Online sales of smartphones sluggish in Korea: data

Sales of smartphones through online platforms in South Korea remain sluggish compared with other countries, data showed Wednesday, due mainly to strong dominance of mobile carriers in the mobile phone market.According to the data compiled by Strategy Analytics, the sales of smartphones through online platforms in the country are expected to take up 17.2 percent, or 3.8 million units of the total sales estimated at 22.1 million units in South Korea this year.Of the amount, the sales of smartphone

July 26, 2017

New ICT minister urge researchers to face various challenges

South Korea's new chief ICT policymaker made a visit to the state-run science laboratory on Tuesday, stressing that both the government and researchers should push forward reform to face various challenges under the fourth industrial revolution. You Young-min, who took office earlier this month, made his first official visit to the Korea Institute of Science and Technology located in northern Seoul. (Yonhap)"I will make visits as much as possible to communicate more with field researchers," Yoo

July 25, 2017

Govt. to keep better track of migratory birds to help prevent avian influenza

The state quarantine agency said Tuesday it will work with a number of different organizations that monitor migratory birds for systematic prevention of avian influenza.The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency said it signed memorandums of understanding with the National Institute of Biological Resources, the National Science Museum and other related organizations to share their studies and research results. (Yonhap)Migratory birds are believed to bring in AI strains to South Korea, causing a majo

July 25, 2017

Korean biopharma association to open AI-backed drug development support center

South Korea’s leading biopharmaceutical association has set out to form a new center that will support the country’s new drug development efforts with artificial intelligence computing technologies.　The Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-pharma Manufacturers Association said Monday that it is working to create an AI-backed drug development support center this year to expedite ongoing efforts by local drugmakers to develop new blockbuster therapies for diseases.New drug development is a lengthy, high-r

July 24, 2017

Kakao joins hands with Hyundai, Kia to develop AI tech

South Korea's top mobile messenger operator Kakao Corp. said Monday it has joined forces with the country's leading automaker Hyundai Motor Co. and its sister company Kia Motors Corp. to develop Artificial Intelligence technology.Under the agreement, the automakers will implement server-based speech recognition technology into the Genesis G70 model by utilizing Kakao's AI platform, called Kakao I, starting in September of this year.The server-based speech recognition technology is the first serv

July 24, 2017

LG Electronics showcases mid-end handset, Q8

LG Electronics Inc. on Monday showcased its new mid-end smartphone -- the LG Q8, equipped with top-notch audio and camera features -- in a bid to attract consumers seeking budget models.The South Korean tech giant said the 5.2-inch Q8 smartphone is intended for consumers looking for models between its flagship G and V models, and the budget X smartphones.The smartphone comes with a Quad HD screen with wide-angle cameras. Like high-end smartphones, the Q8 is also water and dust resistant, and is

July 24, 2017

[Health-tech Korea] Stratio’s device identifies fake pills using ‘spectral fingerprint’

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles highlighting South Korea’s promising startups in the emerging sectors of digital health care and next-generation medical devices. This is the 10th installment. -- Ed.　For most people, recognizing the slightest differences between objects that look similar is difficult. This is especially true for pills, which can easily look the same, even to professional pharmacists.　Targeting this problem, one tech startup in South Korea has set out to introd

July 23, 2017

Samsung denies forcing online portals to remove negative news

Samsung Electronics on Thursday officially denied a local news report alleging that it forced South Korea’s major portal website operators Naver and Kakao to remove negative news articles about its de-facto chief Lee Jae-yong.Samsung Electronics said in an official statement sent to Kakao and Naver that it “did not come into any form of (illicit) contact with the two firms” and that “the news report is groundless.”Earlier this week, the Hankyoreh newspaper reported that Samsung forced the two fi

July 21, 2017

LG Electronics taps deeper into robot biz

LG Electronics Inc. said Friday it introduced commercial robots to Incheon International Airport, announcing the move will work as a stepping stone for the company to tap deeper into the industry.The South Korean tech giant said it deployed five cleaning and information robots, respectively, to South Korea's main gateway.The move came in line with the airport's drive to adopt a "smarter" environment. (Yonhap)LG Electronics said the deployment will also be an opportunity to advertise its robot bu

July 21, 2017

Naver launches official version of AI translator ‘Papago’

South Korean internet giant Naver begun offering its artificial intelligence language translation program Papago as an official service this week, expanding the software’s functions and service range.　Naver introduced Papago in the form of a mobile app in August 2016 in beta testing to showcase its machine learning-based translation algorithms to users, collect more data and receive broader feedback.The translation program was initially offered only as a mobile application and could handle only

July 21, 2017

Tech giants to lock horns with flagship smartphones in H2

Global smartphone giants are expected to compete fiercely in the second half of 2017, industry watchers said Friday, as South Korea's top two players are fixing the release dates of their latest flagship smartphones next month.Samsung Electronics Co. said it will showcase the presumed Galaxy Note 8 in the United States on Aug. 23, with LG Electronics Inc. also planning to unveil the presumed V30 smartphone in Germany on Aug. 31.US smartphone behemoth Apple Inc. is also seeking to release the iPh

July 21, 2017

Scientists apply Nobel Prize-winning concept to battery

A group of scientists have greatly improved the capacity and performance of lithium ion batteries based on the Nobel Prize-winning concept called "mechanical bond," the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology said Friday.The team led by Choi Jang-wook and Ali Coskun integrated molecular pulleys, called polyrotaxanes, into the battery -- a breakthrough in battery technology -- South Korea's top engineering and technology university said.In 2016, Fraser Stoddart of Northwestern Universi

July 21, 2017

Samsung launches Galaxy J7 smartphone, expands budget lineup

Samsung Electronics Co. on Friday released the Galaxy J7 smartphone through South Korea's No. 2 mobile carrier KT Corp., expanding its budget portfolio for mobile devices.The 5.5-inch J7 comes with a Super AMOLED display with a built-in 3,600 mAh battery.  (Yonhap)As the device has 13-megapixel cameras in the front and back, users can take better selfies compared with other smartphones, the mobile carrier said.The Galaxy J7 also supports key features from flagship devices, including a fingerprin

July 21, 2017

Samsung to unveil Galaxy Note 8 in late Aug.

Samsung Electronics Co. said Friday it will showcase the presumed Galaxy Note 8 in late August, around a year after the ill-fated predecessors' production was suspended over faulty batteries.The South Korean tech giant sent invitations for its "Unpacked" event scheduled to be held in New York on Aug. 23.The invitation shows the slogan "Do bigger things," along with a blue graphic that looks like the Galaxy Note series' exclusive S-Pen. The Galaxy Note models normally come with wider screens comp

July 21, 2017

Samsung's wind-free air conditioners selling like hotcakes despite odor problems

Amid the scorching summer heat that arrived earlier than usual, Samsung Electronics’ wind-free air conditioners are selling like hotcakes, with expectations that it may become the company’s best-selling flagship home appliance, despite consumer complaints about odor from the product. According to Samsung, the popularity of its wind-free air conditioners is now higher than when they were launched last year, with some tightness in its inventories. Consumers look at a floor-standing, wind-free air

July 20, 2017

Shares of LG Display fall sharply on concerns over panel prices

Shares of LG Display Co. fell sharply on Thursday from the previous trading session amid the outlook that global panel prices will decline down the road.  LG Display closed 8.17 percent at 34,300 won (US$30.45) on the main bourse, with foreigners offloading a whopping 115.2 billion won. Institutions also sold more shares than they bought at 50.5 billion won. (Yonhap)"The company's share prices fell sharply amid the outlook made by IHS Markit, which hinted at LCD panel prices falling 6 percent,"a

July 20, 2017

Scientists divided over Moon's energy policy

Scientists are divided over the new government's energy policy that aims to increase electricity output with clean, renewable energy, a survey showed Thursday.The Moon Jae-in government earlier announced that it plans to generate 20 percent of its electricity with clean, renewable energy by 2030, while reducing its reliance on fossil fuel and nuclear power plants.According to the survey conducted by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies on 2,029 scientists in different majors

July 20, 2017

Science ministry to be renamed under Moon government

Rival parties decided Thursday to change the name of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning four years after the agency was created.According to the agreement made by the vice floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, the People's Party and the Bareun Party, the ministry will be given the new name roughly translated as the Ministry of Science, Technology and ICT.  You Young-min (Yonhap)The ministry said the exact English name and the abbrevi

July 20, 2017

Halo Neuroscience launches brain-stimulating fitness headphones in Korea

Most fitness wearables typically come in the form of electronic watches or bands that measure physical activity or track biological signals. However, a US-based startup has come up with a new device that has a more active, stimulatory relationship with the wearer. 　Halo Neuroscience officially introduced its brain-stimulating fitness headphones in South Korea on Wednesday. Dubbed the Halo Sport, the device sends weak electrical pulses into the wearer’s brain to enhance the effectiveness of their

July 19, 2017

Over 200m personal info leaked since 2011: report

More than 200 million pieces of personal information in South Korea have been leaked either through hacking attacks or poor network management since 2011, a government report showed Thursday. According to the report by the Korea Communications Commission, more than 200 million cases of private information, such as resident registration numbers, phone numbers and addresses, have been leaked between 2011 and June of this year.The report released by Rep. Shin Yong-hyeon of the minor opposition Peop

July 19, 2017