[THE INVESTOR] After mobile messenger app Line Corp.’s high-profile stock market debut in the U.S. and Japan, the company and its parent Naver face a hefty task —staying competitive in the global mobile messenger and Internet market dominated by U.S. and Chinese Internet giants, such as Facebook, Google and Tencent.Japan-based Line Corp. owned by South Korean Internet giant Naver, went public on the New York Stock Exchange and Tokyo Stock Exchange on Thursday and Friday after raising $1.3 billio

[THE INVESTOR] South Korea and the US on July 13 officially announced the location of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense in the southern region of Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province. (theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)

[THE INVESTOR] Local brokerages have adjusted the new high of Samsung Electronics’ share price after the company announced its best quarterly earnings in two years. According to estimates of 23 securities companies on July 11, the average target price was adjusted to 1.67 million won (US$1,500), the highest price proposed was 1.8 million won.  Samsung Electronics’ huge light-emitting diode signage installed at the Plaza Callao in Madrid, Spain / Samsung ElectronicsThe rosy outlook comes after th

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics, upbeat on strong sales of Galaxy S7 phones, has paid hefty incentives, worth 100 percent of salary, to its mobile business division, according to industry sources. Samsung offers incentives in three different levels -- A for 100 percent, B for 50 percent and C for 37.5 percent. The mobile business division was offered the highest A-level incentives on July 8. In its tentative earnings guidance released on July 7, Samsung estimates it will post an operating inc

[THE INVESTOR] Google and Apple are resisting the Korean government’s legal revision to uninstall preloaded apps on their new mobile devices. According to local news daily Asia Economy, the two US tech giants have recently offered their official opposition to the planned revision through the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.  In April, the Korea Communications Commission, the telecom regulator, announced a revision that will allow consumers to delete apps they don’t need.Following governmen

[THE INVESTOR] Italian carmaker Ferrari plans to start its own second-hand car business in Korea -- the first by an international super car brand here. 　According to industry sources on July 5, its Korean importer and distributor FMK Corp. recently set up a new business division and has started preparations for the business launch within the year. 　With the robust growth of import car market in Korea, popular brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen have already jumped into the soaring s

[THE INVESTOR] SK Telecom faced a major setback on July 5 over the Fair Trade Commission’s rejection of its request to take over CJ HelloVision -- a 1 trillion won deal that was widely expected to give a major boost to the nation’s leading mobile carrier in expanding its media platform business.The watchdog has notified SK Telecom that it will not permit the merger plan, saying the deal impedes fair market competition. The FTC also told the telecom giant that the two should neither carry out a m

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is shifting liquid-crystal display purchases from its own display-making unit Samsung Display to Chinese makers for cost benefits. According to a recent report by TrendForce, the world’s largest TV maker is adjusting its panel supply sources as it prepares for the peak shipment season of the third quarter.  Samsung has already cut orders from Samsung Display, purchasing more panels from Chinese and Taiwanese panel suppliers. This year, Korean TV makers will sec

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics’ new Note phablet, tentatively called “Galaxy Note 7,” is expected to have a curved screen, indicating the Korean tech giant’s commitment to a dual-edge curved display for its Galaxy smartphones. 　According to local daily Munwha Ilbo, Samsung is not considering launching a flat screen version of the Note phone.  The Galaxy Note 7 will be unveiled at an unpacked event held in New York in August. It will become the first Note phone with a curved screen. 　Citing i

[THE INVESTOR] Korean Internet giant Naver has decided to adopt the “right to be forgotten” for its Q&A search service, called “Knowledge Search,” allowing users to remove their online questions. The company had been skeptical about the adoption, saying if a question is removed, the rights of those who write the answers will also violated. But the company decided to change the policy following a set of new guidelines announced by the Korea Communications, the local telecom regulator. “We respect

[THE INVESTOR] Korea’s Military Mutual Aid Association, one of the largest institutional investors in the country with 9.4 trillion won (US$8 billion) under management, is reviewing plans to invest in foreign venture capital to secure higher returns, the association’s investment chief said.“We may open opportunities not only to private equities, but to venture capital next year when investing in overseas blind pool funds,” Lee Sang-ho, chief investment officer of the Military Mutual Aid Associat

[THE INVESTOR] The Main opposition party leader pledged on Tuesday to enact a strict law on the South Korean conglomerates’ illegal business activities, pushing his agenda for “economic democratization” in an address to the National Assembly.The Minjoo Party of Korea’s chairman Rep. Kim Chong-in said that his party would seek to revise the Commercial Act in order to prevent large businesses from abusing their power and engaging in unfair business practices.  “The job of a legislative body is to

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics on June 21 launched an updated version of its budget tablet series, the Galaxy Tab A. The Android-based tablet features a 10.1-inch full HD-level display, a 1.6 GHz octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a microSD card slot for up to 200GB of removable storage. It has a 7.300 mAh battery.The tablet is equipped with an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.The budget-friendly product has “optimized” functions for users to enjoy games and mov

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung SDS, the software services unit of Samsung Group, said on June 21 it has decided against buying back its own shares or paying an interim dividend after considering requests from some minority shareholders. “We have discussed the issues together with outside experts. We have agreed that it would be better to use our cash reserve to improve our corporate value through measures such as M&As rather than stake buyback or interim dividend,” the company said in a statement.  Sams

[THE INVESTOR] The Chinese government has decided to suspend consumer subsidies for electric vehicles using batteries produced by two Korean companies Samsung SDI and LG Chem. 　The decision is expected to become a huge blow to the Korean duo that has poured considerable resources into the Chinese market in recent years, including building new battery-making plants.  According to news reports on June 20, the Chinese government announced a total of 31 companies subject to EV subsidies but Samsung

[THE INVESTOR] Bank of Korea’s cut in the benchmark rate has lowered commercial banks’ interest rate offering on deposits to a record-low level.Commercial banks say they -- as well as depositors -- are also suffering low profitability as a result of the BOK’s all-time low base rate of 1.25 percent. Over the past two years, the central bank has lowered the rate by 125 basis points from 2.5 percent in July 2014. A savings product offered by a commercial bank provides customers with only a 0.01 per

[THE INVESTOR] With the government seen leaning toward compiling a supplementary budget, attention is now being drawn to the size of the possible fiscal boost. Experts said the government has room for a “sizable” extra budget of more than 10 trillion won, given that this year’s tax collection was running 23 percent higher than the year before.  “The government will actively reinforce fiscal measures in the second half of the year,” Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said Friday, predicting a tougher tim

[THE INVESTOR] South Korean prosecutors will be wrapping up the five-month investigation into toxic humidifier disinfectants that left at least 140 dead and hundreds more affected since 2011, according to officials on Sunday.The special probe team of Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office is expected to press charges against some 20 people related to the incident, including 12 already arrested on charges varying from professional negligence to false advertising that products were safe. The su