LG Chem, the world’s leading electric car battery maker, said Sunday it had inked supply deals with SAIC Motor and Qoros Automotive, two of China’s leading car assemblers.Under the deals, the South Korean battery manufacturer will supply batteries for SAIC’s next-generation plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and Qoros’ hybrid electric vehicles.LG Chem did not give further details on the deals, citing its nondisclosure agreements with the automakers.  LG Chem president Kwon Young-soo. ( LG Chem)“L

SHANGHAI ― KT Corp., South Korea’s largest telecom company, showcased the world’s first cross-border roaming services based on the Voice over Long Term Evolution at the 2014 GSMA Mobile Asia Expo Thursday.The Korean mobile carrier partnered up with China Mobile, China’s leading mobile operator, to develop the VoLTE roaming services.“KT and China Mobile have solved technical barriers that hampered faster and more stable roaming services than the current ones,” said KT CEO Hwang Chang-gyu, while v

SHANGHAI ― KT chief executive Hwang Chang-gyu urged the world’s leading mobile carriers and manufacturers to collaborate in establishing the so-called “GiGAtopia,” referring to a mobile environment connected through superfast gigabit technology.“In order to vitalize the Internet of Things and realize GiGAtopia, an industry consensus should be reached first before standardizing the IoT technology, and establishing an IoT hub for data sharing,” the KT chief said in his keynote speech at the 2014 M

SHANGHAI, China ― The 2014 Mobile Asia Expo, Asia’s largest mobile trade show, kicked off Wednesday, offering a glimpse into the future of mobile technology.At the three-day mobile trade show, exhibitors from various industries, including Huawei, Deutsche Telecom and BMW, showcased their cutting-edge technologies, such as machine-to-machine communication solutions, wearable devices and smart cars. Some participants of the event also displayed education and health care solutions, which will lead

Samsung Group said Monday that it would seek another legal option to exempt chairman Lee Kun-hee from appearing in person before India’s court to face criminal charges filed by an Indian company. The Korean conglomerate reiterated that Lee has “no connection to this case whatsoever.”“Samsung is expected to tell the court once again that the chairman will not be able to attend the trial,” said a Samsung official.“The plaintiffs are insisting the chairman appear in court without having any solid e

KT Corp., Korea’s second-largest mobile carrier, will showcase its gigabit-class technologies at the Mobile Asia Expo, Asia’s largest telecommunications trade show, to be held in Shanghai from Wednesday to Friday. This marks the second consecutive time that the mobile carrier has been invited to participate in the MAE. On Wednesday, KT’s chief executive Hwang Chang-gyu, a former chief of Samsung Electronics’ semiconductor unit who took the helm of the mobile carrier in January, is scheduled to d

Samsung Electronics acquired shares in two of Samsung Group’s affiliates, Samsung SDI and Cheil Industries, on Thursday, in a bid to restructure the group’s businesses ahead of a much anticipated power transition from the ailing chairman Lee Kun-hee to his only son Jay-yong.The tech giant purchased 2.17 million shares in secondary battery maker Samsung SDI, and 2.07 million shares in Cheil Industries, the electronics materials affiliate of Samsung Group. Samsung Electronics also bought 2.44 mill

Korea posted a record high early voter turnout in part due to technologies such as electronic voting, adopted at ballot stations nationwide.Various political agenda ― from the Sewol ferry sinking and education, to public welfare and security ― have driven mostly those in their 20s and 30s to vote in advance.But the record turnout of 11.5 percent during the two-day period last week was partly attributable to a connected system allowing more than 3,500 polling stations to rapidly cross-check voter

TAIPEI ― Computex, one of Asia’s biggest information and communication technology trade shows, kicked off on Tuesday, highlighting a wide variety of cutting-edge technologies from smartwatches to smartglasses powered by energy efficient chips.ARM, the British chip giant whose designs are found in more than 90 percent of global smartphones and tablets, drew attention from both the media and the tech industry as it announced it would be focusing on developing smaller and more powerful processors f

The planned initial public offerings of Samsung Everland and Samsung SDS will allow Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee’s three children to secure capital worth some 5 trillion won ($4.9 billion) to inherit wealth and ownership of Lee’s business empire.Samsung Everland, the de facto holding company of the group, said Tuesday that it would go public by early next year, a widely expected move by the market following the announcement of Samsung SDS’ stock flotation plan last month.The market has bee

SK Planet, a leading tech solutions developer owned by SK Telecom, on Monday expressed hopes to enter the U.S. market in October this year with its new mobile sales solution, NEXT Commerce.The Korean firm will test the service starting this month in Berkeley, California, where SK Planet said it has secured partnerships with around 20 firms.Based on these plans, the company is aiming for 2.8 trillion won ($2.7 billion) in annual sales over the next three years, double the 1.4 trillion won it reco

The reputation of the Incheon Free Economic Zone in the city of Incheon has been slowly but steadily building over the years, and it now stands as an international business hub that is attracting an ever-growing list of global firms and organizations. Just looking at the numbers, the IFEZ has so far attracted 13 international organizations including the Association of World Election Bodies and UNESCAP.Among the organizations nestled in the international business district, the Green Climate Fund

Nexon, Korea’s largest online game company, said it will aim to regain its past glory by seeking organic growth and upholding the entrepreneurial spirit to develop entertaining games.“For the past 10 years, we have been just following market trends instead of leading them because we cared more about making profits than making fun games,” said Nexon Korea CEO Park Ji-won, who took the helm last March, at the Nexon Developers Conference 2014 in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday. “We will regai

Merck Korea said Monday that it expects Merck’s sales and revenue to jump dramatically after the acquisition of AZ Electronic Materials, a materials producer for displays and semiconductors, by its German headquarters in early May. “Merck will be able to record a double-digit increase in sales as well as revenue (this year) with the help of the acquisition of AZ Electronic Materials,” said Michael Grand, managing director of Merck Korea, at a press meeting in Seoul. Michael Grund, managing direc

Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics maintained their leadership in flat TV sales in the first quarter of this year with their aggregate market share accounting for almost half of the global market.Samsung posted a 29.6 percent market share, up from 26.8 percent last year, topping the world’s flat TV market for the 33rd consecutive quarter in the January-March period, Samsung said Friday, citing a report by market researcher DisplaySearch.Models look at Samsung Electronics’

Consumer electronics such as smartphones and toothbrushes are not the only things that can be charged wirelessly anymore. Korean researchers have developed ways to adapt such technology into high-speed railways.The Korea Railroad Research Institute recently introduced the world’s first bullet train that can be powered wirelessly without overhead electric grids, in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. The researcher demonstrated the so-called online electric train, named “Hemu,” equipped with the wireless

Developing a locomotive powered by nuclear fusion that runs nonstop around the world as seen in the South Korean post-apocalyptic train movie “Snowpiercer” could be possible, scientists said.If the world’s scientists and engineers can figure out a way to make a fusion reactor small enough to fit inside a train’s engine room, and use snow as a water supply to fuel the fusion, a real-life Snowpiercer could be developed like nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines.“If a small-size fusion r

Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee, who recently suffered from a heart attack, was moved to a general ward from an intensive care unit at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul on Monday as he is in very stable condition, according to the hospital and Samsung Group on Tuesday. “The chairman is recovering at a fast pace and all test results show that he is in stable condition,” the two sides said in a statement. The latest development came nine days after he had the attack on May 11. SMC said Monday it was co

MSIP director general Min Won-kiOn May 17, the world celebrated World Telecommunications and Information Society Day. The United Nations established the day to recognize the ever-increasing impact of information and communications technologies in our daily lives. The theme of this year’s WTISD was “Broadband for Sustainable Development.”In recognition of Korea’s contribution to broadband, the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union recognized President Park Geun-hye as a laureate

Samsung Medical Center said Sunday that it was considering moving Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee to a general ward from an intensive care unit as his health appeared to be improving. The hospital also said in a statement that the cardiac procedure for Lee went very well, and that he is currently stable.  A hallway in the VIP ward on the 20th floor at Samsung Medical Center. (Kim Young-won)　The statement came after rumors went viral last Friday that the chairman had passed away after an online medi