Naver, telecom carriers to take on Google, Apple with new app store

Internet giant Naver and the nation’s top three telecom carriers -- SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus -- have teamed up to create a mega app store, called One Store, with more than 30 million users.The new app store has combined their own four different platforms for Android-based smartphones and other mobile devices. Users can upgrade one of the apps to use One Store.One Store’s mobile pages (One Store)One Store Corp., an affiliate of SK Telecom, will be responsible for the operation, while Naver has

June 10, 2016

Gov't ministries team up to develop drones, self-driving cars

South Korea's ICT and transport ministries agreed Thursday to step up cooperation in developing drones, self-driving cars and smart cities.The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport are two key government organizations in charge of exploring the nation's fresh growth engines.Top ministry officials held a discussion session on Thursday and attended a demonstration of drones at the Gwangnaru Han River Park in eastern Seoul.ICT Minister C

June 9, 2016

KT Music to launch South Korea's first virtual reality music service

South Korean online music content provider KT Music unveiled the country's first virtual reality-backed music service on Thursday."Genie VR," a computer-generated multimedia service that plays the visuals alongside music content, will be provided on a separate section of Genie's mobile app, the music service maker and distributor said during a news conference.The affiliate of mobile carrier KT currently offers two music-streaming services -- Genie Music and Olleh Music. Wearing HMD, or a head mo

June 9, 2016

Panel launched to monitor Samsung’s work safety

An independent ombudsman committee has been set up to ensure workplace safety at Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor and display factories, the committee said Thursday. The Samsung Ombudsman Committee is led by Lee Cheol-soo, the committee chief and a law professor at Seoul National University, Im Hyun-sool, a medical professor at Dongkuk University, and Kim Hyun-wook, a medical professor at Catholic University.“We have formed a panel consisting of the best experts in the field of safety and welf

June 9, 2016

Gov't launches K-ICT 2020 project

South Korea made public a five-year master plan on Thursday aimed at developing the country as a global power in the information security industry.Under the "K-ICT 2020" project, the government will focus on "globalizing" its cybersecurity and other information protection technology.In the face of North Korea's cyber threats, South Korea has continued efforts to fortify its cyber environment.But it has much to be desired to enhance the global competitiveness of the infosecurity sector, which is

June 9, 2016

Galaxy S7, S7 Edge forecast to sell 15 mln units in Q2: sources

South Korea's No. 1 tech firm Samsung Electronics Co. is forecast to see the combined sales of the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge reach 15 million in the second quarter of this year, industry sources said Thursday.The sources estimate that Samsung's combined shipments of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will hover at 15 million units in the April-June period. The two models went on sales on March 11. Samsung Galaxy S7 (Yonhap)Noticeably, the sales of the Galaxy S7 Edge, which is more expensive, will

June 9, 2016

Mistakes should be tolerated for start-ups to be successful

Working for the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, I meet wonderful people every day. One of them is Michael Camitz, a senior adviser from Uppsala Innovation Center, Sweden. UIC has been well established for more than a decade. Growth companies within UIC increased their turnover to $51.6 million in 2014. This positive trend allowed them to increase their workforce. In 2014, 601 people were engaged in UIC companies, compared to 552 during the previous year. According to UBI-Glo

June 8, 2016

Samsung Galaxy S8 likely to come with 4K UHD display

Samsung Electronics’ next flagship smartphone, tentatively dubbed Galaxy S8, is likely to come with a 5.5-inch, 4K UHD display, a market research firm said Wednesday. The Korean tech giant would become the first smartphone-maker to pack 4K resolution into its flagship smartphone, even though Sony last year released the Z5 Premium with such a panel. Samsung Electronics’ flagship Galaxy smartphone models. (UBI Research)“Samsung Display showcased a 5.5 ultra-high definition 4K display with a pixel

June 8, 2016

[Photo News] Galaxy S7 booth in Caribbean Bay

Swimmers take photos at Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S7 experience booth Wednesday at the Caribbean Bay water park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. (Samsung Electronics)

June 8, 2016

KT recognized for corporate governance

Network operator KT has been picked as the company most committed to improving corporate governance in Korea, according to a poll conducted by FinanceAsia, a financial magazine based in Hong Kong.The Korean network firm scored 19 points in the “Most Committed to Corporate Governance” category of the poll, followed by KT&G with 17 points and KEPCO with 14 scores. Head office of network operator KT (Yonhap)The Hong Kong-based magazine carries out the poll annually with more than 100 fund managers

June 8, 2016

SK C&C, CISCO to develop next-generation network management platform

Information technology solutions firm SK C&C and network equipment firm CISCO will be working together to develop a software platform that can manage network and security systems.Yang Yu-seok, the head of SK C&C’s information and communications technology infrastructure business, and Park Jae-beom, the vice president of CISCO, signed a partnership deal for the collaboration at C&C’s office in Pangyo on Wednesday.Yang Yu-seok (left) of SK C&C and Park Jae-beom of CISCO pose after signing a partne

June 8, 2016

Samsung's smartphone market share edges up in Q1: report

The global smartphone market share of South Korea's top smartphone maker Samsung Electronics Co. edged up in the first quarter of this year, a report showed Wednesday.Samsung took up 24.1 percent of the world's smartphone market in the January-March period in terms of revenue, a slight increase from 21.9 percent posted in Q4 of 2015, according to the latest research by industry tracker Strategy Analytics. LG Electronics Inc. saw its shares go down 0.6 percentage points to reach 2.7 percent, stan

June 8, 2016

Korean scientists develop 'electronic textile'

A team of South Korean scientists have developed an electronic device that can stick to clothing, paving the way for wearable displays and monitoring censors, the science ministry said Tuesday. An electronic device attached to fabric via artificial cilia on its edges is called an electronic textile, said Ko Heung-cho, an associate professor at Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology."We are ultimately targeting the development of an electronic device that can be used for a wearable computer

June 7, 2016

Samsung SDS chief tries to assuage employees’ concerns over split-off plan

Amid mounting controversy over IT solutions firm Samsung SDS’ plan to split its businesses, its chief executive has asked his employees not to be swayed by speculations on the proposal.In posts on the company’s online bulletin board last week, Samsung SDS CEO Chung Yoo-sung told employees to “stay in your position, and continue to carry out your duties.”Samsung SDS CEO Chung Yoo-sung (Samsung SDS)The remarks seemed to be aimed at appeasing employees who could have been agitated by the latest dev

June 7, 2016

[Photo News] LG premium washer hits global markets

LG Electronics said Tuesday that it would be releasing Twin Wash, a front-load washing machine with an optional washer, in 40 nations including Mexico, Colombia, China, Taiwan and Vietnam. (LGE)

June 7, 2016

ZOIT releases smart fitness bike in China

The fitness software company ZOIT (CEO: Sung-Han Lee) announced on June 3 that it will be entering the Chinese market later this year with the release of a fitness bike that can be linked to smart devices. The fitness bike, developed in joint cooperation with a local health equipment company, is now in its final stages of completion. ZOIT made its debut in the simulated content industry back in 2007 with the release of a simulated horseback riding program in which users mount a mechanical horse

June 7, 2016

[Photo News] Samsung promotes imaging technology in Hollywood

SAMSUNG PROMOTES IN HOLLYWOOD -- Samsung Electronics held a seminar in Los Angeles last week to promote the high-dynamic-range imaging technology, a technology that enables displays to show a wider range of colors. Around 100 engineers and experts in producing video content in Hollywood participated in the event. Samsung Electronics

June 6, 2016