The Korea Herald

ICT exports surge to record high in H1

South Korea’s exports of information-communication technology products climbed to a new high in the first six months of the year on growing shipments to China and Southeast Asian countries, the government said Wednesday.In the six months ending on June 30, outbound shipments of ICT products came to $83.83 billion, up 3.2 percent from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.The country’s trade surplus in the ICT sector shrank slightly to $41.68 billion a

July 9, 2014

N.Y. reaches price limit deal with Uber

The car service Uber has agreed to limit prices during emergencies, natural disasters or other unusual market disruptions consistent with New York’s law against price gouging, the company and state attorney general said Tuesday.Uber, which uses a mobile application to connect riders with vehicles for hire, has its rates rise and fall with demand, but it has been criticized for “surge pricing” that’s sometimes exponentially higher than base fares. Prices usually increase on weekdays during rush h

July 9, 2014

[Newsmaker] Pantech’s fate hangs in balance

The fate of mobile phone maker Pantech hangs in the balance as its creditor-led debt restructuring program shows no signs of improvement and the country’s three telecom giants resist joining in the recovery efforts.SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus were given extra time to consider a proposal by Pantech’s creditors led by the state-run Korea Development Bank. But judging by their comments to the press, they continue to appear uninterested in turning the 180 billion won ($178 million) that Pantech owes

July 8, 2014

[Newsmaker] Pantech’s fate hangs in balance

Gunmen rob Samsung plant in Brazil

Armed thieves raided one of Samsung Electronics’ plants in Brazil on Monday, stealing millions of dollars of computers and smartphones, according to recent news reports.The value of the stolen goods was initially said to be around $36 million, but Samsung denied this, claiming that it is closer to $6.4 million. It also stated that the losses would be covered by insurance. Around 20 bandits armed with submachine guns carjacked a shuttle headed to the factory in Campinas, near Sao Paulo, with eigh

July 8, 2014

Nexon to launch 13 mobile games

Nexon Korea, the country’s biggest online PC game maker, said Tuesday that it would launch more than a dozen games for mobile devices and platforms in the second half of this year in an effort to revitalize its mobile gaming business.In a media event under the theme of “Nexon Smart On” in Seoul, Chung Sang-won, vice president of Nexon Korea, said that although the company is a relative latecomer in mobile games, it seeks to make a leap with 13 games it produced with the company’s partners and su

July 8, 2014

Merck acquires liquid crystal windows specialist Peer+

Merck, a leading company for top-quality high-tech products in the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors, has acquired Peer+, a Dutch specialist for smart window technology, as of July 1, Merck Korea said Tuesday. With the acquisition of its long-standing cooperation partner Peer+, Merck will be able to further advance the development of the future-oriented market for liquid crystal windows, and also help bolster its position as a technology and innovation leader for liquid crystal materials. Merc

July 8, 2014

Samsung puts Q2 profit at disappointing 7.2 tln won

Samsung Electronics Co., the world's biggest technology firm by revenue, estimated its second-quarter operating profit at a sharply lower than expected 7.2 trillion won (US$7.11 billion) on Tuesday amid a slowdown in its smartphone business.The preliminary estimate represents a 24.4 percent fall from the operating profit of 9.53 trillion won a year earlier, the company said in a regulatory filing. The figure also marks a 15 percent crash from the operating profit of 8.49 trillion won posted duri

July 8, 2014

SK Telecom, Ericsson join hands for 5G

South Korea’s top mobile carrier, SK Telecom Co., said Monday it has forged ties with Sweden-based Ericsson to jointly conduct studies on the fifth-generation network, which has drawn the attention of the global telecom industry. SK Telecom and Ericcson will focus on the study of ultra-wideband and low-latency technology used for remote driving, gigabyte-level data transmission, converging time division duplex and frequency division duplex, the mobile carrier said. The 5G network is expected to

July 7, 2014

Samsung Electronics likely to see profit drop in Q2

Samsung Electronics will likely see its profit decrease in the April-June period due to the sluggish performance of its flagship smartphone business, analysts said on Monday, a day before the firm is to announce its earnings guidance. The tech giant was expected to see its operating profit drop below 8 trillion won ($7.9 billion). Some, such as IM Investment and Securities, forecast the figure to be around 7.5 trillion won. “The worsening performance is mainly due to decreasing consumer loyalty

July 7, 2014

Korean tech firms in race for extended battery life

South Korea’s major tech players have expanded the battery capacities of their flagship smartphones over the past years, data showed Monday, as they engaged in a fierce competition over wider displays and faster networks.Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s No. 1 maker of handsets, saw its battery capacity of the Galaxy 5S model reach 2,800 mAh, up 87 percent from the 1,500 mAh posted by the Galaxy S smartphone released in June 2010.The improvement was also observed in phablets, a cross between

July 7, 2014

LG to start sales of three new G Pad tablets

South Korea’s No. 2 tech giant, LG Electronics, said Monday it will start the sales of three models of its G Pad tablet lineup this week that come with cutting-edge features from the flagship G3 smartphone.To go on the market from Friday, the Android 4.4.2 KitKat-powered G Pad will come in 7-inch, 8-inch and 10.1-inch sizes, the company said. The first G Pad, debuted in October 2013, was 8.3 inches long. A model poses with LG Electronics’ new G Pad tablets, at its headquarters in Seoul. The 7-i

July 7, 2014

LG to start sales of three new G Pad tablets

Time to say goodbye to plasma TV

The lifespan of plasma TVs, or plasma display panel TVs, which once mesmerized consumers with their thin, flat displays and crisp picture quality, is nearing its end, as the world’s leading TV makers, including Panasonic and Samsung, have announced a halt in production. The transition in the TV market from plasma to next-generation LCD or OLED TVs has gained steam since Japanese TV maker Panasonic announced its exit from the PDP business last October. Industry watchers officially declared the en

July 6, 2014

[Weekender] Eating, sleeping habits key to healthy night activities

In order to maintain a well-balanced routine, plenty of sleep and proper eating habits can be helpful, a medical expert in Seoul said Friday.“Nighttime activities, although generally demanding on your health, are not all harmful as long as they are balanced with sufficient sleep and careful eating habits,” Lee Jung-kwon, family medicine professor at Samsung Medical Center, said in an interview with The Korea Herald. “If people just remember a few important tips it can make a huge difference in h

July 4, 2014

[Weekender] Eating, sleeping habits key to healthy night activities

Kakao and SK Planet in mobile gift dispute

Kakao Corp., the operator of Kakao Talk ― the most widely-used mobile messaging service in South Korea ― is embroiled in a dispute over mobile gift-giving services with several e-commerce firms. On Friday, SK Planet and two other firms said it lodged a complaint with the Fair Trade Commission against Kakao for abusing its dominant market position in the mobile gift exchanging market. This week, Kakao terminated contracts with the three firms that had been offering mobile gift certificates throug

July 4, 2014

Egypt’s army says ‘AIDS detector’ needs more tests

Egypt’s military says devices it claimed it invented to detect and cure AIDS and hepatitis C need more testing. (123RF)CAIRO (AP) ― Egypt’s military said Saturday that devices it claimed it invented to detect and cure AIDS and hepatitis C need six more months of testing.The army had earlier promised to reveal the technology to the public this coming Monday after making what experts dismissed as an outlandish claim last February.At a news conference then, the head of the army’s Engineering Agency

July 3, 2014

Egypt’s army says ‘AIDS detector’ needs more tests

Breast reconstruction offers more options for cancer patients

Living with and beyond breast cancer can be overwhelming. Patients often deal with the loss of a breast or an altered physical appearance, on top of learning about unfamiliar treatment options and procedures.Thanks to improved reconstructive surgery, however, women with breast cancer have more options ― even if they are not eligible for breast-conserving surgery and therefore required to remove the entire breast. In South Korea, a growing number of patients are choosing to have reconstruction im

July 3, 2014

Breast reconstruction offers more options for cancer patients

Food poisoning

Food poisoning is a very common disease during the summer, and most people are quite familiar with it. During the summer, various infectious diseases are common. The reason that food poisoning is common during the summer is because bacteria thrive at this time of year.Food poisoning is a disease caused by the ingestion of bacterial toxins. However, diseases from food more commonly occur through direct invasion of bacteria into the body. Therefore, the common term “food poisoning” more accurately

July 3, 2014

OCSiAl eyes Korean market

OCSiAl, a leading manufacturer of graphene tubes, said Thursday it would start expanding its business into the Asian carbon nanotube market beginning in Korea. In line with such efforts, it signed a memorandum of understanding with a Korean carbon nano composite maker, Applied Carbon Nano Technology, on the sidelines of a nano technology conference held Wednesday through Friday in Seoul.Under the deal, which is estimated to be worth $200,000, OCSiAl will supply a total of 100 kg of Tuball, a sin

July 3, 2014

Korea’s suicide rate remains top in OECD

South Korea’s suicide rate remained the highest among OECD countries for 10 consecutive years, from 2002 to 2012, according to recent OECD data.The rate in South Korea in 2012 reached 28.1 for every 100,000 people, while the average rate for all of the OCED nations was 12.1. However, the number of those who committed suicide in Korea dropped slightly from 2011 to 2012, the data said. The rate in the country had reached its peak in 2011 at 31.7 for every 100,000. According to Statistics Korea, th

July 2, 2014

AIDS scientist pleads not guilty to faking study

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ― A South Korea-born scientist pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges alleging that he falsified research for an AIDS vaccine to secure millions of dollars in federal funding.Han Dong-pyou, 57, entered his not guilty pleas to four counts of making false statements during his initial court appearance in Des Moines federal court. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.Han, a former Iowa State University scientist, was released on bond

July 2, 2014