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Wacom eyes stronger ties with Samsung, LG

By Kim Yoo-chul Wacom, a leading Japanese company in technologies and products related to interactive pen displays, is planning to transfer its business-to-business unit (B2B) to its Korean affiliate. The impetus, industry sources say, is to strengthen business links with Korean technology giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. Boasting a wealth of patents in pressure- and tilt-sensitive electronic pens and displays, the firm has a wide range of clients in the electronics industry, including Samsung, LG, Asustek Computer and Hewlett-Packard (HP). Wacom is benefiting from the boom in touch-screen tablets and other advanced mobile Internet devices. Kim Joo-hyung, vice president of Wacom Korea, admitted talks with the company’s headquarters regarding taking over the company’s B2B division. The plan is nearly finalized and will be announced soon. ``It’s true that Wacom Korea has a keen interest in directly handling the division from headquarters,’’ Kim said. Interactive pen displays and tablets are emerging as key for electronics makers due to the explosive

Oct 3, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

What’s real reason for STX to give up Hynix bid?

Inside account shows Chairman Kang had more than simply funding problems By Kim Yoo-chul STX's ill-fated effort to take over Hynix Semiconductor started and ended with a surprise. Financial markets were taken by surprise when the shipbuilding-centric mid-tier conglomerate STX Group submitted a letter of intent (LOI) to Hynix shareholders. The chip firm is valued at 3 trillion won. A backlash from financial markets and even some STX insiders over acquiring the world’s second-biggest chipmaker due to less synergy between existing and new businesses really didn’t bother STX Chairman Kang Duk-soo. At that time, Kang strongly believed that the chaebol needed to find new business breakthroughs amid struggles in its conventional shipbuilding areas. The 61-year-old chairman, considered something close to a legend to many salaried workers, thought Hynix was the right choice to bolster his corporation’s international presence. Kang is one of the most talked-about businessmen in the country after building the country’s 12th largest conglomerate in just 10 years since takin

Sep 30, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Doosan to raise overseas affiliates by 30

By Kim Yoo-chul Doosan Group is planning to increase the number of its overseas affiliates by 30 in the next three years as the industrial giant is keen to create more revenue from international markets. The group’s key units include Doosan Heavy and Infracore, whose core business fields heavily rely on business-to-business (B2B) areas not those related to business-to-consumer (B2C), pushing Doosan to invest more for overseas projects. Doosan’s top priority is to bolster its presence in emerging markets, not developed markets such as the United States and Europe, company officials said. ``Doosan will add 30 overseas affiliates by 2014, capitalizing on Brazil, India and China as we need to spur localization strategies for corporate expansion,’’ said group spokesman Lee Jay-hyung, Friday. ``Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) was the group’s top word and localization is the new one,’’ said Lee. By August this year, Doosan has 121 overseas affiliates from 115 last year, according to data provided by the conglomerate. The Seoul-based corporation is aiming to reap 27.7 trilli

Sep 30, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Samsung forms alliance with MS against Apple

By Kim Yoo-chul A patent cross-licensing deal signed between Samsung Electronics and Microsoft is expected to strengthen the former’s hand in its legal fight against Apple, sources and industry experts said Thursday. The two companies agreed to settle their dispute over the use of patented technologies in the Android operating system (OS) used in Samsung smart gadgets, helping the firms make a fresh start and concentrate on fighting Apple. “Samsung is securing multiple mobile OSs to put it in a better position in its fight against Apple,” a source told The Korea Times. Samsung currently relies heavily on Google’s Android OS. It has its own system called Bada, but the internally-developed OS hasn’t taken off. Samsung also uses Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and it’s been in talks with U.S.-based chip giant Intel to develop a new mobile Linux initiative named Tizen. “A lot of OSs means better negotiating power. The agreement is a pre-emptive move before the iPhone 5 is released on Oct. 4. Samsung will also significantly boost the sale of its tablets and smartphones

Sep 29, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

LG Hausys plans to invest $60 million in China

By Kim Yoo-chul LG Hausys, Korea’s biggest building and decorative materials firm, plans to invest $60 million to build its second plant in China as the demand for high-end household-related materials steadily increases. The investment plan comes after key LG Group affiliates ― LG Electronics, LG Display and LG Chem ― are heavily betting on China and led directly by LG Chairman Koo Bon-moo with a pledge to pinpoint more areas for business expansion. ``LG Hausys is one part of Koo’s `China-focused’ business initiatives. The group is positive about Hausys’ China-related business plans,’’ said a senior LG Group executive. This foreshadows the company significantly boosting its presence in China. LG Hausys targets $600 million in revenue in China by 2015 from the $200 million that it had reaped last year. The new factory will be located in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. Since 1997, LG Hausys has been operating a manufacturing line in Tianjin. ``Various highly functional materials for buildings, apartments for affluent households will be produced from the new factory,’’ said

Sep 29, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

SKT drops unlimited data for LTE

By Kim Yoo-chul SK Telecom, the nation’s biggest mobile carrier, is moving to scrap its so-called ``unlimited data plan’’ as the explosive demand for mobile wireless data amid the smartphone boom is causing heavy data traffic. Despite repeated requests by KT and LG Uplus ― the nation’s No. 2 and No. 3 mobile carrier, respectively ― to scrap the plan, SK Telecom has been reluctant, insisting that it is providing what customers want. ``SK Telecom will consider scrapping the unlimited data plan if the situation deteriorates. Even though we will invest further in existing 3G networks, SK Telecom is seeing heavy data traffic,’’ said Jang Dong-hyun, chief of the company’s marketing division, Wednesday. In July, SK Telecom chief executive Ha Sung-min said the company would continue the service. Jang met with reporters at an event to unveil its new pricing plan for an advanced 4G-based long-term evolution (LTE) handsets held at its headquarters in downtown Seoul. SK Telecom introduced various pricing plans for LTE-enabled smartphones. However, it didn’t include the unlimite

Sep 28, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

LG ties BMW, Audi to Osram row

By Kim Yoo-chul Two key affiliates of LG Group ― LG Electronics and LG Innotek ― have formed a united front in a legal move to block sales of all BMW and Audi cars as the patent battle between German-based Osram and LG shifts up a gear. The retaliation comes after lighting group Osram recently filed a complaint in Korea against LG, as well as Samsung, for patent violations ― a move it has already taken in four other countries including China and the United States. ``LG sued Osram at the Seoul Central District Court for purportedly infringing on LG-owned patents such as LED chips and packaging technologies that are widely used in LED light bulbs and cars,’’ said Lim Young-min, a senior LG spokesman. ``Because local branches of BMW and Audi are using Osram’s LED applications that infringe on LG patents, LG is seeking a complete ban on BMW and Audi car sales in South Korea,’’ said the spokesman, Wednesday, adding Osram has infringed on seven LG patents. In July, LG Electronics and LG Innotek separately filed with the South Korean trade commission to ban imports of LED pro

Sep 28, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

LG probed, Samsung spared

By Kim Yoo-chul Samsung Electronics was spared from fines for fixing the price of LCD screens, officials from the nation’s top antitrust watchdog said. But its rival LG Display is under investigation and may face a heavy fine. Under the current downswing in the LCD business, the firms’ contrasting fates are set to have a major impact on their business prospects. Some sources say that Samsung took advantage of a whistle-blowing clause, although the company declined to comment. ``Leniency programs have proven particularly effective with more businesses cooperating in order to reduce or avoid fines altogether,’’ said an official from the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), asking not to be identified, Tuesday. “Samsung used it.” Under leniency programs by the European Union (EU) and FTC, companies that cooperate with the anti-trust authority see their prospective penalties either wiped out or reduced. ``Proving price-fixing scams is really tough without cooperation from insiders,’’ added the official. LG Display was the FTC’s primary target over its involvement in pric

Sep 27, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

LG pursues green growth engines

By Kim Yoo-chul As the head of Korea’s top-tier conglomerate LG Group Chairman Koo Bon-moo gets lots of media attention. These days his focus is on driving his own initiatives for shared growth with local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Though no formal proposal has been made nor a fully defined policy announced by the Presidential Commission for the Shared Growth of Large and Small Companies, there are ongoing discussions to develop a method of profit-sharing. While LG seems quite passive about following the government-driven profit-sharing scheme, chairman Koo is vowing as a trusted corporate citizen to create more jobs by partnering with local SMEs. ``LG will enjoy more `first-mover advantage’ in the so-called `green projects’ by securing more patented technologies. LG’s key suppliers and contractors will play significant roles,’’ said Jung Jeong-wook, a senior LG spokesman, Monday. In a statement, LG said it is aiming to reap 10 trillion won in revenue from “green” businesses and has a plan to create 10,000 new jobs by the end of 2015. LG has been s

Sep 26, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Regulator puts chokehold on LTE phone

By Kim Yoo-chul SK Telecom and the top regulator are waging a tug of war over rate plans for advanced LTE-based telecom services. The nation’s leading mobile carrier SK Telecom has delayed its plan to officially start the sale of much faster and advanced long-term evolution (LTE)-supported smartphones after the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) rejected pricing plans proposed by SK Telecom. SK Telecom, which controls more than 50 percent of the local telecommunications market, needs approval from KCC if it wants to service new mobile rate plans. SK Telecom is expected to delay the official launches of its LTE-backed smartphones sometime in the next week, at the earliest, though the company already ended talks with Samsung Electronics and HTC of Taiwan for LTE-enabled handset supplements. ``That’s because of SK Telecom’s unprofessionalism towards the new pricing plan. Although consensus hadn’t been reached in KCC, SK Telecom upset us by briefing its own plan to the finance ministry,’’ said a KCC official, Monday. An SK Telecom spokesman said the company is still

Sep 26, 2011By Kim Yoo-chul
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