Technology July 18, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] After mobile messenger app Line Corp.’s high-profile stock market debut in the U.S. and Japan, the company and its parent Naver face a hefty task —staying competitive in the global mobile messenger and Internet market dominated by U.S. and Chinese Internet giants, such as Facebook, Google and Tencent.Japan-based Line Corp. owned by South Korean Internet giant Naver, went public on the New York Stock Exchange and Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday and Friday after raising $1.3 billio

July 15, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] South Korea and the US on July 13 officially announced the location of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense in the southern region of Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province. (theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)

July 13, 2016

July 12, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Local brokerages have adjusted the new high of Samsung Electronics’ share price after the company announced its best quarterly earnings in two years. According to estimates of 23 securities companies on July 11, the average target price was adjusted to 1.67 million won (US$1,500), the highest price proposed was 1.8 million won.  Samsung Electronics’ huge light-emitting diode signage installed at the Plaza Callao in Madrid, Spain / Samsung ElectronicsThe rosy outlook comes after th

July 11, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics, upbeat on strong sales of Galaxy S7 phones, has paid hefty incentives, worth 100 percent of salary, to its mobile business division, according to industry sources. Samsung offers incentives in three different levels -- A for 100 percent, B for 50 percent and C for 37.5 percent. The mobile business division was offered the highest A-level incentives on July 8. In its tentative earnings guidance released on July 7, Samsung estimates it will post an operating inc

July 8, 2016

The tycoons of Korea’s top 10 family-run conglomerates, or chaebol, control their empire with less than 1 percent of equity stake ownership, but are backed by a record-high level of intragroup shareholdings, the nation’s antitrust agency said Thursday. According to the Fair Trade Commission, “owners” of the country’s top 10 chaebol groups hold an average 0.9 percent of their group’s total shares as of April 1, unchanged from last year, but down from 2.9 percent in 1998. Their relatives currently

July 7, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Google and Apple are resisting the Korean government’s legal revision to uninstall preloaded apps on their new mobile devices. According to local news daily Asia Economy, the two US tech giants have recently offered their official opposition to the planned revision through the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.  In April, the Korea Communications Commission, the telecom regulator, announced a revision that will allow consumers to delete apps they don’t need.Following governmen

July 7, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Italian carmaker Ferrari plans to start its own second-hand car business in Korea -- the first by an international super car brand here. 　According to industry sources on July 5, its Korean importer and distributor FMK Corp. recently set up a new business division and has started preparations for the business launch within the year. 　With the robust growth of import car market in Korea, popular brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have already jumped into the soaring s

July 5, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] SK Telecom faced a major setback on July 5 over the Fair Trade Commission’s rejection of its request to take over CJ HelloVision -- a 1 trillion won deal that was widely expected to give a major boost to the nation’s leading mobile carrier in expanding its media platform business.The watchdog has notified SK Telecom that it will not permit the merger plan, saying the deal impedes fair market competition. The FTC also told the telecom giant that the two should neither carry out a m

July 5, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is shifting liquid-crystal display purchases from its own display-making unit Samsung Display to Chinese makers for cost benefits. According to a recent report by TrendForce, the world’s largest TV maker is adjusting its panel supply sources as it prepares for the peak shipment season of the third quarter.  Samsung has already cut orders from Samsung Display, purchasing more panels from Chinese and Taiwanese panel suppliers. This year, Korean TV makers will sec

July 4, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Shin Young-ja, the chairwoman of Lotte Foundation and daughter of Lotte Group founder Shin Kyuk-ho, appeared at the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office in the morning July 1 as the bribery investigation involving the chairwoman deepens in South Korea.Shin Young-ja is the elder sister of Lotte chairman Shin Dong-bin and SDJ Corp. chief Shin Dong-joo, who have been fighting over control of the group.She is the first person from Lotte’s founding family to be summoned by the prosecution

July 1, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics’ new Note phablet, tentatively called “Galaxy Note 7,” is expected to have a curved screen, indicating the Korean tech giant’s commitment to a dual-edge curved display for its Galaxy smartphones. 　According to local daily Munwha Ilbo, Samsung is not considering launching a flat screen version of the Note phone.  The Galaxy Note 7 will be unveiled at an unpacked event held in New York in August. It will become the first Note phone with a curved screen. 　Citing i

Technology June 21, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Korean Internet giant Naver has decided to adopt the “right to be forgotten” for its Q&A search service, called “Knowledge Search,” allowing users to remove their online questions. The company had been skeptical about the adoption, saying if a question is removed, the rights of those who write the answers will also violated. But the company decided to change the policy following a set of new guidelines announced by the Korea Communications, the local telecom regulator. “We respect

June 21, 2016

[THE INVESTOR] Korea’s Military Mutual Aid Association, one of the largest institutional investors in the country with 9.4 trillion won (US$8 billion) under management, is reviewing plans to invest in foreign venture capital to secure higher returns, the association’s investment chief said.“We may open opportunities not only to private equities, but to venture capital next year when investing in overseas blind pool funds,” Lee Sang-ho, chief investment officer of the Military Mutual Aid Associat

June 21, 2016