Fire chief removed amid special probe into martial law case

The National Fire Agency said Monday it has removed Commissioner General Heo Seok-gon from his post after he came under investigation by a special counsel over alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid. The agency said the decision followed the special counsel's official notification of its investigation, adding that Deputy Commissioner General Lee Young-pal was also dismissed for the same reason. In their place, Kim Seung-ryong, head of the Gangwon Fire Head

Sept. 15, 2025

Exynos returns: Samsung readies 2nm chip for Galaxy S26

Samsung Electronics will start mass production this month of its Exynos 2600 mobile processor, which is expected to power next year's Galaxy S26 smartphones, industry sources said Monday. The comeback of the in-house chip after two years is raising hopes that stronger performance could help revive the company's loss-making system LSI and foundry businesses, long dogged by yield problems and weak credibility. Exynos chips have faced years of criticism for overheating, poor power efficiency and un

Sept. 15, 2025

Apple keeps iPhone 17 prices flat, piling pressure on Korean suppliers

Despite growing concerns over tariff-driven cost burdens, Apple’s unexpected decision to retain the pricing of its newly introduced iPhone 17 lineup is drawing renewed focus on the earnings outlook of South Korean smartphone component manufacturers. According to industry sources on Sunday, Apple has opted to keep the starting prices of the iPhone 17 series largely in line with its previous models, defying earlier expectations of a $50 to $60 increase in response to US-imposed tariffs. The move i

Sept. 14, 2025

SK hynix develops world’s 1st HBM4, ready for mass production

SK hynix said Friday it had completed development of the world’s first HBM4 chip for artificial intelligence systems, and is prepared to begin mass production. The Korean chipmaker, which dominates the global HBM market, was the first to supply fifth-generation HBM3E chips to Nvidia last year. Industry watchers expect the company to extend its lead in the HBM race with HBM4, reinforcing its postion as the top supplier of the AI memory chip. “Completion of HBM4 development will be a new milestone

Sept. 12, 2025

Science minister visits KT's office amid mobile payment breach

Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon visited an office of South Korea's No. 2 mobile carrier KT on Thursday, calling for an all-out effort to address a recent series of unauthorized mobile payments. The visit came after a total of 278 cases of unauthorized mobile payments worth 170 million won ($122,000) had been reported by KT users as of Wednesday, raising concerns over a possible leak of customer data. "The latest breach is a significant issue that directly affects people's trust in the telecommun

Sept. 11, 2025

Samsung SDS bets big on ‘full-stack’ AI

Samsung SDS on Thursday rolled out a “full-stack” artificial intelligence strategy, aiming to become a one-stop shop for companies seeking to integrate AI into their business operations. Speaking at the company’s annual “Real Summit 2025” event in Seoul, which drew more than 8,000 participants, CEO Lee Jun-hee stressed that the company’s initiative spans from infrastructure to consulting, platforms and solutions, making Samsung SDS an ideal partner for corporate clients pursuing what it calls th

Sept. 11, 2025

SK hynix begins supplying mobile NAND for ondevice AI

SK hynix said Thursday it has begun supplying its high-performance mobile NAND solution ZUFS 4.1 for use in the latest smartphones to enhance ondevice artificial intelligence capabilities. ZUFS 4.1 or Zoned UFS solution improves operating system speed and data management efficiency by writing data sequentially rather than overwriting existing data, the company explained. This approach mitigates read-performance degradation by more than four times compared to conventional UFS, cutting overall app

Sept. 11, 2025

OpenAI doubles down on Korea with new Seoul office

OpenAI launched its Korean subsidiary on Wednesday, marking its third office in Asia and 12th globally, as the creator of ChatGPT doubles down on its commitment to Korea as a future global hub for artificial intelligence innovation. Speaking at a press briefing in Seoul, OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon highlighted the strategic importance of Korea’s unique technological ecosystem. “Korea is a unique combination of cutting-edge infrastructure, innovative companies and early adopters, mak

Sept. 10, 2025

This is the AI chatbot captivating 1 million Korean teens. They script tempting intimacy

The most heavily used AI chatbot app in South Korea by daily engagement time is not ChatGPT. Nor is it made by a Silicon Valley tech giant. It's a homegrown app called Zeta, an anime-styled roleplay app where nearly one million mostly teenage users spend an average of 2 hours and 46 minutes a day talking and flirting with virtual characters. That figure even surpasses entertainment platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, according to Mobile Index data from June. Though Zeta is officially r

Sept. 10, 2025

LG aims to install its webOS-based content platform in 20 million cars by 2030

LG Electronics on Tuesday said it aims to deploy its webOS-powered in-car infotainment platform in 20 million vehicles by 2030 as it seeks to lead the fast-growing software-defined vehicle market. The plan was announced at IAA Mobility 2025, a major global automotive fair taking place Tuesday to Sunday in Munich, Germany. The tech giant shared its vision to expand its signature infotainment system, Automotive Content Platform. “Based on webOS, which is used on more than 240 million smart TVs, th

Sept. 9, 2025

Google concedes on maps, resists Korea servers

Google has reaffirmed its willingness to comply with South Korea’s stringent national security protocols as it seeks government approval to export high-precision map data — a highly sensitive issue that has sparked public and political debate in recent months. At a rare press conference held in Seoul on Tuesday, Cris Turner, vice president of government affairs and public policy at Google, underscored the company’s readiness to accommodate the Korean government’s requirements, including the remo

Sept. 9, 2025

Visa hurdles put Korean investment in US at risk

Korean companies are rushing to revise US business travel plans and tighten internal guidelines after last week’s immigration raid at a battery plant under construction in Georgia, where more than 300 Korean workers were detained. Caught off guard by the unexpected crackdown, Korean businesses and experts are urging the government to use this moment to push for a proper visa framework and secure a quota for Korean professionals working in the US. On Monday, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and En

Sept. 8, 2025

Dyson launches AI robot vacuum, next-gen cleaners at Berlin showcase

Dyson unveiled 11 devices across vacuum cleaning, air purification and beauty, highlighting breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, low-noise engineering and ultralight design at its latest showcase. At its Dyson Unveiled event at the Dyson Demo Store in Berlin on Friday, James Dyson, founder of the UK home appliance giant Dyson, took the stage to introduce the new lineup, emphasizing Dyson’s legacy of innovation driven by research and design. “Over the years, we have reimagined the format of

Sept. 5, 2025

Samsung vows 1 billion AI devices in 3 years

Samsung Electronics vowed Thursday to put 1 billion AI-powered devices into homes across the globe over the next three years, unveiling its bold "AI Home" vision on the eve of IFA 2025 in Berlin. South Korean tech giant laid out the plan at a press conference held ahead of Europe's largest consumer electronics show, taking place at the German capital from Friday to Tuesday. More than 800 journalists and partners attended the "AI Home: Future Living, Now” event, where Samsung presented its AI Hom

Sept. 5, 2025

Kakao set to roll out ChatGPT-powered KakaoTalk this month

Kakao is gearing up to integrate OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT into its flagship messaging platform KakaoTalk, according to industry sources Friday. The integration marks a major step in Kakao’s broader effort to enhance user engagement by integrating AI-driven functionalities directly into its daily communication tools. Once implemented, users will be able to access ChatGPT-powered conversations within the “Chat” tab of the KakaoTalk interface without needing to na

Sept. 5, 2025