PHILIPS LAUNCHES AQUA VACUUM CLEANER -- Philips Korea launched the PowerPro Aqua (FC6401/01), a cordless vacuum cleaner equipped with both vacuuming and mopping features for heightened cleaning convenience, in South Korea on Monday. Priced at 369,000 won ($310), the PowerPro Aqua is available for purchase through local online retailers. Promotional discounts of up to 70,000 won are available throughout February. For more information, visit the Philips Korea website or its Facebook page. (Philips

LOTTE SPONSORSHIP FOR WINTER OLYMPICS -- Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin (right), who also leads the Korea Ski Association, talks with the South Korean Olympics alpine skiing team during the opening ceremony of the Jeongson Alpine Center in Gangwon Province on Saturday. Lotte plans to give 5 billion won ($4.17 million) in sponsorship to a set of test events scheduled to kick off at the center starting with the International Ski Federation’s Alpine World Ski Championships on Feb. 6. (Lotte Gro

SK CHEM’S BLOOD DONATION — SK Chemical holds a blood donation event at the company’s Eco Lab in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday. Some 140 employees at SK Chemical and its affiliates reportedly took part in the event. The collected blood will be delivered to the Korean Red Cross. (SK Chemical)

Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong on Friday poses at a college classroom in Daejeon together with a group of students. The Samsung heir made a surprise visit to Chungnam National University to encourage teachers and students who were participating in the company’s Dream Class programs that tour rural areas every year to offer classes. (Samsung Electronics)

Hanwha Q Cells chief strategy officer Kim Dong-kwan (right) shakes hands with Zhao Haishan (center), vice mayor of Tianjin, China, and Hanwha Life Insurance digital team leader Kim Dong-won during the 2016 World Economic Forum at Davos of Switzerland on Wednesday. Hanwha established a joint venture in Tianjin last year. The two sons of Hanwha Group chairman Kim Seung-youn met global leaders, discussed renewable energy and promoted the company businesses at the forum.  (Hanwha Group)

BUDGET HANDSET GAINS STEAM -- Mobile carrier SK Telecom said Friday that its 5.5-inch budget smartphone Sol, which comes with a price tag of 399,300 won ($332), has attracted around 10,000 preorders for just three days since Tuesday this week. (SKT)

S-OIL SUPPORTS FIRE VICTIMS — S-Oil senior vice president Lee Chang-jae (center) delivers a total of 50 million won ($41,000) to Seoul Council on Social Welfare chairman Hwang Yong-kyu (right) in a ceremony held Wednesday in Seoul. The funds will be used to support underprivileged victims of fire accidents in South Korea. (S-Oil)

  KT TO BUILD SMART FARMS -- Yoon Kyung-lim(left), head of mobile carrier KT’s future convergence business office, and Katsuyuki Kitagawa, CEO of ASO Farm Land -- operator of the world’s largest agriculture-themed park in Japan -- pose at the MOU signing event to collaborate on building smart farms in Korea, deploying information technology. (KT)

PUBLIC PETITION TO URGE BILL PASSAGE -- President Park Geun-hye (center) on Monday visits a campaign site organized by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry led by chairman Park Yong-maan (right) to urge legislators to pass a set of bills on labor reform and economic recovery at the KCCI building in central Seoul. The campaign seeks to collect and submit the signatures of 10 million citizens to the National Assembly, with the aim of putting pressure on the partisan deadlock that has delayed

Samsung Electronics on Sunday unveiled a transparent OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, display video wall at the BMW Driving Center in Yeongjongdo Island, Incheon. The futuristic display, boasting a 45 percent transparency rate, allows visitors to see every corner of the BMW 7 Series sedan. (Samsung Electronics)

 SK Telecom on Sunday unveiled its new budget smartphone, Sol, before its official launch Friday. Priced at 399,300 won ($330), the phone features a 5.5-inch full HD display, polycarbonate case and Qualcomm’s 1.5-gigahertz octacore processor. SKT

LG RELEASES LIGHTEST 15-INCH LAPTOP -- LG Electronics rolled out the world’s lightest 15.6-inch laptop, dubbed the Gram 15, in Seoul on Thursday. The new laptop weighing in at 980 grams -- 50 percent lighter than the existing 15-inch products -- features either Intel‘s i5 or i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256 and 512GB storage options, with its price range from 1.55 million won ($1,280) to 2.29 million won.　(LGE)

  COOL NEW AIR CONDITIONERS -- Cho Sung-jin (second from left), head of LG Electronics’ home appliance and air solution business unit, and Choi Sang-gyu (second from right), head of the firm’s Korea sales and marketing, pose at the unveiling event of the tech firm’s 2016 Whisen Dual Air Conditioner lineup, fitted with two cold air outlets, motion sensors and air purifying and dehumidifying functions. (LGE)

Technicians check the audio system in Kia’s new K7 sedan at the carmaker’s R&D center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, on Monday. The automakers’ new flagship sedan with eight-speed transmission boasts enhanced fuel efficiency and driving performance. The new K7’s price tag ranges from 30.8 million won ($24,940) to 39.4 million won depending on power trains and options. Kia Motors