[Photo News] Promoting Busan's Expo bid in Europe

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won (left), who doubles as chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, talks with Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at her office in Copenhagen, Friday, as he delivers President Yoon Suk Yeol’s personal letter asking for the European country’s support for Busan’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo. Chey has wrapped up his weeklong trip to Spain, Portugal and Denmark as a presidential special envoy.

March 5, 2023

Medytox's BTX patent could face invalidation trial in US

A patent regarding Medytox’s botulinum toxin product can be embroiled in another legal dispute as its domestic rival Hugel filed for a patent invalidation in the US, according to industry sources on Friday. The patent, which could be considered for invalidation at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board in the US, concerns a method for isolating Botulinum toxin from solution. Medytox applied for the patent in 2017, and the patent was issued in May last year. Hugel, however, argues that the paten

March 3, 2023

Celltrion Group’s retired founder Seo Jung-jin returns to management

Seo Jung-jin, the founder and the honorary chairman of Celltrion Group, will return to management after leaving the company in 2021, Celltrion announced Friday. On Friday, the biopharmaceutical group's key affiliates -- Celltrion Holdings, Celltrion, Celltrion Healthcare, and Celltrion Pharma held separate board meetings and recommended Seo as a candidate for director and co-chairman of the board of directors. Seo’s return will be determined at the four companies’ separate share

March 3, 2023

Samsung’s global DRAM market share inched up; revenue plummeted in Q4

As global chipmakers struggle with a severe market downturn, Samsung Electronics managed to maintain its market share while seeing a sharp loss in revenue, data showed on Thursday. According to market tracker TrendForce, global DRAM revenue fell by 32.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022, when compared to the previous quarter, showing a decline similar to the 36 percent of the final quarter of the 2008 -- when the world was hit by a major financial crisis. The top three DRAM suppliers, Samsun

March 3, 2023

Naver's Webtoon ranked one of world's most innovative platforms

Webtoon, South Korean tech giant Naver’s digital comics platform, has been ranked No. 8 on Fast Company’s list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2023. Fast Company is a monthly American business magazine that publishes an annual ranking of the most innovative companies, this year in 54 different industries and sectors. In the media sector, Webtoon was ranked top, followed by The New York Times. Fast Company said, “Webtoon pioneered a new way to experience dig

March 3, 2023

KT, Intel join hands to launch world's first Wi-Fi 7

South Korean telecommunications giant KT said Thursday it is joining hands with Intel to introduce Wi-Fi 7 technology as the first network service operator. KT and Intel signed an agreement on Tuesday to work together to develop and promote Wi-Fi 7 technology, next-generation Wi-Fi standard, on the sidelines of this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, the Korean telecommunications giant said. Wi-Fi 7 would pack more data into each transmission and raise the speed significantl

March 3, 2023

[Photo News] Smart cottage

LG Electronics introduces a new residential concept of its Smart Cottage, a small modular house equipped with LG's advanced energy and air conditioning technology and filled with differentiated premium home appliances. The smart cottage prototype unveiled has a two-story one-room structure. The living room and kitchen are in one space, and the toilet and powder room are separate.

March 2, 2023

L&F wows investors with $2.9b Tesla deal

South Korean battery materials maker L&F is expected to continue growing after it recently wowed investors around the world by signing a $2.9 billion supply deal with US electric vehicle giant Tesla, according to analysts Thursday. L&F on Tuesday posted in a regulatory filing that it will provide high-nickel cathode materials to Tesla for two years from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2025. The two-year contract is almost four times bigger than L&F’s total sales of 971 billion won ($

March 2, 2023

Korea looks to grant full autonomy, flexibility for new space body

South Korea aims to establish a space agency based on a special law granting a degree of autonomy and flexibility the country’s public sector has never seen, reflecting the government’s all-out efforts to develop and support the space sector. The Ministry of Science and ICT on Thursday announced the beginning of the advanced publication of legislation for the special law on the establishment and operation of the country’s new space agency. The space agency has been tentatively

March 2, 2023

SK Square CEO upbeat about partnership with EQT to nurture global security firm

SK Square Vice Chairman and CEO Park Jung-ho on Tuesday showed high expectations about joint management with Sweden’s EQT Infrastructure to nurture SK Shieldus into a global security firm. In a press conference held on the sidelines of this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Park -- who also doubles as SK hynix CEO -- revealed that EQT Infrastructure will purchase a total 68 percent stake to become the top shareholder of the Korean Security firm. EQT Infrastructure is a

March 1, 2023

SKT to expand global presence ifland metaverse platform

South Korean telecommunication giant SK Telecom is launching its metaverse platform ifland in the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia, in cooperation with a number of global telcos, the company said Wednesday. SKT said it inked separate agreements with Germany’s Deutsche Telekom, US’ T-Mobile, Axiata, which operates in 11 countries in Southeast Asia, and Malaysia’s CelcomDigi on expanding the ifland service, on the sidelines of this year’s Mobile World Congress. &ldq

March 1, 2023

GC acquires Catalyst's orphan hematology disorder pipeline

GC Biopharma announced on Tuesday that it has signed an asset purchase agreement with US drug developer Catalyst Biosciences to acquire its orphan hematology disorder treatment candidates. Under the agreement, GC Biopharma will acquire three drug candidates including Marzeptacog alfa (MarzAA), a rare bleeding disorder treatment candidate, which is being tested in a phase 3 global clinical trial. With the latest agreement, GC Biopharma aims to launch a first-in-class novel drug in global markets,

Feb. 28, 2023

Huons to export local anesthetics to Canada

Huons, a local bio company, announced Tuesday that the company received regulatory approvals from Health Canada to export the company’s local anesthetics. According to Huons, both ampoule and vial types of its lidocaine -- the most widely used local anesthetic -- have received approvals from Health Canada. The company will first send 70,000 vials of its lidocaine in the second quarter this year. Formative Pharma, a Canadian firm specializing in the registration and distribution of pharmace

Feb. 28, 2023

Tech leaders flock to MWC to take cue for innovation

Chiefs of South Korea’s major information and communication technology conglomerates attended the Mobile World Congress 2023, which kicked off in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday. As innovative future technologies ranging from telecommunications and mobile to artificial intelligence and robots are showcased at the event, they gathered to foster new growth engines. On the first day of the MWC, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won visited the ICT trade show to support the group’s telecommunicatio

Feb. 28, 2023

Swedish EQT Partners to acquire SK security affiliate for W3tr

EQT Partners, a private equity fund operated by Sweden’s largest conglomerate, the Wallenberg Group, is expected to acquire SK Shieldus, a South Korean security firm, for about 3 trillion won ($2.27 billion) sources said Monday. EQT Partners is expected to sign the deal this week to purchase a 30 percent stake in SK Shieldus from the top shareholder SK Square, which holds a 63.13 percent stake. SK Square is the investment arm of South Korea’s No. 2 conglomerate SK Group. The Swedis

Feb. 27, 2023

SKT CEO unveils renewed AI vision at MWC

SK Telecom, South Korea's largest mobile carrier, said Monday it would look to lead the artificial intelligence transformation in all areas of its business with its advanced technologies and to establish an alliance with major AI service providers to foster an ecosystem. SK Telecom Chief Executive Officer Ryu Young-sang unveiled the telecommunications giant’s “AI to Everywhere” strategy to lead innovation in a press conference held a day before the annual Mobile World Cong

Feb. 27, 2023

Medytox's BTX dispute shows no end in sight

Medytox will soon be entangled in another dispute with South Korea’s leading botulinum toxin, or BTX, products maker Hugel, while an ongoing legal dispute with Daewoong Pharmaceutical is expected to continue as the latter appealed to a higher court here. According to industry sources on Sunday, a lawyer from the US International Trade Commission, who is responsible for a pending dispute between Medytox and Hugel, reportedly presented an opinion that objected Hugel's request to close t

Feb. 26, 2023

[Beyond Earth] ‘In space sector, failure is natural’

Innospace, a South Korean startup established in 2017, is gearing up to become the first in the world to successfully launch a hybrid rocket -- its Hanbit-TLV -- from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil next month. The second trial comes about three months after the first attempt did not get the green light due to a weather issue, problems with a cooling valve and connection errors between systems. “Although the perception has changed a lot, I think the culture that accepts failure is sti

Feb. 26, 2023

Telecom carriers to show off future tech in Barcelona

South Korea’s top mobile service and device suppliers are set to introduce their latest future technologies involving advanced artificial intelligence and next-generation networks at the world's largest mobile tech show, slated to kick off Monday. At this year's Mobile World Congress taking place in Barcelona, Spain through Thursday, leading telecommunications firms SK Telecom and KT will put up exhibitions focused on their latest AI technologies, enabling various services to boo

Feb. 26, 2023

Samsung kicks off global tech seminar to introduce QLED, OLED TVs

Samsung Electronics said Friday it had kicked off its annual tech seminar series in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, showcasing cutting-edge technologies behind its 2023 TV lineup, which includes Neo quantum dot light-emitting diode and organic light-emitting diode TVs. The tech seminar sessions have served as a platform for picture and sound experts around the globe, delivering detailed information and exclusive hands-on experiences with new Samsung products for the last 12 years. This year&rsqu

Feb. 24, 2023