Move over, X. Korea’s skies are turning blue

Bluesky, the decentralized social media platform making waves globally, has reached a milestone this month — 20 million users worldwide. And South Korea is riding this wave, too. According to Mobile Index, the rising platform’s Korean monthly active users reached 595,588 in October, marking a staggering 1,147.69 percent increase from September. Though these numbers are still modest compared to X’s 6 million and Threads' 4 million Korean monthly active users, the momentum i

Nov. 27, 2024

Samsung entangled in legal risks amid calls for drastic reform

As Samsung Electronics is grappling with multiple challenges including poor earnings and technological setbacks, the conglomerate's chaebol chief has publicly acknowledged the struggles for the first time. With chairman Lee Jae-yong pledging to tackle the difficulties, the tech giant is expected to introduce some drastic changes, including a major personnel reshuffle anticipated this week. In the final hearing of a retrial on allegations including stock manipulation related to a controversi

Nov. 26, 2024

Prosecutors seek 5-year prison term for Samsung chief in merger retrial

Prosecutors requested five years in prison and a fine of 500 million won ($356,000) for Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Monday, in the final hearing of a retrial over suspected stock manipulation related to a high-profile 2015 merger case. The prosecution had appealed in February immediately after a lower court acquitted Lee of all 19 charges it had filed. In the appellate court on Monday, the prosecution kept to their original claims, insisting the chief of the country's large

Nov. 25, 2024

Nvidia CEO signals Samsung’s imminent shipment of AI chips

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory chip maker, is expected to supply its cutting-edge chips to the top graphics processing unit maker Nvidia soon, stepping closer to securing a footing in the lucrative AI chip market. Speaking on the sidelines of a convocation ceremony at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on Saturday, Nvidia CEO and founder Jensen Huang told Bloomberg Television that the company is "working as fast as it can to certify Samsung's AI memory

Nov. 24, 2024

OpenAI in talks with Samsung to power AI features, report says

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has reportedly engaged in discussions with Samsung Electronics to integrate artificial intelligence capabilities into Samsung’s electronic devices, according to a report Friday. This move could position OpenAI as a potential challenger to Google, the leading player in the browser and search markets. The discussions were said to mirror a recent agreement between OpenAI and Apple, where OpenAI’s technology powers Apple Intelligence features on new device

Nov. 22, 2024

SK hynix begins production of world's first 321-layer NAND flash memory chips

SK hynix said Thursday it has started mass production of the industry's first triple-level cell-based 321-layer NAND flash memory chips. NAND flash memory is a non-volatile memory storage medium widely used in memory cards, USB drives, solid-state drives (SSDs), and smartphones for general storage and data transfer. It stacks memory cells vertically and is categorized into single-, multi-, triple-, and quadruple-level cells. SK hynix announced that it has become the world's first suppl

Nov. 21, 2024

Samsung obtains European certification for camera software

Samsung Electro-Mechanics said Wednesday it has achieved the automotive spice (A-spice) level 3 certification for its camera modules used in automotive electronics and electrical equipment. A-spice is a European certification that evaluates the software reliability and development capabilities of automotive component manufacturers. It is categorized into six levels, ranging from the lowest, level 0, to the highest, level 5. Companies must meet level 2 or higher to supply products to European aut

Nov. 20, 2024

Mixed reactions as Korea seeks to lift 52-hour work limit for chipmakers

Amid intensifying competition for chip supremacy, Korean lawmakers are pushing to lift the national cap on working hours to give chipmakers more flexibility. The ruling party's proposal, however, has sparked mixed reactions, with critics labeling it "regressive." In South Korea, home to the world's top memory chip makers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, employees are prohibited from working more than 52 hours per week -- consisting of 40 regular hours and up to 12 hours of o

Nov. 19, 2024

Samsung, LG clean up at CES 2025 Innovation Awards

Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics were recognized with a slew of prizes at the CES 2025 Innovation Awards for their newest products, ahead of the world’s largest tech trade show set to be held in Las Vegas in January. In this year’s program, Samsung won 29 awards, including four best of innovation products, while LG received 24 awards with three top innovation winners. The Consumer Technology Association organizes the annual competition honoring outstanding de

Nov. 15, 2024

Samsung, SK to unveil supercomputer chips at SC24

South Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will showcase their latest chips for artificial intelligence applications and supercomputing at Supercomputing 24, the largest international conference on high-performance computing, next week. The annual event which first kicked off in 1988 and is organized by Association for Computing Machinery and the IEEE Computer Society, will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, from Sunday to Nov. 22. The Korean chipmakers wil

Nov. 14, 2024

Braun razor popular gift option for young men

P&G Korea on Thursday suggested Braun’s Series 7 razor as a thoughtful gift option for young men approaching adulthood, citing a recent survey that high school students who finished college entrance exams prefer practical gifts rather than traditional sweets. Designed to deliver a personalized shaving experience, the German brand’s Series 7 razor features a flexible 360-degree head that adapts to facial contours, allowing young adults to easily maneuver over challenging areas lik

Nov. 14, 2024

Solidigm launches industry's largest capacity eSSD for AI data centers

Solidigm, an SK hynix-affiliated NAND flash memory solutions provider, said Wednesday it is launching a new enterprise solid-state drive boasting the industry's largest capacity of 122 terabytes for AI data centers. According to the memory chip maker, the new eSSD solution D5-P5336 has been developed based on its quadruple-level cell technology, storing four times more data than conventional eSSDs. "We were the first chip firm to commercialize the QLC-based high-capacity SSDs, supplyin

Nov. 13, 2024

Will Samsung team up with foundry rival TSMC?

Samsung Electronics, the tech giant known for its independence as a manufacturer, made a surprise announcement last month hinting it may outsource a key component of its cutting-edge artificial intelligence chips to its Taiwanese rival TSMC. Experts say this comes as the world's largest memory chip maker faces mounting pressure from its global competitors in the increasingly crucial AI chip sector, a headwind that has directly contributed to Samsung's earnings slowdown. “We are c

Nov. 13, 2024

Japan’s JSR to produce advanced chip materials in Korea

Japan’s JSR Corporation, the world's top photoresist manufacturer, kicked off construction of its first semiconductor photoresist factory in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on Tuesday. The new plant, being built under its Korean unit JSR Micro Korea, is set to become operational in 2026 and start supplying its advanced photoresist metal oxide resist (MOR) to Korean chipmakers, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. MOR has been rising as a cutting-edge alternative to low-qu

Nov. 12, 2024

LG, Tenstorrent to bolster AI chip partnership

LG Electronics Chief Executive Officer Cho Joo-wan recently met with Jim Keller, CEO of US-based AI chip startup Tenstorrent, to discuss expanding their partnership in the AI chip sector, the Korean tech giant said Tuesday. During their meeting in Seoul earlier this month, the two top executives explored potential collaborations in next-generation AI semiconductors and applications for home appliances, smart home solutions, mobility and server processors. Chiplet technology, or small and modular

Nov. 12, 2024

TCL’s 'QD TVs' face antitrust probe over misleading advertising

Korean specialty chemicals and materials maker Hansol Chemical said Monday it has filed a complaint with the local antitrust authorities against Chinese TV maker TCL for the misleading advertising of its latest TV sets. The Korean firm accused TCL, China’s largest TV manufacturer, of falsely branding its liquid crystal display TVs as “QD TVs” even though they actually contain no QD or quantum-dot materials that help enhance image quality. Higher-priced QD-incorporated LCD TVs,

Nov. 11, 2024

[Photo News] Futuristic Cockpit

LG Electronics on Monday unveiled its new Digital Cockpit concept involving modular systems for ultimate customization. The Digital Cockpit gamma, the third-generation concept of the appliance giant's future mobility, features OLED displays, artificial intelligence and 5G technologies. (LG Electronics)

Nov. 11, 2024

SK to enhance board's role in readiness for AI era

South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate SK Group announced Monday its commitment to further enhance its governance structure by expanding the board's role beyond decision-making to setting directions and evaluating performance, intent to better navigate the era of artificial intelligence. At SK Directors’ Summit 2024 in Seoul on Thursday, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and chief executives of the group’s affiliates, including Choi Chang-won, the head of the group’s

Nov. 11, 2024

LG Display unveils world's most stretchable display

South Korean display maker LG Display announced Sunday it succeeded in developing the world’s first stretchable display capable of expanding up to 50 percent, the highest elongation rate within the industry. The latest breakthrough, the outcome of five years of research, was unveiled during an industrial gathering at LG Science Park in Seoul on Friday. LG's new prototype features a 12-inch screen that stretches up to 18 inches while delivering a high resolution of 100 pixels per inch

Nov. 10, 2024

Netmarble swings to black in Q3 on steady-selling titles

Netmarble Corp., a South Korean game developer, said Thursday it swung to net profit in the third quarter on steady sales of its webtoon-based game title Solo Leveling: ARISE. The company posted a net income of 20.6 billion won ($14.8 million) for the July-September period, shifting from a loss of 28.4 billion won a year earlier, according to a regulatory filing. Operating income was 65.5 billion, compared with a loss of 21.9 billion won a year ago, while sales rose 2.6 percent to 647.3 billion

Nov. 7, 2024