[THE INVESTOR] With DRAM prices hitting rock bottom, the global DRAM market has been in the doldrums over the past couple years. According to a market report on July 7, however, the DRAM market will likely pick up steam in the July-September period thanks to increasing demand in the mobile and server markets.“The downward trend in DRAM prices over the past two years has reversed in June,” said DRAMeXchange in its recent report, forecasting the price increase rate would be in the range of between

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean display-makers such as Samsung Display and LG Display will maintain their lead in the organic light-emitting diode sector for the next decade, according to a market research firm.“Samsung Display and LG Display will be leading the OLED market for up to 10 years,” said Ricky Park, director of IHS at the OLED Frontier Forum held in Seoul on July 5. “Unlike liquid-crystal displays, OLED requires years of investment and high production expertise, so Chinese displays compa

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Display has long gauged the marketability of large-size organic light-emitting diode displays due to their low production yields and high prices. The display-making unit of Samsung Electronics, however, is said to be speeding up preparations to jump into the sector in earnest, testing a series of technologies to improve production capability. Kateeva’s OLED inkjet printer / The Investor“Kateeva will supply the prototypes of its inkjet printers to its global customers in Ko

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Display, the display business arm of Samsung Electronics, is ramping up its efforts to outpace its rivals in the organic light-emitting diode display sector. As a part of this strategy, the firm is planning a quick transition from liquid-crystal display to OLED at its L7 plant in South Chungcheong Province. The plant currently runs two LCD assembly lines. “Samsung Display will cease the operation of both lines at the L7 plant by the end of this year and replace LCD equipme

[THE INVESTOR] Japanese tech firm Toshiba and US hard-disk maker Western Digital will jointly invest 1.5 trillion yen (US$14.6 billion) over the next three years to beef up their flash memory production. The partnership is expected to help Toshiba catch up with Samsung Electronics in the 3-D NAND flash memory sector. Under the latest deal, Toshiba and Western Digital will add a new chip fabrication facility in their existing joint chip-manufacturing plant in Japan’s Yokkaichi complex of Mie Pref

[THE INVESTOR] Chemical firm Kolon Industries has reportedly developed colorless, transparent polyimide -- a material that can be used for flexible and transparent displays.The development of the material, the first of its kind according to the company, is hailed as a big leap forward in the display sector as it can speed up the commercialization of next-generation displays, such as those that can be rolled up or folded. Kolon’s headquarters in Gwachoen, Gyeonggi Province. Kolon“We plan to soon

[THE INVESTOR] A group of employees at Samsung Electronics’ US office formed a political action committee in 2015 to engage in activities such as fund-raising and providing support for politicians. Called Samsung Electronics America Inc. Political Action Committee, or Samsung America PAC, the group was formed late last year, and since then has raised around $17,000. Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions America headquarters. SamsungSteve Merlis, a senior director of Samsung’s government relation

[THE INVESTOR] The country’s antitrust watchdog said on July 4 that it has completed its review of the merger and acquisition deal being pursued by IPTV operator SK Broadband and CJ Hellovision -- a cable TV company.The Fair Trade Commission said it sent its final evaluation report including its recommendations on the merger to SK Telecom, the parent company of SK Broadband, for feedback. Based on the results, a final decision on whether to allow the M&A will be made by Ministry of Science, ICT

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics’ European sales proportion of its entire revenue has been on a downward trend in recent years, according to the tech giant’s sustainability report on July 3. Samsung earned 38.6 trillion won (US$33.6 billion) in 2015, which takes up 19 percent of the firm’s overall revenue, at 200.7 trillion won, in the European region, including countries belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States.Participants in the Samsung Europe Forum, a showcase event held in Mona

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics will reportedly cease its auto engineering business this year.The tech giant has been running the business for the past 10 years, designing and manufacturing car frames for carmakers.Car companies in emerging nations including Indonesia and India are major customers of the Korean firm. LG Electronics’ lightweight vehicle frame / LG Electronics　The move is said to be aimed at quelling rumors that the company would jump into the automobile business in earnest. Having

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics’ sales in China continued its downward spiral for the third consecutive year in 2015, according to a report released by the tech giant on July 3.The annual revenue in the Chinese market continued to decrease from 40.1 trillion won (US$34.9 billion) in 2013, 33 trillion won in 2014 and 31 trillion won in 2015, according to its sustainability report 2016, an annual report that provides information on the firm’s performance on economic, environmental, and social f

[THE INVESTOR] Tech giant Samsung Electronics will release its earnings for the April-June quarter on July 7.All eyes are now on whether its operating profit crosses the 8-trillion-won (US$6.9 billion) threshold for the first time in two years. The firm earned 8.5 trillion won in the first quarter of 2014.Samsung posted more than 8 trillion won of operating income for the seventh consecutive quarter since the third quarter of 2012. Its operating profit reached its peak in the third quarter of 20

[THE INVESTOR] Multinational conglomerate 3M is remaining silent over its potentially toxic filters used in local air cleaners, stirring public anger over the lack of countermeasures. Earlier last month, a local broadcast revealed that a toxic substance called OIT was detected in air cleaners produced by Cuckoo and Dayou-winia. LG Electronics also admitted later that it had found the same issue in products. The filters of those products were all provided by 3M. OIT, or octylisothiazolinone, is a

[THE INVESTOR] Korea Development Bank will spend as much as 500 billion won to buy corporate bonds rated “A” or lower, as part of measures to support smaller companies with cash needs to sell new bonds more easily. "Demand in Korea’s corporate debt market has been focused on large companies and their low-risk debt,” the Financial Services Commission said in a statement. “The announced measures are intended at supporting demand for lower-rate debt, so that more companies can raise funds through t

[THE INVESTOR] Korea may choose to cut the policy interest rate further from the current record-low level in an effort to maximize the effect of its recently-announced stimulus package, some foreign investment banks predicted. According to the Korea Center for International Finance, JPMorgan and BNP Paribas noted the possibility of a fiscal-monetary policy mix in Korea in their recent analyst notes on the Korean Finance Ministry’s additional public spending plan. Bank of Korea Governor Lee Ju-ye