Hanwha zeroes in on booming satellite internet market

LG Energy Solution topped the global market of electric vehicle batteries in 2020, while Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia have ranked fifth in the global electric vehicle market. According to market tracker EV-Volumes, the country’s battery giant LG Energy Solution deployed the most electric vehicle batteries in the world – a total of 34.5 gigawatts, or enough to power 700,000 electric vehicles. LG was followed by China’s CATL and Japan’s Panasonic, which sold

Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong finally broke his silence, three days after he was sent back to prison on Monday for bribing former President Park Geun-hye. In a message sent via his attorneys on Thursday, the Samsung Electronics vice chairman reaffirmed the importance of his ongoing drive to establish a law-abiding culture at the conglomerate. “While reaffirming my continued support for Samsung’s legal compliance monitoring committee, I implore its chairman and its members to carry

Hydrogen-powered vehicles wait in line for a free refueling at a rest area along a highway in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Thursday. The hydrogen station, which is on a trial run, is offering free refueling Thursday and Friday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. for up to 2 kilograms of hydrogen.  (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

A local office of global pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. is expected to submit an application for the approval of its COVID-19 vaccine to South Korea's drug safety agency, industry sources said Thursday. The company is planning to submit the application to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety before the end of this month, they said. Approval would mark the country's first batch of vaccines as part of a procurement program. Earlier, the government signed a COVID-19 vaccine procurement contra

Exactly a week after the year’s biggest global investor relations event JP Morgan Healthcare Conference wrapped up on Jan. 14, Korean biotech firms were still more than eager to pitch their businesses to the US investors in a spin-off event, held virtually on Thursday. There were several key takeaways from the event’s panel talk comprising members from US law firm Sidley Austin, US venture capital firm Novatio and a couple of Korean biotech firms who have made exemplary forays into

The world’s biggest LNG-powered bulk carrier has successfully returned from its first trip to bring in iron ore to South Korea, the country’s leading steelmaker said Thusday. Posco introduced two bulk carriers, dubbed HL Eco and HL Green, in December in line with its efforts to reduce gas emissions in its business operations. According to Posco, HL Green has successfully completed its first trip from Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, to Australia, and brought back 180,000 metric ton

Low-cost carrier Jin Air has sold over 10,000 of its in-flight themed ready meals in their first month, according to the airline -- nearly one every four minutes. The ready-meal series including beef goulash pasta, rice with cashew chicken chwinamul (aster leaves) and cream pasta was released in November, themed after in-flight meals to cater to those who miss airplane food. “It appears many customers are enjoying our ready-meals to remember the excitement of traveling and quench the thi

For a sixth year in a row, Coway has won honors at this year’s CES technology show, the company said Thursday. The South Korean firm’s air purifier AP-1019D has been recognized for its innovative technology and design at the CES Innovation Awards. Sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association, the organizer of the CES, the awards honor outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products across 28 product categories. Coway has received the honor in the home app

Preorders for Samsung Electronics Co.'s new flagship smartphone line are estimated to be larger than those of its predecessor, industry insiders here said Thursday, as the South Korean tech giant targets brisk sales of its latest 5G handsets. Preorders for the Galaxy S21 series are expected to be 15-20 percent more than those of the Galaxy S20 family, according to industry officials, apparently on the back of increased orders for unlocked phones. In South Korea, a weeklong preorder period star

South Korea's ICT ministry said Thursday it will provide 21.2 billion won ($19.3 million) to support the production of local broadcast content in a bid to boost next-generation media services. The Ministry of Science and ICT said it will focus on over-the-top (OTT) or video streaming content this year, setting aside 5.1 billion won to support short form videos and cross media content. It will also provide an additional 10.3 billion won in support for content targeted for overseas markets and p

Hyundai Motor Co. said Thursday it opened an ultra-fast charging station for electric vehicles (EVs) in southeastern Seoul in the latest move that could boost convenience for drivers of zero-emission cars. Hyundai Motor and SK networks, a chemical and energy company, jointly transformed an old gas station into South Korea's largest ultra-fast EV charging station spanning 4,066 square meters, the companies said. The station has eight 350 kWh high-speed chargers developed by Hyundai Motor, which

Samsung Display Co. said Thursday it will mass-produce organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays for laptops with a higher refresh rate in the first quarter of the year as the South Korean panel maker eyes increasing sales amid the pandemic. Samsung Display said the mass production of its 90Hz OLED screen for laptops will begin in March. The affiliate of Samsung Group said most laptops in the market currently come with a 60Hz refresh rate display, but its latest product will deliver a more

SK Innovation Co., a South Korean refinery-to-battery company, said Thursday it has invested in a Chinese battery swap system provider to step up its battery business in the world's largest market. SK Innovation said it acquired a 13.3 percent stake in Blue Park Smart Energy Technology Co. (BPSE), a subsidiary of Beijing Automotive Group, without elaborating on the financial terms. The South Korean firm said the strategic investment will boost its electric vehicle (EV) battery business in Chin

More than 80 percent of respondents to a recent survey said online platforms needed to change their practices for search ads to protect consumers from misleading marketing. The Fair Trade Commission on Wednesday announced the results of a consumer awareness survey regarding attitudes toward search ads on online platforms. The respondents were 1,152 ordinary users. Online search ads are displayed together with search results when users type a keyword in the search bar of a website. The survey