The fourth-generation Long Term Evolution internet speeds are not consistent and vary across the Seoul metropolitan area, a lawmaker said Monday. 　Citing a 2018 survey conducted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, Rep. Park Gwang-on of the ruling Democratic Party said the LTE speed gap between the fastest and slowest neighborhood was as much as three times.　Of the 85 areas in Seoul and surrounding metropolitan areas, residents of Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, experienced the fastest speed of 201

Technology Oct. 14, 2019

South Korea’s leading internet firms are seeking to boost their presence in the entertainment industry by capitalizing on online content popular here and overseas.Using their internet cartoons, K-pop streaming services and other web-based items, Naver and Kakao have been accelerating their efforts to monetize lucrative content by adapting them into movies and dramas. In addition to establishing drama studios and streaming platforms, the internet giants have acquired stakes in local enterta

Industry Oct. 13, 2019

　South Korean defense firm LIG Nex1 said Thursday that it will attend an international defense exhibition in Seoul to showcase the company’s weapon systems and technological prowess for battlefields of the future.　Weapons to be displayed at Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2019 include long-distance, air-to-ground guided missiles. Home-built fighter components, electronic warfare weapon systems, unmanned choppers and microdrones are also part of the show.  　For t

Industry Oct. 10, 2019

South Korean internet giants Naver and Kakao are seeking to attract more subscribers with service upgrades reflecting the rapid changes in online behavior. The country’s biggest search engine Naver said Tuesday it will overhaul the company’s platform to provide relevant information via social influencers. The “influence search service” is scheduled to be released by December with a trial service for beauty and travel searches. Kakao, operator of the country’s t

Technology Oct. 9, 2019

South Korean builder GS Engineering & Construction said Tuesday it will invest in a massive petrochemical plant construction project in Turkey by purchasing a nearly 50 percent stake in a construction firm.According to GS E&C, it signed a contract with Ceyhan Petrokimya Endustriyel Yatrim on Sept. 26 to acquire a 49 percent stake in the latter. The value of the deal will be determined after the Turkish firm finalizes its future project plans. This will allow GS E&C to participat

Industry Oct. 8, 2019

　Cyberattacks targeting South Korea’s nuclear plant operators have occurred constantly over the past decade, with the number of hacking attempts during the period reaching more than 1,300, a lawmaker said Monday. 　According to Rep. Shin Yong-hyeon from the minor Bareunmirae Party, there have been 1,366 hacking attempts against Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power since 2012. KHNP is the country’s largest electric power company, managing nuclear and hydro plants across the country. 　By cat

Technology Oct. 7, 2019

　　South Korea’s blockchain fund Hashed said Wednesday it has invested in a project to boost the Ethereum blockchain system’s scalability to accelerate the development of decentralized applications across industries. 　Called Skale Network, the project has raised $17.1 million so far to launch its mainnet by the fourth quarter of this year. Various accelerators worldwide have participated in the project, including ConsenSys Labs, Multicoin Capital, Recruit Holdings and Winklevoss Capit

Technology Oct. 2, 2019

Instead of carrying a driver’s license, residents of South Korea will be able to prove their driving qualification via a smartphone app next year. Korean National Policy Agency said Wednesday it had agreed with the country’s three major mobile carriers to develop a driver license verification system. SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus will introduce the platform as early the first quarter of next year.  People will be able to store their driver license on the app after registering it t

Business Oct. 2, 2019

　The Democratic Party said Tuesday it is moving to curb “misinformation” on online streaming websites, including YouTube, the most popular content-sharing platform here.　The ruling party’s special committee announced its plans to stem the spread of fake news and other misinformation on online platforms during a press conference at the National Assembly. 　According to its proposal, online platforms can be fined up to 10 percent of their revenue if they fail to remove “fake

Technology Oct. 1, 2019

　DAESEONG-DONG, Demilitarized Zone -- Tucked in the middle of the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, Daeseong-dong is perhaps the most isolated town in South Korea since the end of the Korean War. 　There are no supermarkets, shops or hospitals for medical treatment. There are also no restaurants or hair salons. The village does not even show up on navigation systems. 　While Daeseong-dong residents are far removed from the rest of South Korea, 197 people living there ha

Technology Sept. 30, 2019

　SK Innovation said Friday it will establish a joint venture with Chinese battery maker EVE Energy to build electric vehicle battery plants in China. 　The project will involve $525 million to build factories capable of producing 20 to 25 gigawatt-hours. 　Established in 2001, EVE Energy is a leading Chinese lithium battery maker. Earlier this month, the company won a contract to provide EV batteries for Hyundai Motor.  　To seize opportunities in the Chinese EV market, SK Innovation has been

Industry Sept. 27, 2019

　LG Chem said Friday it has filed additional lawsuits against SK Innovation and its US affiliate, raising the stakes in a monthslong legal battle over electric vehicle battery patents.  　In a statement, LG Chem said SK Innovation and SK Battery America are infringing its patents for lithium-ion batteries. The lawsuits were filed Thursday with the US International Trade Commission and the US District Court of Delaware. 　The move came in response to SK Innovation’s Sept. 3 lawsuits alle

Industry Sept. 27, 2019

　Despite South Korean mobile carriers’ efforts to rekindle the use of text messages, the prospects of the once-lucrative business continue to look grim.　The country’s three biggest telecom firms -- SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus -- have upgraded their text message services with advanced features like group chatting and video sharing in recent years. 　But the moves have so far failed to draw users away from the popular messenger service KakaoTalk. While the chatting app has seen a dramat

Technology Sept. 26, 2019

　South Korea’s telecom giant SK Telecom said Wednesday that it is inviting online applications for free trials of Microsoft’s upcoming cloud-based game-streaming service Project xCloud.　According to SKT, Android-based smartphone users who subscribe to its 5G wireless service can sign up until Oct. 8.　Those selected to take part will get a glimpse of Microsoft’s game-streaming service next month, SKT said. Trials in the United States and the United Kingdom are scheduled to run s

Technology Sept. 25, 2019

Global electric scooter operators are entering South Korea’s micro-mobility market, intensifying competition in the bike-sharing market. According to industry sources, US-based e-scooter and bike company Lime is gearing up for its debut in Korea. The company is expected to announce the launch on Oct. 1 in Seoul. Lime has been preparing to enter the Korean market and has been recruiting local employees since earlier this year. Currently, the company is operating in more than 120 cities in o

Technology Sept. 25, 2019