LG researcher reappointed to lead Next G Alliance for 6G tech

LG Electronics said Tuesday that one of its senior researchers has been reappointed to lead a working group in an American mobile technology alliance for 6G technology development. Lee Ki-dong, senior researcher in LG Electronics' Chief Technology Officer division, has been reappointed as the chairperson of the Applications Working Group in the Next G Alliance until May 2025. He was first appointed to the position in 2021. The Next G Alliance is an industry initiative launched by the US-b

June 20, 2023

[Graphic News] Number of foreign patients increases

According to a report released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 248,000 patients from abroad visited South Korea for medical treatment last year, up 70 percent from 146,000 in 2021. In 2019, just a year before the pandemic, 497,000 foreign patients entered Korea. Recently, the ministry has released a set of strategies for attracting up to 700,000 foreign patients a year to Korea by 2027. In order to meet its goal by 2027, the government will implement four different strategies: improving i

June 20, 2023

SK-AstraZeneca's new diabetes drug goes into production

SK Chemical said Monday it has begun commercial production of a new diabetes treatment drug co-developed with AstraZeneca. Under their partnership, SK Chemical will be responsible for production of the diabetes treatment drug that will be supplied here and overseas countries in the future, SK Chemical added. “(SK Chemical’s new diabetes treatment drug) has shown the company’s capability in developing and producing medical products. (The new treatment) is expected to help SK Che

June 19, 2023

Hyundai Motor's Busan Expo promotional video hits 100 million views

Hyundai Motor Group's promotional videos for Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo racked up over 100 million combined views after the first video was released three months ago, the country's top automotive group said Monday. The promotion campaign comprises 37 videos, which include two videos targeting the global audience, and 35 short-form videos addressing individual member countries of the Bureau International des Expositions, the international body responsible for overseei

June 19, 2023

Samsung adopts AI in product design, opens design lab in US, France

Samsung Electronics has adopted artificial intelligence into its design process, utilizing advanced technology to empower designers to "fully unleash" their creativity, according to the company's chief designer. "With the diffusion of new AI capabilities, new relationships need to be established between people and products. As a result, designers need to master totally new powerful tools," Federico Casalegno, the tech giant's executive vice president of design, said

June 19, 2023

[Photo News] Samsung backs Busan expo bid

The facade of Paris' Palais Garnier is covered in a Samsung Electronics' advertisement promoting its mobile phones and Busan's 20230 World Expo bid, in this photo provided by the tech giant on Monday. Samsung is launching a two-day promotion event on Tuesday supporting Busan's bid in Paris, where the general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions is slated to take place in November. The host country of the World Expo 2030 will be decided there.

June 19, 2023

[Hello Hangeul] Race heats up for Hangeul AI

The following series is part of The Korea Herald’s “Hello Hangeul” project which consists of interviews, in-depth analyses, videos and various other forms of content that shed light on the stories of people who are learning the Korean language and the correlation between Korea’s soft power and the rise of its language within the league of world languages. – Ed. Amid the immense popularity of Korean-made content from music to TV shows, an increasing number of peopl

June 18, 2023

KT, Samsung Medical Center join hands to export medical tech

South Korean telecommunications giant KT and Samsung Seoul Medical Center are teaming up to export Korea's medical services and digital technology for hospitals, KT said Saturday. The two sides signed an agreement on Friday, under which they will work together to come up with a monitoring system that uses digital health care devices to check up on patients, and to conduct joint research on ways to use artificial intelligence in hospitals using big data. KT is currently preparing to open a m

June 18, 2023

Pixar movies to run on Samsung’s Onyx Cinema LED screens

Samsung Electronics has joined hands with Pixar Animation Studios to run animated movies on its Onyx Cinema LED screens, offering significantly enhanced picture quality, the company said Sunday. Under their partnership, Pixar made its latest movie, “Elemental,” available for 4K HDR resolution. HDR produces a brighter, clearer image when compared to the conventional SDR resolution. Samsung’s Onyx Cinema LED screen is the world’s first LED cinema screen. The extraordinary d

June 18, 2023

Korea’s startups minister meets with LVMH chief at Paris tech show

South Korea’s Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee Young met with Bernard Arnault, chairman of French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH Group, to exchange opinions on possible collaboration between Korean startups and LVMH brands, the ministry said Friday. The minister was visiting Paris to attend the Viva Technology 2023, one of the largest startup and tech events held in Paris from Wednesday through Saturday this week. During the event, she met with several executives from French companies to

June 16, 2023

[Contribution] Korea’s green leadership shines in combating desertification, land degradation

By Nam Sung-hyun Minister of the Korea Forest Service The United Nations General Assembly designated June 17 as "World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought" in December 1994. The annual UN observance day aims to raise awareness of global efforts to combat desertification, land degradation and drought. In 2023, the UN day holds special significance for Korea, as this year commemorates the 50th anniversary of Korea's national reforestation plan launched in 1973. Land and fore

June 16, 2023

Top chaebol groups search for breakthrough strategies

Major conglomerates are holding management meetings to review their performance in the first half of the year and to discuss strategies to avoid crisis in the remaining half of 2023. SK Group, South Korea's second largest conglomerate group by revenue, held the 2023 Extended Management Meeting on Thursday, gathering top executives of its affiliates to discuss the group's action plans for the second half of the year, and to share their long-term visions. SK Chairman Chey Tae-won attende

June 15, 2023

US likely to extend exemptions for Korean chip production in China

South Korean chipmakers would be able to continue operating and upgrading their chip manufacturing plants in China, as the US is reportedly considering to extend the exemption on export controls against China. US Undersecretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez told an audience at an industry gathering last week that the government aims to extend exemptions for South Korean and Taiwanese chip suppliers with their facilities in China, according to a report by the Wall Street Jour

June 14, 2023

[KH explains] Parents turn to growth hormone to give their children an edge

South Korea’s growth hormone deficiency treatment market has seen stunning growth in recent years, particularly with growing interest in children’s height among parents here. “I heard that there are three things that moms in Daechi-dong (Seoul’s infamous private education district) do for their children these days: teeth straightening, squint eye correction and growth hormone treatment,” a 36-year-old working mom living in Gyeonggi Province said on condition of anon

June 14, 2023

More flexible workweeks at Samsung, large firms

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it is introducing more flexible working hours by allowing employees to take one Friday off per month. Keen attention is being paid to the brand new working hour scheme launched by the nation’s largest company by sales, renewing discussions about the idea of a four-day workweek, two decades after a five-day workweek was introduced back in 2002. Samsung’s new policy will be applied to all employees who fulfill the required work hours of 160 to 168 hours

June 13, 2023

Samsung, SolarEdge team up for net-zero homes

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it was teaming up with Israeli firm SolarEdge Technologies, the world's leading solar smart inverter company, to promote carbon-neutral homes. Under the new partnership, Samsung has established a foothold for expanding its SmartThings Energy business in Europe. Samsung has previously cooperated with global solar firms including Hanwha Q Cells, SMA Solar Technology and Maxeon Solar Technologies, the company said. “We will continue to cooperate with vari

June 13, 2023

[KH explains] K-beauty's US gambit pays off amid sagging China sales

Amid dwindling sales in China, South Korean beauty companies are pivoting away from the lucrative market and decamping for greener pastures in the US. Industry watchers say the strategic shift in K-beauty companies comes due to a slew of reasons -- the rising demand for K-beauty products in the US, growth in China’s own cosmetics industry and increasingly nationalist consumers in China. But they also agree China is still “too big to ditch.” Stellar growth in US Korea is one

June 12, 2023

Ex-Samsung exec arrested for leaking chip tech to China

A former executive of Samsung Electronics has been taken into custody for leaking the tech giant’s confidential business information to build a copycat semiconductor manufacturing plant in China, a local prosecutor’s office said Monday. In a press conference, the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office revealed it has arrested the 65-year-old former executive of Samsung for violating the Prevention of Divulgence and Protection of Industrial Technology Act and the Unfair Competition

June 12, 2023

Samsung's chip division to introduce custom AI Services for employees

Samsung Electronics reportedly plans to launch an in-house artificial intelligence-based service for internal use this year amid security concerns raised over OpenAI’s highly-advanced chatbot ChatGPT, according to industry sources on Sunday. Sources on condition of anonymity said the company’s co-CEO Kyung Kye-hyun, who oversees the tech giant’s chip business, recently unveiled the plan during a recent lecture attended by Samsung executives and employees. During the lecture, Ky

June 11, 2023

Hahn & Co. to acquire medical device maker Lutronic

South Korea’s largest private equity firm, Hahn & Company, announced Friday it has signed a definitive agreement with Lutronics jointly to launch a tender offer for all remaining shares of the Korean medical device maker, worth 957 billion won ($735.9 million). Lutronic, established in 1997, has been expanding its global presence supplying aesthetic medical devices in overseas markets, according to Hahn & Co. In 2022, Lutronic reported sales of over 264 billion won in 2022, with 40

June 9, 2023