Marking best year, Korean tech giants set sight on quality beyond compare

Top executives of South Korean technology giants stressed on Monday their need to push relentlessly for unmatched quality in a long-term approach, as their electronics and semiconductor chip businesses are projected to yield the highest revenue for 2021, in their respective New Year’s addresses. Fierce competition on a global scale still leaves Samsung Electronics, one of the world’s leading electronics goods makers and chipmakers, with a long road ahead to secure a technology leade

Jan. 3, 2022

China seems to be Samsung chief’s next destination

Speculation is growing that Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong may go on a work trip later this month possibly to China where the Korean tech giant is struggling to elevate smartphone and home appliance sales. According to industry sources on Monday, the de facto Samsung chief is expected to make another business trip during the court’s holiday recess that begins later this month. Lee has been appearing in court hearings every Thursday regarding the controversial merger deal

Jan. 3, 2022

[CES 2022] LG unveils self-driving car cabin concept turning into living spaces

LG Electronics said Monday it would introduce a new in-vehicle infotainment concept tailored to autonomous vehicles at CES 2022, indicating that its car cabins can turn into a space where passengers work, watch TV, exercise or experience camping virtually. Called LG Omnipod, the new mobility concept solution gives a glimpse of an on-the-road extension of one’s personal living space which is designed to function as a home office, entertainment center or lounge, LG Electronics said in a st

Jan. 3, 2022

S. Korea's 5G users top 20m in November: data

The number of smartphone users on 5G mobile networks had topped 20 million as of November for the first time since the service was commercialized in 2019, data showed Monday. The total number of 5G users reached 20.19 million in November last year, accounting for around 28 percent of the total 72.57 million mobile subscriptions in the country, according to the data from the Ministry of Science and ICT. South Korea, which has a population of 52 million, first commercialized 5G networks in April

Jan. 3, 2022

Despite concerns, NFT craze set to expand into fashion, entertainment

The nonfungible tokens market, which first sent the art industry into a frenzy, is expected to take a deep plunge into the fashion and entertainment world, amid fast-growing interest in making new money using the blockchain technology. NFTs are digital tokens of physical or digital assets, mostly of music or art. Through the blockchain, every NFT can be verified by an identification number or a signature of an artist or a creator. A buyer can thus hold ownership over something that is one of a

Jan. 2, 2022

[CES 2022] Korean low-carbon AI solutions, VR, robots to take limelight at CES 2022

South Korea-based exhibitors are headed for CES 2022 in Las Vegas to showcase new technology in line with the global drive to cut carbon emissions and the urge to adapt to the new normal. Artificial intelligence-based solutions for chips and batteries, and nickel-rich batteries will show paths to reducing carbon footprints, while virtual reality-inspired mobility solutions are also expected to take center stage at what is considered the world’s largest electronics show. On Sunday, SK T

Jan. 2, 2022

Age of robots nearer than you think

For Kwon Ju-hyeon, a 30-year-old freelancer living in Gyeonggi Province, the robot vacuum cleaner has become something he cannot live without after a month of using it. Kwon’s robot vacuum cleaner, approximately the size and shape of a pizza, sweeps the floor with just the push of a button on the remote control. Using sensors and drive routines, the autonomous device makes its way around the chairs, tables, couch and drawers inside the house to pick up dust and small particles on the flo

Jan. 2, 2022

[CES 2022] Samsung to unveil world's first 4K 240Hz gaming monitor

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics said Sunday it plans to unveil the world’s first gaming monitor with both a 4K resolution and a 240 Hz refresh rate display at the upcoming CES 2022. Thus far, gaming monitors with ultrahigh definition -- having the resolution of 3,840 pixels wide and 2,160 pixels high -- have shown a latency of up to 144 Hz display. With the new 32-inch monitor, dubbed Odyssey Neo G8, Samsung Electronics is expected to show off the technology with the unprec

Jan. 2, 2022

Celltrion's new Humira biosimilar wins approval in Canada

South Korean pharmaceutical giant Celltrion Inc. said Thursday its new biosimilar of the arthritis drug Humira has won approval from Canadian authorities. Yuflyma, an adalimumab biosimilar with a high concentration, is used to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and inflammatory diseases. Yuflyma requires only half the solution administered to patients compared with the existing Humira biosimilar and is also citrate-free, which lessens discomfort during injection. Celltrion re

Dec. 30, 2021

Samsung's foldable phone sales up 4 times from last year

Samsung Electronics Co. said Thursday it sold four times as many foldable Galaxy Z series phones this year as last year, further solidifying its lead in the fast-growing new smartphone segment. While the South Korean tech giant did not disclose the exact tally, the total sales of the Galaxy Z series is believed to be around 8-9 nine million units this year, led by the popularity of the Galaxy Z Fold3, which folds in half like a book, and the clamshell-type Galaxy Z Flip3, among young tech-savv

Dec. 30, 2021

Slim modiolar electrode, early ‘switch-on’ yield better cochlear implant outcomes: study

A slimmer cochlear implant device design and its early activation are likely to lead to better hearing in cochlear implant patients, according to professor Choi Byung-Yoon, an otorhinolaryngology specialist. Cochlear implants, which remains the only way to restore hearing for people with severe to profound deafness, work by translating sound into electrical signals that can be registered by auditory nerves. The implant consists of external components worn outside, much like a hearing aid,

Dec. 29, 2021

S. Korea to open up public Wi-Fi in network outage, disasters

The Ministry of Science and ICT said Wednesday it will open up public Wi-Fi networks in case of network outages to help citizens gain access to basic telecommunication services. The decision came two months after KT Corp., a major South Korean telecom operator, suffered a nationwide network outage of services due to a routing error in the process of upgrading its equipment. The outage crippled businesses, including schools, restaurants and other facilities, for over an hour on Oct. 25. The go

Dec. 29, 2021

Samsung likely to regain top spot in global chip market

Samsung Electronics is expected to regain the top spot in the global semiconductor market by revenue this year, outpacing its archrival Intel for the first time in three years. According to estimates collected by market tracker FnGuide on Wednesday, the Korean tech giant is estimated to post 95.13 trillion won ($80.18 billion) in chip sales this year, up 30.6 percent from last year. The record figure is compared to Intel’s sales estimates of $75.5 billion, down 1 percent from a year ag

Dec. 29, 2021

Loosening of helium tank led to Nuri rocket’s failure: officials

The loosening of a fixture that holds a helium tank of the Nuri rocket blocked the country’s first homegrown rocket from a successful launch, officials said Wednesday. After two months of data analysis, government officials and experts concluded that the degree of buoyancy increase during flight was not sufficiently considered when designing the fixture for Nuri’s helium tank. According to the Science Ministry and Korea Aerospace Research Institute, an unusual vibration from Nuri

Dec. 29, 2021

Loose anchor for helium tank blamed for Nuri rocket failure: science ministry

The loosening of a device to anchor a helium tank of the Nuri space rocket was found to have caused the early shutdown of the rocket's third-stage engine, leading to a mission failure, the science ministry said Wednesday. In October, South Korea launched the country's first homegrown space rocket, also called the KSLV-II. It flew to a target altitude of 700 kilometers, but failed to put the dummy satellite into orbit as its third-stage engine burned out 46 seconds earlier than expected. The g

Dec. 29, 2021

[Best Brand] Dunamu puts investor protection first

Dunamu, the operator of Korea’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Upbit, is putting priority on protecting investors in the fast-growing crypto market by correcting deposit errors and strengthening its security systems. The blockchain company has recently returned 154 billion won ($130 million) to investors who had mistakenly deposited money into other people’s blockchain wallets. Since 2017, there have been 32,770 cases of deposit errors and Dunamu has managed to correct 96.6 perce

Dec. 28, 2021

S. Korea to double electric, hydrogen cars in 2022 in net zero emission drive

South Korea plans to double the number of electric and hydrogen vehicles on its roads next year as part of efforts to achieve its goal of net zero carbon emission by 2050. The government will seek to bring up the number of electric and hydrogen cars in use to about 500,000 in 2022, from the current level of about 248,000 units, the environment and four other ministries said in their joint announcement of policy plans for next year. Under the plans, the numbers of electric cars will rise by 200

Dec. 28, 2021

Apple hints at submitting compliance plans on in-app payment law

Apple could submit its compliance plans for a new South Korean law that bans app store operators from forcing in-app payment systems on developers, industry sources said Tuesday. The new law went into effect in September, making South Korea the first country in the world to introduce such curbs on in-app billing policies of Apple and Google. The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) requested Apple to turn in its compliance plans within this year as it drafted an enforcement decree of the revi

Dec. 28, 2021

Samsung to showcase startup projects at CES

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it will showcase 13 startup projects at the CES trade show next month to introduce their innovations to a global audience and gauge marketability. The Korean tech giant has nurtured in-house ventures under the C Lab Inside program since 2012. In 2018, the firm launched the C Lab Outside program to support outside startups as well. A total of 406 startups have been accelerated under the programs. For the upcoming CES, four in-house ventures are making their deb

Dec. 28, 2021

SK Square invests W35b in agricultural tech startup Green Labs

SK Square, an information and communication technology arm of SK Group, has added South Korean agricultural startup Green Labs to its range of portfolio companies with a 35 billion won ($29.5 million) investment as a sole investor, it said Monday. The startup operates a smart farming platform called “Farm Morning,” dedicated to optimizing the supply chain of crop harvesting and distribution, as well as providing data-driven consulting services to farmers. The deal puts the curren

Dec. 27, 2021