The Korea Times

Samsung boss calls for tackling challenges

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, center, enters the Ho-Am Art Center, downtown Seoul, with his wife Hong Ra-hee, left, director-general of Leeum Samsung Museum of Art on Friday to celebrate his 25th year as chairman. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Kim Yoo-chulThe head of the nation’s biggest family-owned conglomerate Samsung Group has called for employees to tackle new challenges to tide over difficulties and become a creative corporation.At a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of Lee becoming Samsung chairman, the 70-year-old said, "We still have a long way to go. We should tackle new challenges for a better tomorrow.''We should start new challenges right now for a bright future. With better Samsung products and improved services, we could help people enjoy a better life,’’ Lee said.The ceremony, the first to be held since Lee took over the company from his late father Lee Byung-chull in 1987, comes as Samsung is aggressively building up its global presence on the back of its crown jewel Samsung Electronics.Lee started as chairmanship on Dec. 1

Nov 30, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Samsung rises amid deepening patent dispute

By Kim Yoo-chulThe headquarters of Samsung Electronics in Gangnam, southern SeoulThe ongoing patent dispute between Samsung Electronics and Apple has incurred a huge amount of legal and marketing expenses for both companies. But so far it seems that Samsung is more likely to benefit, at least outside of the courts.In the midst of the deepening patent war, Samsung has seen its brand values improve while Apple’s has remained the same. In terms of smartphone market share and share price, the Korean technology giant has overwhelmed its U.S. rival.The market gap with Apple in the race for smartphones has further widened and Samsung is even cutting off its parts supplies to Apple as part of its strategy to shift a previous supplier-buyer partnership towards a business partnership in a real sense.The Korean company was ninth in terms of brand value, according to a recent study by InterBrand, the world’s leading brand consultancy. One interesting point is that Samsung’s top management and even low-ranking employees agreed to extend the lead over Apple, according to Samsung

Nov 29, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Will Judge Koh tackle flaw in jury system?

Tech & Science

Will Judge Koh tackle flaw in jury system?

US expert says her ruling on Dec. 6 will answer this questionBy Kim Yoo-chulU.S. federal judge Rucy KohJorge L. Contreras, cochairman of the U.S. National Conference of Lawyers and Scientists. There is more than a simple interpretation of law at stake when U.S. Federal Judge Lucy Koh rules next month on a $1.05 billion verdict in favor of Apple in its patent dispute with Samsung. ``Koh now has some very important decisions to make. She understands the weaknesses of the jury system and should use her authority to review the California verdict in a wise and reasonable manner,’’ said Jorge L. Contreras, co-chairman of the National Conference of Lawyers and Scientists (NCLS), in an interview with The Korea Times, Thursday.Contreras stressed Koh can draw conclusions that the jury couldn’t. ``Where the verdict doesn’t make sense, she can seek to reform it. Where the jury seems to have failed to consider important issues like patent validity, she can consider them.’’In August, nine U.S. jurors ordered Samsung Electronics to pay $1.05 billion for

Nov 29, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Will Judge Koh tackle flaw in jury system?

Companies

LG Group changes its core

Cho Ju-noLG Corp. COOPark Jin-sooLG Chem CEOJo Seong-jinLG Electronics PresidentBy Lee Hyo-sikLG Group appears to be changing its very core value — conservatism.Following the unprecedented promotion of a high-school graduate to president of its key affiliate, LG Electronics, the group retired two key stalwarts Thursday, seeking more fresh blood.Kang Yu-sig, who was the co-CEO of LG Corp., was pulled back from the vice chairman position of LG Group and moved to the LG Management Development Institute.LG Corp. COO Cho Ju-no will take over Kang’s role. Since 1999, Kang had mainly handled the group’s key changes.LG Chem Vice Chairman Kim Bahn-suk, also moved to LG’s board of directors. Park Jin-soo, the president of LG Chem’s petrochemical division, took over Kim’s role.“LG’s first-generation figures are out. Through the generational shift, LG Group wants to gain new growth momentum,” said an official.LG Display CEO Han Sang-beom was promoted to president thanks to a stellar performance in the race for 3D screens and a stronger r

Nov 29, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Apple admits to flaw in patent suit

By Kim Yoo-chulApple has admitted to a “double-patent” on one special technology that was used to earn a big reward in a jury verdict against Samsung in August, a German technology blogger said Wednesday.Florian Mueller of FossPatents said that Apple officially filed a “terminal disclaimer” for patent D618,677 (D’677) — which the jury ruled Samsung had violated in 12 of its phones. This is the first time that Apple has stepped back in its patent war against the Korean technology firm, officials said, Wednesday. Samsung spokesman Park Han-yong said the company’s legal representatives were checking out Apple’s change in strategy. In its filing, Apple said U.S. Patent No. D618,677 was invalid because it was doubly patented with U.S. Patent No. D593,087 (D’087), something that Samsung had claimed.Samsung Electronics has consistently been arguing that D’087 and D’677 were too similar to be granted as separate patents. “This means that Apple wouldn’t have extended the term of its design monopoly by filing two dif

Nov 28, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

Turnaround minimizes LG's year-end reshuffle

By Kim Yoo-chulKoo Bon-mooLG Group chairmanCho Sung-jinLG Electronics presidentShin Moon-beomLG Electronics presidentKwak Kook-yeonLG Electronicsexecutive VPLG Electronics made few changes to the company’s top management in Wednesday’s year-end reshuffle as the Seoul-based consumer electronics giant has shown a business turnaround on the back of impressive demand for high-end electronics products.The company used to carry out large-scale management reshuffles in some key divisions such as smartphones at the end of the year. In a statement, the firm said it has promoted 38 executives including two to president, three to executive vice president and seven as senior executives.The reshuffle suggests that LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo, the elder brother of LG Electronics CEO Bon-joon, has given more authority to LG Electronics’ home appliance division by making Cho Sung-jin its president. Shin Moon-beom, the former head of LG’s appliance unit, was also promoted to president of China operations.Koo Bon-joon made no change to the major posts at LG’s

Nov 28, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Turnaround minimizes LG's year-end reshuffle

Tech & Science

Goliath vs. Goliath

Apple battle helps Samsung realize hidden strengthsBy Kim Yoo-chul, Cho Mu-hyunLooking back at the patent battle lasting more than a year on multiple fronts across the globe, it noticeable that Samsung is no longer what it was ― a hardware driven multinational that relied on orders from Apple and other big firms.It has undergone compressed growth, now going toe to toe with what some still believe to be the world’s most innovative technology firm.  Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Korean firm’s sense of confidence can last. Samsung is not fighting to reduce the size of a $1.05 billion verdict in favor of Apple in a U.S. federal court in San Jose, Calif., but rather its pride. Samsung officials say that it can pay the penalty for patent violations, if the verdict is supported by Judge Lucy Koh. It is a declaration of its independence that Apple is trying to ignore that is upsetting Samsung. This is why the Korean company cannot take a step back. Samsung officials and sources stress that its top management has reached a consensus that Apple is no longer

Nov 27, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Can US jury's pro-Apple argument stand?

Tech & Science

Apple's patent suit is 'negotiation by other means'

Asymco's Dediu predicts out-of-court settlement in Samsung disputeBy Kim Yoo-chul, Cho Mu-hyunAsymco blog founder Horace DediuSamsung Electronics has successfully switched its phone portfolio to smart devices making a commitment that Nokia couldn’t, according to a Harvard-educated analyst.``Samsung went from having 3 percent to 50 percent in the smartphones’ portion in two years. This switch was very impressive and meant a commitment that even Nokia could not make,’’ analyst Horace Dediu said in an interview with The Korea Times, Monday. Dediu writes the influential Asymco blog.One hidden reason that has boosted Samsung is that the firm has the capacity to produce the latest smartphones while Dediu pointed out it has spent $11 billion on advertising.Dediu is a Romanian-American independent analyst and advisor to telecom incumbents and entrants to mobile platform strategy. He is the founder of Asymco and has an excellent track record of analyzing and exceeding predictive goals and objectives and has been a resource for major news outlets such as Bloomberg and F

Nov 26, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Apple's patent suit is 'negotiation by other means'

Does patent law boost or harm innovation?

Tech & Science

Can Samsung increase investment?

By Kim Yoo-chulWith Samsung Electronics taking a bigger slice of the pie in the smartphone market despite its ongoing patent war with Apple, attention is being paid to how aggressive the Korean technology giant will be in fresh investment in the coming year.There is much speculation regarding the firm’s plan for 2013 but it is believed Samsung will balk at aggressive spending and may cut down on new investment for three reasons.They are the patent dispute, technology barriers for the development of advanced memory chips, and hurdles for the development of large-sized flat-screens using organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology.As the world’s biggest supplier of memory chips, Samsung has upgraded its manufacturing technology but has yet to secure capabilities to mass produce them.Samsung and industry officials said Sunday that unless they secure mass-production capabilities, the company will not expand investment in manufacturing facilities.In flash-type memory chips, where Samsung has a 39.3 percent global market share, the company is also situated to mass produce th

Nov 25, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Tech & Science

'Apple verdict made on technically, morally wrong bases'

Rutgers U.S. patent expert advises Judge Koh ahead of Dec. 6 rulingMichael A. CarrierAmerican Antitrust Institute (AAI) advisorBy Kim Yoo-chul, Cho Mu-hyunA U.S. patent expert has argued that the jury made two mistakes in awarding Apple $1.05 billion in its verdict against Samsung Electronics.  “It seemed that the jury wanted to send a message to Samsung. But it’s not supposed to do that,” said Michael A. Carrier, a member of the Board Advisors of the American Antitrust Institute (AAI) in a recent interview.``(Jury foreman Velvin) Hogan apparently explained to the jury, who deferred to him because he had patents, that the issue of prior art depended on interchangeability,” Carrier said. “But it actually doesn’t ― the law asks if the invention was new and not preceded by sources such as earlier patents.” Hogan was fired from Seagate, a company that formed a strategic partnership with Samsung.  His failure to reveal it and other circumstances that may make him biased are now emerging to be a bone of contention that some experts a

Nov 22, 2012By Kim Yoo-chul

Kim Yoo-chul

Read more

Samsung boss calls for tackling challenges

Samsung rises amid deepening patent dispute

Will Judge Koh tackle flaw in jury system?

LG Group changes its core

Apple admits to flaw in patent suit

Turnaround minimizes LG's year-end reshuffle

Goliath vs. Goliath

Apple's patent suit is 'negotiation by other means'

Can Samsung increase investment?

'Apple verdict made on technically, morally wrong bases'

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