More Chinese battery makers are being added to the supplier portfolio of Korean smartphone makers such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics that are increasingly pursuing ODM smartphones.Industry sources said on Jan. 6 that companies like ATL and BYD are mass producing the batteries they plan t

US-based chemical firm DuPont will invest $28 million (KRW 32.4billion) on establishing EUV photoresist manufacturing lines in Korea, according to government sources.The Commerce Ministry said that on Jan. 8, DuPont submitted an investment report to Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency plans to a

“Artificial intelligence should be applied not only to raise profit, but also to solve social problems so that it can contribute to keeping a balance between economic and social values,” said SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won at a conference on scientific innovation held at the Chey Institute for Advan

Samsung Electronics plans to ship 45 million or more 5G-enabled smartphones this year in a move that would trigger heated competition between the South Korean tech giant and China’s Huawei, according to industry watchers on Jan. 7.The 45 million-plus figure is nearly 7 times that of the 5G smartphon

LG Display CEO Jung Ho-young said at a press conference just ahead of the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show 2020 in Las Vegas on Jan. 6 that the company will shutter its domestic operations for producing LCD panels for TVs by the end of this year.“The costs are too high to stay ahead of our C

South Korea's LG Chem has signed on with Chinese supplier Lead China to be supplied with key manufacturing equipment at its battery plant in Nanjing, according to industry sources on Jan. 2.The decision came based on relations with the Chinese government and its ties with local carmakers, the source

Global DRAM contract prices remained unchanged for two consecutive months, and figures indicate that despite being a seasonally low period, memory chip prices will stabilize in the first quarter of 2020 as OEM firms are stacking up on inventory.According to market research firm DRAMeXchange in Decem

Samsung Electronics’ strategic Galaxy A series showed robust sales, with the Galaxy A10 and A50 selling more than 50 million handsets altogether, according to industry sources on Jan. 1.The latest Galaxy A series was launched in March, and the phones helped keep Samsung at first place in the global

Japan’s Kaneka will no longer be the sole supplier of PI film for Samsung Electronics, with SKC Kolon PI scheduled to provide the film for 5G smartphone antennae, industry sources said on Jan. 2.During the first half of this year, SKC Kolon PI will be supplying PI fim for the Galaxy S 11’s 5G antenn

Dispute is rising over who or what is to blame for the power outage at Samsung Electronics’ Hwaseong fab facilities that occurred on Dec. 31.Responding to calls for it to compensate Samsung, the country’s power provider Kepco is saying it cannot be held responsible. Samsung, in the meantime, has yet

South Korean display solution firm AnaPass is expected to provide more of its products for Samsung’s small and mid-sized OLED panels, according to industry sources on Jan 2.Samsung Display has already watched AnaPass pass the test with Sony’s Experia 1 and Meizu’s Meizu 15 Plus over the past two yea

In 2020, semiconductor manufacturers are expected to produce more wafers on improving market conditions, according to a report by IC Insights on Dec. 20.In its Global Wafer Capacity 2020-2024 report, the company said the IC industry’s wafer production capacity will jump next year to grow by a record

LG Display may be pushing back mass production at its Gen-10.5 OLED line in Paju to as late as 2023, according to the industry sources on Dec. 27.The display maker recently informed its key suppliers of the delay, including YAS, an organic deposition equipment maker that is now slowing down its plan

Samsung SDI will be the sole supplier of the initial order of batteries for the Galaxy Note 10 Lite, a budget model that’s likely to debut in early 2020 from Samsung Electronics, according to industry watchers on Dec. 30.This would be SDI’s fourth time supplying the Note series since the Galaxy Note

The government will delay announcement the results of its investigation into the fires at Energy Storage Systems (ESS) over the past three years to 2020 as the local battery industry suffering from a lack of ESS orders.Industry sources said on Dec. 26 that the Commerce Ministry has officially postpo

Samsung Electronics will be introducing its premium, bezel-less TV at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2020, according to sources on Dec. 27.During an internal meeting ahead of the launch, CE chief Kim Hyun-seok XX and other executives gave the product a two-thumbs up, the sources sai

Kolon Industries on Dec. 24 displayed new components for hydrogen-fueled cars at the ground-breaking ceremony of the Hydrogen Energy Network’s hydrogen charging station in Sejong Government Complex in a move indicating its expansion into the sector.Hydrogen Energy Network is a special purpose compan

Foxconn is paying back its suppliers as its Gen-10.5 LCD production lines in Guanzhou of China are becoming normalized, according to industry sources.Due to a stop-still in Foxconn’s plans for mass production, local display equipment suppliers have been unable to receive payment for their equipment

The price of graphic DRAM is expected to rise in 2020 on the back of growing demand for major-scale GDDR6 products, according to market research firm TrendForce.The firm expected graphic DRAM prices to jump by 5% or more on-quarter during the first three months of 2020. This would be the largest gro

Korea PI Holdings – a special purpose company set up by local private equity fund Glenwood PE – signed a 608 billion won (US$523 million) deal on Dec.24 to acquire a controlling stake in SKC Kolon PI.Korea PI Holdings will buy 54.06-percent stake in SKC Kolon PI, with each buying a 27.03-percent sta