South Korea ranks sixth in the world in terms of the smartphone penetration rate this year, data by Statistics Analytics showed.In terms of the number of smartphone users compared to the nation‘s population, the penetration rate was expected to reach 77.7 percent for Korea.According to the Science Ministry here, a total of 47.4 million Koreans are registered to use smartphones. The figure includes those registered to more than one account.

Samsung Electronics announced it will launch refurbished Galaxy Note 7 smartphones this Friday. Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition (Samsung Electronics)Named “Galaxy Note Fan Edition,” the upcoming model is made of parts of recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphones due to the battery explosion problems last year. Batteries of the recollected products are replaced with new ones, while software programs are updated to the same user experience level of the latest flagship Galaxy S8, the company said. The Bix

The third and last lineup for the annual rock festival in the western port city of Incheon was announced by its organizer.Brother-sister acoustic duo Akdong Musician, female acoustic duo Bolbbalgan4, hip-hop/R&B singer Zion.T and Japanese rock band Crystal Lake are among the eight new names added to the festival‘s lineup released on Friday.They will perform in this year’s Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival that will be held on Aug. 11-13 at the Songdo Moonlight Festival Park, also known as Pentapor

Samsung Electronics is poised to become the world’s largest semiconductor provider in terms of sales in the second quarter, beating US-based Intel for the first time in 24 years, according to global financial sources Sunday. Japan’s Nomura Securities said in a recent report that Samsung is expected to post $15.1 billion of second-quarter sales for its chipmaking business, exceeding US-based Intel’s estimated $14.4 billion of sales. If the forecast is accurate, the South Korean chipmaker would be

Samsung SDI will enhance technological developments for next-generation materials in preparations for the upcoming “fourth industrial revolution” moves, the company chief said on Friday. Samsung SDI CEO Jun Young-hyun emphasized developments of “incomparable” technologies that will lead the global battery market at a ceremony held to mark the company’s 47th anniversary.“We will enhance our technologies that will be second to none,” Jun said. Caption: Samsung SDI CEO Jun Young-hyun (middle) and e

WASHINGTON – The South Korean presidential office disputed claims that the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement will be subjected to renegotiation, while comments implying such an outcome continued to come from the White House on Friday.“President Trump highlighted trade imbalance, particularly in steel and auto industries, and suggested the need for a new agreement or to take certain steps (in existing trade conditions),” said Chang Ha-sung, Moon’s top policy advisor, disputing all related reports.Cha

Pushing for a renegotiation of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement, US President Donald Trump on Friday made clear that he wants a more reciprocal deal, particularly in auto and steel trade. “South Korean companies sell cars in America. American companies should have that same exact privilege,” Trump said in a joint press briefing, following his bilateral summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in held at the White House. On steel, the US leader took an even stronger tone, saying that he calle

WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the US have agreed to seek a “comprehensive, phased approach” to denuclearize North Korea, President Moon Jae-in said, while his US counterpart Donald Trump said the two agreed on a “fair and more reciprocal” economic partnership, after their first summit talks, Friday in Washington. 　As he did in the run-up to the summit, Moon focused on the alliance and security issues in the joint press briefing, saying he and Trump agreed that security was key to realizing true

WASHINGTON/ SEOUL -- US President Donald Trump said Friday that the US and South Korea are renegotiating a trade deal, as he began talks with President Moon Jae-in for their first summit in Washington. “We are renegotiating a trade deal right now as we speak with South Korea and hopefully it will be an equitable deal, a fair deal to both parties,” he said during the one-on-one summit, which began at 10:15 a.m. local time at the White House. President Moon Jae-in (left) speaks at the outset of hi

President Moon Jae-in (left) speaks at the outset of his summit with US President Donald Trump (right) at the White House in Washington on Friday. (Yonhap)President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump began talks in their first summit in Washington at 10:15 a.m. on Friday. The one-on-one meeting between the leaders of South Korea and the US was expected to last about 20 minutes. The meeting was to then be followed by an extended summit meeting with key cabinet members of the two countries

Hwang Jae-gyun of the San Francisco Giants fulfilled a clause in his contract by making his Major League Baseball debut Wednesday, which means he could make up to $1.6 million in incentives. Hwang Jae-gyun celebrates after collecting his first major league hit, a home run. (Yonhap)In January, Hwang signed a minor league deal with San Francisco that included performance-based bonuses and incentives. His starting minor league salary was $125,000, but the contract included a $1.5 million bonus for