SK Telecom CEO Park Jung-ho said Wednesday that the company will allow its employees to work from anywhere. “We need to study how we can improve the ways in which we communicate while working since it is not possible to fully return to the ways we did before (the coronavirus),“ he said. The CEO said the company will try many different solutions, utilizing its data and technology to change the company’s work environment. SKT will increase its number of regional offices, whi

Industry Nov. 18, 2020

KT CEO Ku Hyeon-mo has been appointed one of the four new board members of GSMA, an international industry organization dedicated to representing the interests of mobile network operators, the South Korean telecommunications firm announced Tuesday. Ku said he would put his best effort into leading innovations in a wide range of sectors, including 5G networks, artificial intelligence, platforms and business-to-business areas over the next two years. GSMA director general Mats Granryd express

Technology Nov. 17, 2020

The Seoul government and telecommunications firms held a meeting to negotiate the pricing of frequency reallocation costs for 3G and Long-Term Evolution networks in Seoul on Tuesday, but failed to reach a compromise. The latest meeting was held to close gaps that exist between the government and the nation’s three major telecommunications firms, KT, SK Telecom and LG U+. During the meeting, the ICT Ministry rolled out a new offer to local telecommunications firms, proposing to provide

Technology Nov. 17, 2020

Hyundai Mobis, South Korea’s biggest auto parts maker and a key affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group, announced Friday that Axel J. Maschka will become the new head of the company’s global sales division. Maschka is the first non-Korean executive to be hired by Hyundai Mobis in the non-R&D area. Maschka is also the highest-ranking foreign executive ever appointed in the company’s history. Hailing from Germany, Maschka has 30 years of experience in the automotive industry and

Industry Nov. 15, 2020

Hyundai Motor Group has been ranked first among carmakers operating in China in a corporate social responsibility index reported by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the company announced Friday. The company has topped the list measuring carmakers’ corporate social responsibility activities since 2016, the company added. The South Korean automaker was especially recognized for the efforts it made earlier this year in China to help people fight COVID-19, the company explained. H

Industry Nov. 13, 2020

Hanwha Q Cells, South Korea’s leading solar cell and module maker, will build a 41-megawatt floating solar power plant in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, the company said Thursday. According to Hanwha Q Cells, the company received approval from the Korea Water Resources Corporation last week and plans to begin construction of the solar farm within this year. When finished, it will be the largest floating solar power plant built at a dam. It will generate enough electricity for aro

Technology Nov. 12, 2020

SK Telecom, South Korea‘s leading telecommunications firm, said Tuesday that it has introduced a new subscription service for Microsoft‘s Xbox game console in South Korea. The new subscription service bundle is comprised of the latest edition of Microsoft’s Xbox -- the Xbox Series X or Series S -- and a 5G and cloud-based game streaming service, which offers around 100 games for the game console, as well as computers and mobile devices. According to SKT, Korea is currently

Technology Nov. 10, 2020

Samsung Electronics said Monday that its microbiology laboratory unit Eco-Life Lab has been certified by international product testing institute TUV Rheinland for finding new ways to analyze microbial activities in electronic products. Samsung Electronics has recently obtained two different certifications from∙the International Organization for Standardization: ISO 22196 for developing a measurement of antibacterial activity on plastics and other non-porous surfaces and ISO 846 for finding a w

Technology Nov. 9, 2020

US President-elect Joe Biden’s multilateral approach to trade could work in export-reliant South Korea’s favor. But the next administration’s eco-friendly policies and a new approach to dealing with China could weigh on Asia’s fourth-largest economy, according to local sources Sunday. 　 The Bank of Korea said global trade sentiment is expected to recover when President-elect Biden moves to woo US allies battered by Donald Trump’s trade sanctions and work with them

Industry Nov. 8, 2020

Kakao, the operator of South Korea’s largest mobile messenger platform, announced Thursday that the company had posted record-high sales and operating profit in the third quarter this year. The company’s sales in the three-month period reached 1.1 trillion won ($973.38 million), up 41 percent on-year, according to the company’s regulatory filing Thursday. Its operating profit during the same period rose 103 percent on-year to 120.2 billion won, the company added. Kakao&rsqu

Technology Nov. 5, 2020

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has developed an artificial intelligence-powered tool designed to detect computer-manipulated images, the institution said Tuesday. The new Kaicatch software, developed by the KAIST research team led by professor Lee Heung-kyu, is the nation’s first deepfake detection tool, the institution said. The software is capable of analyzing both images and videos to find artificial changes that might be invisible to the human eye. The team deve

Technology Nov. 3, 2020

Microsoft Korea Monday announced the launch of mixed-reality headset HoloLens 2 in South Korea, targeting business customers that plan to implement digital transformation. HoloLens 2 is an upgraded version of its mixed-reality headset that uses technology that overlays digital images onto the real world. The latest version of headset was first launched in February 2019. The newest version of mixed-reality headset features a field of view that’s twice as large as the company‘s prev

Technology Nov. 2, 2020

Unionized workers at GM Korea decided to go on a partial strike after they failed to reach an agreement with the company in wage negotiations, according to the union Friday. The union will proceed with a four-hour walkout on Friday and next Monday, it said. GM Korea and its unionized workers held 21 rounds of negotiations beginning in July. The last one ended after 10 minutes, according to the related parties. The partial strike is expected to weigh on GM Korea as it will deepen productio

Industry Oct. 30, 2020

Golfzon, South Korea’s leading screen golf operator, said Friday that it has launched a new version of its indoor golf simulator. The latest version comes with new features that are designed to improve the player experience, according to the company. For instance, it allows players to make changes to putting green soils, which can influence how a golf ball lands and how it rolls on the ground. The users can also adjust the speed of a golf ball rolling on a putting green, according to t

Technology Oct. 30, 2020

Hyundai Oilbank, South Korea’s major refiner, said Friday that the company would lower its carbon emissions by 30 percent over the next 30 years. Under the plan, the South Korean refiner would cut its carbon emissions by 1.79 million tons, from 6.78 million tons last year to 4.99 million tons in 2050. Hyundai Oilbank said the company would also seek zero net growth in greenhouse gas emissions, even while expanding its business. Hyundai Oilbank is currently conducting joint research wit

Industry Oct. 30, 2020