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Samsung CEO to visit AT&T, Verizon

By Kim Yoo-chul Staff reporter The chief executive of Samsung Electronics will meet four major mobile carriers to hold discussions regarding more shipments of Samsung's Galaxy S smartphones. The rare meeting between Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung and his counter-partners at AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile coincide with the company's announcing of selling the Galaxy devices via the four carriers from July. "Choi will fly to the United States next week and hold a series of meetings with key mobile, television and distribution clients," a top-ranking industry executive told The Korea Times, Wednesday. "As far as I know, the Samsung CEO will ask the carriers to sell more of the Galaxy S handsets on iPhone home-turf. Furthermore, the top executive will hold internal meetings to better deal with risk factors possibly distracting its North American business," according to the executive. Leonor Lee, a Samsung Electronics spokeswoman, declined to confirm this, citing the sensitivity of the issue. Samsung said in a press release that it is planning to launch th

Jun 30, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Others

KoreaToday LG shines with tech-rich 3D TV

By Kin Yoo-chul Staff reporter LG Electronics, the world's second-biggest TV maker after Samsung Electronics, is getting more credit for its three dimensional (3D) televisions thanks to the use of advanced technologies. Its 55-inch ``LG 47LX9500 3D LCD TV'' with light-emitting diode (LED) as a backlighting source is wooing all customers in the high-definition (HD) television market ― both for its delicate and fashionable exterior in addition to its competitive features. Although many of the televisions are still ``battling'' against what analysts and officials say is a ``depth problem,'' this LG TV has successfully managed to integrate key technologies within its thinner frame. Amid the so-called ``3D frenzy'' seen in the global television industry, LG is one of the key players with Samsung and Sony of Japan to aggressively promote its technology-melded 3D televisions as part of corporate efforts to find new growth engines. The LG TV, which was released in March, this year, adopts direct-lit LED technology on the back, making it possible to provide a clearer picture t

Jun 29, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Others

KoreaToday Qook services make KT cream of crop in IT sector

By Kim Yoo-chul Staff reporter KT, the nation's biggest fixed-line operator, is receiving more credits over the credibility of its high speed Internet service. The unified "home services" brand "QOOK," stands for subscribers "cooking up and selecting quality services in any way they choose." With this, KT's services for households including Internet, IPTV and home phones are now under the brand. KT said some 7.2 million South Korean users have registered in using the service. To attract more customers, KT is putting on content-based 27 additional things to its QOOK Internet services via the zone.qook.co.kr. By running various enhanced after-sales measures, KT is seeking to boost consumer satisfaction. Over the last few years, KT has been operating its unique and consumer-friendly program called "Consumer Complaints Management System" or CCMS. Under that program, KT is hoping for better efficiency to soothe possible consumer complaints of its Internet-related services. By launching bundled packages with consumer manufacturers, KT is expanding its QOOK-combin

Jun 29, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

A tale of two giants

Samsung continues to surge, LG sees 'crisis' looming By Kim Yoo-chul Staff reporter Timing is everything in the cut-throat technology business, and at least for now, Samsung Electronics representatives can repeat this saying with a smile, while their counterparts at LG Electronics nod painfully with gritted teeth. Industry watchers predict another lucrative quarter for Samsung, which has been aggressively improving the lineups of its premium products and also bulking up its components business, to further enhance its dual strength in finished products and parts.

Jun 27, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Companies

Hyundai Heavy bets on solar battery

By Kim Yoo-chul Staff reporter Hyundai Heavy Industries, the world's biggest shipyard, aims to generate 2 trillion won ($1.7 billion) in revenue from its solar-related businesses by expanding production capacity. The Korean shipbuilder said it is planning to almost double the capacity of its module and solar battery production to 600 megawatt in its domestic plant in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province. Currently, Hyundai is equipped to produce solar modules with a total combined output of 320 megawatts annually, below its full capacity of 370 megawatts, a company spokesman Jo Sung-woo said. The shipbuilder plans to finish the expansion process by the early 2011. Hyundai said the expanded production will enable the supply of solar generated electricity to 200,000 households. ``The rising demand for solar products because of a rising demand in Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic, has not been met by supply growth,'' Jo said. ``We are looking to get additional orders from Europe and the expansion will help us reach 2 trillion won in sales and increase annual produ

Jun 24, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

LG widening gap with rival Sony in TVs

By Kim Yoo-chul Staff reporter LG Electronics is trying to maintain its bull power in its television business ― one of the key growth drivers with mobile phones ― thanks to the global demand surges for flat panel liquid-crystal display televisions and an increased corporate recognition in LG's key markets. In detail, the Seoul-based consumer electronics maker is widening the market gap with its biggest Japanese rival. LG is also rapidly narrowing the differences with the sector leader Samsung Electronics buoyed by the brisk sales of its LED-backlit LCD televisions. Its strategy shift towards selling pricey products such as three dimensional televisions, large-sized TVs, as well as LED-backlit LCD TVs has begun paying off, offsetting worries over macro troubles in Euro Zone and strengthening greenback, company executives say. "We are on the safer route to achieve this year’s 25 million LCD TV sales target and to eat up 25 percent of the global 3D TV sector," Kwon Hee-won, executive vice president of LG Electronics said. Kwon, who is also the head of LG’s LCD televi

Jun 23, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Companies

Foreign workers underpaid

By Kim Yoo-chul Staff reporter Foreign workers earn far less than Koreans with their average paycheck lower than that of the bottom 10 percent, a government report says. A more chilling fact is their meager wages are not increasing. Most of their jobs belong in the category of "3Ds" ― dangerous, dirty and difficult ― jobs being shunned by Korean workers but still pivotal to society. Those jobs include factory work, cleaning and child care. According to the findings by the National Tax Service (NTS), the average annual wages of a foreign worker last year who paid income tax was 13.17 million won - a decrease of 2.9 percent from the previous year's 13.56 million won. The annual paycheck of the "bottom 10 percent" of a South Korean worker was 14.60 million won, the government agency said. The number of foreign workers who paid income tax rose by 22.2 percent, or 62,519, to reach 344,583, last year, from 282,064 in 2007. The NTS said the aggregate of salaries of tax-paying foreign workers stood at 4.5 trillion won in 2009. The total has been on the rise due to an

Jun 22, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

Broadband poses big hurdle to SKT

By Kim Yoo-chul Staff reporter What course of action will SK Telecom take over its troubled affiliate SK Broadband? This is one question being asked in the cut-throat mobile business community. With its paid-in capital of 1.4 trillion won virtually wiped out, SK Broadband is trying to cut down on its manpower. But the bigger question is whether it is part of a process leading to its eventual absorption by Korea's largest carrier. A merger of SK Broadband in its current state would be next to impossible because it would hurt existing shareholders. Beside, SK Broadband's trouble comes at a time when SK Telecom is also not in great shape. The domestic market has been saturated so there is little room for internal expansion, while its overseas outreach has been significantly curtailed. Some 95 percent of the population has a mobile phone with broadband accessible to 92 percent of households. It is an open question why SK Telecom, SK Broadband's biggest shareholder, has been sitting on its hands. CEO Jung Man-won has done his best, putting more resources in t

Jun 22, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

LG expects Optimus Q to help it get back into smartphone war

By Kim Yoo-chul Staff reporter The world's third-biggest handset producer LG Electronics is worrying about the decreasing profits of its struggling mobile division due to a limited presence in the world of smartphones. LG is in the process of implementing detailed strategies for smartphones in its key overseas markets and will soon launch what company officials say are "killer products" for better penetration of the market. "One clear thing is LG Electronics has continuously been en route to producing premium smartphone models and the efforts start paying off," a company spokesman Yoon Won-il said. Its latest LG-LU2300 model dubbed as "Optimus Q" is now its top driver for competitive smartphone growth. LG said the Optimus has sold over 20,000 units a week since its local debut. Officials at LG Electronics and LG Telecom said talks are under way to increase the shipments of the Optimus to meet the rising consumer demand. "The initial sales results are reaching the level comparable to those of LG's hit model, Cookie. Considering its higher prices, the initial perform

Jun 22, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
Tech & Science

LG Display researcher gets nod from Marquis Edition Who’s Who

By Kim Yoo-chul Staff reporter One element that can tide a firm over in a volatile industry such as flat screens in a time of crisis is technology. LG Display argues that it has that key element that is supported by big investments. The LG affiliate has seen a sizable budgetary increase for research & development (R&D) over the last few years. An LG researcher has been listed in "2011 Marquis Edition of Who's Who in the World," which is scheduled for publication in November this year. LG said its senior research engineer Park Mun-gi was credited for his studies in developing the world's thinnest ― 0.65 micrometer ― germanium-used transistor and other achievements for thinner TFT-LCD manufacturing processes. Germanium is an important semiconductor material used in transistors and various other electronic devices. Its major end-uses are for fiber-optic systems but it is also used in electronics and solar cell applications. "I would say technological developments are the top consideration in the industry as such research brings constructive results," Park was qu

Jun 21, 2010By Kim Yoo-chul
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