[THE INVESTOR] HMC Investment Securities said on Sept. 22 that telecommunications firm KT will continue to gain growth momentum by posting stable earnings in the July-September period, setting its target stock price at 40,000 won (US$35.88).“KT’s third-quarter revenue and operating profit could come in at 5.6 trillion won and 392.5 billion won, up 3.3 percent and 14.3 percent, respectively, from the same period last year,” Hwang Seong-jin, an analyst from the investment firm, anticipated in his

[THE INVESTOR] California-based Apple is set to launch its first flagship store in South Korea, home to Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, according to news reports on Sept. 21. Local news outlet Chosun Biz reported that the iPhone maker will open its first Apple Store in Sinsa-dong, an upscale district in Seoul, in a bid to better serve the Korean customers.The US tech firm is said to have signed a deal to rent land, of approximately 530 square meters, and is expected to build the store co

[THE INVESTOR] Mobile game powerhouse Netmarble Games said on Sept. 21 that it would collaborate with Japanese hit manga “BLEACH” for the mobile role-playing game “Seven Knights”, developed by its subsidiary Netmarble Nexus.The Japanese comics’ five most-beloved characters, including Ichigo Kurosaki and Ulquiorra Cifer, will feature in Netmarble’s mobile game.The voice actors for the TV animation inspired by the eponymous comics will participate in the collaborative project, and new game backgro

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics unveiled new super-fast, high-capacity solid-state drives on Sept. 21 in Seoul, which the company said would help cement its lead in the global storage system market.The new non-volatile memory express (NVMe) SSDs, dubbed the 960 PRO and 960 EVO, were unveiled at the annual Samsung SSD Global Summit 2016.The NVMe is a communications interface that improves the speed of data processing. An executive from Samsung Electronics introduces the firm’s 960 PRO solid-st

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics' cash reserves have reached a record high of 77 trillion won (US$69.10 billion) in the second quarter, according to the tech giant on Sept. 21.The figure increased 7.8 percent from the fourth quarter of last year and was a whopping 287 percent up from 26.9 trillion won posted in the last quarter of 2011.Cash reserves include cash, cash-equivalents, short-term financial instruments, and short-term liquid assets.The amount of cash and cash equivalents increased 1

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics said on Sept. 20 that its latest high-end smartphone V20 would make its debut in the Korean market with a price tag of 899,800 won (US$803.50) next week.As its compatriot rival Samsung Electronics has been struggling to solve the defective battery issue, it seems that there is no better chance than now for LG to increase its foothold in the top-tier handset sector.Some market analysts, however, cast doubts over the success of LG’s new smartphone that will be launche

[THE INVESTOR] Blackberry, the self-proclaimed most secure smartphone maker, will be back in the Korean market on Sept. 20 since it pulled out of the domestic market in 2012.The Canada-based smartphone firm will make a comeback with its Priv smartphone, the firm’s first smartphone running on Google’s Android operating system. The news of its comeback has been hailed by BlackBerry fans, but the company is facing a bumpy road ahead to make a success out of its comeback. 　The timing, among other re

[THE INVESTOR] LG Chem, one of the world’s largest electric vehicle battery makers, has reportedly struck a supply deal worth 2.7 trillion won (US$2.40 billion) with Faraday Future, the EV business arm of Chinese internet firm LeEco.The deal was sealed in August, but the announcement has been delayed due to the Korean government’s recent decision to deploy the US advanced missile system Terminal High Altitude of Area Defense here.LG Chem lithium-ion batteries are expected to power LeSEE, an elec

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics' shares increased to a high of 1,562,000 won (US$ ), up 2.29 percent, in early morning trading morning on Sept. 19, signaling that the tech giant could soon come out of the woods after reeling from the defective battery issue of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. The Korean tech giant started its exchange program in Seoul on the day enabling Galaxy Note 7 customers to exchange their smartphones for a new unit or get a refund.The recall was announced after a number o

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics' semiconductor business has gained growth momentum in the April-June period on the back of its robust NAND flash memory business, latest data shows.According to a report by market research firm IHS, Samsung gained a 11.3-percent market share in the global market for integrated device manufacturers, including memory and non-memory chip companies, chip design houses, and foundries, in the three-month period. The figure is the second highest, behind US chip powerh

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics will begin rolling out replacements of the Galaxy Note 7 in South Korea and the US this week, moving fast to restore consumer loyalty hurt by faulty batteries prone to potential explosions.The new Galaxy Note 7 replacement devices, equipped with new batteries, will become available in Korea from Monday and in the US from Wednesday, according to Samsung’s latest announcement.The ongoing recall affects Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones released in 10 nations last

[THE INVESTOR] Tech behemoth Samsung Electronics said Sunday that it has sold its shares in a total of four global tech companies, including Sharp of Japan and Seagate Technology of the US in recent weeks.　The series of stock sales are said to be in line with Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s push to streamline the company’s business portfolio and focus on flagship businesses, including smartphones and chips.　Samsung said selling the shares of the four companies -- Sharp, Seagate Technology,

[THE INVESTOR] Local banks decided to issue a refund guarantee for Hyundai Heavy Industries, allowing the company to go ahead with ship-building projects, sources said Sunday. 　According to the financial sources, seven banks, including the firm’s main creditor KEB Hana Bank, made the decision to issue the refund guarantee for the company by early next month. 　A refund guarantee is a form of security for purchasers who normally pay for a substantial part of the vessels in advance of delivery. A s

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics has requested an Italian court to nullify two patents held by Germany’s compressor manufacturer Secop, claiming that such technologies are no longer subject to legal protection as they are widely used throughout the industry.　LG said Sunday in a statement that it filed the suit against Secop with the Torino Court in response to a claim by the German company that the South Korean electronics giant had infringed its patents.　In July, Secop sent a letter of complaint t

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean carmakers are seeking market expansion in Europe through the upcoming Paris Motor Show, by unveiling an array of new cars and concept vehicles targeting consumers sensitive to environment issues and fuel efficiency.　The nation’s largest automaker Hyundai Motor is set to bring both the new hatchback i30 and Ioniq lines of energy-efficient cars to the show. 　But the company remains undecided on its main concept for the show, an official said, adding that Hyundai is stil

[THE INVESTOR] BRUSSELS -- The world’s largest package delivery company is looking to transcontinental shipping and the rise of e-commerce as growth engines, according to the chief executive of the company’s European branch.　Nando Cesarone, CEO of United Parcel Service Europe, told a group of Asian reporters at UPS Europe’s headquarters in Brussels that the rise of e-commerce and increasing preference among consumers to shop online and across borders was creating a shift in transcontinental ship

[THE INVESTOR] A recent report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation showed that four out of 10 working women in South Korea are underpaid, and the ratio is the highest among the member countries of the economic organization. The ratio of female workers who received wages below two thirds the national average reached 37.8 percent in 2014, the highest among 22 OECD members checked and 6.8 percentage points more than No. 2 Ireland's number of 31 percent.The figure has steadily fall

[THE INVESTOR] Corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&As) by South Korean firms declined sharply in the first half of this year as local conglomerates remained reluctant to streamline their business, the antitrust watchdog said Sunday.The value of reported M&As reached 13 trillion won (US$11.7 billion) in the January-June period, down from 39.4 trillion won a year earlier, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC).The number of merger cases also dropped to 209 from 249 over the cited period.Th

[THE INVESTOR] Tech giant Samsung Electronics is striving to minimize the impact of the recent battery fiasco, which is expected to significantly undermine its profits.The largest smartphone maker by revenue has nominated Samsung heir apparent Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong as a board member, signaling his bigger role in the firm’s management.After the announcement of the nomination, Samsung’s shares increased 4.23 percent to 1,527,000 won on Sept. 13.The tech giant saw its stock drop 6.98 percent t

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics’ latest high-end smartphone V20 is expected to hit the Korean and US markets on Sept. 29, industry sources said on Sept. 13. The company is said to be fine-tuning the retail price of the big-screen smartphone that is expected to cost 800,000 won (US$720) to 900,000 won.LG is the third-largest smartphone maker in the US after Samsung Electronics and Apple. The company is launching new phone a month earlier than last year aiming to gain an early sales lead after the r