BARCELONA, Spain -- With the commercial rollout of fifth-generation wireless networks just around the corner, companies around the world are set to showcase 5G-related technologies during the world’s largest mobile event this week. Handset and telecom firms have descended on Barcelona in Spain for the Mobile World Congress that kicks off Monday. Under the theme of “Intelligent Connectivity,” the four-day event features companies demonstrating how new technologies will change everyday lives. Ther

Tteok businesses are appealing to a younger customer base with diversified ingredients, new sales channels and creative marketing

The numbers of South Koreans with landline telephones and desktop personal computers at home hit their lowest marks last year, pushed by the widespread use of mobile phones, laptops and tablet PCs instead, data showed Sunday.123rfAccording to a survey of 9,332 South Koreans from 4,116 households by the Information Society Development Institute last year, 51.9 percent answered they have a landline phone at home. It was the lowest figure since the institute began collecting data in 2011. The numbe

At a GS Group dinner banquet held at Elysian Resort Jeju on Friday, Chairman Huh Chang-soo gave a speech to newly appointed executives, sharing his know-how and advising them to set high goals and take bold actions. In front of new executives of GS Group, Huh addressed the volatile economic environment of this year, citing the ongoing US-China trade war and Brexit as well as continuing instability in the domestic economy. To combat the uncertainty ahead, Huh advised the executives to be innovati

France’s Peugeot may be less ubiquitous on the streets of South Korea compared to other rival imported brands from Germany or Japan. But the new Peugeot 508’s stylish look and premium feel are gaining popularity among drivers who want a less common and sleek design that can grab attention on roads filled with large SUVs. New Peugeot 506 (Peugeot)During a two-hour drive on Hallasan in Jeju, the new Peugeot 508 proved itself to be an adventurous sedan with urban French chicness. The vehicle was sm

Samsung Electronics Co. is examining a new naming arrangement for its next generation flagship phones following the launch of its Galaxy S10 series devices last week, a corporate source said Sunday.Insiders on the South Korean tech giant's global brand marketing team present at the unpacking event in San Francisco for the four S10s and all-new Galaxy Fold said there are internal discussions on the current alphanumeric system. The present system has been around since the first Galaxy S in 2009. (

NCSoft introduced three future technologies Friday at a media event in Gangnam, Seoul, saying it intends to unveil them by the end of this year. The company’s artificial intelligence center is currently developing hands-free voice command technology, a master server to unite all 160 servers of “LineageM,” and an “unconnected play” function that will allow game characters to remain active and keep developing even when players are offline. Media event for “LineageM” took place in Seoul on Friday.

The de facto heads of South Korea’s two biggest conglomerates met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a state lunch at Cheong Wa Dae, according to industry sources on Friday. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun attended the luncheon at the request of the Indian government to discuss their business operations in India.  (Yonhap) (Yonhap)It was not immediately known what the Indian state leader hoped to discuss with th

Samsung Electronics announced Friday that it has completed chipset development for fifth-generation network base stations. The core components of the 5G chipsets are mmWave radio frequency integrated circuits and digital/analog front-end ASICs, supporting 28-gigahertz and 39-gigahertz bands.  (Samsung Electronics) (Samsung Electronics)Samsung’s new RFICs and DAFE ASICs enable a reduction in size, weight and power consumption of about 25 percent for the 5G base stations when compared with previou

State-run electric utility company Korea Electric Power Corporation reported an operating loss in 2018 for the first time in six years, due mainly to rising fuel prices and the cost of buying power from its affiliates. Kepco posted an operating loss of 208 billion won ($184 million) last year, down from an operating profit of 4.9 trillion won the previous year, according to its regulatory filing on Friday. It reported sales of 60.6 trillion won, up from 59.8 trillion won last year. Last year, fu

Samsung Electronics will roll out all its latest Galaxy gadgets including the foldable model within the first half of this year, a move seen as a strategy to restore its smartphone business revenue, according to industry sources Thursday. Preorders for the three models of the Galaxy S10 edition -- Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ -- will begin Monday for two weeks through the country’s three mobile carriers. The 5G model will be available for preorder starting March 22.  Visitors look at

SK hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chip provider, announced Thursday it will invest a total of 120 trillion won ($106.65 billion) to build four fabrication lines at a new semiconductor industrial complex in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. According to the announcement, a special purpose company set up by SK Engineering & Construction and multiple financial investors has submitted a letter of intent for the investment to the city of Yongin, joining forces to help create a fresh cluster for ch

Some companies face disputes over ‘excessive’ dividend payouts amid falling profits

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South Korea has decided to spend some 3.5 trillion won ($3.11 billion won) to nurture eight leading industries such as smart farms, smart cities, financial technology, drones and electric vehicles in the latest 10-year plan. It will be spent on research and development of the industries. The total allocated budget marks an increase of 77.9 percent from last year.The plan was announced by Hong Nam-ki, the minister of economy and finance, at the central government complex in Seoul.(khnews@heraldco