South Korean children and teens used smartphones for longer periods of time in 2023 than the year before, a report by a state-run think-tank showed Thursday. Children under the age of 10 used smartphones for an average of 1 hour and 15 minutes a day last year, marking an increase of 17.2 percent or 11 minutes, according to the report by the Korea Information Society Development Institute. The report surveyed 9,757 individuals from 4,077 households across the country. While not as prominent as in

LG Electronics said Friday it expected its first-quarter operating earnings to decline more than 10 percent on-year despite the company strong overall sales of its home appliances. LG estimated that its operating profit for the January-March period came in at 1.33 trillion won ($983.2 million), down 11 percent from a year ago, according to the company’s earnings guidance. But this was still above the consensus of 1.28 trillion won predicted by local analysts, as provided by the market inte

Samsung Electronics predicted a more than tenfold increase in its operating profit for the the January-March period, signaling a dramatic resurgence in its semiconductor business on rebounding demand for memory chips. Samsung’s first-quarter operating profit is estimated to hit 6.6 trillion won ($4.89 billion), up 931.3 percent from a year ago, according to its earnings guidance. The amount surpassed the consensus of 5.26 trillion won predicted by local analysts, as provided by the market

Multiple typos found in Korea AeroSpace Administration’s English job application for foreign nationals

South Korean semiconductor powerhouse SK hynix said Thursday it will invest about $3.87 billion to build an advanced chip packing fabrication and research and development facility in West Lafayette, Indiana, amid intensifying global competition in the burgeoning artificial intelligence memory semiconductor industry. The announcement was made at an investment agreement ceremony attended by officials from SK hynix, the state government of Indiana and Purdue University at the school on Wednesday. S

South Korea will funnel 710.2 billion won ($526.9 million) into the government's projects to integrate artificial intelligence into everyday life, the science ministry said Thursday. The AI Strategy High-Level Consultative Council, a government-civilian panel for shaping AI policies, convened its inaugural meeting and approved the investment plan to proceed with 69 AI projects aimed at helping the people feel the benefits of AI across all sectors, according to the Ministry of Science and IC

LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo (center) claps at the LG Awards ceremony, held at the LG Academy in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday. The awards, launched in 2019, aim to recognize innovative technologies, products and services across LG affiliates. This year, 98 teams and 724 individuals received awards, including the life science business team at LG Chem that played a role in supplying essential infertility treatments during a supply shortage. "Customers recognize unique value when th

As governments around the world fiercely compete to boost their semiconductor industries by distributing large subsidies, South Korea is pointed out as falling behind other chip powerhouses, raising concerns about the gap widening in the future. On Tuesday, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry approved subsidies of up to 590 billion yen ($3.9 billion) for chip foundry venture Rapidus, adding to its promise earlier to provide funds worth some 330 billion yen into the chip project.

Tech giant sets up HBM-only research team in AI push

Business leaders joined relatives to mourn the death of Cho Suck-rai, the honorary chairman of Hyosung Group, a textile giant, on Sunday. Cho died of a chronic illness Friday at the age of 89. Cho led the textile giant from 1982 until 2017, when he stepped down from the top management position due to health issues. His eldest son, Cho Hyun-joon took the baton to lead the conglomerate. On Saturday, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong and his mother Hong Ra-hee paid respect for Cho at the fu

Korean IT giant Kakao on Thursday appointed Chung Shin-a as its first female, chief while it is facing urgent challenges in revamping its corporate culture and management. The announcement was made as she gained a nod from shareholders during the annual meeting and a separate approval from the board of directors earlier in the day at the company’s headquarters in Jeju Island. After being named as the CEO nominee in December, Chung has served as the head of the company’s innovation ta

Marking the 40th anniversary of its founding, SK Telecom, South Korea's largest wireless carrier by the number of accounts, promised to transform into a global artificial intelligence company, Thursday. The mobile carrier, first established in March 1984 under the name, Korea Mobile Telecommunication Services Corp., celebrates its 40th anniversary on Friday. "SKT's 40 years of achievements were made possible by its unique DNA of overcoming challenging situations and creating a his

South Korean IT solutions provider LG CNS said Thursday it has agreed to establish a joint venture with one of the largest conglomerates in Indonesia to strengthen digital transformation innovation in the 16th largest economy in the world. Under the agreement, LG CNS and Sinar Mas Group will set up a 50-50 joint venture in the latter half of this year to promote consulting, construction and operation for data center services and cloud conversion services, targeting Indonesian companies and publi

LG Group said Thursday it has completed the renovation of its Twin Towers headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul -- the first refurbishment since the building was completed in 1987. The lobby, arcade and floor space of the lower part of the buildings have been revamped to reflect employee opinions under the theme of “Connection.” LG said the most popular new feature is the upgraded fitness center. (LG Group)

LG Group unveiled a plan Wednesday to invest 100 trillion won ($74.3 billion) in South Korea by 2028 as it seeks to secure technological competitiveness and expand new growth engines. The announcement was made during the regular shareholders meeting of its holding company LG Corp., held at the Seoul headquarters earlier in the day. The company said the planned investment accounts for 65 percent of LG’s overall global investment by 2028, which reflects its commitment to driving innovation a