The Korea Herald

New touch-screen BlackBerrys being launched

TechnologyAug 4, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) -- Research In Motion Ltd. on Wednesday unveiled five new BlackBerry phones with touch screens, as it hopes to revive the line‘s dwindling appeal in the face of competition from the iPhone and Android smartphones. In this product image provided by Research In Motion, the new Blackberry
Korean inventor claims Miller's beer bottle design infringes on his patent

CompaniesAug 4, 2011

A South Korean inventor claimed Thursday that the bottle design of U.S.-based Miller Brewing Company's Miller Lite beer infringes on his patent registered here, and said he would take legal action against the global alcoholic beverage firm.The inventor, who asked to be identified only by his surname
S. Korean banks' Q2 net more than quadruples in Q2

Aug 4, 2011

South Korean lenders saw their earnings grow more than four-fold in the second quarter from a year earlier, due mainly to decreased loan-loss reserves and one-off gains from the sale of a stake in a local builder, the financial watchdog said Thursday.The combined net income of 18 local banks came to
Hanjin Heavy chief under fire for lying low over labor crisis

IndustryAug 3, 2011

Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co. chairman Cho Nam-ho is facing criticism from politicians for continuing to ignore calls to attend a public hearing and put an end to the labor dispute at the shipbuilder. On Dec. 20 the company decided to let 2,500 workers go in the near future, prompting
Herald Design Forum in Seoul Oct. 5-6

IndustryAug 3, 2011

Herald Media, the publisher of The Korea Herald and Herald Business, is holding the first iDEA Herald Design Forum on Oct. 5 and 6.The iDEA forum, (short for information, design, entertainment academy) will bring together leading designers and futurologists from across the world to hold discussions
Seoul markets hit by U.S. woes

Aug 3, 2011

The nation’s financial markets on Wednesday reflected worse fiscal conditions of the United States and European countries, seeing most key indices negatively affected.In the wake of anxiety that the U.S. economy could enter into a double-dip recession, local stocks tumbled and the Korean won lost gr
Lotte Mart to launch half-priced sauces

IndustryAug 3, 2011

Lotte Mart will launch its new range of discount products on Thursday ― half-priced instant stews in curry and “jjajang,” or black bean sauce, flavors. Even though their quantity has been doubled to 300 grams, the products’ price stands at 1,400 won ($1.32), matching other 150-gram products, the nat
Amore Pacific takes over French perfume brand

IndustryAug 3, 2011

Beauty firm aims to strengthen dominance in global marketAmore Pacific Corp. said Wednesday that it has completed a deal to take over French luxury perfume brand Annick Goutal on Tuesday. It was the first overseas merger and acquisition case for the nation’s largest cosmetics maker with nearly 40 pe
Rickety bullet trains rankle rail travelers

IndustryAug 3, 2011

A string of KTX breakdowns dampens confidence in homegrown technology, stokes safety concernsCustomers around the country have vented fury over Korea’s flaw-ridden high-speed trains, calling for better safety measures from operators and builders.A series of accidents and breakdowns have marred the r
SK exports hit record high in H1

IndustryAug 3, 2011

SK Group said Wednesday its six manufacturing units’ combined exports set a record high of 18.18 trillion won ($17.18 billion) in the first half of the year, thanks to robust sales of petrochemical products.Sales of the six affiliates ― SK Innovation, SK Energy, SK Global Chemical, SK Lubricants, SK
Sales of imported vehicles jump 15.6% in July

IndustryAug 3, 2011

Sales of imported vehicles in South Korea jumped 15.6 percent last month from a year earlier, helped by new car models and the free trade agreement with Europe that lowered prices, a trade association said Wednesday.A total of 8,859 imported vehicles were sold here in July, compared with 7,666 units
Samsung widens gap with Toshiba in NAND flash

IndustryAug 3, 2011

Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s top memory chipmaker, increased its NAND flash market dominance in the second quarter, widening its gap with the runner-up Toshiba Corp., industry data showed Wednesday. But prices of NAND flash memory chips, which are used to store data in portable devices such
Korea faces labor shortage, low productivity: SERI

Aug 3, 2011

The fast-aging population will bring labor shortages and low productivity to the country in the next couple decades, a report said Wednesday.Korea’s dwindling workforce, coupled with rock-bottom fertility rates and prolonged longevity, may weaken economic growth after 2020, said Park Chan-young, a r
Shinhan, IBK probed over irregular lending

Aug 3, 2011

The Financial Supervisory Service recently conducted an on-the-spot probe into Shinhan Bank and Industrial Bank of Korea over their allegedly irregular lending practices.The regulatory body looked into their loan-related documents by dispatching a group of inspectors to the headquarters of the two b
Watchdog requests W500b for savings banks’ overhaul

Aug 3, 2011

South Korea’s financial watchdog said on Wednesday it has requested the government to inject 500 billion won ($473 million) in a special fund aimed at overhauling the country’s ailing savings bank sector.Local savings banks have been suffering from a deterioration of asset quality due to a pile-up o