Firms raise highest-ever sales from home appliances biz, benefiting from pent-up demand under persisting pandemic

The bereaved family of Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee is not at odds over who should get what from the late tycoon’s Samsung company shares, worth 19 trillion won ($17.06 billion) in total, officials at Samsung Electronics, the flagship unit of the conglomerate, said Wednesday. The late Lee’s equity holdings have immense implications for the group’s ownership structure, influencing the Lee family’s continued grip over the colossal corporate empire, which alone acco

In time for Parents’ Day on May 8, SK Broadband is presenting a new family plan targeting adults living separately from their aging parents and looking out for them in this coronavirus pandemic. The plan, called “B tv Family,” is a package of services tailored for senior citizens who cannot go out as often as they used to and cannot meet up with their grandchildren and other loved ones. On top of the typical combination of high-speed internet, home Wi-Fi, IPTV and a TV set

South Koreans may be able to purchase COVID-19 self-test kits as early as next Monday, industry officials said Wednesday. Coming are two types of home test kits developed by local biotech firms SD Biosensor and Humasis. The test kits will be available at local pharmacies or via online channels, according to the companies. The rollout comes after the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety last week gave each of them conditional-use approval. The products have been in use in several countries in Eu

Local vaccine developer Genexine has signed a contract with an Indonesian pharmaceutical company to supply 10 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, the company said Tuesday. According to the firm, Indonesian pharmaceutical company PT Kalbe Farma will purchase 10 million doses of GX-19N, the vaccine candidate currently in the phase 2 clinical trial stage. Genexine will be provided with royalties based on sales of the vaccine, it added. Sale of the jabs would be possible only after

Hyundai Oilbank said Tuesday that it has partnered with Honeywell UOP, one of the world’s leading technology licensing firms, to repurpose its oil refineries as renewable energy platforms where vital ingredients for solar panels and electric vehicle batteries will be produced. Under the agreement, Honeywell’s crude oil-to-chemical technology will allow Hyundai Oilbank facilities to convert crude oil into high-value chemical products instead of traditional transportation fuels. Th

As an official announcement on the biggest wealth inheritance in modern Korean history draws near, all eyes are on how much of the late Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee’s assets would be given to his eldest son Lee Jae-yong, who has in effect already inherited the control of the mammoth business conglomerate. According to industry sources on Tuesday, the bereaved family of the late tycoon is anticipated to announce this week, before an April 30 deadline, a final inheritance plan, incl

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology on Tuesday claimed to have found a new way of curbing lithium-metal battery fires using semiconductor technology. According to its researchers led by Lee Joong-kee, lithium-metal batteries, which use metals for anodes, or the negative side, are more powerful than lithium-ion batteries that use graphite for anodes. However, there is a trade-off. Lithium-metal batteries are more susceptible to fires because of dendrite issues. Dendrites are tiny, r

South Korean livestock health management firm uLikeKorea announced the launch of an information and communication technology-based solution to detect symptoms of swine diseases, including African swine fever. Kim Hee-jin, CEO of uLikeKorea, claimed it is the world’s first and only such solution developed for pig farming. According to the firm’s press release, it uses a device that is inserted in a pig’s uterus to keep track of its activities, hormone levels and body temper

Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday sales of 2021 QLED TV models have topped 10,000 units in South Korea less than two months since its release as the company expects more premium TV sales amid the pandemic-induced stay-at-home trend. The world's largest TV maker said new QLED TVs, launched on March 3 here, achieved the milestone twice as fast as its predecessors last year. The domestic sales of total QLED TVs stood at around 40,000 units between March 3 and April 23, according to the company.

Samsung Electronics Co. said Monday its Galaxy M12 budget smartphone will be sold in South Korea this week as the tech giant eyes to expand mobile sales here by introducing more price-competitive models. The M12 will hit local shelves Wednesday through online sales channels at 198,000 won ($180), the company said. The M12 has been already released in select markets including Vietnam, India and Britain. The smartphone with a 6.5-inch screen comes with a quad-rear camera setup, featuring a 48-m

LG Electronics Inc. on Monday said its new 27-inch gaming monitor will be launched in South Korea next month as the company eyes to expand sales of IT products amid the pandemic-driven stay-at-home trend. LG's new 27-inch UltraGear 4K monitor, named the 27GP950, will hit the local shelves next Monday with a price tag of 1.09 million won ($980). The new monitor, which was featured in the all-digital Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021 in January, is already sold in select markets in North Amer

CFO takes pride in employees’ daily efforts, calls for policy support for businesses’ ESG moves

Sales of biosimilars developed by Samsung Bioepis in Europe reached $205.1 million in the first quarter this year, the South Korean drugmaker said Friday. Sales of Samsung Bioepis’ three major autoimmune biosimilars -- Benepali, Flixabi and Imraldi -- increased 3.9 percent on-quarter but decreased 6.3 percent on-year, the company said, citing an earnings report of its US partner Biogen released Thursday, local time. Samsung Bioepis is a joint venture between Biogen and Samsung Group&rs

Samsung Electronics chief Lee Jae-yong on Thursday denied all charges leveled against him during his first trial hearing on alleged irregularities surrounding his ascension to the helm of Samsung Group. Attending the session held at the Seoul Central District Court, Lee pleaded not guilty when he was asked by the presiding judge to respond to the charges brought against him by prosecutors which include stock market manipulation, illicit trading and breach of trust. “I cannot admit (to