[Photo News] Premium clinic

PREMIUM CLINIC -- Korea’s mobile carrier SK Telecom opens high-end medical facilities inside the Shenzhen VISTA-SK Medical Center, a health examination-oriented hospital in the southern Chinese city, on Friday. VISTA is one of the few private clinics in China. SKT PREMIUM CLINIC -- Korea’s mobile carrier SK Telecom opens high-end medical facilities inside the Shenzhen VISTA-SK Medical Center, a health examination-oriented hospital in the southern Chinese city, on Friday. VISTA is one of the few

July 31, 2015

[Weekender] Smartwatch war is in full swing

A battle for the wrist is heating up as major tech giants and even luxury good makers have dipped their toes in the smartwatch market.In less than half a year since the debut of its first wearable Apple Watch, California-based Apple has dethroned Samsung Electronics from the top spot in the global smartwatch industry.Samsung Electronics` Samsung Gear S. (Samsung)Apple reportedly received 7 million orders in total for the Apple Watch, 4 million of which were shipped in the April-June period, whil

July 31, 2015

Restructuring boosts KT’s profits

South Korea’s leading mobile carrier KT swung back to profit in the second quarter thanks mainly to restructuring efforts it has made since last year.The wireless carrier said in its regulatory filing that it posted 5.43 trillion won ($4.65 billion) in revenue and 36.9 billion won in operating profit. The quarterly revenue decreased from 5.63 trillion won in the second quarter last year, but the operating profit increased significantly from an operating loss of 83.8 billion won.The headquarters

July 31, 2015

Samsung to focus on premium TVs, chips

Samsung Electronics on Thursday hinted at cutting prices of its flagship smartphones later this year, pledging to focus on premium TVs and chips for more profits. The Korean tech giant announced an 8 percent drop in second-quarter net profits at the company’s conference call on the day as its smartphone business remained sluggish on lackluster Galaxy S6 sales.A customer tests a Galaxy S6 phone at a retail shop in southern Seoul on Thursday. YonhapNet income came to 5.75 trillion won ($4.95 billi

July 30, 2015

Summer can be vulnerable time for those with chronic conditions

While summer offers great opportunities for outdoor activities and sports, the warm weather can be a serious health threat especially to those with chronic medical conditions.　According to Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, the fatality rate of diabetes and heart disease patients increases when the average temperature during the summer months rises. 　“The heat can be especially dangerous for those with diabetes, chronic kidney conditions and high blood pressure,” said Dr. Shin Gil-ja from

July 30, 2015

[Start-up Seoul] Krowdpop gives crowdfunding power to hallyu fans

KPOP UNITED CEO Richard Choo is glad to see that it’s finally cool to be Korean in the world.Hallyu hits like Psy, Big Bang, Girls’ Generation and Wonder Girls, paired with the stylish haute couture image being exported, have put Korea on the “relevancy map,” and there is a high global demand for the country’s cultural contents, he said.But with the industry so new on the global scene and fans hailing from such disparate ends from Turkey and Brazil to Indonesia and Ivory Coast, promoters and eve

July 29, 2015

[tech column] Winning formula for globalization: Great technology and great people

The world keeps getting smaller.In Europe and America, consumers have long been accustomed to seeing manufacturing labels of Asian countries on a broad range of consumer goods. Now, when Europeans travel across to Asia Pacific and walk into high-end supermarkets in cities across the region, they can find an extensive selection of European wines that they recognize, along with the finest French champagnes. And on the streets of those cities they see premium autos from Europe and America. In fact

July 29, 2015

Koreans embrace mobile preordering

Smartphones have changed people’s lifestyles. Users rely on mobile map applications instead of paper maps, communicate with friends on social media and hail taxis with their smartphones.Another notable change is currently taking place in the retail sector, too. People no longer need to lineup at coffee shops, restaurants or bakeries to be served, thanks to mobile ordering apps. They just go in and grab what they preordered through the mobile apps.At the forefront of the mobile ordering app indus

July 29, 2015

Smart card firm launches payment platform

South Korean’s leading smart card solutions developer KONA I has rolled out a new online and offline payment platform, called KONA PAY, which will enable cardholders to make payments in a more secure manner.Since there are no payment means that meet global standards -- especially EMV-- in Korea, domestic banks and credit card companies need to tie up with global credit card network operators including VISA and MasterCard to issue cards that can be used both at home and abroad.Such a deal with th

July 29, 2015

Microsoft launches Windows 10 in Seoul

Microsoft released its latest operating system in South Korea on Wednesday, offering one single platform that works on PCs, as well as smartphones, as the world‘s top software giant sets its sights on claiming the mobile and cloud segments.Windows 10 for desktops and tablet PCs is now available for purchase, with the mobile version to be introduced later in the year, its local unit said at a press briefing.  The price for Windows 10 Home, the version for general users, is set at 172,000 won ($14

July 29, 2015

Samsung likely to showcase new phablet on Aug. 13

South Korea's top tech giant Samsung Electronics Co. on Tuesday sent out invitations for what is expected to be an unveiling event of its next flagship phablet, presumably the Galaxy Note 5, on Aug. 13 in New York.The invitation from the South Korea-based top smartphone maker has a picture of lines that form a shape like a smartphone, which looks similar to its quirky edition of the flagship model, the Galaxy S6 Edge, which was released in April.The Galaxy S6 Edge was initially considered an upb

July 28, 2015

LG to double OLED TV lineup

LG Electronics said Monday it would add five new organic light-emitting diode TVs in the coming months, doubling its Korean lineup to a total of 10 models. The Korean tech giant said four of the new models will be “Ultra” models that offer ultrahigh definition displays aimed at appealing to premium customers. New models also feature the company’s Art Slim Design that has further reduced the size of parts and circuits for a slimmer design. For example, the 55-inch Ultra OLED TV boasts a 4.8-milli

July 27, 2015

[Photo News] Joint efforts for 5G

JOINT EFFORTS FOR 5G -- Cho Sung-ho (third from right, first row), head of mobile carrier SK Telecom's 5G tech lab and Melih Tufan, head of telecom equipment supplier Ericsson's packet core product line, pose at an MOU ceremony held in Stockholm on Sunday. The firms will collaborate to develop key technologies for the next-generation 5G network, including network slicing, a term depicting technology to have a single network partitioned and tailored for different network services. SKTJOINT EFFORT

July 27, 2015

Samsung beefs up curved-screen lineup

Riding on the popularity of its Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone, Samsung Electronics is beefing up its curved-screen lineup. The Korean tech giant will launch its two new phablets -- Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and Galaxy Note 5 -- on Aug. 13. According to industry sources on Monday, however, more marketing resources are expected to be poured into the bigger-screen version of its hot-selling Galaxy S6 Edge than the new Note.  Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S6 Edge Plus. SamsungSources said Samsung will roll out

July 27, 2015

LG, Nokia team up for 5G research

Mobile carrier LG Uplus and telecommunications equipment supplier Nokia opened a joint research and development center for 5G network technology in Seoul on Saturday.The launch of the new R&D center, called the Advanced Technology Center, came after the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding on the next-generation network technology in January. Kim Sun-tae (second from left), head of LG Uplus’ service and development division, and Adrew Cope (second from right), chief of Nokia Korea

July 26, 2015

Galaxy Note 5 likely to feature enhanced mobile security

　The chief of a French mobile security solutions firm offered a glimpse into some security software to be featured in tech giant Samsung Electronics’ upcoming Galaxy Note 5 phablet. 　“Our security elements will be directly linked to the (handset’s) application processor, which was not the case before, and that will enable faster communication between the embedded security elements and the processor,” Oberthur Technologies chief executive Didier Lamouche told The Korea Herald in Seoul on Thursday

July 23, 2015

LG lures premium customers with dual-load washing machine

South Korean tech giant LG Electronics rolled out a new washing machine, dubbed the Tromm Twin Wash, Wednesday in Seoul, which the company said would become a new trendsetter in the global washer market. Cho Seong-jin (second from left), CEO of LG’s home appliance and air solution company, and Choi Sang-gyu (second from right), head of LG’s Korea sales and marketing, pose with models at a launch event of the Tromm Twin Wash, featuring two washing drums. LGE“The Tromm Twin Wash will give a whole

July 22, 2015

‘Global Korean start-ups getting faster, smarter’

Korea’s modern start-ups are taking a marked turn from their predecessors. Instead of basking in local success, they are getting smarter and faster about going global, according to Korean-American venture capitalist Bernard Moon.Bernard Moon, founding partner of SparkLabs’ accelerator and global venture fund, poses at the firm’s Seoul office. Park Hyun-koo/The Korea HeraldThat is why he and two founding partners placed their bets on Seoul’s sprouting start-up scene in 2012, and set up SparkLabs,

July 22, 2015