LG Innotek earns Edison silver for mobile zoom camera

LG Innotek has clinched a silver Edison Award for its ultra-thin optical telephoto zoom camera module for smartphones, marking its second consecutive Edison win, the company said Sunday. The module, which allows for 3x to 5x magnification, brings what the company describes as near-DSLR-quality optical zoom in a single compact unit. First commercialized in 2022, this innovation enhances image quality and spares internal device space for other components. The core of this technology is the Zoom Ac

April 21, 2024

LG CNS teams up with Yonsei University to nurture AI specialists

South Korean IT solutions provider LG CNS announced Friday that it has partnered with Yonsei University to establish a new Master's degree program dedicated to nurturing intelligent data and optimization specialists. During the signing ceremony on Thursday, LG CNS Chief Executive Officer Hyun Shin-gyoon and Yonsei University President Yoon Dong-sup agreed on creating the Department of Intelligent Data and Optimization at Yonsei University. “We will focus on nurturing DX specialists wh

April 19, 2024

SK hynix joins with TSMC to produce High Bandwidth Memory 4

SK hynix is joining hands with TSMC, the world’s top foundry, to develop High Bandwidth Memory 4 and cutting-edge packaging technology, the company said on Friday. Under the partnership agreement, the two sides plan to proceed with the development of HBM4, the sixth-generation model of the advanced memory chip, and enhance logic and HBM integration through advanced packaging technology, SK hynix said. "We expect a strong partnership with TSMC to help accelerate our efforts for open co

April 19, 2024

SK hynix chief underscores chip cooperation between Korea, US

SK hynix Chief Executive Officer Kwak Noh-jung underscored the importance of cooperation between South Korea and the US, warning that it is "dangerous" to concentrate semiconductor supply chains in any one region, during his visit to Washington. Speaking at the “Chips for America: Execute for Global Success” forum on Wednesday, Kwak also noted that SK hynix is working to develop highly advanced technologies to meet the growing needs in the artificial intelligence market. Th

April 18, 2024

[Contribution] Building a better future with Africa

By Ko Kwang-hyo What image comes to your mind first when you think of Africa? Many might envision the vast Serengeti Plain with lions and zebras -- a portrayal popularized by countless media depictions. Yet, this is merely a fragment of the continent’s rich tapestry. Today’s Africa, bolstered by advancements in technology and communication, remains interconnected with the global community. Africa, the world's second-largest continent, is home to 55 diverse nations, boasting a

April 17, 2024

Samsung develops fastest DRAM chip optimzied for ondevice AI

Samsung Electronics, the world's top memory chip maker by revenue, has developed the industry's fastest LPDDR5X memory chip optimized for on-device artificial intelligence applications, the company said Wednesday. The new Low Power Double Data Rate 5X manifests the highest performance of up to 10.7 gigabits-per-second and is the smallest in size among existing products leveraging the 12-nanometer-class process technology, the company said. The speed is equal to sending about 20 4-gigab

April 17, 2024

Samsung CEO bets big on connectivity to take on Apple

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and co-CEO Han Jong-hee said its home appliance division, backed by enhanced connectivity with mobile devices, will enjoy its heyday in the second half of this year, showing confidence in the competition with its powerful rival Apple. “We may not yet be the No. 1 player in the home appliance sector. But if we can offer more enhanced connectivity, based on our leadership in TVs and smartphones, consumers will respond positively,” Han said at a press c

April 17, 2024

LG sets W1tr sales goal for built-in appliances by 2027

LG Electronics unveiled the ambitious target of 1 trillion won ($722 million) in sales solely from built-in appliances by 2027 at this year’s Milan Design Week, one of the largest international design and furniture exhibitions. “Within three years, we will be able to make our built-in (appliance) business worth trillions and turn it into another growth engine,” Lyu Jae-cheol, head of LG Electronics' home appliance and air solutions division, told a group of local reporters

April 17, 2024

SK hynix sees 30% surge in market cap in Q1

South Korea’s total market cap increased by nearly 100 trillion won ($72 billion) during the first quarter of this year, backed by jumps in stock prices in key industries, including semiconductors, data showed Tuesday. According to a report from local corporate tracker Korea CXO Institute, the combined market cap of 2,692 local firms jumped 96 trillion won during the January-March period to reach 2,599 trillion won. The figures exclude the value of preferred shares. The number of stocks wi

April 16, 2024

US confirms $6.4 billion chip subsidy for Samsung

The US government announced Monday that it will award up to $6.4 billion to Samsung Electronics for its chip fabrication facilities in Taylor, Texas. "The return of leading-edge chip manufacturing to America is a major new chapter in our semiconductor industry," said White House National Economic Adviser Lael Brainard in a press briefing. US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo also revealed that the subsidy plan, coming under the US Chips Act, will support Samsung's two chip produ

April 15, 2024

Samsung, LG showcase built-in lineup at Milan Design Week

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, the leading home appliance giants in Korea, are participating in this year’s Milan Design Week this week to showcase their new built-in appliances incorporating artificial intelligence and connectivity. Milan Design Week is one of the largest international design and furniture exhibitions, held in the city in northern Italy with the participation of some 2,300 companies. This year the event runs from Tuesday to Sunday. The tech giants have also set u

April 15, 2024

LG Uplus chief woos AI talent in Silicon Valley

LG Uplus CEO Hwang Hyeon-sik traveled to Silicon Valley and hosted a special event to lure young talents in the field of artificial intelligence, the telecom carrier said Monday. Hwang hosted the “2024 LG Uplus AI Visionaries Summit" at the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley in San Francisco on Saturday. Invited were some 10 doctoral candidates and master's students in key AI fields such as natural language processing, large language model and vision from major US universities, in

April 15, 2024

Kakao joins AI Alliance, promotes safe, responsible AI

Korean IT giant Kakao joined AI Alliance, the global open-source community dedicated to the responsible development of artificial intelligence, becoming the first Korean firm to do so, the company said Friday. “We will work together with the AI Alliance to establish an open AI ecosystem meeting the global standard for the open, responsible and safe development of AI technology,” Kakao AI Safety Leader Kim Kyung-hoon said. “We will take on the social responsibility as a digital

April 12, 2024

SK hynix exec pins high hopes on new US packaging plant

With the advances in artificial intelligence, there is a growing demand for cutting-edge memory chips. As the technology environment has evolved, SK hynix vice president expressed his ambition to contribute to the development of the highest-performance memory products through advanced packaging technologies. “Package and test (P&T) technology is turning into a crucial factor in the battle for semiconductor leadership,” Choi Woo-jin, vice president in charge of SK hynix’s pa

April 11, 2024

Korea aligned with US export curbs on chips to China: minister

South Korea is largely aligned with the US government’s export curbs on chips to China, but it is also making efforts to maintain trade ties with Beijing, Korea’s trade minister said in the US on Wednesday. Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun, who is visiting the US for the first time after he was inaugurated in January this year, added that the government is working to ensure the US trade curbs do not hurt the interests of Korean chipmakers. "Our basic stance is

April 11, 2024

Naver, Intel team up to counter Nvidia’s dominance in AI chips

US chip giant Intel is teaming up with Naver, Korea's leader in artificial intelligence, in an apparent move to counter Nvidia's dominance in the burgeoning AI chip market. Unveiling its more powerful next-generation AI accelerator, Gaudi 3, on Tuesday, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said the cutting-edge central processing unit has been enhanced to perform better than Nvidia's graphic processing unit "at a fraction of the cost." He also said the company is working together wit

April 10, 2024

Samsung retains No. 1 spot in US home appliance market

Samsung Electronics retained its No. 1 spot in the US home appliance market for an eighth consecutive year, dating to 2016, thanks to strong sales of key household products including refrigerators and washers, industry data showed Wednesday. According to market tracker TraQline, Samsung notched a 20.9 percent market share based on sales in the US home appliance market in 2023, followed by its crosstown rival LG Electronics with 18.8 percent, GE Appliances and Whirlpool, which secured 17.6 percen

April 10, 2024

Samsung hopes to shed Galaxy brand's ‘ajeossi phone’ reputation

Samsung Electronics is striving to shed the reputation of its flagship Galaxy smartphones as "ajeossi" phones among teens and users in their 20s, with short films starring popular TV celebrities. An "ajeossi" is an older married man or an uncle in Korean, but in this context, it implies a sense of being "old" or "out of style." The world's largest smartphone maker by shipment said its short film series, “S24 Hours Movie Series,” starring a

April 9, 2024

Samsung, SK boost investment to secure hefty chip subsidies in US

South Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have been boosting investment in the US to secure federal subsidies and get ahead in the intensifying competition in the advanced chip packaging and artificial intelligence chip sectors. Samsung Electronics, the world's top memory chipmaker that also runs chip design and foundry businesses, is reportedly planning to increase its investment in its semiconductor fabrication plant currently under construction in Taylor, Texas. According

April 8, 2024

[Photo News] SK founder's legacy lives on

SK Group said Monday that it was opening the birthplace of its founder Choi Jong-gun and the second-generation Chairman Chey Jong-hyun to the public in celebration of its 71st anniversary. The "Ancient Residence of SK," located on a 1,111 square-meter site in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, has been refurbished as a memorial hall exploring the history of South Korea’s economic growth and entrepreneurship. The current Chairman Chey Tae-won is the third-generation leader of the nation&rs

April 8, 2024