BUSAN ― KT has opened a network center here to manage superfast cross-border Internet traffic via the world’s biggest underwater cables, connecting South Korea with eight other Asian countries, on the sidelines of the ongoing International Telecommunications Union conference.South Korea’s largest telecommunications company said Tuesday that the Asia Pacific Gateway Network Operation Center in Haeundae will be the control tower that also operates, maintains and fixes the cables whenever a problem

Technology Oct. 21, 2014

BUSAN ― South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Monday called on members of the International Telecommunication Union to work together to combat rising digital inequality.In a keynote speech to launch the 19th ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, which kicked off here Monday, the president said information and communications technology should be developed and aimed primarily at boosting the welfare of all ages, races and classes. “We must prepare for a digital revolution in which high-speed connectio

Technology Oct. 20, 2014

BUSAN ― South Korea’s mobile carriers are competing over Internet connection speeds here at an exhibition on the sidelines of an International Telecommunications Union conference as they prepare for the Internet of Things era.SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus are displaying their capability to provide fast gigabit connection speeds via demonstrations of high-resolution content downloads or streaming at the three-day World IT Show.SK Telecom said Monday that it has partnered with Samsung Electronics to

Technology Oct. 20, 2014

BUSAN ― LG Electronics introduced its vision for the fifth-generation mobile communications era, showcasing a variety of high-tech products ranging from televisions to wearables at the World IT Show Monday.South Korea’s second largest tech company displayed its 77-inch Ultra OLED TVs, Web operating system-based smart TVs and the LG G Watch R smartwatch in line with its 5G vision aimed at boosting the products’ user-friendly interfaces “beyond imagination.”Models pose with LG Electronics’ LG G Wa

Technology Oct. 20, 2014

BUSAN ― Samsung Electronics said Monday that it would showcase a variety of products based on fifth-generation mobile technology during the three-day World IT Show in the city.It will reveal its 5G technology enabling users to stream ultrahigh-definition content on large-screen televisions.The company added that it would share with guests and officials of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference this week how it successfully developed and demonstrated its 5G mobile technology. A model introduces the G

Technology Oct. 20, 2014

TriBeluga, a Chinese start-up incubation center, said it will “spare no effort” in supporting South Korean tech start-ups seeking to make inroads into China’s environment, health care and education sectors. Lili Luo, president and founder of TriBeluga, said the incubator will not only provide seed money to early-stage innovative start-ups, but also help them grow via initial public offerings or mergers and acquisitions, two key factors that determine the success and sustainability of start-ups.“

Technology Oct. 16, 2014

The following is the fourth in a series of articles on the creative green economy, which focuses on generating new growth engines and was initiated by the Park Geun-hye administration and the Ministry of Environment. ― Ed.Saving energy to sustain the environment is not an easy task.People will have to break old habits or thinking, and adapt to a new lifestyle as a start.But with the right tools and appliances, they can learn to efficiently manage energy at home or office, which would start a pos

Technology Oct. 15, 2014

Blind, an anonymous mobile message board developed by startup Team Blind, is quickly changing the way communication takes place in corporate offices.First launched in 2013 as an exclusive service for employees of Korean Internet giant Naver, Blind message boards are made upon the request of employees of the same company or of the same industry sector.Since the message board is accessible only to those from the same firm or same industry, the subjects discussed on the board are mostly linked to t

Technology Oct. 15, 2014

KakaoTalk, South Korea’s most-used messenger app, has once again become the center of national attention, stirring up controversy over its announcement that it would not accede to laws allowing authorities to inspect its user data.The issue over the platform’s privacy policy has split the nation, with some people posting online comments that its new security measures have been long overdue, while others accused it of arrogance and believing that it can operate above the law.The legal community,

Technology Oct. 14, 2014

Homeplus, one of South Korea’s largest grocery chains, will have to explain during a parliamentary inspection what seems like an intentional leakage of its customers’ private information to third parties.Its alleged wrongdoings come at a time when public criticism is growing against the country’s weak security protection systems, following a series of information theft, leaks and monitoring.Homeplus executives, including chief executive Do Sung-hwan, as well as its multinational owner U.K.-based

Technology Oct. 13, 2014

The outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus appears to be having its toll on South Korea as it prepares to greet thousands of government officials and corporate executives later this month for the world’s biggest information technology meeting for members of the Geneva-based International Telecommunications Union. The government is seeking to take precautionary measures, but at the same time seems to be treading lightly to avoid tension with other ITU member countries. The dilemma surfaced when repor

Technology Oct. 9, 2014

IMJADO, South Jeolla Province ― KT, South Korea’s largest telecommunications company, has realized its “GiGAtopia” vision on this island off Korea’s southwest coast.After developing the necessary infrastructure for faster Internet connections over the last three months on Imjado, the telecom giant has enabled the island’s citizens to easily access information, view high-quality content and receive health care services.KT said Tuesday that the establishment of the so-called GiGA Island here was o

Technology Oct. 7, 2014

Samsung Electronics said Monday that it would invest about 15.6 trillion won ($15 billion) to build a chip plant in an industrial complex in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.The South Korean tech giant will begin construction on the plant’s first manufacturing line on a 790,000-square-meter plot of land inside the 2.83-square-kilometer complex in the first half of next year. It will start producing chips in the second half of 2017.This marks the company’s biggest investment in chip production facil

Technology Oct. 6, 2014

Daum Communications and Kakao Corp. have joined forces and are looking ahead to an era in which everything is connected to the Internet.After five months of consolidating the two entities and their corporate cultures, the newly merged 12 trillion won ($11 billion) company will henceforth be called Daum Kakao.With a new black-and-white logo and the new slogan “Connect Everything,” Daum Kakao chief executives Choi Sae-hoon and Lee Sir-goo say the company aims to grow as a platform service provider

Technology Oct. 1, 2014