Amid the global chip race, news that Micron and SK hynix have developed the most advanced memory chips and are ready for their market debut have given rise to concern here that Samsung Electronics may be losing its leading edge in its core business. Responsible for nearly 70 percent of its revenue, memory chips are the mainstay of Samsung, which alone account for about 70 percent of all operating profits earned by the country’s top 10 sales firms. While Samsung stayed quiet on its te

Technology Aug. 5, 2021

The number of pubs and karaoke parlors has plummeted due to lost profitability from COVID-19 and tough social distancing rules, data from the National Tax Service showed Wednesday. The number of stores registered as pubs across the country stood at 27,840 as of the end of May, according to the tax authority’s survey on 100 key sectors of the self-employed segment. The figure dropped 3,636 or 11.6 percent from last year. The number of stores registered as semi-pubs -- whic

Consumer Aug. 4, 2021

Not long ago, bulky refrigerators with the logos of Whirlpool of the United States or Miele of Germany were the symbols of well-off families in South Korea. Now, a neat collection of appliances from local brands that boast sleek designs, delicate colors and high-tech functions have become a self-esteem booster for many Koreans. Behind this shift, which is by no means driven by old-fashioned patriotism, is LG Electronics, dubbed by many locals as the king of white appliances. Proving itsel

Technology July 30, 2021

SK hynix, the world’s second-largest memory provider, surpassed the 10 trillion-won ($8.69 billion) mark in quarterly sales for the first time in three years amid a continuing chip boom. According to the chipmaker’s earnings announcement Tuesday, the company recorded 10.3 trillion won in sales in the April-June period, up 20 percent from the same period last year, owing to the improved conditions in the memory market since early this year. The chipmaker last breached the 10 trill

Technology July 27, 2021

Samsung Electronics will take the lead in widening the foldable smartphone market by offering more refined and durable products this year, the company‘s executive in charge of the mobile phone business said Tuesday. Roh Tae-moon, president of Samsung Mobile, pledged to provide improved foldable devices at the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event slated for Aug. 11 through a message posted on the company’s newsroom homepage. “The upcoming Galaxy Z Fold combines the very be

Technology July 27, 2021

German material technology company Merck said Friday it has developed a new lineup of green solvents for use in photolithographic processes in semiconductor manufacturing. The new solvent lineup is called AZ 910 Remover, which according to the firm is N-methylpyrrolidone-free solvent designed for faster dissolution of photoresist patterns in a cost-effective and greener way with its outstanding resist-dissolution performance. Semiconductor production facilities traditionally use negative

Technology July 23, 2021

Samsung Electronics said Friday its sales of air conditioners have more than doubled so far this month, compared to a year ago, due to the sweltering heat. From July 1 to 22, the company saw its sales of air conditioners spike more than twice from the same period in 2020, the company said. Sales of Bespoke Wind-free Gallery, the company’s highest-end air conditioner, have jumped more than 95 percent in July compared to a year earlier. To further drive sales, Samsung is offering up to

Technology July 23, 2021

Expectations are high that Samsung Electronics, which for months deliberated on a new, $17 billion US investment plan, may finally be ready to make an official announcement in August. According to industry sources on Friday, Samsung is accelerating the internal process for concluding its plan to construct a new chip fabrication line for foundry in the US. Some news reports said Thursday that the City of Austin in Texas, where the South Korean firm already has a chip plant up and running, is

Technology July 23, 2021

Merck, the cutting-edge material developer from Germany, said Thursday the company has started mass production of hole transport materials for organic light-emitting diode displays used in smartphones. Better known as HTM, the material is applied to common layers of OLED panels, and helps improve the efficiency and lifespan of panels, the company said. Merck, which has been supplying the material for Korea’s largest OLED panel maker LG Display for large-size displays, will expand its

Technology July 22, 2021

Samsung Electronics is considering Williamson County in Texas as a possible site for its new foundry plant in the United States, according to industry sources on Friday. The South Korean tech giant confirmed that it is looking at Williamson County in Texas as a potential candidate among various sites across the US. The sources said Samsung is considering several sites in the US, such as Arizona, New York, and Austin, Texas. Earlier, Reuters reported that Samsung has applied for tax incen

Technology July 16, 2021

The legal battle between US-based streaming giant Netflix and South Korea’s internet service provider SK Broadband is likely to continue centering on the controversial topic of net neutrality. Netflix on Thursday appealed a Seoul court’s decision that sided with SK Broadband. Last month, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed a request from Netflix that the video streaming service operator is not liable to pay network usage fees to SK Broadband. The court also rejected Ne

Technology July 16, 2021

KT on Thursday announced the launch of pure end-to-end 5G service, becoming the first mobile carrier in South Korea to commercialize a 5G standalone network. Starting from Thursday, users of Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra phones who subscribe to KT’s 5G mobile plans will be able to access the 5G SA connection simply by updating their device software. Standalone refers to it being pure 5G from end to end, without occasional transitioning to 4G Long Term Evolution networks. S

Technology July 15, 2021

South Korean mobile carrier SK Telecom on Wednesday launched a new metaverse platform dubbed “Ifland,” kick-starting its 5G virtual service business. The name signifies a virtual world where users can be anyone they wish, meet anyone they want to and make so many possibilities real. The platform is launched for Android devices first and will later be open to iOS and other virtual reality devices. With a goal of growing Ifland into a leading metaverse platform by drawing mille

Technology July 14, 2021

More e-commerce platforms are rushing to offer early morning delivery outside of Seoul to win the nation-wide grocery delivery war that has been sparked by Market Kurly and Coupang. Shinsegae Group’s online retail channel SSG.com began expanding dawn delivery in several major cities in North and South Chungcheong Province this week, including Cheongju, Cheonan and Sejoing City. The company has said it plans to expand the service to the rest of the country in the future. Entering the regi

Technology July 13, 2021

Samsung Electronics on Tuesday announced the launch of a new image sensor for automobiles, taking aim at a market segment controlled by Japanese rival Sony. The new Isocell Auto 4AC will be supplied to a global car brand this year, it said. “Starting with the Isocell Auto 4AC, we plan to expand our automotive sensor lineup to areas such as camera monitor systems, autonomous driving and in-cabin monitoring,” said Chang Duck-hyun, the executive vice president of Samsung’s s

Technology July 13, 2021