Global investment banking (IB) companies headquartered in Hong Kong, including J.P. Morgan, are visiting South Korea for talks with South Korean financial companies before the official auction for NXC Corp. starts. They are discussing a financing structure with local financial companies as the sale
CEOs of global ICT companies’ Korea operations attended a parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Science and ICT as witnesses on Oct. 10. They included Google Korea CEO John Lee, Facebook Korea CEO Damian Yeo Guan, and Apple Korea general manager Brandon Yoon. Yet they gave no answer at all to lawma
The two representative internet companies in Korea, Naver and Kakao, are about to compete in the blockchain area this time.Naver and Kakao started their blockchain businesses by disclosing their block chain platforms “Link Chain” and “Clayton,” respectively, through their affiliates.Naver presented
As foreign video platform operators introduces unskippable ads to maximize ad revenues, non-paying users are expected to face more inconvenience. It remains to be seen whether non-paying users will become paid subscribers in droves or they simply stop using such video services, bringing a big change
The world’s largest mobile lockscreen media platform, Buzzvil, has acquired India and Pakistan’s leading lockscreen content curator SlideApp as part of its effort to tighten its grip in the global mobile ad market. Financial terms were not disclosed.John Lee, CEO of Buzzvil, said, “By taking SlideAp
Jason Han, CEO of Kakao’s blockchain subsidiary firm, Ground X, announced on Aug. 29 that the company has signed an MOU with Orbs, a hybrid blockchain technology firm based in Israel, for strategic cooperation.The two companies agreed on a plan to focus on cooperation, not competition, to develop a
The following Korean companies have one thing in common: Netmarble Games, South Korea’s largest game developer; Kakao, which operates the nation’s most popular messaging app Kakao Talk; Bluehole, the parent firm of PUBG Corp. which developed Battlegrounds, the most played battle royale game in Asia;
The ruling and opposition parties failed to reach an agreement on a special bill on direct (Internet-only) banks, which involves the easing of the banking-commerce separation. As a result, the bill is unlikely to be passed in the plenary session of the National Assembly on Aug. 30.When it comes to i
Mass Vehicle Leger (MVL), a Korean company that provides ride-hailing service TADA in Singapore, has gathered 50,000 users and 12,000 drivers one year after the service launch in July 2017, chasing right behind the top service provider, Uber.MVL's TADA, which means "let's ride" in Korean, ha
South Korean Internet portals, such as Naver Corporation and Kakao Corporation, are seeking to break YouTube’s dominance of the domestic video sharing market.According to industry sources on July 25, Naver and Kakao are planning to strengthen their video sharing services in the second half of this y
Google has released an automobile app, Android Auto, in partnership with domestic companies such as Hyundai-Kia Motors and Kakao Mobility.Google officially announced the release of Android Auto at a press conference on July 12 at KiaBit 360 in Apgujeong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.Android Auto is an app
The competition between Naver and Kakao for in the Japanese webtoon market is in full swing.Naver announced on June 25 that it will invest 150 billion won in Naver Webtoon by participating in its capital increase.Naver Webtoon was separated from Naver in May last year after operating as an independe
Kakao has signed a contract to acquire Kiwi Plus, a smart watch manufacturer for children. It is a move that follows its acquisition of Acciio, a start-up for heating and cooling control system using smartphones, in February. It shows Kakao’s aggressive step towards the Internet of Things (IoT) busi
Kakao will merge with its subsidiary Kakao M (formerly known as Roen Entertainment), the operator of MelOn, Korea’s most popular digital music service provider. The merger reflects Kakao’s determination to nurture its mobile platform, KakaoTalk, and its content business.Kakao announced on May 17 tha