LINE’s IPO 25 times oversubscribed

[THE INVESTOR] LINE Corp.’s simultaneous initial public offerings in Japan and the US this week were nearly 25 times oversubscribed with deposits totaling 2.77 trillion yen (US$2.66 billion), according to lead managers of the dual stock listings on July 14. LINE, operator of its namesake immensely popular mobile messaging app, will make its stock debut on the New York Stock Exchange on July 14 and Tokyo Stock Exchange the next day. Naver board chairman Lee Hae-jinReflecting keen interest among i

July 14, 2016

Netmarble Games to release ‘Soul King’ worldwide

[THE INVESTOR] Netmarble Games, a South Korean game producer, said on July 13 that it will release “Soul King,” a comedic mobile role playing game, in 154 countries including Japan and North America.The game provides about 370 characters, and players take missions to defeat evil at each level to protect the Kingdom of Dune. The game was released in South Korea on June 15. Established in 2000, the firm was ranked eighth in global mobile game revenue last year, according to the company’s website. 

July 13, 2016

SK Holdings C&C to develop robot solutions

[THE INVESTOR] SK Holdings C&C, a data services firm, said July 13 that it would work with a local robot company to develop new robot solutions utilizing up-to-date artificial intelligence and cloud computing technologies.Signing a partnership deal on the day at its headquarters in Bundang, the C&C and Robocare vowed to collaborate to develop the robot solutions.The C&C will deploy its AI, big data and cloud computing technologies for the joint project while the local robot maker will make use o

July 13, 2016

KT teams up with Samsung, Warner Bros to promote HDR tech

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean network operator KT has joined hands with tech giant Samsung Electronics and media content producer Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to commercialize high-dynamic-range imaging -- a next-generation video technology that produces more dynamic images.During a media event on July 12 in Seoul, KT unveiled a lineup of services and products utilizing HDR. Yoo Hee-kwan, KT’s head of media business, introduces the firm’s HDR services at the press meeting in Seoul on July 12. K

July 13, 2016

Kakao launches hair salon booking app

[THE INVESTOR] Korean Internet giant Kakao, the operator of the immensely popular KakaoTalk mobile messenger, on July 12 launched a new hair salon booking app as part of its ongoing push for diverse online-to-offline services. The service, called Kakao Hairshop, has partnered with some 1,500 hair salons nationwide and plans to add an additional 2,500 shops by the end of this year. Users are required to preregister their credit and debit cards and make reservations and payments simply by typing i

July 12, 2016

Nexon’s mobile game ‘HIT’ downloads exceed 1 million

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean online game firm Nexon’s global version of mobile role-playing game “HIT” is garnering popularity worldwide with the number of downloads exceeding 1 million, the company said on July 12.The game, released in 140 countries on July 7, supports 10 languages, including Thai and Cantonese, and it has made the top 10 list for paid mobile apps on Apple’s App Store in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Taiwan -- fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.“Utilizing game designing tool Unre

July 12, 2016

Korea’s IoT market to surge to W17tr by 2020

[THE INVESTOR] Korea’s market for Internet of Things services is expected to surge from the current 3.3 trillion won (US$ 3 billion) to 17.1 trillion won by 2020, a think tank predicted on July 12. The forecast means the nation’s IoT market will grow at an annual average of 38.5 percent in the next five years, outpacing 28.8 percent of the global market. Samsung ElectronicsHyundai Research Institute pinpointed smart home, smart city and smart car as top three promising industries in an era of th

July 12, 2016

Oculus Rift poised to debut in Korea

[THE INVESTOR] US tech firm Oculus has filed an application to receive a mandatory radio wave certification for its virtual reality headset in South Korea, an apparent move to release the VR device here soon. Oculus, owned by Facebook, excluded South Korea from the list of the global markets where its VR device went on sale in January. Oculus’ virtual reality headsetThe Gear VR, developed together by Samsung Electronics and Oculus, has been ruling the domestic market so far.The US VR firm has al

July 12, 2016

Gamevil’s ‘Kingdom of War’ makes global debut

[THE INVESTOR] Korean mobile game publisher Gamevil announced on July 12 that its popular role-playing game “Kingdom of War” has made its global debut on the day. It is a strategy game based on a medieval fantasy world in which the mercenary characters of 52 species appear.Gamevil expects a positive market response as it has gained recognition after releasing a teaser trailer and pre-booking events. It said it has heavily invested on a robust development and global live service. By Yun Jeong-hye

July 12, 2016

CJHV, SKB submit reports to convince FTC of M&A

[THE INVESTOR] Cable TV network operator CJ HelloVision and IPTV firm SK Broadband submitted follow-up reports to the antitrust watchdog after its recent rejection of their merger and acquisition deal.The two companies refused to provide any details of the report, but they are said to have claimed the feasibility of the planned M&A deal.The Fair Trade Commission had opposed the proposed M&A plan on the grounds that the combined business entity will become a dominant player in the pay TV market a

July 11, 2016

LINE sets IPO price at 3,300 yen

[THE INVESTOR] LINE Corp. has set the price for its initial public offering at the top of its marketing range to raise up to 132.8 billion yen (US$1.3 billion), the company said in a regulatory filing on July 11 in Tokyo. The immensely popular mobile messaging service, owned by Korean Internet giant Naver, will sell 35 million shares at 3,300 yen per share. Another 5.25 million shares also will be sold through a so-called greenshoe option allowing it to increase the amount of stock sold. The com

July 11, 2016