Registrations for Hangeul domain names accepted from this month amid douThe nation’s top telecommunications regulator announced Tuesday that it will begin accepting registrations for Korean-letter domain names later this month.The Korea Communications Commission said that the Korea Internet and Security Agency will be in charge of the registration process and it will first collect the preferred do

Security concerns involving the country’s wireless Internet networks are rising again following findings that global firms Google and Apple both used the Wi-Fi networks to collect user information.Two companies reportedly collected the location logs of their smartphone users from the wireless networks provided by local telecoms in Korea. The problem stems from many smartphone owners’ habit of conn

Asiana Airlines said Sunday the company’s lounge in Incheon International Airport was picked as the best lounge in the Asia-Pacific region by Priority Pass.The country’s No. 2 air carrier said that its lounge, located on the third floor of the departure section at the airport, was named the Priority Pass lounge of the year in Asia-Pacific, after the group conducted an annual online vote.  People r

Rule to limit access to video games likely hard to enforceThe National Assembly passed a controversial bill to ban teenagers from accessing online games midnight last Friday. But parliament is immediately facing criticism about the measure’s effectiveness. The law goes into effect in November. Critics are raising doubts about effectiveness as user information, such as the age of registered people

Two top mobile carriers SK Telecom and KT Corp. said they will release Apple’s iPad 2 in the local market Friday, according to companies’ officials Thursday.KT, which was the first telecom to service Apple’s iPhone in November 2009, said it will release two different models ― one that operates only on the Wi-Fi network and another which runs on Wi-Fi and 3G networks ― beginning at 10 a.m. at its o

Hynix Semiconductor Inc., the world’s second-largest computer memory chipmaker, announced Thursday it posted 2.79 trillion won in sales and 323 billion won in operating profit for the first quarter, slightly up from the previous quarter largely due to an increase in shipping.The figures indicate that the total sales and operating profit rose 1.5 percent and 9.9 percent, respectively, in the first

By Cho Ji-hyunKorean Air, the country’s largest air carrier, introduced a number of new services on Wednesday, including an upgraded menu on some routes and a new cosmetic skin care set, in a bid to enhance its in-flight services.At a press event in Incheon, the company said it will upgrade the in-flight menu for economy seat passengers beginning in June, serving a healthier meal option -- salmon

By Cho Ji-hyunThe government has approved a plan to relax the regulations on cellphone location-based services amid rising public calls for better state privacy protection measures.The Cabinet endorsed Tuesday a revised regulation on protection and use of location information, which aims to give more room and flexibility for location-based service operators. According to the bill, service provider

Korean Air, the country’s top air carrier, introduced a number of new services on Wednesday, including an upgraded menu on some routes and a new cosmetic skin care set, in a bid to enhance its in-flight services. Heather Cho (fourth from left), senior vice president at Korean Air and DAVI’s chairman Carlo Mondavi (third from left) after featuring a new amenity cosmetic skin care set for business a

By Cho Ji-hyunLG Electronics announced its comeback Wednesday by getting back into the black, posting 13.15 trillion won ($12.19 billion) in sales and 130 billion won in operating profit for the first quarter of this year.In its quarterly earnings report, the company said total sales maintained a similar level to the same period last year, down 0.4 percent. However, its net loss during the term wa

JEJU -- KT Corp. announced Tuesday it has completed a nationwide wireless broadband network by installing the service on Jeju Island.The country’s biggest fixed-line operator also signed an agreement with Jeju Provincial Government to build a mobile call center and to work together on expanding the high-speed wireless Internet service in Jeju.“(Today’s) event is meaningful in that the fourth gener

KT Chairman Lee Suk-chae responded coolly to the government’s demand to lower telecom costs, claiming that companies should be noted for making network investments.In a meeting with reporters in Jeju, Lee said he would discuss multiple measures with the government considering there is a financial burden involved.“Consumers’ money spending pattern has changed and increased in sum with the economic

KCC sends inquiries to Apple over data of smartphone usersThe state media regulator said Monday it launched an investigation against Apple Inc. over collection of information of its smartphone users in Korea.The Korea Communications Commission said it requested Apple to promptly answer a questionnaire and return it by “the earliest date.”State authorities asked the company to clarify the duration

LG Uplus said Monday it recently launched a location-based social shopping service which enables people to save points or take part in events while they shop in its listed stores.Having launched the service named “Ding dong” last Monday, it is currently offering it in 1,000 locations in Seoul, including at The Face Shop, Beautiplex and some coffee shops and restaurants, said Ro Se-yong, senior vic

Company launches 10 patent suits in Korea, Japan and GermanySamsung Electronics said Friday it has filed countersuits against Apple Inc. over patent rights in courts located in Korea, Japan and Germany.The world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer said Apple’s iPhone and iPad violated 10 of the company’s patents, leading it to file a complaint with the Seoul Central District Court over alle

Samsung heads to China for joint partnership, while LG holds large-scale event in ParisRival giants LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics are looking for overseas opportunities to gain ground in the competitive global 3-D television market. LG Electronics, the world’s No. 2 flat-screen TV maker, said Friday that it held an event in Paris called “The Biggest 3-D Experience Ever” on Thursday, which

KT Corp., the country’s largest fixed-line service operator, said Thursday it will lead the launch of the International 3-D Society’s Korean branch next month.KT organized a reception for the creation of a new country branch, inviting experts and industrial leaders in the field of 3-D, including Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, broadcasters KBS, SBS, EBS and KT Skylife. Participants also inclu

Fortune’s list includes Lee of Samsung, Chung of Hyundai Motor and Koo of LGThree Korean top business leaders ― Lee Kun-hee, Chung Mong-koo and Koo Bon-moo ― were included in a U.S. magazine’s recently released list of Asia’s 25 most powerful business people.Lee, chairman of Samsung Electronics, was ranked fourth while Chung, chief of Hyundai Motor, and Koo, chairman of LG Group, were placed 10th

KT Corp. said Wednesday it will launch “kibot,” a robot for kids, on Monday, as part of plans to create a smart home.The country’s largest fixed-line service operator said kibot will help children with their studies by reading books and singing songs to them. All children have to do is scan the radio frequency identification (RFID) card on the screen at the center of the robot, according to Seo Yu

LG Electronics announced Wednesday that the company’s 3-D television has been given the top rating by a British information and technology magazine for its May edition.The world’s No. 2 flat-screen TV maker said home entertainment magazine “What Hi-Fi! Sound and Vision,” with a global monthly circulation of 50,000, had awarded its highest rating of five stars for LG’s 47LW650 model, naming it the