LG, CJ Foodville to co-develop robots for restaurants

LG Electronics and CJ Foodville will develop various types of robots to serve customers and reduce inefficiency at restaurants, the companies announced Thursday. The two signed a memorandum of understanding at CJ Foodville’s headquarters in central Seoul.LG and CJ will introduce parts of the robots within the year at flagship food chains run by CJ.  Officials at LG Electronics and CJ Foodville hold a MOU agreement at CJ's head office in central Seoul on Thursday. (LG Electronics)“Robots will hel

April 18, 2019

SK hynix completes fab expansion in Wuxi

SK hynix announced Thursday it had completed the expansion of a current DRAM production line in Wuxi, China, for technological migration. The South Korean memory chip provider held a ceremony to mark the completion of the C2F line, attended by around 500 government and industry officials. The new C2F is a single floor fab with an area of 58,000 square meters. The company has begun production of DRAMs in a part of a sector of the new cleanroom. Full operations of the entire fab will be decided la

April 18, 2019

Galaxy Fold display certified as less harmful to eyes

Samsung Display said Wednesday the company’s foldable organic light-emitting diode display going into Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Fold smartphone won an international certification for causing less harm to users’ eyes. The 7.3-inch foldable OLED display was certified by Germany’s TUV Rheinland for an “Eye Comfort” display that has reduced harmful 415- to 455-naometer blue light from normal OLED displays by 42 percent. The Galaxy S10 series phones were also approved by the German institution for

April 17, 2019

[Non-memory Korea: 3] Samsung, govt expected to announce plans for non-memory next week

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles analyzing the drives and challenges in the non-memory chip market. -- Ed.A month after President Moon Jae-in ordered measures to raise the competitiveness of the country’s chipmaking industry in the global non-memory market, Samsung Electronics and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy are expected to announce a series of plans next week to nurture engineering talent and a favorable ecosystem, according to the industry on Wednesday.  A new

April 17, 2019

AWS aims to expand cloud business into financial sector in Korea

 　Amazon Web Services on Wednesday pledged to enhance cooperation with its South Korean partners with a focus on the finance industry. 　With the South Korean government easing regulations on cloud computing businesses in the financial sector this year, AWS said at its annual meeting in Seoul that it is seeking to lead the charge by expanding into the new market. 　Financial institutions here had been banned from storing clients’ personal data on cloud service platforms. The restriction was lifted

April 17, 2019

Samsung reveals specs of Galaxy Fold ahead of US launch

Samsung Electronics on Tuesday revealed the specifications of the world’s first commercial foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold, including its weight and thickness, 10 days ahead of its launch in the United States. According to an infographic uploaded on Samsung’s online newsroom homepage, the Galaxy Fold has a 4.6-inch cover display and, when unfolded, the device turns into a 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display-based tablet PC.  (Samsung Newsroom)The Samsung device weighs 263 grams, and it is 7.5 mi

April 16, 2019

Samsung gears up for foundry with 5-nanometer EUV-based tech

Samsung Electronics announced Tuesday it has completed its 5-nanometer FinFET process based on the extreme ultraviolet technology as a result of the spurred efforts to strengthen its foundry business with an aim to become the market leader by 2030. Along with the completion of the 5nm EUV-based process, Samsung also said it will start shipping chips manufactured on the company’s 7nm process this month as the first in the foundry industry, and is aiming to start mass production of 6nm products wi

April 16, 2019

[Herald Interview] Boosted by BTS and K-pop, Naver’s V Live challenges YouTube

　As global K-pop fans flocked to YouTube last week to watch the new BTS video “Boy With Luv,” the band celebrated the release of its new album with a special event for loyal fans around the world. 　It was a live broadcast from New York City, where BTS discussed the new album, “Map of the Soul: Persona,” with global BTS Army fans. The event preceded the band’s much-anticipated performance on “Saturday Night Live” alongside guest host and “Spider-Man” actress Emma Stone.　Broadcast on Naver’s V Liv

April 15, 2019

[Graphic News] Global life expectancy up 5.5 years since 2000: WHO

　Global life expectancy grew by 5.5 years between 2000 and 2016, the World Health Organization said, warning though that unequal income and access to health care translates into far shorter lives for many.　The UN health agency also stressed significant gender differences in life expectancy worldwide.　On average, a child born in 2016 can expect to live 72 years, up from 66.5 in 2000, according to the annual World Health Statistics report.

April 15, 2019

‘Ready Player One’ to be brought to life in military academy: SK Telecom

　South Korea’s biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom said Monday it is working to establish a 5G-powered infrastructure in the country’s Army academy to deliver futuristic technologies to the military. 　The telecom firm and the military school signed a memorandum of understanding at the Korea Military Academy in Seoul to build a “smart military campus” within the first half of this year. 　The two sides said the agreement will pave the way for incorporating 5G-based technology in combat training for

April 15, 2019

Harman keeps top spot in speaker market for 4 years

Harman International, a subsidiary of South Korea’s Samsung Electronics, has maintained its top position in the global wireless speaker market for the last four consecutive years, Samsung announced Sunday. According to data by Futuresource Consulting, Harman’s premium audio brand JBL and Harman Kardon claimed 35.7 percent of the global market last year, retaining the market leader’s position since 2015.  (Samsung Electronics)US firm Harman was acquired by Samsung in 2016 with an aim to apply its

April 14, 2019

South Korea to launch state-led efforts against smartphone addiction

The South Korean government on Friday pledged state-led efforts to prevent widespread smartphone addition, as nearly 1 in 5 Koreans surveyed have become “too dependent” on smartphones.During a meeting with government agencies, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced plans to prevent smartphone addition, including launching a government-led task force with the participation of 11 ministries and 14 agencies. The project will focus on four areas: education, counseling, communication and social in

April 12, 2019

Under Koo Kwang-mo, LG expands investments in US startups

Under its fourth-generation leader Koo Kwang-mo, LG Group is expanding investments in startups in the fields of latest technologies such as mobility and virtual reality in Silicon Valley, according to the group on Thursday. Chairman and CEO Koo visited Silicon Valley last week and toured the group’s venture capital arm, LG Technology Ventures, as part of the group’s efforts to increase investments in new future technologies. The group said the investment unit has invested a total of $19 million

April 11, 2019

SKT acquires Incross to enter digital ad market

　South Korea’s biggest mobile carrier, SK Telecom, has acquired a controlling stake in Seoul-based digital advertisement company Incross, with the aim of expanding into the media and commerce market. 　In a statement released Thursday, SKT said it had purchased a 34.6 percent stake in Incross for 53.5 billion won ($47.2 million) from NHN. Incross has provided online marketing services through internet and mobile advertisements since its establishment in 2017. 　The acquisition is expected to boost

April 11, 2019

LG Chem to invest in 5 battery startups in US, UK

LG Chem said Thursday it will invest a total of $2 million in five startups based in the United States and United Kingdom as part of efforts to co-develop innovative battery technologies.The South Korean battery manufacturer selected the five startups through the Battery Challenge hosted by the company Wednesday, which brought together global startups to pitch ideas for new battery technologies.  A startup official introduces the company's technologies at LG Science Park in Magok, Seoul on Wedne

April 11, 2019

First rotating camera introduced in Galaxy A80

Samsung Electronics introduced a rotating camera with the launch of its midrange Galaxy A80 smartphone model, designed for the so-called “era of live,” the company announced Thursday. In response to consumer preference for more spontaneous photos and the ability to stream live videos and connect over shared experiences, the world’s biggest smartphone vendor in terms of shipments came up with the A80, an edition that offers the company’s first rotating camera. When users launch the camera and sel

April 11, 2019

A look at what’s behind Smilegate RPG’s IPO push

For the first time since it was founded in 2002, South Korean game developer Smilegate is out to list an affiliate in a bid to diversify its portfolio. Smilegate is the developer of hugely popular shooting game “CrossFire,” which boasts about 650 million users in some 80 countries. Its accumulated overseas sales exceeded 10 trillion won ($8.78 billion) as of April 2018. Contrary to company statements saying it is “simply testing the waters,” industry watchers con

April 10, 2019

Google to operate data centers for cloud services in Seoul next year

　Google has announced plans to operate new data centers for cloud services in South Korea by early 2020, as the global tech giant seeks to diversify its business amid growing competition in the market.　During its annual Cloud Next conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, Google said Seoul is one of the two cities it is eyeing to expand its Google Cloud Platforms. It also plans to tap Salt Lake City in the US to operate new data centers. 　According to Google, Seoul will become the eighth city to o

April 10, 2019

[Graphic News] Poor diet linked to 1 in 5 deaths globally: study

　One in 5 deaths globally is linked to poor diet, experts said, warning that overconsumption of sugar, salt and meat is killing millions of people every year.　The United Nations estimates that nearly a billion people worldwide are malnourished, while nearly 2 billion are “overnourished.”　But the latest study on global diet trends, published in The Lancet, showed that in nearly every one of the 195 countries surveyed, people were also eating too much of the wrong types of food -- and consuming wo

April 9, 2019

LG’s AI features become more practical for 5G phone

LG Electronics’ first 5G smartphone, the V50 ThinQ 5G, will feature highly customized artificial intelligence functions that would make users feel as if the smartphone is a real personal assistant, according to the company on Tuesday. Ahead of the 5G model’s launch next Friday, LG revealed functions of the new device that focus on increasing user convenience by reinforcing the AI platform to understand circumstances.For example, the V50 ThinQ will help users with parking. When a user parks and g

April 9, 2019