives

LG Display, the world’s largest organic light-emitting diode panel provider, said Friday the company has shed nearly one quarter of its executives as part of an organizational restructuring to normalize financial capabilities. The panel manufacturer has cut the number of executives above the team leader level by 25 percent by incorporating overlapping departments and simplifying the organizational structure, it said. In order to speed up its change in portfolio from an LCD-focused lineup t

Oct. 4, 2019

LG Chem reviewing 2nd EV battery plant in US with GM: report

LG Chem, South Korea’s leading lithium-ion battery maker, might build a new plant to manufacture electric vehicle battery cells in the United States with its longtime partner General Motors, according to news reports Friday. Rumors have been circulating here since the Wall Street Journal reported that GM had offered a deal to the striking United Automobile Workers, which would entail the construction of a new battery cell plant in Lordstown, Ohio. The deal was reportedly made to assua

Oct. 4, 2019

LG Electronics’ rollable TV receives award at Japanese design competition

LG Electronics said Friday that its rollable organic light-emitting diode TV was granted an award as one of best 100 design product in Japan. The LG Signature OLED R, the world’s first rollable TV unveiled by LG at CES2019 in January, was the only product by a Korean company that was named the Best 100 products at Japan’s Good Design Award 2019. Other than the rollable TV, LG’s 8K TV, air conditioner and refrigerator in the Signature lineup received awards.  “The dev

Oct. 4, 2019

Samsung’s Q3 earnings likely to surpass W7tr

Samsung Electronics’ third-quarter earnings are in the limelight amid emerging signs of a recovery in demand for memory chips, according to industry sources Thursday. The South Korean tech giant is scheduled to announce its preliminary earnings guidance next week. Market analysts forecast it has posted an operating profit of over 7 trillion won ($5.8 billion) in the July-September period. Shinhan Financial Investment predicted in a report that the tech giant will post 60.64 trillion won in

Oct. 3, 2019

LG launches affordable LED 4K projector CineBeam

LG Electronics said Thursday the company has expanded its lineup of high-definition projectors by launching an LED 4K projector in addition to the laser versions. The LG 4K CineBeam meets the need of consumers who enjoy watching movies at home. It offers a large-size projected display of up to 140 inches.  The latest model uses four LED light sources unlike existing LED projectors by adding one more blue light, which enhances brightness and definition. Google Assistant and LG’s smart

Oct. 3, 2019

DRAM prices stabilize but yet to rebound

Average prices for DRAM widely used for PCs and solid-state drives have stabilized for a second straight month, raising expectations for a rebound in the coming months, according to the industry on Wednesday. Market researcher DRAM eXchange said the price of 8-gigabit DDR4 mainly used for PCs stood at $2.94 on Sept. 30, unchanged from the end of August. The 128-Gb multiple-level cells going into SSDs and USB drives was $4.11 last month, at the same level from the previous month.  It marked

Oct. 2, 2019

Samsung Next invests in quantum computing startup

Samsung Next has invested in a quantum computing startup spun off from a Harvard institution, in a move seen as the conglomerate’s preparations for next-generation computing, according to the industry on Wednesday. The startup investment arm of Samsung Electronics said on its blog that it has invested $2.7 million in Aliro Technologies with a group of investors including Flybridge Capital Partners. The latest investment was financed by its Q Fund, created last year to invest in innova

Oct. 2, 2019

Hashed invests in Ethereum scalability project

　　South Korea’s blockchain fund Hashed said Wednesday it has invested in a project to boost the Ethereum blockchain system’s scalability to accelerate the development of decentralized applications across industries. 　Called Skale Network, the project has raised $17.1 million so far to launch its mainnet by the fourth quarter of this year. Various accelerators worldwide have participated in the project, including ConsenSys Labs, Multicoin Capital, Recruit Holdings and Winklevoss Capit

Oct. 2, 2019

YouTube targeted for circulating ‘fake news’

　The Democratic Party said Tuesday it is moving to curb “misinformation” on online streaming websites, including YouTube, the most popular content-sharing platform here.　The ruling party’s special committee announced its plans to stem the spread of fake news and other misinformation on online platforms during a press conference at the National Assembly. 　According to its proposal, online platforms can be fined up to 10 percent of their revenue if they fail to remove “fake

Oct. 1, 2019

Rules waived for LG to run beer tasting events

LG Electronics said Tuesday that the existing regulations banning tech firms from promoting alcoholic beverages has been lifted and it can now host beer tasting events to promote its products. The company had requested the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to waive the existing rules in August.It can now hold tasting events at its shops for beer made from its latest HomeBrew machine launched in July and plans to host events across the country, starting November. The HomeBrew machine ca

Oct. 1, 2019

Samsung launches highest-end display lineup in Korea

Samsung Electronics on Monday opened a shop for its highest-end display lineup The Wall in the southern part of Seoul, rolling out the first modular displays. The world’s top TV manufacturer is showcasing the 146-inch The Wall Luxury packaged with Danish audio brand ODEPort’s Steinway Lyngdorf audio system Model O at the ODE shop in the Gangnam district.  It is the third showcase venue for the latest display technology by Samsung, following the first located in the Harrods depar

Sept. 30, 2019

ICDM refuses to intervene in Korean firms’ spat

The International Committee of Display Metrology has refused to intervene in the ongoing spat between Samsung and LG Electronics over the technical superiority of their respective 8K TV technologies, according to industry sources Monday. US-based ICDM is an organization of top display metrologists and specialists of related sciences whose goal is to produce standards for measurement and evaluation of displays in a uniform and consistent manner. Regarding the use of contrast modulation -- the lev

Sept. 30, 2019

[From the Scene] How 5G connects Korea’s most isolated town to world

　DAESEONG-DONG, Demilitarized Zone -- Tucked in the middle of the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, Daeseong-dong is perhaps the most isolated town in South Korea since the end of the Korean War. 　There are no supermarkets, shops or hospitals for medical treatment. There are also no restaurants or hair salons. The village does not even show up on navigation systems. 　While Daeseong-dong residents are far removed from the rest of South Korea, 197 people living there ha

Sept. 30, 2019

[Advertorial] LS Cable develops aluminum rigid bar for high-speed railways

LS Cable & System has developed an advanced power supply system for high-speed railways with aluminum rigid bars. The South Korean cable and wire company said Sunday the new system could reduce the cost and size of train tunnel construction due to its simple structure.Compared to copper trolley wires, its newly developed aluminum rigid bar will help construction workers build narrower tunnels at a lower cost, the company said. “Since there is no need for facilities to support the

Sept. 29, 2019