[Herald Interview] SendBird looks to break up messenger monopoly

Real-time in-app digital messaging is increasingly becoming the norm. On-demand mobility app users can exchange text messages with drivers to get a ride to deliver food. While watching live-streamed videos of a sports game, you can also send cheers or share thoughts about an athlete or a team. Couples, meanwhile, can enjoy private conversations on dating apps. Those buying a product online can place an inquiry directly to sellers on an e-commerce platforms, while sellers can interact with thousa

March 28, 2019

Premier Music launches application for music learners

South Korean music lesson franchise Premier Music has launched a new smartphone application for easier lesson management, the company said Thursday.The application allows parents and students to communicate more easily both with Premier Music teachers and the company, and at the same time provides features such as lesson schedule management and fee management.Premier Music values communication and thus has patented its music lesson management system to strengthen user satisfaction and work effic

March 28, 2019

Coupang’s new growth engine: early-morning deliveries

In the midst of hectic work one afternoon, Kim Su-rin, a mother of two toddlers suddenly remembered their request for breakfast next day -- toast and strawberries.　She realized it would not be possible to stop over at a bakery as she had to pick up her children from the kindergarten immediately after work. But before a sense of panic set in, she remembered that she could just place an order online.　Although there are a number of fresh food delivery services out there, Kim was particularly ecstat

March 27, 2019

SK Innovation unit to build LiBS plant in Poland

SK Innovation said Wednesday its new material subsidiary will construct a plant for lithium-ion battery separators in Poland next year, aiming to be the global market leader. The energy and chemical affiliate of SK Group decided last month to spin off its material unit as a subsidiary in order to expand its business. Establishment of the new subsidiary will be completed by April 1, when its official name will be revealed. With the subsidiary’s launch, the firm seeks to increasing production capa

March 27, 2019

KT pledges to deliver ‘most extensive’ 5G coverage in Korea

With the commercial rollout of the 5G wireless network looming next week, major mobile carrier KT pledged Tuesday to offer the most extensive coverage in South Korea amid growing rivalry over the quality of the advanced wireless network services.During a press conference in Seoul, KT said it will establish up to 30,000 5G base stations when the country’s first 5G smartphone hits the market. Samsung Electronics said last week the Galaxy S10 5G will become available on April 5. KT also said the co

March 26, 2019

Samsung unprecedentedly preannounces ‘earnings shock’ in Q1

Samsung Electronics on Tuesday announced that it foresees lower-than-expected earnings for the first quarter of this year. “Due to the worse-than-expected weakening of the display and memory markets, the company’s first-quarter performance is predicted to be poorer than market forecasts,” the tech giant said in a statement. An announcement like this -- issued before the release of preliminary earnings forecasts, slated for the first week of April -- is unprecedented and raises concerns that anot

March 26, 2019

KT's communication line disrupted in Gangnam area

Customers using KT mobile network services in the Gangnam area of Seoul experienced disruption, including the use of credit cards, on Tuesday.KT said the Internet service was interrupted in parts of southern Seoul, with areas including the Sinsa, Yangjae, Suseo and Seocho areas being affected.The company said the latest disruption was caused by efforts to upgrade its fixed-line Internet modem. (KT)KT further said it is working to fix the problem as quickly as possible, with the issue likely to b

March 26, 2019

Network verification of Samsung’s 5G smartphone completed: SKT

Samsung Electronics’ 5G smartphone has passed tests for verifying its connection to the country’s biggest mobile carrier’s network, as anticipation grows for next month’s launch of the world’s first 5G smartphone amid intense global rivalry. 　According to SK Telecom on Monday, the Galaxy S10 5G completed extensive tests for interoperability verification and frequency conformance. The two-month project was conducted at the company’s 5G device test lab located in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province. 　Now t

March 25, 2019

SK hynix demonstrates 30% faster solution for next-generation enterprise SSD

SK hynix, the world‘s second-biggest memory provider, announced Monday it has successfully demonstrated its proprietary solution with next-generation standards for enterprise solid state drive (SSD), a device that stores data in semiconductor memory.In a presentation at a summit in San Jose, California, the firm said the solution would speed up data processing by 30 percent for massive data centers that support artificial intelligence programs. The Korean chipmaker successfully showcased its own

March 25, 2019

[Non-memory Korea: 1] Korea’s desperate new mission: Non-memory chip success

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles analyzing the drives and challenges in the non-memory chip market. -- Ed.After a couple of record-breaking years for the semiconductor sector, pessimistic forecasts have quickly dampened the mood, as memory chips enter a downward cycle, leading South Korea to shift its focus to alternative exports.With Korea’s rickety lead in the global race for 5G networks, it has become imperative for the country to secure a presence in another key artificial

March 25, 2019

Most LG businesses to fully adopt cloud services in 5 years: LG CNS

　The structures of more than 90 percent of LG businesses will be transformed in environments powered by cloud computing systems by 2023, the conglomerate’s information and technology solution provider said. 　During a press conference held in Seoul on Friday, LG CNS said it will assume a “central role” in introducing cloud services across all LG business units. The company said it would provide a cloud services platform applicable to every LG unit by the first half of this year.　Stressing it was

March 24, 2019

[Graphic News] Growth of medicine side effects slows in 2018

　South Korea saw reports of medication side effects gain about 2 percent in 2018, although their rate of growth slowed sharply from the prior year, data showed.　Local health authorities handled 257,438 cases of side effects from taking medicine last year, up 1.9 percent from the previous year, according to data from the Korea Institute of Drug Safety & Risk Management.　By drug, aspirin, phenacetin and caffeine had the largest reports of side effects with 36,321 cases (14.1 percent), followed by

March 24, 2019

Samsung, Motorola compete to win 5G smartphone race

　With South Korea and the US gearing up for the commercial rollout of their fifth-generation wireless networks next month, the countries’ smartphone manufacturers are scrambling to attract consumers by touting their functionalities. 　The starting players are Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest smartphone maker, which is betting on its advanced technologies, and Motorola, which is hoping that its high-tech functions and midrange pricing will help it leap out of its No. 8 position. 　Samsung E

March 24, 2019

SK hynix chief vows to strengthen fundamentals, raise chip yield rate

Amid concerns growing over slowing demand for memory chips, SK hynix CEO Lee Seok-hee said Friday he would focus on strengthening the chipmaker’s fundamental competitiveness and improving the chip yield rate to cut production costs. “After an unprecedented boom for the past two years, we are expecting to face growing uncertainties in the global economy and slowing demand for memory chips,” the CEO told reporters after an annual shareholders meeting held at its headquarter in Icheon, Gyeonggi Pro

March 22, 2019

Twitter focuses on 'public conversation' in S. Korean society: CEO

Global online social networking service Twitter Inc. aims to make more people participate in "public conversation" in South Korea, the company's chief said Friday."We believe public conversation influences and drives society," CEO Jack Patrick Dorsey told reporters in Seoul, adding that the company is focusing on making the platform healthier. Jack Dorsey, co-founder and chief executive of Twitter, speaks during an event at a Seoul hotel on March 22, 2019, to celebrate the platform`s 13th annive

March 22, 2019

Samsung to launch world’s first 5G smartphone on April 5

Samsung Electronics announced Friday it will start selling the Galaxy S10 5G from April 5, to become the world’s first to launch a device for the fifth-generation telecommunications network. The company said the Galaxy 5G model will be available at Samsung outlets and its online mall as well as at shops of mobile carriers in Korea.  Models introduce Galaxy S10 5G at the MWC 2019 in February.The South Korean tech firm said it will not be taking preorders for the 5G model. Instead, it will run a p

March 21, 2019

LG G8 ThinQ goes on sale in S. Korea on March 22

South Korean tech firm LG Electronics said on March 21 its new flagship smartphone, the G8 ThinQ, will officially go on sale in the domestic market this week. 　The G8 ThinQ is priced at 897,600 won ($796) and will hit store shelves on March 22, and be available in the North American and European markets in the coming weeks. 　The price is slightly less expensive than the Samsung Galaxy S10e, the “budget model” of the tech giant‘s latest flagship phone that is priced at 899,800 won. 　The G8 featur

March 21, 2019

EU fines Google 1.49 bn euros for anti-trust breach

The EU's powerful anti-trust regulator slapped tech giant Google with a new fine on Wednesday over unfair competition, in Europe's latest salvo against Silicon Valley. (Yonhap)"Today the commission has fined Google 1.49 billion euros ($1.69 billion) for illegal misuse of its dominant position in the market for the brokering of online search adverts," EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said.In its third major decision against the search engine behemoth, Brussels sanctioned Google's Ad

March 20, 2019

Samsung vows 5G and AI lead, shareholders lambast low stock price

In the first shareholders meeting Wednesday since a 50:1 stock split in May last year, Samsung’s chief executives vowed better performance with technological leads in 5G and artificial intelligence, while some shareholders strongly lambasted the constantly low share price.Some 1,000 shareholders attended the meeting held at the Seocho headquarters of the conglomerate, which was attended by Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam, Kim Hyun-suk, chief of Samsung’s consumer electronics division, and Koh Dong-jin,

March 20, 2019

Kakao expands into tourism industry after acquiring Tidesquare

South Korea’s leading mobile messenger operator, Kakao, is seeking to make inroads into the tourism industry after acquiring a local travel company. According to Kakao’s publicly filed 2018 financial audit report, it purchased a 28.9 percent stake in Tidesquare. The estimated value of the deal was 34.7 billion won ($30.7 million). Despite Kakao’s stake in Tidesquare being less than a majority, the travel company was listed as a subsidiary of Kakao. This is because the potential voting rights gra

March 20, 2019