The Korea Times

LG CNS to focus on 'cloud computing'

By Kim Yoo-chulLG CNS CEO Kim Dae-hoon delivers a speech at this year’s “Entrue World 2014” conference at the Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, Thursday. / Courtesy of LG CNSLG CNS said Thursday that it will raise its stakes in cloud computing and big data.Amid rapid technological convergence, the LG Group affiliate plans to seek new business opportunities in the emerging fields, according to the firm’s CEO.“Our goal is to become one of the most trusted suppliers for technology solutions in cloud computing and big data,” said CEO Kim Dae-hoon in a speech to the annual “Entrue World 2014” forum.He said the convergence of technologies is changing everyone’s lifestyle.According to him, the global technology industry is heading toward an era of “Smart Technology 2.0,” which includes smart devices, faster data transmission networks, and the rise of big data and cloud computing.Kim said automotive, medical, distribution, transportation, security and manufacturing businesses will benefit most from the transition.“Our businesses

Apr 17, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

'No merger of Samsung's building units'

By Kim Yoo-chulA senior Samsung Group executive said Wednesday the group has no plan to combine its construction and engineering units.Samsung has been realigning its entire business structure by merging affiliates with similar businesses. There have been rumors that Samsung C&T and Samsung Engineering will be merged.“The rumors are not true,” Choi Chi-hoon, president and CEO at Samsung C&T, told reporters. “The group currently has no plan to restructure its construction business.”Samsung C&T is now the second-biggest stakeholder of Samsung Engineering. The firm acquired the stake from Samsung SDI, the battery-making unit, in December.The stake sale raised speculation that Samsung C&T may absorb the engineering unit, which has been suffering from falling profits amid the sluggish property market.The ongoing drive by top Samsung management to restructure affiliates was mostly aimed at guaranteeing smoother power succession to Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s three scions ― Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jay-yong, Hotel Shilla CEO

Apr 16, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

'Circuit breaker' system eyed for telecom firms

Korea Communications Commission Chairman Choi Sung-joon, second from left, with SK Telecom CEO Ha Sung-min, left, KT Chairman Hwang Chang-gyu, third from left, and LG Uplus Vice Chairman Lee Sang-chul during a meeting at the Palace Hotel, southern Seoul, Wednesday. / YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulThe country’s top telecom regulator said Wednesday a “circuit breaker” system will be introduced next month to stop mobile carriers from offering too much subsidy.“I’ve reached a consensus with major mobile carriers on introducing the system,” Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chairman Choi Sung-joon told reporters after a meeting with CEOs of SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus in the Palace Hotel, southern Seoul.The circuit breaker is a restriction which is being used in the stock market to lower volatility when stock prices go up or down too fast. The local telecom market has huge volatility as mobile carriers have been consistent in launching cash-burning promotional campaigns to steal customers from rivals by providing heavy illegal subsidies.Under the new system,

Apr 16, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Korea - hackers' safe haven

One in five data theft cases in the world occur hereThis is the first in a series of articles highlighting the recent massive breach of cyber security. ― ED.By Kim Yoo-chulAround 35 million of Korea’s population of 52 million population use mobile devices.But with this rising connectedness comes increased vulnerability to hacking; but so far, the country has failed to protect user information from hacking and other cyber security attacks.“It’s fair to say Korea has emerged as a haven for hackers,” said Chun Kil-nam, an expert in cyber security and a former professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Tuesday.“But what’s worse is that the country has no comprehensive plans to ward off technologically sophisticated hackers and criminals,” Chun said. Global security software firm Symantec said in a recent analysis that the confidential information of over half-a-billion people around the world was hacked last year. Korea alone accounted for 20 percent of those.Of late, key networks at KT, the nation’s No. 1 fix

Apr 15, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

KT secures $1 billion abroad

By Kim Yoo-chulKT, the nation’s telecommunication giant, said Tuesday that it has issued a total of $1 billion in bonds to overseas investors.The move came after the company failed to sell bonds to local investors following its wholly owned subsidiary KT ENS’s recent filing for court receivership.The bond-issuance to overseas investors by a private company follows Samsung Electronics America’s sale of “global bonds” in 2012, said officials.“Thanks to the issuance, it’s unlikely that KT will suffer from any financial bottleneck. Overseas investors still trust us and our fundamentals are strong,” said Juliana Kim, spokeswoman at the Bundang, Gyeonggi Province-based outfit.Of the total, bonds worth $650 million have a three-year maturity, while the remaining $350 million carry a five-year maturity.The issuance was managed by five lead banks ― BoA-Merrill Lynch, Citi Group, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs and HSBC.  KT said $600 million of the total will be used to pay back bonds due on June 24. The remainder is going to be used for

Apr 15, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Solid S5 sales to bolster Samsung

By Kim Yoo-chulGalaxy S5Samsung Electronics is expected to see a better-than-expected earnings in the second quarter as its flagship smartphone ― the Galaxy S5 ― has beaten market expectations.Analysts and fund managers said they are impressed by the initial sales of the phone, adding that the Korean electronics giant is doing well enough to reduce investor concerns about its mobile business profit margin.“Against earlier expectations, the S5 was well-received by consumers in the global market. We don’t have any plans to advise our big clients to unload their Samsung stock,” said a senior fund manager from a U.S.-based investment bank in Seoul in a telephone interview Tuesday. Samsung Electronics said it shipped 1.3 times as many S5s on April 11, the first day of global sales, as it did S4s when it was launched, with demand for the S5 doubling in some European countries. Samsung launched the S5 in 125 countries Friday and signed contracts with the top five mobile carriers in the United States, its key market, namely Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and

Apr 15, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

MS frets over info leak to Hancom

By Kim Yoo-chulMicrosoft (MS) is fretting over the possible leak of confidential data to Hancom, Korea’s leading software provider, which recently bought MDS Technology, one of the U.S. firm’s local distribution partners.According to a recent regulatory filing, Hancom, MS’s local rival supplying Hancom Office, an MS Office-like suite, signed a tentative agreement to buy MDS for 74.5 billion won.Hancom is now carrying out due diligence to check fact sheets and other financial details before finalizing the deal. The final price tag may either be increased or decreased by 10 percent percent according to the results of the due diligence, Hancom officials said.Industry sources familiar with the matter said the deal is making MS executives in Korea uneasy as MDS has been selling MS’s Windows-embedded software and Windows mobile solutions as one of its most-trusted distributors.MDS Technology is a leader in the distribution of MS-embedded solutions with a 55 percent market share, followed by SGA, Advantech and Uniquest, they said. “With the deal, Hancom can acc

Apr 13, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Samsung sees Google changing Apple trial

By Kim Yoo-chulGoogle could come to Samsung Electronics’ defense against Apple during their new patent trial that started Friday (local time), according to reports and industry sources. “Google engineers have never copied Apple’s iPhone features for use in Google Android,” Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google vice president of Android, told the San Jose court, presided over by District Judge Lucy H. Koh. Lockheimer’s remarks were confirmed by Google Korea. This is the first time that a Google executive has backed Samsung in the ongoing battle with Apple, officials of the two companies said.“We like to have our own identity; we like to have our own ideas. We are very passionate about what we are doing, and it is important that we have our own ideas,” Lockheimer was quoted as saying.Apple is seeking a $2.19 billion in damages from Samsung. “With help from Google, Samsung plans to appeal to the new jury and judge as a manufacturer which has been providing distinguished value via Samsung- and Google-owned patented features,” an industry officia

Apr 13, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul

Samsung sees Google changing Apple trial

Tech & Science

'Apple should rather focus on innovation'

By Kim Yoo-chulYukari Iwatani KaneA former Wall Street Journal reporter says that Apple should shift the focus of its business to “innovation” from patent disputes with Samsung Electronics.In a written interview with The Korea Times, Yukari Iwatani Kane said that Apple’s consistent claims that its design patents were copied by Samsung are rather “excessive” and “overblown.”“To be frank, I’m not sure what the purpose of the dispute is. It’s not about the money, so it’s about curbing competition,” Kane said.“But even if Apple wins the next round of lawsuits, I don’t know that it’s going to make any difference to the markets. I doubt any consumer will say, ‘I’m not going to buy the Galaxy because it’s a copy of Apple,’” she added.Kane spent almost two years writing the book “Haunted Empire: Apple after Steve Jobs,” for which she interviewed sources and other journalists and consulted with The Korea Times for material about Apple’s key rival, Samsung E

Apr 10, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul

'Apple should rather focus on innovation'

Tech & Science

Samsung to unveil Note4 in September

By Kim Yoo-chulSamsung Electronics plans to unveil the Galaxy Note4 at this year’s technology exhibition in Berlin, Germany, in September, according to company officials Wednesday.“Samsung is considering holding a launch event of the Note4 at the IFA trade fair. It is in the middle of finalizing specification details for the upcoming phablet,” said an official by telephone.Samsung has used the annual IFA fair as the venue for the Note series.The Note4 will have either a 32-bit or a 64-bit processing technology depending on the market situation. The new Note will support faster LTE-A wireless technology, while 3G and LTE will also be available for emerging markets, said the official.He added that for viewing quality, the Note4 will have variants that both support high-definition and ultra high-definition.“As Qualcomm just introduced a 64-bit processing technology, Samsung needs time to apply it to the Note4. For a litmus-test, some variants will have that Qualcomm tech with Samsung’s own application processor,” said an official at one of Samsung&rsq

Apr 9, 2014By Kim Yoo-chul

Kim Yoo-chul

Read more

LG CNS to focus on 'cloud computing'

'No merger of Samsung's building units'

'Circuit breaker' system eyed for telecom firms

Korea - hackers' safe haven

KT secures $1 billion abroad

Solid S5 sales to bolster Samsung

MS frets over info leak to Hancom

Samsung sees Google changing Apple trial

'Apple should rather focus on innovation'

Samsung to unveil Note4 in September

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