Korea urged to step up incentives for chipmakers

As governments around the world fiercely compete to boost their semiconductor industries by distributing large subsidies, South Korea is pointed out as falling behind other chip powerhouses, raising concerns about the gap widening in the future. On Tuesday, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry approved subsidies of up to 590 billion yen ($3.9 billion) for chip foundry venture Rapidus, adding to its promise earlier to provide funds worth some 330 billion yen into the chip project.

April 2, 2024

HBM leadership is coming to us: Samsung CEO

Samsung Electronics has established a special team dedicated to High Bandwidth Memory, going all-out to get an edge in the advanced memory chip, which is currently in the spotlight as a key component in raising the processing speed for artificial intelligence applications. Highlighting the importance of HBM in the wake of the AI boom, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kyung Kye-hyun vowed to keep up efforts to secure leadership in the burgeoning market and revealed the company has formed a team

April 1, 2024

Family, business leaders mourn Hyosung honorary chairman

Business leaders joined relatives to mourn the death of Cho Suck-rai, the honorary chairman of Hyosung Group, a textile giant, on Sunday. Cho died of a chronic illness Friday at the age of 89. Cho led the textile giant from 1982 until 2017, when he stepped down from the top management position due to health issues. His eldest son, Cho Hyun-joon took the baton to lead the conglomerate. On Saturday, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and his mother Hong Ra-hee paid respect for Cho at the fu

March 31, 2024

First female CEO takes helm at Kakao

Korean IT giant Kakao on Thursday appointed Chung Shin-a as its first female, chief while it is facing urgent challenges in revamping its corporate culture and management. The announcement was made as she gained a nod from shareholders during the annual meeting and a separate approval from the board of directors earlier in the day at the company’s headquarters in Jeju Island. After being named as the CEO nominee in December, Chung has served as the head of the company’s innovation ta

March 28, 2024

SKT marks 40th anniversary with new emblem

Marking the 40th anniversary of its founding, SK Telecom, South Korea's largest wireless carrier by the number of accounts, promised to transform into a global artificial intelligence company, Thursday. The mobile carrier, first established in March 1984 under the name, Korea Mobile Telecommunication Services Corp., celebrates its 40th anniversary on Friday. "SKT's 40 years of achievements were made possible by its unique DNA of overcoming challenging situations and creating a his

March 28, 2024

LG CNS, Indonesia’s Sinar Mas to form joint venture for DX push

South Korean IT solutions provider LG CNS said Thursday it has agreed to establish a joint venture with one of the largest conglomerates in Indonesia to strengthen digital transformation innovation in the 16th largest economy in the world. Under the agreement, LG CNS and Sinar Mas Group will set up a 50-50 joint venture in the latter half of this year to promote consulting, construction and operation for data center services and cloud conversion services, targeting Indonesian companies and publi

March 28, 2024

[Photo News] LG Twin Towers refurbished

LG Group said Thursday it has completed the renovation of its Twin Towers headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul -- the first refurbishment since the building was completed in 1987. The lobby, arcade and floor space of the lower part of the buildings have been revamped to reflect employee opinions under the theme of “Connection.” LG said the most popular new feature is the upgraded fitness center. (LG Group)

March 28, 2024

LG vows W100tr investment in Korea with R&D focus

LG Group unveiled a plan Wednesday to invest 100 trillion won ($74.3 billion) in South Korea by 2028 as it seeks to secure technological competitiveness and expand new growth engines. The announcement was made during the regular shareholders meeting of its holding company LG Corp., held at the Seoul headquarters earlier in the day. The company said the planned investment accounts for 65 percent of LG’s overall global investment by 2028, which reflects its commitment to driving innovation a

March 27, 2024

[Hello India] Corporate Korea sees new growth drivers in India

Amid the escalating US-China rivalry, global supply chains are being reshaped and India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, is getting fresh attention from South Korean tech giants. India boasts the world’s largest population, at over 1.4 billion people, and a robust economy that has experienced substantial growth over the last three decades. Korea’s major conglomerates, which have already secured a sizeable footing in the burgeoning market, are more recently pouring resources

March 27, 2024

SK hynix aims to boost profits with advanced HBM chips

In the latest artificial intelligence boom, SK hynix will boost sales of its high bandwidth memory, or HBM, a critical chip to generative AI tools, to improve profitability, SK hynix Chief Executive Officer Kwak Noh-jung said at a general shareholders meeting Wednesday. Concerning the Wall Street Journal's report on SK hynix' plan to invest $4 billion to build an advanced chip packaging facility in Indiana, Kwan said nothing has been decided yet. "Even if (the market) experiences

March 27, 2024

[Herald Interview] Indonesia, Korea can bridge global AI divide, says vice-minister

Nezar Patria, the Indonesian vice minister of communications and informatics, called for a bilateral partnership with South Korea to bridge the global artificial intelligence gap. The influence of Western values perpetuates an AI divide and leads to the concentration of economic and social benefits in specific regions of the Global North, he said, citing the 2023 World Economic Forum report. The report underscores the potential of AI to boost economic growth while noting the geographical concent

March 26, 2024

LG Electronics CEO vows to elevate shareholder benefits

LG Electronics Chief Executive Officer Cho Joo-wan vowed "winning" changes and growth to overcome continuing uncertainties in the business environment at the regular shareholders meeting on Tuesday. Organizing this year's shareholders event under the concept of "openness," the chief came to present the company's mid- and long-term strategies to shareholders for the first time. The event was livestreamed for the first time as well. "(LG Electronics) is a ‘

March 26, 2024

LG CNS, Vietnam’s FPT team up for DX innovation

South Korean IT solutions provider LG CNS said Tuesday it has teamed up with Vietnam’s largest IT firm to carry out the group’s digital transformation project there. LG CNS recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Hanoi-based FPT Corp. at the Korean IT solutions provider’s headquarters in Seoul. The recent deal is the outcome of the two firms’ years of cooperation as IT partners since 2019, LG CNS officials said. FPT Corp. is a global IT company leading Vietnam&

March 26, 2024

How streaming TV buttons helped boost profits for Samsung, LG

From the red and blue shortcut buttons with Netflix and Disney+ logos to fancier features and operating systems, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, the world’s top two TV makers, are pouring resources into content, not just hardware itself, to elevate profits. Remote control devices have become "billboards" for the streaming giants, in the words LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan, after Netflix started paying major TV manufacturers advertisement fees to include their shortcut bu

March 25, 2024

Competition heats up in HBM market as Nvidia endorses Samsung chip

The race for leadership in the burgeoning high bandwidth memory chips market is growing fiercer, as Nvidia revealed its plan to secure orders for the cutting-edge component from Samsung Electronics, the Korean chip giant seeking to outsmart crosstown rival SK hynix. At a media briefing last week, Jensen Huang, the co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, openly endorsed Samsung Electronics and unveiled the company's plan to use the Korean chipmaker's HBM chips in the future. US-based Nvidia is the biggest

March 24, 2024

[Photo News] Commerce & industry day

President Yoon Suk Yeol (center) and business leaders attend this year's Commerce & Industry Day ceremony held in Seoul on Wednesday. From right: LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Minister for Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun, Yoon, and K Group Chairman Chey Tae-won who doubles as chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. (Yonhap)

March 20, 2024

[Photo News] Samsung president wins top industrial honor

Samsung Electronics Executive President Lee Young-hee, who is in charge of global marketing for mobile devices, poses with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol after receiving the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit in Seoul on Wednesday. Lee is credited for raising the brand value of Samsung. In 2022, she became the first female president at Samsung, apart from members of the founding family. (Yonhap)

March 20, 2024

Samsung-LG rivalry renewed in all-in-one washer

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are seen to be renewing their decadeslong competition in the home appliance market with their first all-in-one washer-dryer machines, which combined the two full-capacity laundry machines to complete the entire laundry process in one step. Both Samsung and LG first unveiled their new single-drum laundry machines at the IFA trade show in Germany in August last year, each claiming their products hold superiority over the other. Samsung presented the Bespoke A

March 19, 2024

SK hynix becomes first to mass produce HBM3E chips

SK hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chip maker, said Tuesday it has begun mass production of its latest HBM3E chips, the next-generation top-performing DRAM for artificial intelligence applications, solidifying its leadership position in the High Bandwidth Memory market. The chip maker said it will deliver the new chips to its clients at the end of this month after finishing the verification process. SK hynix is a major supplier to the US AI chip leader Nvidia but declined to revea

March 19, 2024

Dyson founder visits Seoul for global debut of new hair dryer

James Dyson, the founder and senior engineer of UK home appliance giant Dyson, visited Seoul on Monday to unveil the company’s new hair dryer, the Dyson Supersonic Nural. The new hair dryer, which is designed to better protect hair and the scalp from heat, made its global debut in Korea, one of the brand’s top-selling markets. The 76-year-old Dyson founder showed his appreciation for the local market as he took the stage to introduce the new machine in person. “What we are tryi

March 18, 2024