South Korea’s three mobile carriers SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus announced their subsidy plans for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 on Saturday as they began receiving preorders for Samsung Electronics’ latest smartphone on the day.Under current law, local smartphone buyers who purchase a smartphone and sign up for a payment plan here can choose from one of the following two subsidies -- an upfront, one-time subsidy that can be used in purchasing a new device, or a monthly 20 percent discount on the use

Technology Aug. 7, 2016

South Korean Internet giants Naver and Kakao together provided the government access to a total of 50 user accounts upon the state's request to wiretap them for investigative purposes during the first half of this year, records revealed by the two companies showed Wednesday.All Korean companies are currently mandated by law to hand over personal user data, such as chat records and emails, to the government, which can request such information for serious criminal investigations, Kakao said.Naver

Technology Aug. 4, 2016

LG Electronics on Thursday announced plans for the worldwide launch of its premium large-size smartphone LG V20 early next month. Its first launch event is set for San Francisco on Sept. 6, with another in Seoul on Sept. 7.The South Korean electronics-maker sent out a poster invitation to local and global media titled “Play More,” featuring the image of a pop-up book and text reading “The second story begins, LG V20.”The LG V20 -- categorized as a “phablet,” a combination of a phone and tablet -

Technology Aug. 4, 2016

South Korea’s three network operators on Thursday said they will begin receiving preorders for the newly released Samsung Galaxy Note 7 from this weekend at the local price of 988,900 won ($890) per device. SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus announced they will open up preorders for the Galaxy Note 7 at online and offline retailers from 9 a.m. on Saturday. The device is available locally only in the 64GB version and in three colors -- blue coral, gold platinum and silver titanium.The Samsung Galaxy Not

Technology Aug. 4, 2016

Kakao, the operator of South Korea’s top mobile messaging app KakaoTalk, on Thursday said it will launch a new mobile selfie application called KakaoTalk Cheez this month.　The app will allow users to take photos and videos, and decorate them with various moving stickers, filters as well as Kakao’s flagship Kakao Friends characters.  (Kakao)Some standout features will include a function which digitally decorates a user’s face to resemble a Kakao Friends character and an option through which a use

Technology Aug. 4, 2016

South Korean biotechnology firm Seegene on Wednesday said that it has introduced a new platform technology that automates steps involved in “molecular diagnostics” such as DNA analysis.　Seegene’s newly developed “real-time PCR” platform technology, the “SGsilico,” is able to automate the dozens of steps involved in the “molecular assay” procedure -- analyzing the given components of a substance, such as human genes.Molecular diagnostics can determine and diagnose what kind of disease or conditio

Industry Aug. 3, 2016

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has organized an insect food tasting event in Seoul, with the aim of improving the public perception of edible insects and promoting the growth of the insect food industry. The event will run from Aug. 4-17 at the Nonghyup Hanaro Club in Yangjae-dong of southern Seoul and feature 19 insect-based food items made by four food companies, the ministry said.Visitors can try out diverse foods that contain edible insects -- such as cookies, noodles, e

Industry Aug. 3, 2016

South Korean tech giant Samsung Group is working to expand its biosimilars business beyond Samsung Bioepis, the group’s drug developing unit specializing in making biosimilar drugs, according to industry sources on Wednesday. 　Archigen Biotech Ltd., a joint venture between Samsung BioLogics and U.K.-based AstraZeneca, on June 20 applied for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval to initiate phase 3 clinical trials for SAIT101, a biosimilar drug referencing Biogen’s Rituxan (rituximab).

Technology Aug. 3, 2016

Yanolja, a South Korean motel booking app operator, on Tuesday said it will lead the way in transforming public perceptions of local motels from unclean, shabby spaces for sex to high-quality, affordable lodging options for locals and foreigners.While Westerns perceive motels as simplistic, cheap lodging facilities, Koreans have long considered motels -- often referred to as “love motels” here -- as private spaces rented usually for the objective of sex, rather than for accommodation.Yanolja fou

Industry Aug. 2, 2016

The South Korean government on Tuesday announced plans to invest a total of 200 billion won ($181 million) into building more public charging stations for electric vehicles, with the aim to nurture the growth of the local EV market.　The Ministry of Trade Industry and Energy and the state-owned Korea Electric Power Corp. plan to build 150 public charging stations in Seoul, Jejudo Island and other parts of the country by the end of this year.　The 150 public charging stations -- 60 in Seoul, 60 in

Industry Aug. 2, 2016

South Korean network operator SK Telecom and Nokia on Tuesday said they have jointly developed a backpack-size portable Long Term Evolution network system tailored for rescue operations and emergency services.Compact enough to fit inside a backpack, the new portable LTE network system is equipped with a standalone base station as well as additional communications solutions, according to SKT.“The portable all-in-one PS-LTE system is a ground-breaking solution that enables communication among firs

Technology Aug. 2, 2016

CJ Foodville on Monday said it is opening a new character exhibition at the “N Seoul Tower” located in central Seoul, showcasing famous characters such as Hello Kitty and Marvel Comics heroes.　CJ will operate two exhibits — “Hello Kitty Island” showcasing diverse Hello Kitty-themed exhibits and activities and the “Ssentoy Museum & Showroom” featuring limited-edition animation figures, Marvel heroes and diverse spaces that utilize virtual reality technology.“We decided to open this character exhi

Industry Aug. 1, 2016

The recent decision by the South Korean customs agency to impose a purchase limit at the country’s tax-free outlets is dampening the sales outlook for local cosmetics firms which generate a major part of their sales via duty-free channels.　On July 11, the Korea Customs Service notified all Korean duty-free operators -- including Lotte, Shilla and Shinsegae -- to limit the number of purchases made by each customer to 50 cosmetics and perfume products, and 10 bags and watches at each brand. Touris

Industry Aug. 1, 2016

The explosive popularity of Nintendo and Niantic’s GPS-based mobile game “Pokemon Go” around the world, including South Korea, has thrust into the spotlight the core technology behind the game -- augmented reality.What exactly is augmented reality? It's a technology that overlays (or augments) digital images onto a person’s view of the world, merging one’s physical reality with digital imagination. In the case of “Pokemon Go,” the app utilizes gamers’ real-world locations to make Pokemon charact

Technology July 29, 2016

The Korea Communications Commission, the state media regulator, on Thursday said it plans to investigate Kakao Corp., operator of South Korea’s top mobile messenger KakaoTalk, over the legality of its in-app notifications.　The move came after a local civic group accused Kakao of unilaterally sending out messages notifying users of purchases, orders and deliveries made through the app -- which costs nominal data usage fees -- without obtaining the consumer’s consent.The civic body had asserted th

Technology July 29, 2016