The Korea Times

Apple, SKT to unveil LTE-A phone

By Kim Yoo-chulSK Telecom and Apple are expected to unveil an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) phone in the coming months.The news came a few days after its biggest rival Samsung Electronics introduced its LTE-A phone last Thursday. LTE-A is an upgraded version of LTE (long-term evolution), which is a standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for handsets. “SK Telecom is approaching Apple to put our LTE-A technology on the upcoming iPhone 5S. We are in the middle of negotiations,” said an SK Telecom executive, requesting anonymity.The Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S4 LTE-A is the first device to take advantage of SK Telecom’s new technology for faster data transmission speeds.The SK Group affiliate said it plans to have as many as seven LTE-A devices available by the end of the year. LTE-A enables customers to use the next iPhone to download data at a speed of 150Mbps, twice as fast as its predecessor.Because Korea has recently seen a huge demand for devices supporting high-speed networks, Apple intends to use Korea as the litmus test to gauge the marketability

Jul 1, 2013By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

KT plans to expand investment in data

KT president Pyo Hyun-myung introduces the company’s new business plans in the second half at its main office in downtown Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of KTBy Kim Yoo-chulA senior executive at KT said it will boost its spending on networks to help customers get high-quality digital content at an affordable price.“The amount of data for clients using unlimited voice calling service will increase by two-fold from July 1. KT will also offers more discounts,” said KT president Pyo Hyun-myung.“KT expects some 10 million customers will benefit from the scheme. We estimate that customers can save by up to 35,500 won on a monthly basis thanks to the additional services,” he said in a news conference at its main office in downtown Seoul.According to the executive, KT has been asked to offer high-speed networks-related services at a competitive price amid a flurry of data-intensive devices. “What consumers want is to have more data, membership and content at cheaper cost,” he told reporters, Monday.The announcement comes a few days after its biggest rival

Jul 1, 2013By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Hynix outdoes Samsung in profitability

By Kim Yoo-chulSK hynix, the world’s No. 2 supplier of computer memory chips, is expected to beat the long-time market leader Samsung Electronics in terms of profit margin during the April-June period.This is the first time in almost eight years for SK hynix to be more profitable than Samsung. In the third quarter of 2005, SK hynix (then Hynix Semiconductor) toppled Samsung by generating 31 percent in profit margin higher than Samsung’s 29 percent, they said. “As the memory chip shortage continues, conventional DRAM prices have extended gains. Consolidation and slowing technology migration is leading to significantly slowed supply growth. This undersupply and improved pricing are now finally impacting mobile DRAM prices,” said Mark C. Newman, senior analyst at Bernstein Research in Hong Kong, Monday. DRAM is a simple dynamic random access memory. The chip is used to read data. The portion of DRAM chips for PCs and other DRAMs by SK hynix was 80 percent in the latest quarter, which is good compared to Samsung Electronics’ 61 percent, according to analysis

Jul 1, 2013By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Intel declares rivalry with Qualcomm

Lee Hee-sungIntel Korea CEOBy Kim Yoo-chulThe head of Intel’s Korean unit has underestimated its biggest rival Qualcomm’s chip-making technology by insisting that Intel is ahead of it in terms of technology and market response.The country manager Lee Hee-sung stressed that it’s becoming aggressive in persuading major Korean handset vendors, such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Pantech, to introduce mobile devices using Intel processors.It’s uncommon for the U.S.-based semiconductor giant to talk about its rivals. Lee, who is one of the longest-serving CEOs of a foreign firm in Korea, is known to be a very outspoken person.It remains uncertain whether Intel can steal as much stakes as it wants from Qualcomm as the California-headquartered Intel is truly late in the market for processors.But Lee doesn’t care about its lateness. “Intel is a semiconductor company that has dual strengths in development and manufacturing. Our fourth-generation Haswell-branded System-on-Chip (SoC) has advantages in power consumption. This is the best examp

Jun 30, 2013By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Imported beer more popular than wine

By Kim Yoo-chulForeign beer makers are rapidly increasing their market share in Korea amid falling sales of wine and whisky, according to an analysis by Lotte Mart, one of the country’s major discount retail stores, Sunday.Sale of imported beer during June 1 to June 27 was 1.61 billion won, an increase of 41 percent from a year earlier, surpassing that of wine by 100 million won, Lotte Mart said.This is the first time that imported beer was sold more than wine on a monthly basis. The famous Japanese beer brand Asahi Super Dry was the best-selling beer in Lotte, followed by L Weizen, Heineken and Lager.“We do see some consumers choosing imported beer instead of wine and whisky,” said Kim Min-hak, a sales personnel at a Lotte store in Seohyun-dong, Bundang, Gyeonggi Province.“We are going to introduce more imported beer brands as part of our diversification strategies to attract more customers.”The amount of Japanese beer imported here last year tripled to $26.3 million from some $7.32 million in 2008, according to an industry data.Korea has seen a massive

Jun 30, 2013By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Samsung restructures camera business

By Kim Yoo-chulSamsung Electronics is restructuring its camera business, one of its future key business areas, by reducing the number of workers and relocating its main camera manufacturing plant.“Samsung has transferred its camera-manufacturing base to Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province from the city of Changwon, and it had launched a voluntary retirement program there,” said an official at Changwon City, Friday, asking not to be named.“Hundreds of Samsung employees were transferred to the southeastern industrial city of Gumi,” the official added.The move came as part of its efforts to bolster its camera business and optimize the use of its human resources after building a manufacturing plant in Vietnam.Samsung aims to be the market leader in mirrorless cameras by 2015, after leading the domestic market with a 39 percent share in the final quarter last year. It also seeks to be the top mirrorless camera vendor worldwide by 2015, controlling over 25 percent of the global market. It has already converted its compact camera manufacturing lines at its main camera pl

Jun 28, 2013By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Samsung unveils 'curved' OLED TV

Kim Hyun-seok, right, the head of Samsung Electronics’ visual display division, poses next to its 55-inch curved OLED TV during a launch event at the firm’s main office in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, Thursday./ Courtesy of Samsung ElectronicsBy Kim Yoo-chulSamsung Electronics on Thursday introduced a curved 55-inch premium TV using an advanced organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology that also supports high-definition (HD) picture quality.The world’s biggest TV manufacturer said that it will start the sale of the TVs outside Korea from July. A senior company executive said that the curved OLED TVs will be available in most developed markets including the United States. It also plans to sell the devices in emerging markets, as well. “Samsung believes that curved OLED TVs are better than traditional ‘flat’ OLED TVs in terms of customer value because the curved ones provide improved picture quality,” said Kim Hyun-seok, head of the company’s visual display division, during a news conference at the firm’s main office in Seocho-

Jun 27, 2013By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Kumho launches solar energy business

Kumho Petrochemical’s solar energy plant in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang ProvinceBy Kim Yoo-chulKorea Kumho Petrochemical, a major supplier of synthetic rubbers and chemicals, announced Thursday that it will enter the solar energy business as part of measures to diversify its sources.“Our company has been consistent in diversifying our portfolios. We’ve decided to operate a solar energy business as renewable energy-related items are lucrative and have high growth potential,” said the company spokesman Chang Yun-seok.Its affiliate, Korea Energy Development (KED), will entirely handle the solar business. KED has recently completed the construction of a solar power plant inside the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI).“The facility, located in the southern industrial city of Sacheon, was built on an area of 66,800 square meters and has four separate buildings,” said the spokesman,adding images of the facility will be posted online on June 28.The plant generates 6,602 megawatts of electricity per hour, which is enough to provide power to 1,500 households, ann

Jun 27, 2013By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Samsung to close desktop business

By Kim Yoo-chulSamsung Ativ Q tabletSamsung Electronics has decided to ditch its unprofitable desktop PC business and devote itself to tablet computers and all-in-one laptops, company officials said Monday.“Demand for conventional desktop PCs is going down,” said a Samsung Electronics official. “We will allocate our resources to popular connected and portable devices.”He said that research teams and technology development units are being boosted for tablets and all-in-one laptops.The government recently designated the desktop PC business as an “industry suitable for smaller firms” from 2015.“Tablets, all-in-one and hybrid PCs are Samsung’s current focus. Samsung is speeding up its restructuring of its PC business via product realignment toward profitable variants,” said another Samsung official.The business shift by the Korean technology heavyweight means that an era of desktop PCs here is being phased out.“The connected world is going to expand. This is the industry’s new trend. Simply put, desktop PCs are no longer a

Jun 24, 2013By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

70 CEOs to join Park's China visit

Koo Bon-mooLG Group ChairmanHuh Chang-sooGS Group ChairmanKim Chang-geunSK Supex Council ChairmanHyundai, LG bosses to join; Samsung chief to missBy Kim Yoo-chulMore than 70 business leaders will tag along with President Park Guen-hye on her visit to China scheduled to begin June 27, according to officials at the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), Sunday.The size of the business delegation is the largest in the country’s history. Park was accompanied by 51 large business group CEOs on her recent visit to the United States. Just 36 business leaders traveled with former President Lee Myung-bak to Beijing five years ago.“The largest economic delegation suggests that Korean business leaders see China as their most important market. With the United States, China is one of Korea’s crucial business partners,” said an official from the FKI, the nation’s most powerful business lobby.Park will stay in China for four days returning to Korea June 30. During her stay, the Korean President will meet and hold talks with Chinese leaders. “The delegation will p

Jun 23, 2013By Kim Yoo-chul

Kim Yoo-chul

Read more

Apple, SKT to unveil LTE-A phone

KT plans to expand investment in data

Hynix outdoes Samsung in profitability

Intel declares rivalry with Qualcomm

Imported beer more popular than wine

Samsung restructures camera business

Samsung unveils 'curved' OLED TV

Kumho launches solar energy business

Samsung to close desktop business

70 CEOs to join Park's China visit

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