[THE INVESTOR] A man in his 30s drove his car into the Korean head office of online game company Nexon in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, on July 24.A part of the glass wall on the first floor was smashed into pieces, but no injuries were reported. The man, whose nationality is reportedly Chinese, drove while intoxicated. He said in a police interrogation that he was infuriated at Nexon’s online games to which he was so addicted that he could not live an ordinary life.“The person who vandalized the o

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics said it would spend 30-50 percent more on-year for research and development into key components of washing machines and air conditioners to maintain its competitiveness in the home appliance market. “The motor and compressor plays a vital role in our home appliance business, so we will invest accordingly,” said Park Jung-hyun, vice president of LG’s compressor and motor business unit at a press meeting in South Gyeongsang Province last week. LG Electronics employees

[THE INVESOTR] Shipments of organic light-emitting diode displays for smartphones are expected to almost double from last year’s 250 million units to 450 million units in 2017, market research firm IHS predicted. Currently, about 97 percent of the market is dominated by Samsung Display, the display-making unit of Samsung Electronics. IHS said this year’s shipments could surge 42.7 percent to 366.9 million panels compared to a year ago. Samsung Galaxy S7. The Korean tech giant is increasingly ado

[THE INVESTOR] Vietnam’s minimum wage hike is expected to take a heavy toll on big Korean firms such as Samsung and LG that have been beefing up production there due to low labor costs. Currently, the minimum wage for Vietnamese workers ranges between US$108-157 across regions. In the latest wage talks, labor groups asked for an 11 percent increase from next year, while employers resisted, proposing a moderate 4.62 percent raise. LG Electronics Vietnam Haiphong campus“There are over 4,000 Korean

“Pokemon Go” boosts local businesses in Sokcho while retailers enjoy surge in sales of Pokemon-related items

 CATCHING POKEMON IN ULSAN — Citizens play Nintendo’s augmented-reality mobile game “Pokemon Go” in Ganjeolgot, a coastal park in the southeastern city of Ulsan in South Korea on Friday. "Pokemon Go" became partially operational in the area from Friday, as the game officially began service in nearby Japan the same day. The game has yet to officially launch in Korea, though it works in certain cities such as Sokcho and Ulsan as the game’s GPS signal is active there. (Yonhap)CATCHING POKEMON IN UL

KT Corp., Korea‘s second-largest mobile carrier, is launching GiGA WiFi 2.0 which enables mobile users to use wireless Internet services with speeds of up to 1.73 Gbps, the firm said Friday. (KT Corp.)

[THE INVESTOR] Electronic components firm Samsung Electro-Mechanics said on July 22 that it would invest 263.2 billion won (US$231.90 million) in beefing up its capability in chip packaging, an encapsulation process aimed at preventing erosion and damage.The investment amount accounts for 6.1 percent of the firm’s equity. Through the investment, Samsung Electro-Mechanics will develop the next-generation chip packaging facilities, which will be deployed at Samsung Display’s manufacturing complex

The latest version of Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Note smartphone appears to focus on saving costs, rather than delivering cutting-edge functions, industry sources said Friday. The Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, which is expected to be released on Aug. 2 in New York, is likely to show similar features with the Galaxy Note 5 in terms of its design and functions, according to the industry sources.Although the camera and battery life of the Galaxy Note 7 are likely to be better than its predecessor

[THE INVESTOR] It seems unavoidable for Samsung Display, the display-making unit of Samsung Electronics, to further beef up production of its organic light-emitting diode panels on soaring demand from China’s smartphone manufacturers. UBI Research, a local market research firm specialized on OLED, predicted that the Chinese demand for mobile OLED could surge to some 200 million units next year. Samsung Galaxy S7 with OLED display. Apple iPhone’s planned adoption of OLED screen possibly from next

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics has recently filed a suit against Huawei and its key retailer for patent infringements, escalating the legal battle between the two rival smartphone-makers. According to industry sources on July 22, the Korean tech giant sued Huawei for infringing its six patents, including those on mobile communication systems information control, and the retailer for selling the products. They involve Huawei’s key models such as Mate 8 and Honor series phones. Samsung asked e

[THE INVESTOR] China’s largest electric car maker BYD on July 21 announced that Shanghai Samsung Semiconductor, a unit of Samsung Electronics, has acquired its 52.3 million shares for 3 billion yuan (US$450 million). With the acquisition, Samsung has become BYD’s ninth-largest shareholder with a 1.92 percent stake. BYD, which started as a rechargeable battery maker, is currently the largest EV maker not just in China but also globally. BYD’s 2016 full-electric and hybrid vehicle lineup“The lates

An international town near the country's western coast is turning into a mecca for drone fans and companies as its governing city begins a project next year to build an aeronautics industry complex, officials said Friday.More than 10 firms that develop components for drones have set up offices at the Songdo International Business District in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, over the past two years, according to the city officials.Internet communities and bloggers are calling the district on

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics will supply telematics systems that support wireless Internet in cars to Japan’s Toyota Motor, according to news reports on July 22. The company’s vehicle component business division has recently signed a deal with the Japanese auto giant to produce telematics systems to be equipped in Toyota vehicles sold in Japan and North America. LG ElectronicsLG is No. 1 player in the global telematics market with some 30 percent market share. The company will supply 11 key par

[THE INVESTOR] A consumer group claimed on July 21 that South Korea’s three largest mobile carriers --SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus -- have made excessive profits by overpricing USIM chips for smartphones.“Utilizing their monopolistic position in the mobile market, the three firms are alleged to have earned 117.3 billion won (US$103.20 million) of unjust profits over the past two years and three months,” said Green Consumer Network in Korea. The head office of SK Telecom in Seoul The figure is bas