The Korea Herald

HTC may offer larger tablets to rival Apple, Samsung, CEO says

IndustryFeb 17, 2011

HTC Corp. may introduce larger tablet computers than the 7-inch screen “Flyer” device that the Taiwanese company unveiled Tuesday to challenge the dominance of Apple Inc.’s iPad. “We’re working on several form factors,” HTC Chief Executive Officer Peter Chou said on the sidelines at an industry conference in Barcelona Tuesday when asked whether the company may offer bigger tablets. Sales from tabl
Seoul shares open higher on U.S. economic optimism

Feb 17, 2011

South Korean stocks started higher on Thursday as investor sentiment got a boost from Wall Street gains sparked by growing optimism about the U.S. economic recovery, analysts said. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) advanced 11.36 points, or 0.57 percent, to trade at 2,000.47 in the first 15 minutes of trading. Tech shares were in focus with market leader Samsung Electr
Obama wants FTAs with Korea, Colombia, Panama ratified this year: Geithner

Feb 17, 2011

WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- The Obama administration is committed to pass through Congress pending free trade deals with South Korea, Panama and Colombia this year, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Wednesday. "We would like to pass all of them, alongside trade adjustment assistance, and we want to do it this year," Geithner told a Senate Finance Committee hearing. "They're overwhelmingly i
New recruits build bonds at company boot camps

IndustryFeb 16, 2011

New workers learn teamwork and living as part of the firm at induction programsLike many who join large companies in South Korea, Cho Duk-hyun’s career at Daeyang Shipping began with a two-month induction program.While such programs are often associated with tight schedules that begin at the crack of dawn and continue late into the night, and sometimes include activities with little relation to wo
Korea to develop key bullet train components

IndustryFeb 16, 2011

Korea will seek to acquire technology for indigenously manufacturing electric car line systems used to provide power to its bullet trains, the government said Wednesday.The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said work to develop special metal components and nuts that can permit 25,000 volts of electricity to flow constantly from overhanging wires to a fast moving train should be deve
Samsung updates bada mobile platform

TechnologyFeb 16, 2011

BARCELONA (Yonhap News) ― Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s second-largest maker of mobile phones, said Wednesday that it has released the updated version of bada, the company’s proprietary mobile operating system.Samsung added a multitasking feature and mobile payment technology called Near Field Communication and voice recognition functions to the second generation of its mobile software, bad
GM Daewoo unveils all-new Chevrolet Aveo

IndustryFeb 16, 2011

GM Daewoo Auto & Technology, the Korean unit of U.S. carmaker General Motors Co., on Wednesday revealed its new small passenger car, the Chevrolet Aveo, in Korea.“The all-new Chevrolet Aveo is a fun to drive car with a confident attitude and a big heart,” said Mike Arcamone, president GM Daewoo.“Its bold exterior styling exudes attitude while its big heart is readily apparent with the most spaciou
LGE reveals next generation 3-D TVs

IndustryFeb 16, 2011

LG Electronics on Wednesday unveiled its first 3-D television using film-type patterned retarder panels that it claimed have effectively eliminated problems with the current 3-D technology. The Seoul-based electronics firm said in a press conference that the current shutter glass panels have serious limitations such as flickering and cross talk ― blurry ghosting images ― that viewers have persiste
Hyundai Heavy honored for excellent designs

IndustryFeb 16, 2011

Hyundai Heavy Industries won awards at the 2011 Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany, the world’s largest shipbuilding firm said Wednesday.The winning products were two types of HiMSEN medium speed marine diesel engine and ship monitoring system ACONIS-DS (advanced control & integration system), the firm said.The HiMSEN engine is an environmentally friendly model which boasts higher out
Samsung, LG bet on solar energy devices

IndustryFeb 16, 2011

The country’s top electronics makers are attempting to make big investments in solar energy projects, designating them as a new future growth engine.At the EXPO Solar 2011 at the KINTEX in Gyeonggi Province on Tuesday, local electronics giants Samsung and LG Electronics both featured advanced solar modules which they claim are “highly efficient.”The event takes place as major firms have pledged ea
Unemployment rate drops to 3.8% in Jan.

Feb 16, 2011

Korea’s jobless rate fell in January from a year earlier as the non-farm private sector expanded recruitment amid the economic recovery, a government report showed Wednesday.The jobless rate was 3.8 percent last month, down from 5 percent from a year earlier, according to the report by Statistics Korea. But it was up from the previous month’s 3.5 percent.The number of working people stood at 23.19
Hana Financial CEO, Hana Bank cautioned

Feb 16, 2011

The Financial Supervisory Service reprimanded Hana Financial Group president & CEO Kim Jong-yeol and the group’s banking unit for irregularities on Wednesday.The regulator said it issued a “caution” against Kim, who had served for Hana Bank as CEO, for being careless about the bank’s investment in U.S. stocks and bonds in 2008. Kim Jong-yeolSeveral staffers of the bank were also subject to regulat
KRX to lose derivatives trading leadership

Feb 16, 2011

The planned merger of Deutsche Boerse AG and NYSE Euronext is to likely to deprive the Korea Exchange of the status as the world’s most actively traded derivative market. The KRX, the world’s No. 1 derivative market, took up 15.9 percent of the trade volume worldwide with about 1.78 billion transactions in the first half of 2010, the Futures Industry Association said. The German-U.S. bourse allian
Daewoo, Samsung cement top posts in securities market

Feb 16, 2011

Daewoo Securities and Samsung Securities increased their dominance in the domestic market with sharp rises in profits last year.Operating profits of the Samsung Securities and Daewoo Securities in the three last quarters of 2010 made 37.63 percent of total raised in the industry, the Korea Exchange said Wednesday.Daewoo topped the list by raising an operating profit of 269.5 billion won followed b
Mirae Asset seeks overseas employees, acquisitions

Feb 16, 2011

Mirae Asset Global Investments Co., Korea’s second-largest money manager, plans to boost the number of overseas employees by as much as 30 percent this year and acquire companies to strengthen coverage of emerging markets. Foreign hires in 2011 will mostly be fund managers, analysts and marketing personnel, chief executive officer Koo Jae-sang said in an interview, declining to say where the emplo