SK Telecom said Wednesday its artificial intelligence-based senior care service has helped the 119 emergency system to rescue around 23 seniors living alone since its launch last year. The company held an online press conference to promote its service dedicated to strengthen social security net for the elderly. SKT’s senior care service uses its AI speaker Nugu which allows the elderly and those with mobility difficulties to access information with voice commands and contact others wh

LG Electronics has decided to expand its overseas production of televisions, while reducing domestic production, by relocating two manufacturing lines from South Korea to Indonesia, the company confirmed on Wednesday. Under its strategy to tackle the stagnated demand for TVs worldwide, the Korean tech giant will move out two of its six production lines that are currently located in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province, to Cibitung in Indonesia within the year. Built in 1995, the Cibitung TV plan

With South Korea continuing to see the number of new COVID-19 infections per day back in the double digits after signs that the crisis was winding down, telecommunication services are gaining fewer new subscribers, industry sources said Tuesday. The number of customers who moved from one service provider to another posted 16,082 during the third weekend of May, down by 25 percent from the two previous weekends. The timing coincides with the revelation that nightclubs in the Itaewon area of Se

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong met with Hu Heping, Communist Party Secretary of Shaanxi province, during his two-day visit to Xian, China, the tech giant said Tuesday. Lee held a meeting with the provincial leader after visiting Samsung’s memory chip plant in Xian. He was the first foreign business mogul to visit China after the COVID-19 outbreak. Hu expressed gratitude over Samsung’s provision of quarantine aid for Chinese citizens, including those working for

ICT Minister Choi Ki-young visited South Korea’s 5G equipment manufacturer OE Solutions’ facility on Monday as part of the government’s efforts to encourage small and medium-sized firms here. OE Solutions is a local supplier of optical transceiver solutions for both wired and wireless network equipment. It provides parts to major players in the market, including Samsung, Ericsson and Huawei. “The nation’s efforts to become the first in the world to provide 5G net

South Korean conglomerates are increasing their support for startups created and spun off by their own employees, the companies said Monday. The move is part of an effort to strengthen the country’s startup ecosystem by encouraging creative business ideas and technological innovation, they said. Samsung Electronics said it had selected five outstanding projects pitched by its employees this year, with the goal of spinning them out as independent units. The tech titan’s in-house

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Monday paid a visit to the company’s memory chip plant in Xian, China -- the first foreign business mogul to enter the country after the coronavirus outbreak. The South Korean tech giant’s heir apparent checked on the memory business in China during the visit accompanied by Memory Business President Jin Gyo-young and Samsung’s China operations chief Hwang Deuk-kyu. “There will be no future if we are caught in the past

Samsung Electronics Co.'s chip production in the first quarter of the year increased 57.4 percent from a year earlier despite the spread of the novel coronavirus, the company's quarterly business report showed Monday. Samsung, the world's largest memory chip maker, produced 277.4 billion units of semiconductors in the January-March period, up from 176.2 billion units a year earlier, according to the report. Its chip factory operation rate was 100 percent. Industry insiders said Samsung's i

LG Electronics has introduced a portable air conditioner with greater flexibility in use and better connectivity with smart devices, the company said Sunday. The movable air conditioner is designed to target households that frequently move in and out and those who have difficulty installing outdoor condensers. The AC is equipped with a dual inverter compressor with two cylinders, increasing cooling and energy saving capabilities. The portable model uses up to 29 percent less electricity

South Korean over-the-top service provider Watcha said Thursday it plans to jump into the music market. The company established a subsidiary Wpeer last year to launch Watcha Music Publishing, which will become a digital music distribution platform that will connect artists with investors, production firms and other associates to help them to publish their titles. Watcha Music Publishing is expected to officially launch in the second half this year after securing a reasonable number of artists

South Korea’s outbound shipments of information and communications technology products in April reached $12.88 billion, down 15 percent on-year, according to latest government data Thursday. The Ministry of Science and ICT noted that the import value of ICT products in April was $8.87 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $4 billion. The daily average exports in the same month came down by 7.6 percent on-year at $0.59 billion, compared to $0.63 billion in April last year. Exports o

Samsung Electronics Co.'s mid-range smartphone, the Galaxy A51, was the world's bestselling Android smartphone model in the first quarter of the year, a report showed Thursday. The Galaxy A51, which was unveiled in December, shipped 6 million units globally, accounting for 2.3 percent of all smartphones shipped in the January-March period, according to market tracker Strategy Analytics. The Redmi 8, made by China's Xiaomi Corp., was the second bestselling Android smartphone with a 1.9 perce

Rare one-on-one business meeting of Lee Jae-yong, Chung Euisun hints at potential cooperation

The heirs apparent of South Korea's top two family-run conglomerates had a rare meeting Wednesday to discuss possible cooperation in the electric vehicle (EV) business. Samsung Group Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong exchanged views on Samsung's development of new all-solid-state battery technology and its future with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun, group officials said. The meeting took place at Samsung SDI Co.'s plant in Cheonan, about 90 kilometers south of Seoul. Samsu

At first sight, the 899,800 won ($740) LG Velvet looks like it could be out of Samsung’s premium Galaxy S lineup of phones, especially with its water drop shape notch for selfie camera and the 3D Arc Design on the display. While some might say the price tag is too high for a midrange phone, the LG Velvet is the tech firm’s flagship phone, pledging to provide greater affordability than Samsung and Apple’s premium phones with comparable entertainment features. What real