SK Hynix to sell 50% stake in China foundry unit to Chinese enterprise

South Korea's SK Hynix has agreed to sell its nearly 50% stake in its foundry unit based in China to a Chinese state-owned enterprise, according to regulatory filings and media reports. SK Hynix System IC said in a regulatory filing that it plans to sell a 21.3% stake in its foundry unit in Wuxi to China's state-owned Wuxi Industry Development Group Company for 205.4 billion won ($150.81 million). In a separate filing, SK Hynix System IC said it will also sell its intangible assets,

May 8, 2024

Minister says chip subsidy a ‘tall order’

Countries have been rolling out competitive subsidy programs to boost their edge in the critical semiconductor industry. For South Korea, it is difficult to come up with such direct support programs, but the government is working to create an environment to benefit long-term investment in the sector, Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun said in a press briefing Tuesday. Ahn also explained that the ministry, along with other government entities will set up a public fund to support strategic industries,

May 8, 2024

Czech envoy visits S. Korea's latest nuclear plant ahead of bid result

A Czech envoy visited a South Korean nuclear power plant last week amid the ongoing process to select the winner for the European nation's construction project estimated at around 30 trillion won ($22 billion), industry sources said Wednesday. Ivan Jancarek, the Czech Republic's ambassador to South Korea, visited the Saeul Nuclear Power Plant in Ulsan, 299 kilometers south of Seoul, on Friday, and was briefed on the overall operations of the facility, according to the sources. The visi

May 8, 2024

Will China's self-sufficient dream in HBM come true?

With the US imposing strict trade restrictions on China's advanced semiconductors and chipmaking equipment, Beijing has been ramping up efforts to develop home-grown artificial intelligence chips to keep up with the global AI boom. Recently, the Chinese government and chipmakers have been working together to produce high-bandwidth memory chips, a crucial component in graphic processing units. With the backing of the government, the consortium led by Huawei aims to produce HBM2 by 2026. Indu

May 7, 2024

[KH Explains] Can tech firms' AI alliances take on Nvidia?

Tech firms have joined forces both domestically and globally to take on US chip giant Nvidia in the AI chip sector, which has enjoyed a near monopoly in the burgeoning market. An increasing number of global Big Tech companies are building their own AI ecosystems amid expectations for continuous growth in the sector, according to experts on Tuesday. While Nvidia has teamed up with SK hynix and TSMC to further strengthen its technical leadership in high-bandwidth memory chips, other tech firms are

May 7, 2024

LG CNS hosts contest for math optimization talents

LG CNS said Tuesday it will host a contest that targets talented individuals in the field of mathematical optimization for bundle deliveries. Co-organized with the Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers, Optimization Grand Challenge 2024 aims to nurture exceptional talents in mathematical optimization and foster broader social interest in the field. Mathematical optimization involves finding the most efficient solution by considering all possible scenarios under current resources and condition

May 7, 2024

Samsung SDI boasts e-bike leadership at China Cycle

Samsung SDI said Monday that it is showcasing its latest battery products, including cylindrical batteries, at this week’s China Cycle 2024, one of the largest bicycle and motorcycle exhibitions that is marking its 32nd year. The four-day event kicked off Sunday in Shanghai, with some 1,700 businesses joining, up 40 percent from a year ago. Under the slogan “Already, All Ready,” Samsung SDI introduces a diverse lineup of cylindrical batteries specifically designed for micro-mob

May 6, 2024

Samsung mocks Apple over iPhone alarm glitch

Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics made a mockery of its rival Apple on social media last week, after some iPhone users came forward complaining that their alarms had failed to go off. In a post on Instagram, Samsung UK shared a dog meme alongside text that reads "Rest assured our alarms go off.” It also wrote, “Samsung users woke up on time today.” According to industry sources, some iPhone users recently complained on social media, including TikTok, of inconveniences

May 6, 2024

Naver will consider company benefits in deciding on selling Line shares: CEO

While the Japanese government is pressuring Naver to shed ownership in Line, the dominating messaging app in Japan, the Korean internet giant said it will make a decision based on the benefit of the company's business, the chief executive officer said Friday. During an earnings call, Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon said the administrative guidance issued by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications last month, demanding Tokyo-based LY Corp., the operator of Line, to lower its dep

May 3, 2024

Samsung chief returns from Europe after meeting with Pope, business leaders

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong returned to Seoul on Friday after his trip to Europe, where he made a surprise visit to Vatican City to meet with Pope Francis, and met with business counterparts for cooperation. During the 10-day trip, Lee traveled to Germany, France and Italy, and checked on the company's business operations there. “The spring has come,” he told reporters without further explanation, upon his arrival at the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center. He did

May 3, 2024

Naver Q1 net income soars 1,171.9% on growth of major businesses

South Korean tech giant Naver Corp. said Friday its first-quarter net profit soared 1,171.9 percent from a year earlier on the overall growth of its major businesses, including its search platform and e-commerce. Its net profit reached 555.8 billion won ($404 million) in the January-March period, compared with 43.7 billion won a year ago, the company said in a regulatory filing. The operating profit jumped 32.9 percent on-year to a quarterly high of 439.3 billion won, and sales rose 10.8 percent

May 3, 2024

'Our HBM chips are sold out until 2025': SK hynix CEO

SK hynix on Thursday said that its high-bandwidth memory chips have already sold out until 2025, boasting its leadership in the advanced memory chip market for artificial intelligence. "Demand for ultra-fast, high-capacity and low-power memory products for AI applications is expected to see explosive growth,” said SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung during a press conference held at the company’s headquarters in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. “Our HBM chips from the 2024 output have al

May 2, 2024

Samsung chip business back on track, logs W1.9tr operating profit in Q1

After logging losses for five consecutive quarters, Samsung Electronics' chip business returned to the black in the first quarter this year, thanks to rising demand for high-end chips and a surge in chip prices. In its earnings report for the January-March period on Tuesday, Samsung said its chip division reported 23.1 trillion won ($16.7 billion) in sales and 1.91 trillion won in operating profits. The profit comes after the company suffered operating losses for five consecutive quarters.

April 30, 2024

Naver, Intel, KAIST join forces to set up AI lab in Korea

Naver, Intel and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology will set up a joint lab in Korea to lead the new global ecosystem for artificial intelligence semiconductors, KAIST announced Tuesday. The joint lab called NIK AI Research Center will be established on the KAIST campus in Daejeon in the first half of this year and begin research in July. KAIST said that the joint research center will be run for three years, adding that its operation can be extended depending on research achi

April 30, 2024

SK Telecom to unveil LLM for telecom carriers in June

SK Telecom, Korea's largest wireless carrier by the number of subscribers, said Tuesday it aims to introduce a large language model specializing in telecom-related terms as early as June. The upcoming telecom-specific LLM is developed from general-purpose LLMs such as ChatGPT and Claude. SK Telecom joined hands with global Big Tech firms including OpenAI and Anthropic to develop the LLM. Telco-specific LLMs are more adjusted to the telecommunications domain and better at understanding use

April 30, 2024

China outpaces Korea in smaller OLED shipments for 1st time

China outpaced Korea in the shipment of organic light-emitting display panels for IT gadgets for the first time in the first quarter of this year, stirring concerns that Korean manufacturers could eventually be pushed out of the market by Chinese rivals. According to Chinese market tracker Cinno Research on Monday, China's OLED shipments for IT gadgets including smartphones and tablet PCs accounted for 53.4 percent of the total in the January-March period, ahead of Korea’s 46.6 percen

April 29, 2024

KT explores synergy between AI, media

South Korean telecom carrier KT Corp. said Monday it is expanding its advanced artificial intelligence technology to the group’s entire media business, from content investment and production to marketing and control, to accelerate innovation. "The media business is one of KT's three core businesses, along with communications and AI,” Kim Hoon-bae, executive vice president of the media platform business unit at KT, said in a press conference held earlier in the day in Seou

April 29, 2024

[KH Explains] No more 'Michael' at Kakao Games

Kakao Games has decided to scrap using English names among its employees, becoming the first Kakao affiliate to backtrack on the IT front-runner’s attempt to make a more bottom-up working environment with open communication. Kakao Games CEO Han Sang-woo, whose English name is Michael, announced the decision in a meeting with employees on April 17, noting that there had been confusion as its workers had to use English names inside the company but went by their Korean names for external comm

April 28, 2024

Samsung chief bolsters ties with Germany’s Zeiss

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong met with top executives of German optics manufacturer Zeiss, a crucial partner for the Korean tech giant's push to lead the burgeoning market for artificial intelligence chips, during his recent trip to Europe. According to Samsung on Sunday, its chief toured the Zeiss headquarters in Oberkochen on Friday and discussed long-term partnerships with Zeiss Group CEO Karl Lamprecht and Zeiss Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology CEO Andreas Pecher. Lee&

April 28, 2024

[Photo News] OLED train windows

LG Display said Sunday that it has delivered transparent organic light-emitting displays for the windows of the latest Great Train Express trains, the new high-speed trains connecting the Greater Seoul area. It is the first time that transparent OLED screens have been used in train windows here to display route maps and other entertainment content for passengers. LG has been supplying transparent OLED train windows to China and Japan since 2020, with plans to extend their applications to other i

April 28, 2024