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Kim Bo-eun

Korea Times Digital Content Reporter

Bo-eun leads the digital content team. She has covered foreign affairs, North Korea, tech, economy and gender issues at The Korea Times. She did a short stint at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, where she obtained a new perspective on news production and life. Small sources of joy for her are lounging in the sun, having a good latte and swimming.

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Economy

EcoProBM set to join MSCI Korea Index

EcoProBM's plant in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province / Courtesy of EcoProBMBy Kim Bo-eunEcoProBM's share price rose to an all-time high, Tuesday, as the battery material maker is expected to join the MSCI Korea Index in its quarterly review slated for Aug. 12. The top firm in the local cathode materials manufacturing market saw its stock price close at 292,800 won on Tuesday, up 2.2 percent from the previous day's close. EcoProBM also saw its share price surpass 300,000 won for the first time during intra-day trading. EcoProBM supplies cathode materials to electric vehicle battery makers. Its stock price has risen by more than 40 percent in the past month, as it has aggressively expanded production facilities, as demand grows for EV batteries.EcoProBM is expected to join the MSCI Korea Index after satisfying the requirements, as its market cap grew to the second-largest among the firms on Korea's secondary KOSDAQ bourse.Inclusion in the index is set further to boost EcoProBM's stock price. NH Investment & Securities projected that EcoProBM joining the MSCI Korea Index will lead

Aug 3, 2021By Kim Bo-eun
EcoProBM set to join MSCI Korea Index
Tech & Science

Amid Xiaomi rise, Samsung banking on foldable phones

SamMobile's rendering of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 to be unveiled next week / Captured from SamMobile websiteKorean tech giant to rethink mobile biz in coming yearsBy Kim Bo-eunSamsung Electronics has made a major shift in its smartphone business strategy by focusing more on foldable phones, as it seeks to maintain a competitive edge over rapidly-rising Chinese vendors. In less than a decade, Chinese smartphone makers have achieved competitiveness with a diverse lineup of models offered at lower prices. This has had Samsung increasing its focus on premium phones with a high average selling price to achieve profitability, rather than increasing market share with lower-end models.Samsung's head of mobile communications Roh Tae-moon recently said the tech giant would be "expanding its portfolio of foldables, so this groundbreaking category is more accessible to everyone." He was referring to Samsung's strategy of popularizing its premium phones. The world's top smartphone vendor is set to lower the prices of its latest Z Flip and Z Fold models to be unveiled next week, by up to 20 perce

Aug 3, 2021By Kim Bo-eun
Amid Xiaomi rise, Samsung banking on foldable phones
Tech & Science

Samsung asked to keep Intel at bay with investments

A Samsung flag is seen at the company's headquarters in southern Seoul. Korea Times photoChip behemoth in sustainability crisisBy Kim Bo-eunDespite Samsung's historic rise to become the world's largest semiconductor company, bypassing Intel in terms of revenue in the second quarter of this year, Samsung Electronics has “no time” to remain complacent over its latest achievement, according to officials, Monday.Samsung is feeling a sense of crisis as all its core decisions have been put on hold because of the absence of the group owner, Samsung leader Lee Jae-yong, who is now in prison regarding his role in a bribery scandal involving the impeached President Park Geun-hye.During a recent conference call to investors upon announcing its second-quarter earnings, a Samsung executive said the company is prepared to pursue larger acquisition deals over the next few years. While they didn't specify any items on their “shopping lists,” analysts say Samsung will keep an eye on foundry-focused entities and those related to vehicle components.As of the first quarter of thi

Aug 2, 2021By Kim Bo-eun
Samsung asked to keep Intel at bay with investments
Tech & Science

One Store positioned to benefit from Google Play Store situation

By Kim Bo-eunOne Store's logo / Courtesy of One StoreDevelopments are ongoing at the National Assembly to pass a bill that will ban Google from requiring media content app developers on Play Store to pay a 30 percent fee for using its payment system. The bill intends to protect local app developers from being forced to pay hefty fees to by the monopolizing app market operator.Google has exempted the fee and also enabled local app developers to use their own payment systems here so far. But its 30-percent fee for payments made with its own system is a global initiative that has been introduced in many countries.In Korea, Google decided to push back the introduction of the fee to April next year, due to opposition from app developers and lawmakers.It is unclear whether the bill banning Google's move will be able to be passed. If it fails to go into effect, Google will be able to collect 30 percent fee from app developers for using its payment system.In this case, the local app market One Store is expected to benefit, given its fee rate is 20 percent. App developers may choose to migrat

Jul 30, 2021By Kim Bo-eun
One Store positioned to benefit from Google Play Store situation
Tech & Science

Self-made Kakao founder becomes Korea's richest person

By Kim Bo-eun Kakao Chairman Kim Beom-su / Courtesy of Kakao The self-made founder of Kakao has become the country's richest person, backed by stock gains this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Bloomberg reported that Kakao Chairman Kim Beom-su, 55, has a net worth of $13.4 billion (15.4 trillion won), which places him at the top of Korea's wealth rankings. Following him is Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, with a net worth of $12.1 billion.Kim's assets ballooned by more than $6 billion this year as Kakao's share price surged 91 percent from early January. The tech company's stock gains were fueled by scheduled listings of multiple affiliates this year, including internet-based lender Kakao Bank, which will make its local stock market debut next month.Kim set up the country's dominant mobile messenger, Kakao Talk, in 2010. The company has since expanded into mobile-based financial services, as well as cab-hailing and entertainment. Kak

Jul 30, 2021By Kim Bo-eun
Self-made Kakao founder becomes Korea's richest person
Tech & Science

Samsung Electronics mulls major acquisitions in coming years

A Samsung flag is seen at the tech giant's headquarters in southern Seoul / YonhapChipmaker logs greatest second quarter earnings on solid chip businessBy Kim Bo-eunSamsung Electronics indicated Thursday that it will push for large-scale acquisitions in the coming years, in a preemptive move to strengthen its core competitiveness in the post-COVID-19 pandemic world. However, the tech giant didn't specify any current targets, though an earlier consensus is that it will seek to purchase companies with a competitive edge in the foundry-focused business."It is difficult to specify the time of the execution given various internal and external uncertainties, but as we unveiled in January, we are positive about pushing forward with a significant-scale M&A within the next three years," Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President Ben Suh told investors during a conference call to announce second quarter earnings results.Suh stressed the company has been preparing extensively for this. According to the executive, the technology behemoth has not limited its target areas; but industry offic

Jul 29, 2021By Kim Bo-eun
Samsung Electronics mulls major acquisitions in coming years
Tech & Science

LG Display zeroing in on P-OLEDs

By Kim Bo-eunLG's display affiliate said Wednesday that it is reviewing expanding its plastic organic light-emitting diode (P-OLED) display panel production facilities, as it is increasingly focusing on its P-OLED business. "We are currently looking into expanding our P-OLED facilities," LG Display's Senior Vice President and CFO Suh Dong-hee said in a conference call that unveiled the company's second quarter earnings.LG Display is focusing on using P-OLEDs for medium-and small-sized display panels because the panels are lighter and more durable than LCD panels. The display maker began mass producing P-OLEDs for smartphones last year and has been seeking to enhance its production system this year.But the core implication behind its P-OLED pitch is that such displays are customized for electric vehicles (EVs). LG Display is collaborating with LG Energy Solution (LGES) and LG Electronics to increase the sales of its P-OLED panels, as LGES is the top global EV battery manufacturer, supplying products to the world's top carmakers. Apple is seeking to incorporate OLED panels into its nex

Jul 28, 2021By Kim Bo-eun
LG Display zeroing in on P-OLEDs
Tech & Science

SK hynix expects China to approve $9 bil. Intel NAND biz acquisition

By Kim Bo-eunSK hynix said Tuesday it expects to get the green light from Chinese authorities within the latter half of this year for its  $9 billion acquisition of Intel's NAND flash business. China's approval is the final step the chipmaker needs for the completion of the acquisition deal.“Including China, antitrust review is progressing in eight countries and we have received unconditional approval from seven countries including the U.S. and the EU. The process in China is in the final review stage. We are expecting to be able to receive approval at an appropriate time in the second half of the year so that we will be able to close the deal by the end of this year as we are planning,” SK hynix Executive Vice President Noh Jong-won said in a conference call on the company's second-quarter earnings.The chipmaker forecasted the annual growth rate of markets for memory chips including DRAMs and flash memory chips to exceed expectations this year as memory chip markets have been recovering the first half of this year at a faster-than-expected rate.“Bit growth of

Jul 27, 2021By Kim Bo-eun
SK hynix expects China to approve $9 bil. Intel NAND biz acquisition
Banking & Finance

Brokerages downplaying KakaoBank's value

KakaoBank CEO Yun Ho-young speaks in an online press event held July 20. YonhapBy Kim Bo-eunLocal securities firms continue to issue views that internet-only KakaoBank's initial public offering (IPO) price is overvalued.BNK Securities is the latest brokerage to offer this view, with its analyst, Kim In, presenting KakaoBank's target price at 24,000 won, significantly lower than the IPO price of 39,000 won. The analyst recommended investors to sell the stock.The online bank began receiving subscriptions from retail investors for its shares, Monday. Investors are able to sign up for subscriptions through Tuesday."For the high premium to be justified, an expansion of non-interest income is essential, but this appears difficult when considering the local circumstances," the analyst said in a report, Monday.Kim recommended retail investors to refrain from signing up for KakaoBank stock subscriptions and instead proposed currently undervalued existing banking stocks as a safer investment.Earlier, Yuanta Securities analyst Chung Tae-joon stated, "KakaoBank's IPO price is excessive when cons

Jul 26, 2021By Kim Bo-eun
Brokerages downplaying KakaoBank's value
Tech & Science

Samsung keeps Olympics marketing subtle

By Kim Bo-eunSouth Korean volleyball player Kim Yeon-koung is seen at the Incheon International Airport, Tuesday, wearing what is presumed to be Samsung Electronics' latest Galaxy Watch, set to be unveiled at an online event next month. YonhapSamsung is taking part as an official sponsor in the Tokyo Olympics, but is keeping marketing low-key, as the spectator-less Summer Games kick off amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Ongoing tension between Seoul and Tokyo is also playing a role.Japan's two official Olympics sponsors, Toyota and Panasonic, have decided to minimize marketing at the Games, as it takes place while a state of emergency has been declared in Tokyo as the country continues to see over 3,000 new coronavirus infections daily.Samsung is also taking a low-key approach to advertising, as it takes into consideration the current circumstances. The electronics giant is focusing mainly on promotions by athletes and online marketing.Samsung is promoting its brand and products via Team Galaxy composed of 11 of the world's top athletes, including South Korean female volleyball player Kim

Jul 23, 2021By Kim Bo-eun
Samsung keeps Olympics marketing subtle
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