The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) under the Financial Services Commission (FSC) has disclosed a plan to directly regulate cryptocurrency exchanges and bring them into the regulatory system. Currently, the FIU indirectly controls cryptocurrency exchanges through administrative guidance to banks.A
The South Korean government has come up with a plan to achieve independence from Japan for 100 key items within five years.To this end, the government will provide 7.80 trillion won (US$6.42 billion) in research and development (R&D) funds and 37.50 trillion won (US$30.85 billion) in financial suppo
Although the South Korean stock market is in panic in the aftermath of an economic war between South Korea and Japan, the bond market is calm. Investors’ preference for risk free assets has increased following Japan’s exclusion of South Korea from its trade whitelist.Demand for bonds remains strong
The South Korean stock market has plunged to the level of 11 years ago when the global financial crisis happened. The won-dollar exchange rate skyrocketed due to the fears of a trade dispute between the United States and China and concerns over Japan’s decision to exclude South Korea from its trade
Netmarble, a major Korean mobile game developer, said on Aug. 5 that it has disclosed a technology to automatically generate facial animations based on voice commands in a global computer graphics event held in Los Angeles, the United States.Netmarble has published a paper on multi-task audio-driven
Japan's Toshiba has begun operating its NAND flash production lines that were halted by a power outage in June, causing concern that it could worsen the ongoing supply glut.Toshiba restarted its NAND flash production lines at the end of last month after a month-long shutdown. The company stopped
South Korea’s major manufacturing companies saw a significant drop in profitability. The country’s top 100 firms made a mere 59 won (US$0.05) in operating profit on every 1,000 won (US$0.84) sold in the first half of this year. Their profitability was cut in half in a year.The ratio of operating gai
Samsung Electronics Co. has suggested that it may partially adjust its output of memory semiconductors such as DRAM and NAND flash. Previously, the company made it clear that it would not artificially cut production. The company is expected to convert some memory production lines to non-memory ones,
The semiconductor industry association has formed a separate team to deal with Japan’s toughened regulation of key semiconductor material exports to Korea.Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) vice president Mike Russo recently posted a message titled “SEMI Urges Restraint by Ja
South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa had talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono for 55 minutes in Bangkok on Aug. 1, but failed to reach any conclusion on resolving the escalating trade dispute between the two countries.As a result, Japan is highly likely to exclude Korea from its wh
South Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee, who returned from the visit to the United States, told reporters on July 29 that she proposed to Japan's Trade Minister Hiroshige Seko that they meet on the sidelines of the ministerial conference of the 8th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (
Japan’s export restrictions cover photoresists, hydrogen fluoride and fluorine polyimide. Among them, hydrogen fluoride or etching gas from Japan accounts for 43.9 percent of South Korea’s total hydrogen fluoride imports, and South Korea’s dependence on Japan is close to 100 percent when it comes to
The Sankei Shimbun reported on June 30 that the Japanese government would restrict exports of three chemical materials to South Korea starting from July 4 in response to the South Korean Supreme Court’s ruling regarding compensation for forced labor victims during Japanese colonial rule.The three ma
SK Telecom has been selected as a 5G communication leader in Asia.Moor Insights & Strategy, a leading high-tech analyst firm in the United States, recently announced companies that lead 5G in categories such as global telecom operators, smartphone makers and equipment companies.SK Telecom was select
DRAM prices have plummeted by two digits once again, dropping to the level three years ago. Instead, NAND flash prices rebounded for the first time in two years, kindling a hope for earnings growth of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.Contract prices of DDR4 8 Gb DRAMs mainly used in PCs fell 11.2 pe
SK Innovation is considering supplying electric vehicle (EV) battery separators to its Korean competitors. If Japan's export restrictions on EV battery separators become a reality, it will deal a serious blow to Korean companies that are developing EVs."Although we are competing with domestic co
Seven companies, including SK Networks, have joined the preliminary bidding to acquire Woongjin Coway Co. which is roughly valued at 2 trillion won ($1.68 billion).Korea Investment & Securities Co., the lead manager for the sale of the water purifier rental company, received a letter of interest (LO
Samsung Electronics has made it clear that it would not cut production of memory semiconductors such as DRAMs. In addition, the global semiconductor giant said it is difficult to assess the impact of Japan's export curbs on its semiconductor business, pledging it would minimize damage through va
The operating profit of Samsung Electronics Co. in the semiconductor business stood at 3.40 trillion won (US$2.87 billion) in the second quarter of this year, the lowest in three years after recording 3.37 trillion won in the third quarter of 2016. The company’s operating margin fell to 21.13 percen
Samsung Display has obtained a design patent for a triple-screen smartphone.According to LetsGoDigital, a Dutch online magazine specializing in IT, Samsung Display submitted a patent application for a smartphone with three extendable screens to the Korean Intellectual Property Office in August 2018