Korea’s three largest telecom operators ― SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus ― could possibly to be hit with more disciplinary measures as the country’s financial regulator plans to launch an investigation into alleged malpractice concerning credit card transaction fees.The Financial Supervisory Service is expected to begin an investigation into the so-called “big three” telecom companies this week as they may have unfairly demanded that card issuers lower transactions fees below the standard market ra

TOKYO (AFP) ― Japanese electronics giant Sony said it has stopped producing its PlayStation 2 consoles in Japan, fuelling online rumours a PlayStation 4 is in the pipeline.Since launching in 2000 the PlayStation 2, which has a Blu-ray player, has sold more than 150 million units worldwide, making it the best selling console of all time and was so popular it outsold the its replacement for the first three years.Shipments have been “completed” for the hardware of PS2, the Japanese website of Sony

South Korean home appliance giant LG Electronics Inc. said Wednesday it has started receiving orders for its 55-inch organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs in South Korea.Consumers can apply for pre-orders of the 11 million won ($10,319) TV at 1,400 retail outlets across the country, with delivery set to start in early February, the company said in a press release.LG plans to expand sales to major markets in Asia, Europe and the U.S. in the first quarter, an LG spokesman said, without further e

Global tech titans are expected to stage a fierce competition for the dominant operating system for smart devices this year, as Samsung and Microsoft seek to reenter the market with “Tizen” and “Windows 8,” respectively, and Apple and Google are expected to bring forward the launch dates for new products. The world’s bestselling smartphone maker Samsung will launch smartphones with the new operating system “Tizen” in January in Japan, a local report said, citing Samsung officials. OS giant Intel

U.S. Internet company Yahoo Inc. on Monday halted its South Korean service, pulling out of one of the world's most wired countries after 15 years.Yahoo will halt all products, services and content of Yahoo Korea starting Dec. 31 in addition to ending customer support in Korea on the same day, the company wrote on its Korean Web site.In October, Yahoo announced a plan to pull out of South Korea as chief executive officer Marissa Mayer focuses more on stronger markets."The decision is part of Yaho

Apple Inc. agreed to drop Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy S III mini from a patent-infringement lawsuit against the South Korea-based company, according to court records.Apple said it agreed to withdraw the smartphone from its case because Samsung assured the court the phone won’t be sold in the U.S., according to a filing Friday in federal court in San Jose, California. The filing, which follows an August verdict in the same court in Apple’s favor on other infringement claims, comes in a secon