DRAM price forecast to bounce back

[THE INVESTOR] Demand for DRAM memory chips has slightly picked up as more Chinese smartphone firms adopt the memory chips, according to market watchers. Some also predicted that the upward trend could continue for a while.The increased demand has consequently driven up the price of DRAM chips.The price of a DDR3 2Gb chip stands at $0.934, up from $0.888 several days ago, according to market research firm DRAMeXchange.The main contributing factor for the price increase is that more Chinese smart

June 16, 2016

UHD to become new norm in TV market

UHD to become new norm in TV market[THE INVESTOR] The chief of a global industry group that sets ultra-high definition technology standards said the UHD technology will soon replace high definition technology to become a new norm in the global TV industry. Speaking with Korean reporters in Seoul on Wednesday, UHD Alliance president Hanno Basse said members of the alliance will continue to make concerted efforts to improve the viewing experience of TVs.“It will not take long for UHD TVs to replac

June 16, 2016

Seoul holds NYC summit for local start-ups

[THE INVESTOR] Korea’s state-run agencies held a conference in New York City on June 15 (local time) to help local start-ups gain foothold in the U.S. Korea’s trade promotion agency KOTRA and Small and Medium Business Administration hosted “Korea Startup Summit NYC 2016” at New York City’s Microsoft Technology Center, inviting 15 promising local start-ups and five start-ups that have already entered the U.S. market. More than 50 investors from major American cities, including New York City, Bost

June 16, 2016

247 Korea to launch self-defense smartphone case via Kickstarter next month

[THE INVESTOR] Start-up company 247 Korea announced that it would be launching a self-defense smartphone case through crowdfunding site Kickstarter in July. If the launch via Kickstarter is successful, the company plans to pitch its product on Indiegogo, another crowdfunding site, as well. Intended to serve as a means of self-defense, the smartphone case developed and produced by 247 Korea is equipped with a Taser-like stun gun that extends from the case upon the recognition of the user’s finger

June 16, 2016

AMOLED display to become cheaper than LCD next year

[THE INVESTOR] The price of active-matrix organic light-emitting diodes, or AMOLED, for mobile devices is expected to drop below that of a liquid crystal display, according to market research firm IHS on June 15.A 5.5-inch AMOLED display, currently priced at $34, is expected to become cheaper at $25 to $28. But liquid cystal display, or LCD, prices will remain flat at around $26 to $29 in the first quarter next year, IHS said.Samsung Display’s improved production capacity is one of the biggest c

June 15, 2016

Korea opens global startup center at Pangyo campus

[THE INVESTOR] A “global business support center” was opened in the Pangyo Startup Campus – the hub for digital business startups – on June 15. The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said that the center will be a “gateway” for local startups to engage with overseas investors and to enter foreign markets. The center is responsible for establishing a database of information related to startups here and provide potential overseas investors with this information.  Pangyo Startup Campus.It

June 15, 2016

Samsung to launch cheapest smartphone Galaxy On7 in Korea

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is expected to launch another budget smartphone Galaxy On7 in Korea in the coming weeks via SK Telecom, sources said on June 15. 　The model is the Korean tech giant’s cheapest smartphone that is sold at 10,190 rupees ($153) exclusively in India currently. 　Launched in November, the phone features a 5.5-inch HD Display, a 13 million pixel rear camera, a 5 million pixel front camera and a 3000mAh battery. Samsung's cheapest smartphone Galaxy On7Sources said the K

June 15, 2016

Kakao to shut online video service Daum TV Pot

[THE INVESTOR] Mobile messenger Kakao will end its video service Daum TV Pot and combine it with streaming video service KakaoTV in September.Daum TV Pot features around 270 channels, in collaboration with TV broadcasters, content firms and individuals who run their own online broadcasting channels.Users can share video content posted on KakaoTV on Kakao’s other social network services including KakaoTalk and KakaoStory.Free on-demand movies, Web dramas, and live-streaming videos are available o

June 15, 2016

Samsung lures game aficionados with VR tech

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is showcasing its Galaxy S7 smartphone and virtual reality headset Gear VR at the E2 2016, the world’s largest game trade show, held in Los Angeles from June 14 to 16.The Galaxy S7 and its curved-display variant Galaxy S7 edge are the first smartphones that support the Vulkan, a cross-platform application programming interface which can improve the graphics of mobile games by fully utilizing multi-core mobile processors.At the trade show, Samsung also showcased

June 15, 2016

Association demands swift decision on SKB-CJHV M&A

[THE INVESTOR] A group of cable TV operators on June 15 urged the government to make a swift decision on the merger and acquisition of IPTV firm SK Broadband and cable TV company CJ HelloVision.“Constant efforts should be made to restructure the broadcasting and communications market, and to attract new investment,” said the Korean Cable Television Association, asking state regulators to speed up the process of approving the M&A.The KCTA said the prolonged review sessions of the regulators are w

June 15, 2016

LINE skips dividend payout

[THE INVESTOR] LINE Corp., the messaging app arm of South Korea’s popular web portal Naver, has not been paying dividends to its shareholders and Seoul headquarters, according to documents on June 15. According to documents recently submitted to Tokyo’s main bourse operator, the Japan Exchange Group Inc. and the U.S.-based Securities and Exchange Commission, LINE has never issued dividends since it was launched in 2000. On the issue, the company elaborated about its dividend plans in the submitt

June 15, 2016

Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Note to finally have iris scanner

 [THE INVESTOR] Korean camera module maker Patron will reportedly be supplying its iris camera modules for Samsung Electronics’ next premium smartphone model, presumably the Galaxy Note 7, according to news reports on June 15.The Korean camera module firm reportedly won a bid months ago to supply the entire volume of biometric modules needed for the upcoming smartphone, which is expected to be unveiled on Aug. 2 in New York City.   Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Note 5Some of renderings of the smartp

June 15, 2016

Samsung denies rumors of investment plan for 3D NAND memory

[THE INVESTOR] Tech giant Samsung Electronics on Wednesday officially denied news reports on its investment plans for high-end memory chip production lines.The announcement comes after Korean news media reported that the semiconductor company is planning to invest around 25 trillion won ($21.2 billion)--some claimed 2.5 trillion won-- to beef up its production lines for 3D NAND flash memory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. “The company has not set detailed plans for the investment as the 3D NAND

June 15, 2016

Samsung SDS exec hints at share repurchase

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung SDS chief financial officer Park Sung-tae said on June 14 that the company is considering buying back shares and offering dividends in a bid to bolster the firm’s sagging stock prices.“We are considering repurchasing 1.8 trillion won ($1.5 billion) worth of Samsung SDS stocks,” Park told the company’s minority shareholders who gathered at the firm’s Southern Seoul headquarters.YonhapShare prices of the information and technology arm of Samsung Group have been falling since

June 14, 2016

Samsung to inject 2.5 trillion won into memory chip plant

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics plans to inject an additional up to 2.5 trillion won ($2.1 billion) to beef up memory chip productions at its plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, the Electronic Times reported on June 14. 　With the new investment plan, the Korean tech giant aims to strengthen its leadership in the soaring memory chip market. According to the newspaper, the funding will be used to produce a monthly 40,000 3D NAND Flash memory chip wafers. The plant is expected to start operati

June 14, 2016

Shareholder actions affect Samsung SDS’ asset divest plan

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung SDS, a key information and technology arm of Samsung Group, is likely to choose a split-off rather than a spin-off to reorganize its lucrative business process outsourcing business unit, which is aimed at easing opposition of minority shareholders, according to market watchers on Monday. “Facing a growing number of activist shareholders, the Samsung unit is likely to choose a split-off to minimize the impact of its asset divest plan on its share price,” HI Investment & Sec

June 14, 2016

Samsung apologizes for online glitch

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics has apologized to customers for technical glitches during the online sales of its Galaxy S7 edge Injustice Edition, or as it is often dubbed -- the Batman phone. Soon after the phone went on sale online at 10 a.m. on June 13, around 1,300 orders -- 300 more than the number of smartphones available for sale -- were allowed to be made, due to systemic errors on the website.Samsung Electronics` Galaxy S7 edge Injustice Edition.“If the additional 300 consumers stil

June 14, 2016

Samsung SDI to improve profitability in Q2 on EV batteries

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung SDI, which saw a whopping 700 billion won ($600 million) in operating losses in the first quarter, is expected to improve profitability in the second quarter, largely buoyed by growing demand for automotive batteries. On June 14, Kiwoom Securities estimated that the company’s operating loss could be reduced to stand at about 33.9 billion won for the April-June period. “As marketability is improving in the electric vehicle market, Samsung SDI’s battery business is also expe

June 14, 2016

SKT commercializes next-gen streaming tech

[THE INVESTOR] Network operator SK Telecom has begun using the real-time mobile streaming technology “T Live Streaming” in its sports channel, in a bid to reduce latency, the company said on June 14.The T Live Streaming service is an improved model compared to other existing media transmission technologies such as “HTTP Live Streaming,” and “MPEG-2 Transport Streaming,” both of which have been widely-used standards for the past two decades.The next-generation streaming technology reduces latency

June 14, 2016