Korea chief Grund hopes to step up collaboration with local companies

Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics maintained their leadership in flat TV sales in the first quarter of this year with their aggregate market share accounting for almost half of the global market.Samsung posted a 29.6 percent market share, up from 26.8 percent last year, topping the world’s flat TV market for the 33rd consecutive quarter in the January-March period, Samsung said Friday, citing a report by market researcher DisplaySearch.Models look at Samsung Electronics’

Korea prides itself for being superfast at adopting and building new things like none other.It can make planes, trains and automobiles, and even ships, robots and telecommunication networks faster than most. This culture of “ppalli ppalli,” in which everything has to be taken care of in a matter of seconds, has paved the way for it to become one of Asia’s leading economies.But none of those fancy and fast things Korea likes to show off seem noteworthy when it comes to saving lives in the face of

Korean maglev to ply Incheon Airport route

Consumer electronics such as smartphones and toothbrushes are not the only things that can be charged wirelessly anymore. Korean researchers have developed ways to adapt such technology into high-speed railways.The Korea Railroad Research Institute recently introduced the world’s first bullet train that can be powered wirelessly without overhead electric grids, in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. The researcher demonstrated the so-called online electric train, named “Hemu,” equipped with the wireless

A Deutsche Bahn AG InterCity Express train, manufactured by Siemens AG, sits on a platform at Berlin Central Station in Germany. French officials have urged Alstom to consider a rival offer from Germany’s Siemens, after GE tried to buy the French firm. (Bloomberg)Siemens wrote to Alstom seeking information for a possible bid for the French energy and transportation company Alstom, said French Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg.The Germany company “wrote this morning to Alstom to request details,

CEO Hwang seeks to change firm’s makeup for media ubiquity

LG Chem researchers examine safety reinforced separators at their lab in Daejeon on Sunday. LG Chem  LG Chem said Monday that it has inked a patent license deal with Japanese battery film maker UBE MAXELL. 　Under the agreement, UBE MAXELL, a joint venture between Ube Industries and Hitachi Maxell, can use LG Chem’s separator film technology, called “safety reinforced separator technology,” using a ceramic coating on battery separators. 　The battery separators play a critical role in separating t

MSIP director general Min Won-kiOn May 17, the world celebrated World Telecommunications and Information Society Day. The United Nations established the day to recognize the ever-increasing impact of information and communications technologies in our daily lives. The theme of this year’s WTISD was “Broadband for Sustainable Development.”In recognition of Korea’s contribution to broadband, the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union recognized President Park Geun-hye as a laureate

Four in 10 Korean households are expected to have a tablet PC this year, according to Strategy Analytics.The global research firm said that Korea’s tablet penetration rate per household is forecast to stand at around 44 percent in 2014.The rate lags behind other advanced high-tech economies. North America’s penetration rate is forecast to reach 54.1 percent this year, and 39.8 percent in the eurozone. Samsung Galaxy tablet devices sit on display at Samsung Electronics’ pavilion at the Mobile Wor

Carriers to restart fierce competition following suspensions

Line characters in Hong Kong (Naver)Local Internet giant Naver has opened a pop-up store in Hong Kong featuring products of characters from its Line mobile messenger. The company said the store is the fifth of its kind overseas after Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. “The long lines in front of the shop to buy Line’s character products show the rising popularity of Line and its characters in Hong Kong,” a Line spokesperson said. “The popularity now matches those in Japan, Thailand and Ta