[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is considering ditching a flat-screen version for its next flagship Galaxy 8 that is expected to come out next year with a curved display only, industry sources said on Sept. 8. The move comes after the Galaxy S7 Edge outpaced its flat-screen sibling in terms of sales. Now the Korean tech giant is promoting the curvy screen as its premium smartphone lineup’s key identity. Sources said the company has already started securing display panels in two sizes -- 5.1 i

[THE INVESTOR] LG Innotek, the parts-making unit of LG Group, and smartphone case maker Spigen Korea are expected to benefit from Apple’s new iPhone 7 that was unveiled on Sept. 7 in San Francisco. “New iPhones have always suffered supply constraints for newly adopted parts in the early days of launch but for the latest iPhone 7 the overall parts supply is more stable than previous years,” said Lee Seung-hyuk, analyst at Korea Investment and Securities. Especially LG Innotek, the sole supplier o

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics is considering a capital increase to help out its financially-struggling overseas branches, including those in China and Egypt, Money Today, a local news daily, reported on Sept. 8. According to the report, the company’s sales operations in China and Egypt have paid-in capital already impaired by losses or are unable to cover interest costs with what they earn. LG Electronics China, established in 1995, posted a net loss of 34.7 billion won last year due to sluggish

[THE INVESTOR] Lancy Group, the Chinese apparel company, plans to set up a joint venture with Korea’s KEB Hana Bank to enter the project financing market both in China and Korea, local news service Edaily reported on Sept. 7. According to the report, Hana Bank will acquire a 25 percent stake in Lancy’s 100 million yuan (US$15 million) affiliate that is expected to be renamed as a JV between the two firms.  Screen capture of Lancy Group’s English websiteThe bank will also has the right to appoint

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics mobile chief Cho Juno shrugged off the impact of its cross-town rival  Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 recall on the sales of the company’s new big-screen phone V20. “I’m not sure whether the Galaxy Note 7 recall is a boon for us or not. What’s important is how our product is recognized by consumers,” he said at the phone’s launch event held in Seoul on Sept. 7.  LG Electronics mobile chief Cho Juno speaks at the V20 launch event held in Seoul on Sept. 7. Lee San

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is expected to seek a turnaround with its secret weapon “Onyx Black” Galaxy Note 7 in winning back customers on its home turf after a massive recall of the big-screen smartphone globally. According to industry sources on Sept. 7, the Korean tech giant will launch the black-colored Note phone as planned in October in Korea. For the phone’s Aug. 19 launch, the company excluded the black shade from the first launch models in Korea possibly to respond to Apple’s iP

[THE INVESTOR] BlackBerry plans to launch its first Android OS smartphone Priv in Korea this month after its three-year hiatus in the market, ZDNet reported on Sept. 6. Damian Tay, the company’s senior director of Asia-Pacific product management, is expected to attend the launch event planned in Seoul on Sept. 20, the online media said. “We are not setting up a Korean branch but this is the first launch since our withdrawal,” a BlackBerry official was quoted as saying. BlackBerry, then Research

[THE INVESTOR] LG Chem, the chemical unit of LG Group, is seeking a merger with its drug-making sister firm LG Life Science for business synergies. According to news reports on Sept. 6, the two firms will put the merger plan up for vote during their separate shareholders meetings scheduled to be held on Sept. 9. An LG Group official confirmed related talks were underway but said no details, including the timing, were decided. On the day, the Korean Exchange asked the two listed firms to make an