SK Telecom unveils first commercial 5G base station in Myeong-dong

South Korea’s leading mobile operator SK Telecom on Wednesday opened one of its first commercial fifth-generation base stations in the central area of Seoul, showing confidence in the planned commercialization of the world’s first 5G services in March. SKT introduced a 24-kilogram rectangular active antenna unit for the 3.5-gigahertz frequency band -- 1 meter in height and 23 centimeters in width -- installed at the rooftop of a small hotel building in Myeong-dong, one of the most crowded areas

Nov. 14, 2018

Korea’s largest game convention G-Star 2018 to kick off in Busan

South Korea’s biggest video game convention kicks off in Busan on Thursday, showcasing a wide range of new PC, mobile and virtual reality games being developed by major game companies here.G-Star 2018 features nearly 3,000 booths and brings together more than 650 game companies from 30 countries. US-based Epic Games, behind the hit survival shooting game “Fortnite Battle Royale” is the event’s main sponsor this year and the first foreign game company to host the expo.Korean game developers and p

Nov. 14, 2018

Korea boosts budget for basic science sector to W1.69 tr

South Korea said Wednesday that it has raised its budget for the basic science sector to 1.69 trillion won ($1.49 billion) next year as it vowed to focus on researcher-oriented research and development.The figures represented a 16.2 percent hike from the 1.45 trillion won allocated this year, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. South Korea's basic science sector accounted for 11.4 percent of the ministry's total budget next year.Ministers talk during a meeting on Nov. 14, 2018, to disc

Nov. 14, 2018

Samsung unveils new mobile application processor optimized for AI features

Samsung Electronics Co. on Wednesday unveiled a new mobile application processor optimized for artificial intelligence features that can be used on high-end smartphones and tablet PCs.A mobile AP combines central, graphics and video processing units, as well as a modem, into one and is used to run operating systems and applications. Accordingly, it is often referred to as the brain of mobile devices. Samsung Electronics Co.`s Exynos 9 (9820) mobile application processor (Yonhap)The South Korean

Nov. 14, 2018

Samsung to hold Bixby developer conference in Korea

Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday it will hold a developer conference in South Korea next week as part of its ongoing efforts to expand the ecosystem of its artificial intelligence platform.The company said it will host the Bixby Developer Day in Seoul on Tuesday. Samsung is expected to share the latest developments related to Bixby announced during the Samsung Developer Conference held in the United States last week.(Yonhap)Samsung opened the software development kit for Bixby during the S

Nov. 14, 2018

VMware partners with KT for increased hybrid-cloud deployment

VMware, a US-based company that leads the world in virtualization and cloud-computing software, has partnered with South Korean telecommunications firm KT as part of efforts to address growing demand among client companies for “hybrid clouds,” or a multi-cloud environment.　VMware announced Tuesday that it plans to launch a computing solution called “VMware on KT Cloud” in Korea within this month. It will make VMware’s solutions compatible with KT’s public cloud services. The collaborative soluti

Nov. 13, 2018

Smart home system displayed at N. Korea's IT exhibition

Researchers of North Korea's top university have developed a voice-controlled smart home system and other advanced information technology devices and displayed them at a public exhibition in Pyongyang, the North's official newspaper reported Tuesday. A photo released by the KCNA on Nov. 8, 2018, shows the 29th National Exhibition of IT Achievements that opened at Pyongyang`s Sci-Tech Complex on the previous day. (Yonhap)In a field report on the 29th National Exhibition of IT Achievements that op

Nov. 13, 2018

LG CEO heads to Silicon Valley to recruit AI, robot experts

Jo Seong-jin, vice chairman and CEO of LG Electronics, will visit Silicon Valley Wednesday to meet with experts in artificial intelligence, robotics, big data and autonomous driving and recruit some of the talents for the company’s new businesses, the tech giant said Tuesday. Jo left Monday for New Jersey, where LG Electronics’ US office is located, before flying to San Francisco. On Wednesday, the CEO is scheduled to meet scholars and experts on AI, big data, cloud computing, self-driving and t

Nov. 13, 2018

Uber Korea names Brandon Son new GM of mobility division

Uber Korea has named Brandon Son, former chief of Expedia Korea, as the new general manager of its mobility division. Son will oversee the management and diversification of the US ride-hailing giant’s mobility services in South Korea, the company said. Son’s duties as general manager formally began Monday, according to Uber Korea.“We are very happy to appoint Brandon Son as our mobility head in in Korea,” said Amit Jain, Uber’s general manager for the Asia-Pacific region, in a statement.“We expe

Nov. 13, 2018

SK Telink releases 'study phone' that limits mobile data

SK Telink Co., a mobile virtual network operator, on Tuesday released a new smartphone that can selectively block mobile data to help users concentrate on their work or study.The company said the so-called study phone is designed to help students avoid the distractions presented by ordinary smartphones and focus more on their studies. MVNOs refer to mobile service providers that rent networks from mobile carriers, offering more affordable data plans and devices. (Yonhap)Users can choose from thr

Nov. 13, 2018

SK hynix develops new advanced production tech for DDR4 DRAM

SK hynix Inc. said Monday it developed second-generation 10-nano class process technology for DDR4 DRAM with better productivity and improved energy efficiency.South Korea's No. 2 chipmaker said it completed the development of 8Gigabits DDR4 DRAM applied with the new production technology. (Yonhap)The second-generation process boasts 20 percent improved productivity while consuming 15 percent less energy, the company said.The company said it plans to start mass production through the new technol

Nov. 12, 2018

Samsung Electronics to release first foldable smartphone in March: sources

Samsung Electronics Co. plans to launch its first foldable smartphone in March, along with a fifth-generation network-powered Galaxy S10, industry sources said Monday. According to the sources, the South Korean tech giant plans to unveil the flagship Galaxy S10 smartphone in February, followed by the presumed foldable Galaxy F and another edition of the Galaxy S10 that runs on the 5G network in March. (Yonhap)The outlook came after Samsung Electronics President Koh Dong-jin, who heads the mobile

Nov. 12, 2018

Heart meeting features fish oil, vitamin D, cholesterol news

CHICAGO (AP) — Fish oil, vitamin D, novel drugs, new cholesterol guidelines: News from an American Heart Association conference over the weekend reveals a lot about what works and what does not for preventing heart attacks and other problems.Dietary supplements missed the mark, but a prescription-strength fish oil showed promise. A drug not only helped people with diabetes control blood sugar and lose weight, but also lowered their risk of needing hospitalization for heart failure. (AP)Good news

Nov. 12, 2018

Mercedes-Benz to have more Korean suppliers for future mobility R&D

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz will take on more Korean suppliers in its mission of navigating future mobility, particularly those in the fields of telematics, battery cells and automation of smart factories, said a Daimler executive in Seoul last week. Calling the carmaker’s R&D unit in Seoul an Asian hub for the German carmaker’s search of future mobility, Markus Schafer, Mercedes-Benz’s top manufacturing executive, told Korean reporters that the company is open to Korean talent and will

Nov. 11, 2018

Korea to launch science satellite from US air base

South Korea's science ministry said Sunday it will launch a small satellite from an air force base in the United States later this month to conduct scientific research.The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology will jointly launch the 100 kilogram satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 3:32 a.m. (Korean time) on Nov. 20.  (Yonhap)The satellite, developed by KAIST from 2012-2017, will travel at an altitude of 575 km above the grou

Nov. 11, 2018

Lawmakers propose bill on taxing Google, Amazon on ad, cloud service earnings in Korea

Global information and communication technology companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon may soon be required to pay value-added tax on a wider range of their earnings in South Korea, as lawmakers have introduced a new bill to bring changes on this end.　Led by Rep. Park Sun-sook of the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party, a group of 15 Korean lawmakers have proposed amending the Value-Added Tax Act to newly require foreign ICT firms to pay VAT on digital products such as search advertisement

Nov. 11, 2018

Samsung joins global AI society to better develop services

Samsung Electronics on Friday announced that it joined the Partnership on Artificial Intelligence to Benefit People and Society (PAI) in an effort to develop safe and reliable artificial intelligence services and products.The PAI, founded in 2016, is a technology industry consortium that conducts research and discussion, shares insights, provides thought leadership, identifies new areas for AI application and creates informational materials to advance the understanding of AI technologies. The or

Nov. 9, 2018

LG chief Koo picks 3M vice chair as new head of LG Chem

LG Chem announced Friday it will appoint Shin Hak-cheol, vice chair of 3M, as new vice chairman and CEO of the company. This marks the first time that LG Group has scouted an outside figure to head the chemicals and battery affiliate since its founding in 1947. “With global perspectives and experience, Shin is the right person capable of pre-emptively responding to the rapidly changing business environment while leading the change in corporate culture and structure,” LG Chem said in a statement.

Nov. 9, 2018

Nexon Q3 net profit up 14% on popularity of global hits

Online gaming firm Nexon Co. said Thursday its net profit for the third quarter increased 14 percent on-year on the back of the continued popularity of global hits such as “Dungeon & Fighter” and “Maple Story.”Net profit for the July-September period jumped to 223.9 billion won ($200.3 million), the company said in a regulatory filing.(Yonhap)　Operating income also was up 4 percent on-year to 238.1 billion won, and sales jumped 15 percent on-year to 696.1 billion won.　Revenue from overseas marke

Nov. 8, 2018

[Herald Interview] Meet 'Faker': Korean League of Legends talent extraordinaire

ILSAN, Gyeonggi Province -- In simplistic attire and with a quiet demeanor, Lee Sang-hyeok seems no different from any other young Asian guy. But when he walks down the streets of Seoul, heads turn and cheers can be heard. His fame reaches far and wide -- from Korea and China to North America and Europe.　Meet Lee, aka “Faker,” an undisputed superstar in the world of competitive gaming, or esports. Born and raised in South Korea, the 22-year-old is considered among the top echelon of players in m

Nov. 8, 2018