KT and CJ ENM have decided to merge their over-the-top video streaming platforms -- Seezn and Tving -- to create the largest Korean-made video streaming platform. The merger could accelerate the growth of Korean video content, officials said Thursday. The two companies each held board of directors meetings and decided that KT’s Seezn will be absorbed by CJ ENM’s Tving. KT Studio Genie, which holds a 100 percent stake in Seezn, will become the third-largest shareholder of the newly

Industry July 14, 2022

LG Uplus has launched a new subscription platform service that offers more convenient access, cheaper bundle deals and a simpler cancellation process in order to maximize customized experiences for its users, the South Korean mobile carrier said Thursday.  The new subscription service‘s name, Udok, is a combination of Uplus and the latter part of the Korean word “gudok” meaning subscription. “Udok has three differentiating factors. First, it does not require contr

Technology July 14, 2022

Korean American mathematician June Huh -- winner of the 2022 Fields Medal, the highest award in mathematics -- encouraged young students to stay patient with themselves when trying to figure out what they like. “If you are trying to like something but it’s hard to do so, I think you should support and wait for yourself. If you push yourself too hard, it’s difficult to purely like something. You should know when it’s time to relax, and I think that is how you can have goo

Technology July 13, 2022

SK Telecom will distribute and circulate in-metaverse cash on its virtual platform ifland to encourage more participation from users starting in the third quarter, the South Korean mobile carrier said Wednesday. Calling it an introduction of internal economic system, ifland users will be given points that can used as cash in the platform, if they take part in continuous activities such as building up attendance and carrying out missions. With such points, users will be able to sponsor others w

Technology July 13, 2022

South Korea has only two companies on the list of the world’s top 100 information and communications technology firms, despite the country’s self-claimed label as an ICT powerhouse, the Federation of Korean Industries said Tuesday. The KFI used the database from company tracker S&P Capital IQ to rank the global top 100 ICT companies by market capitalization. According to the FKI’s analysis, South Korea’s Samsung Electronics ranked ninth and SK hynix came in at 56th.

Industry July 12, 2022

More research into proteomics -- the study of the collection of proteins in the human body -- could infinitely upgrade the diagnosis sector so that all types of diseases can be easily detected in the early stages, a proteomics expert said. “There are diseases that have limited relations with DNA and genomics, such as depression and cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, protein is involved in most biological activities so there is a wide range of areas that can be dealt with proteom

Technology July 11, 2022

A dispute between Kakao Corp. management and its labor union is growing over the IT giant’s rumored attempt to sell its transportation service subsidiary Kakao Mobility to private equity firm MBK Partners. Kakao’s labor union on Wednesday accused the management of giving up on its mobility business, questioning if the sell-off to the private equity fund can help the business grow. According to the union’s statement, Kakao Corp. said its mobility platform cannot grow anymore

Technology July 10, 2022

K-pop girl group aespa on Friday premiered the title track “Girls” of their second EP on the opening stages of the Good Morning America’s summer concert at the Rumsey Playfield in the Central Park in New York. According to the group’s agency S.M. Entertainment, aespa became to the first K-pop girl group to perform at the summer concert series hosted by ABC, a major US television network.   The four-member group also delivered performances of “Black Mamba

K-pop July 9, 2022

Korean American mathematician June Huh on Wednesday underlined the importance of communication and collaboration when it comes to solving difficult problems in mathematics, a day after he became the first person of Korean descent to win the internationally prestigious Fields Medal. “The charming point of mathematics is that collaborative research has become very active in today’s mathematics,” Huh said in a press conference at the Korea Institute for Advanced Study in Seoul.

Technology July 6, 2022

Korean American mathematician June Huh has won this year’s prestigious Fields Medal to become the first person of Korean descent to receive the prestigious international award. The Fields Medal, widely regarded as the Nobel Prize of mathematics, is given to mathematicians under the age of 40 for significant contributions to the field of mathematics at the International Congress of Mathematicians held every four years. The ICM, organized by the International Mathematical Union, took pla

Technology July 5, 2022

South Korean companies are dashing to develop diagnostic kits for monkeypox as the country confirmed the first case of the rare infectious disease last month. A number of firms that had success with the development of COVID-19 diagnostic kits in the earlier days of the pandemic, including Bioneer, Boditech Med, Genes Laboratories, Seasun Biomaterials, Seegene and Wells Bio, have already developed testing kits for monkeypox. According to companies, most Korean-made diagnostic kits can show th

Technology July 4, 2022

SK팜테코가 자회사 SK바이오텍 아일랜드 공장 증설에 3,000만 달러(약 389억 원)를 추가 투자한다. SK바이오텍 아일랜드를 이끄는 조이스 피츠해리스 사장은 코리아헤럴드와의 이메일 인터뷰에서 이와같이 추가 투자계획을 밝히면서 “2단계에 걸친 (증설) 자금은 총 6,500만 달러로 예상된다”고 말했다. 지난달 SK팜테코는 더블린시에 위치한 SK바이오텍 공장 확장을 위해 먼저 3,500만 달러를 투자한다고 발표하면서, 2024년 완공을 목표로 증설이 두 단계로 나눠서 진행될 것이라고 밝혔다. 완공시 SK바이오텍의 총생산 용량은 50% 증가하게 된다. 2단계 투자액이 조금 적은 이유에 대해 피츠해리스 사장은 ”1단계 증설의 활용도를 극대화하기 위해 대부분의 부대시설이 1단계 증설로 설치된다“고 설명했다. SK는 지난 2017년 세계적 제약회사인 브리스톨마이어스스큅으로부터 아일랜드 공장을 인수했고, 사명을 SK바이오텍 아일랜드로 바꿨다

한국어판 July 3, 2022

SK Pharmteco, a global contract development and manufacturing organization under South Korean conglomerate SK Group, will invest an additional $30 million (39 billion won) for the second phase expansion of its subsidiary SK Biotek’s Irish pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, an executive told The Korea Herald. “The total funding over the two phases is expected to be $65 million -- $35 million for phase one and an additional $30 million planned for the second phase expansion,” s

Industry July 3, 2022

LG Electronics and S.M. Entertainment unveiled on Thursday their joint venture -- Fitness Candy -- to target the home training market by offering digital workout content. The joint venture will have the home appliance maker develop an application, cloud server, online platforms, and necessary devices such as muscle-training equipment, indoor bicycle and smartband for Fitness Candy’s home fitness services. LG's counterpart, S.M. Entertainment will take the charge of providing various cont

Industry June 30, 2022

South Korea has authorized its first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine, finally securing vaccine sovereignty almost 30 months after the pandemic began. The government on Wednesday announced the official approval of SKYCovione, a recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine developed by SK Bioscience, after the final examination committee held a meeting to review the previous assessments earlier in the day. “The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety thoroughly verified safety and efficacy through a t

Technology June 29, 2022