In a rare case of collaboration among rivals, South Korea’s three mobile carriers  jointly introduced an advanced version of an integrated messaging service Tuesday to compete with the country’s top messenger app, KakaoTalk. 　According to SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus, Chatting Plus is now available to mobile subscribers with all three carriers -- but only for Android phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G. 　Thanks to Rich Communications Services technology, users can

　South Korean mobility company VCNC said Monday that it was expanding its popular van-sharing business, Tada, by introducing a new ride-hailing service for corporate customers.  　According to the company, the new service, “Tada Business,” is to be available on a trial basis until it officially kicks off in October. Once they register through the Tada app, company executives and staff members can use the Tada service in the same way as other customers, the company said. 　To provi

　As an increasing number of content creators in South Korea use advanced digital technology to establish independent broadcasting platforms, the country’s major broadcasters are suffering financially, data showed Sunday.　According to Rep. Yoon Sang-jin of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, Korean Broadcasting Systems reported an operating loss of 65.5 billion won ($53.9 million) for the first half of this year, as compared with 53 billion won from a year earlier. 　The decreased opera

South Korea’s largest mobile messenger app operator Kakao said Thursday its second-quarter operating profit surged 47 percent on-year, as it benefited from new businesses and contents. The company’s operating profit reached 40.5 billion won ($33.4 million) in the April-June period on a consolidated basis, compared to 27.7 billion won a year earlier.As its sales rose 25 percent on-year to reach 733 billion won, Kakao attributed the latest outcome to increased profit from its messenger

 　Four months after South Korea commercially launched the fifth-generation cellular network, the number of 5G subscribers here has surpassed 2 million as of this week, amid growing competition among major mobile carriers. 　According to industry data, the country’s three major carriers -- SK Telecom, KT, and LG Uplus -- reached combined subscribers of 2.01 million Tuesday, about two months after they topped the 1 million threshold in June. 　Growth is expected to further accelerate when

　South Korean pharmaceutical giant Yuhan  has established a subsidiary in Australia to expand its global clinical network and drug development pipelines. 　The subsidiary, Yuhan ANZ, was launched in June. Some 2 billion won ($1.6 million) was reportedly invested for the project. 　The company said Australia is one of the countries with bright prospects for the pharmaceutical market, given its increasing demand for medical products. 　“Launching a subsidiary in Australia is a part of our

　With Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Cabinet removing South Korea from its list of trusted export destinations last week, attention has been drawn to what materials will become subject to import restrictions.　According to the Korea Strategic Institute, which oversees management of strategic goods for the Korean government, 159 materials were selected as items of concern to be subject to the Japanese restrictions for security reasons. 　Among those materials that Japan claimed could be

Seeking to introduce a series of advanced mobile payment services targeting the offline market this year, tech companies are up for heated competition over the smartphone-based payment market here.Dominant Korean internet portal Naver said last month that it would soon launch a mobile payment system available at local stores and restaurants. Combined with its incumbent Naver Pay mobile payment platform, offline service “Table Order” is expected to launch in the third quarter of this

　South Korean information technology firm LG CNS said Thursday it will install an artificial intelligence-based X-ray analysis system at a local public health center to offer patients speedier medical assessments. 　Starting from late September, the AI-based X-ray assessment will be brought to a public medical facility in the Eunpyeong district of Seoul. The system is expected to help doctors and patients receive accurate X-ray images within 20 seconds, LG CNS added. 　According to the IT solution

   　Ranging from internet companies to manufacturing-focused conglomerates, Korean companies have been rolling out series of blockchain-based business plans. 　The country’s two leading online service providers, Naver and Kakao, have launched their own blockchain ledgers and digital currencies. Samsung Electronics has introduced a blockchain-powered wallet, where users can store cryptocurrencies to purchase apps at its flagship Galaxy S10 phones. 　But, in the eyes of Korea&rs

　Some South Korean app developers have accused internet giant Naver and Japanese subsidiary Line of plagiarism, saying the companies copied their user interface designs.　Carrot Market, an app used for buying and selling secondhand items, said Line introduced a similar app in Vietnam last year and plagiarized Carrot Market’s design and features.　Line’s Get It app is “extremely similar” to Carrot Market in terms of everything from the main display to the identification meth

　With companies around the world seeking to incorporate 5G network technology with augmented reality contents, South Korea’s leading mobile carrier has come up with an entertaining marketing gimmick to demonstrate the combination’s potential usage in real life. 　Korea’s biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom announced Thursday that it will establish an AR-based Jurassic World at some parks in Seoul. The company said it had agreed with the animated dinosaur’s property owner, NB

South Korea’s major mobility startups raised their voice against the government’s latest plan to overhaul the controversial ride-sharing business here, saying Wednesday that the envisioned rules favor taxi drivers and bigger firms.In a statement released after the Transport Ministry announced its reform plan for the country’s mobility industry, VCNC, which runs the popular ride-hailing service Tada, said the government’s plan would only build higher barriers and prevent s

　Over the past few years since tech companies introduced a series of camera apps, beautification apps have become some of the most sought-after items for smartphone users around the world, users in South Korea being no exception. 　With special effects filters and colorful stickers, the advanced camera technology can make us over for the small screen, allowing us to project the image we want. But some of the features, such as skin whitening, have prompted criticism over biased beauty standards. 　

 　After South Korea became the first country to launch commercial services of the 5G wireless network in April, the country’s biggest mobile carrier has taken it a step further by working with a Swiss counterpart to launch international roaming service on the platform. 　SK Telecom announced Tuesday that it will launch “the world’s first” 5G roaming service with Switzerland’s biggest mobile carrier, Swisscom. Those visiting Switzerland will be able to use the se

The maker of South Korean business card app Remember launched a new business networking service Monday, targeting corporate recruiters and job seekers in hopes of competing with LinkedIn in the country’s hiring market.Drama & Company, the Seoul-based tech firm that developed the Remember app, said it was introducing Remember Career to connect companies’ PR managers with Remember app users. Once the users post their job profiles and resumes on Remember Career, recruiters can

　After South Korea became the first country to launch commercial service for the fifth-generation network in April, hopes are high that the hyperspeed network will transform everyday lives. 　Ranging from ultrafast downloading of lengthy movies to driving autonomous vehicles on connected urban highways, the 5G network is expected to enable futuristic technologies. 　With telecom companies around the world seeking to maximize benefits of the advanced network technology, Korea’s leading mobile

South Korean defense company Hanwha Systems said Wednesday that it would join the emerging mobility business by investing $25 million in a US startup that specializes in flying taxis. 　Tentatively named K4 Aeronautics, the US firm will work with Hanwha Systems to develop the necessary technology to produce personal aerial vehicles. The Korean company said it would increase its investment after acquiring a certain stake in K4 Aeronautics. 　According to Hanwha Systems, K4 Aeronautics has obtained

After launching its blockchain platform for enterprise services last month, Kakao said Tuesday that its service can work up to 15 times faster than Ethereum.During a press conference in Seoul, Kakao’s blockchain subsidiary Ground X suggested that its blockchain platform Klaytn’s block mining took only one-fifteenth of the time Ethereum’s did. While Ethereum’s block mining time is 15 seconds, Klaytn completes the process in a single second.The reduced block mining time res

South Korea’s top mobile messenger app operator Kakao said Monday it has suspended sales of its highly sought-after emoji, amid plagiarism allegations by a Japanese developer. According to the firm, its “DDingdongs Day” emoji is no longer available on its Kakao Talk app store. After it was launched last year, the emoji gained popularity after some K-pop fans spotted popular boy band BTS members using it. Japanese developer Yuki Kanai has claimed that Kakao’s emoji plagiar