LG Electronics Inc. was accused in two lawsuits by Sony Corp. of infringing eight patents for technology used in liquid-crystal display televisions and monitors.Sony filed two new complaints, each listing four patents, yesterday in federal court in Los Angeles. The Tokyo-based electronics maker said LG’s 32LD350 LCD television and E2360V LCD monitor are among the products that infringe its technol

New Minister of Knowledge Economy Choi Joong-kyung Thursday reaffirmed the government’s intent to intervene in the local refining market to contain the recent petrol price hike.“The profit margins of local oil companies are 3 percent, even after giving out salaries. Considering that they do not have many other costs, the figure is not at all small compared to those of other manufacture industries,

Woori Finance Holdings Co., Korea's top financial group, drew four candidates for its chairmanship, including the current chairman deemed highly likely to serve another term, financial sources said Wednesday.Woori Finance Chairman Lee Pal-seung applied for the top post and is seen as the most powerful candidate for the chairmanship amid ongoing government efforts to put the company in private hand

The financial authority is poised to ask the prosecution to investigate Deutsche Bank AG and suspend part of businesses of the investment bank’s securities unit in Seoul for their alleged manipulation of stock prices, sources said Wednesday.According to several regulatory officials, Deutsche Bank’s brokerage unit in Seoul may face business suspension for “six months” ― the highest administrative s

BRUSSELS (AFP) ― Leaders of the 17-nation eurozone are to hold a special summit in mid-March to draft a plan of action to avoid a replay of the debt crises that shook the single currency last year.The 17 heads of state and government will meet in “mid-March,” the president of the European Union, Herman Van Rompuy, said in a speech to the European parliament.Earlier a source close to the talks told AFP that the eurozone summit had been agreed for Sunday, March 13. But a major member state later i

The Financial Services Commission unveiled a comprehensive package to curb excessive competition among credit card companies on Wednesday, a precautionary measure to prevent another liquidity crunch amid growing risks of reckless card and loan issuance. The financial regulator said it plans to induce issuers to offer reasonable supplementary services that would not harm their profitability and con

Samsung Mobile Display is reportedly poised to supply liquid-crystal display panels for the next version of Apple’s iPad, industry sources said on Wednesday.According to sources, the company, established in January 2009, is in the final stage of talks on supplying its latest LCD panels for Apple’s iPad 2, which is expected to be released later this year.In response to such reports, a spokesman at

Policymakers, refiners argue over whether the cause is tax or profit marginsThe average price of regular unleaded gasoline in Seoul broke through the 2,000-won level for the first time in more than 30 months on Wednesday, despite the government’s recent efforts to control the country’s rising fuel prices.According to state-run Korea National Oil Corp., the price of regular unleaded gasoline on Tue

Analysts’ views were mixed on the prospect of an interest rate hike ahead of the monetary policy committee’s monthly meeting for benchmark interest rate-setting slated for Friday. This reflects the Bank of Korea’s dilemma of containing rising prices while keeping growth on track. Inflation driven by fresh food prices and commodities abroad is pressuring the central bank to raise the key rate for t

Manpower Inc., U.S.-based employment agency, said on Jan. 27 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the world had entered a new era: The Human Age. The concept was introduced by Manpower CEO Jeffrey Joerres in his presentation “Entering the Human Age –- unleashing and leveraging human potential in the new reality” at the forum. Manpower says this new age has significant implicatio

Woori, Shinhan, KDB to select new heads in March amid looming industry consolidationVeteran bankers and former bureaucrats are jockeying in several races for top financial business posts dogged by alleged political pressure, in-house power struggles and procedural disputes.Woori Finance Holdings and Shinhan Financial Group plan to select their new heads next month. Hana and KDB groups are also set