Some South Korean app developers have accused internet giant Naver and Japanese subsidiary Line of plagiarism, saying the companies copied their user interface designs.　Carrot Market, an app used for buying and selling secondhand items, said Line introduced a similar app in Vietnam last year and plagiarized Carrot Market’s design and features.　Line’s Get It app is “extremely similar” to Carrot Market in terms of everything from the main display to the identification meth

Technology July 18, 2019

　With companies around the world seeking to incorporate 5G network technology with augmented reality contents, South Korea’s leading mobile carrier has come up with an entertaining marketing gimmick to demonstrate the combination’s potential usage in real life. 　Korea’s biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom announced Thursday that it will establish an AR-based Jurassic World at some parks in Seoul. The company said it had agreed with the animated dinosaur’s property owner, NB

Technology July 18, 2019

South Korea’s major mobility startups raised their voice against the government’s latest plan to overhaul the controversial ride-sharing business here, saying Wednesday that the envisioned rules favor taxi drivers and bigger firms.In a statement released after the Transport Ministry announced its reform plan for the country’s mobility industry, VCNC, which runs the popular ride-hailing service Tada, said the government’s plan would only build higher barriers and prevent s

Technology July 17, 2019

　Over the past few years since tech companies introduced a series of camera apps, beautification apps have become some of the most sought-after items for smartphone users around the world, users in South Korea being no exception. 　With special effects filters and colorful stickers, the advanced camera technology can make us over for the small screen, allowing us to project the image we want. But some of the features, such as skin whitening, have prompted criticism over biased beauty standards. 　

Technology July 16, 2019

 　After South Korea became the first country to launch commercial services of the 5G wireless network in April, the country’s biggest mobile carrier has taken it a step further by working with a Swiss counterpart to launch international roaming service on the platform. 　SK Telecom announced Tuesday that it will launch “the world’s first” 5G roaming service with Switzerland’s biggest mobile carrier, Swisscom. Those visiting Switzerland will be able to use the se

Technology July 16, 2019

The maker of South Korean business card app Remember launched a new business networking service Monday, targeting corporate recruiters and job seekers in hopes of competing with LinkedIn in the country’s hiring market.Drama & Company, the Seoul-based tech firm that developed the Remember app, said it was introducing Remember Career to connect companies’ PR managers with Remember app users. Once the users post their job profiles and resumes on Remember Career, recruiters can

Technology July 15, 2019

　After South Korea became the first country to launch commercial service for the fifth-generation network in April, hopes are high that the hyperspeed network will transform everyday lives. 　Ranging from ultrafast downloading of lengthy movies to driving autonomous vehicles on connected urban highways, the 5G network is expected to enable futuristic technologies. 　With telecom companies around the world seeking to maximize benefits of the advanced network technology, Korea’s leading mobile

Technology July 14, 2019

South Korean defense company Hanwha Systems said Wednesday that it would join the emerging mobility business by investing $25 million in a US startup that specializes in flying taxis. 　Tentatively named K4 Aeronautics, the US firm will work with Hanwha Systems to develop the necessary technology to produce personal aerial vehicles. The Korean company said it would increase its investment after acquiring a certain stake in K4 Aeronautics. 　According to Hanwha Systems, K4 Aeronautics has obtained

Technology July 11, 2019

After launching its blockchain platform for enterprise services last month, Kakao said Tuesday that its service can work up to 15 times faster than Ethereum.During a press conference in Seoul, Kakao’s blockchain subsidiary Ground X suggested that its blockchain platform Klaytn’s block mining took only one-fifteenth of the time Ethereum’s did. While Ethereum’s block mining time is 15 seconds, Klaytn completes the process in a single second.The reduced block mining time res

Industry July 9, 2019

South Korea’s top mobile messenger app operator Kakao said Monday it has suspended sales of its highly sought-after emoji, amid plagiarism allegations by a Japanese developer. According to the firm, its “DDingdongs Day” emoji is no longer available on its Kakao Talk app store. After it was launched last year, the emoji gained popularity after some K-pop fans spotted popular boy band BTS members using it. Japanese developer Yuki Kanai has claimed that Kakao’s emoji plagiar

Technology July 8, 2019

　With housing prices in Seoul showing clear signs of rebounding, the government is considering taking steps to rein in the overheated market.　Officials at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Sunday that the ministry will intervene if housing prices in Seoul grow faster than expected on the basis of government projections. 　According to the Korea Appraisal Board last Monday, Seoul apartment prices had increased 0.02 percent from a week before, ending a downward trend that went

Economy July 7, 2019

　Digital transformation has become a buzzword for various industrial sectors around the world – and South Korea is no exception. Ranging from tech giants to small factories, companies here are scrambling to embrace solutions for better business. 　While digital transformation means different things to different firms, it broadly refers to the use of digital technology to improve productivity. It can be applied to manufacturing processes, marketing strategies and corporate organizations.　So

Technology July 7, 2019

　South Korea on Thursday delivered a stern warning to Japan regarding restrictions on exports of high-tech materials to Korea, calling Japan’s decision a breach of international law and vowing “corresponding steps” if necessary. 　“Japan’s export restrictions are a form of political retaliation that violate international law,” the National Security Council of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said in a press release.　In the meeting, chaired by Presidential

Economy July 4, 2019

US software giant Oracle officially announced on Wednesday that it has established its first data center in South Korea for cloud computing service, stepping up efforts to compete against global and local vendors in the country’s growing cloud market. During a press conference in Seoul, Oracle Korea chief Tom Song said the company’s Cloud Infrastructure Seoul Region became operational May 14. It is one of 19 new data centers that Oracle plans to build by year-end in Mumbai, Sydney an

Technology July 3, 2019

Following speculations that Nvidia is planning to rely on Samsung Electronics to produce next-generation graphic processing units, the US tech giant confirmed Tuesday that it had reached an agreement for foundry cooperation with the world’s largest chipmaker. During a press conference in Seoul, Nvidia Korea chief Yoo Eung-joon said that its production of advanced GPUs will be conducted by Samsung Electronics with its 7-nanometer extreme ultraviolet process.“It is meaningful that Sams

Technology July 2, 2019