Telecoms news from Korea, South

Samsung Buys Stake in Local Handset Manufacturer

Samsung is buying a minority stake in the local handset manufacturer, Pantech, making it the third largest shareholder in the company. ...more.

South Korean Networks Fight Over Access to 1800Mhz Spectrum

Two of South Korea's mobile networks are calling for the country's third mobile network operator to be barred from the forthcoming 1800Mhz radio spectrum auction, as it already holds licenses in those areas. ...more.

Fitch Places KT Corp's 'A' on Rating Watch Negative

Fitch said that the review reflects KT's weak financial metrics and on-going margin erosion due to intense competition. ...more.

Korea Telecom's 1Q results remain weak but with signs of improvement

Moody's Investors Service says that the first-quarter results of Korea's KT Corporation were broadly in line with expectations, although KT's financial profile remains weak for its rating level. ...more.

War in Korea Could Have Catastrophic Impact on Global Electronics Business

What would happen if half of all global production for dynamic random access memory (DRAM), two-thirds of NAND flash manufacturing and 70 percent of the world's tablet display supply suddenly disappeared from the market? ...more.

Intel Capital Invests in Korean Touchscreen Developer

Intel Capital has taken an undisclosed stake in South Korea based Zinitix, a fabless developer of touch controller ICs for smartphones and tablets. ...more.

Postage Stamps to Celebrate the Touchscreen Smartphone

The touchscreen smartphone has made it onto a postage stamp -- as the South Korean postal service has launched a range of stamps to celebrate the ICT industry. ...more.

Samsung Profits Jump 42% - Warns of Sluggish Smartphone Sales Ahead

Samsung Electronics has reported a 42% jump in its first-quarter profits, marking its sixth consecutive quarter of profits growth as the company continues to gain from its smartphone division. ...more.

SK Telecom Signs Up 10 Millionth 4G Subscriber

South Korea's SK Telecom has announced that its LTE subscriber base has passed the 10 million mark, which would give it around half the Korean market for 4G services. ...more.

Two-Thirds of South Korean Smartphone Users Changed Handset Last Year

Citing Strategy Analytics data, the Yonhap News Agency reported that as many as 67.8 percent of South Korean smartphone users replaced their products last year. ...more.

South Korea to Tighten Mobile Payments Security

South Korea's Financial Services Commission (FSC) has announced plans to tighten the country's online and mobile payment system. ...more.

Samsung Expects to Post 53% Jump in Quarterly Profits

Samsung Electronics has issued a preliminary financial statement and says that it estimates that its first-quarter profits will rise by 53% to reach KRW8.7 trillion (US$7.7 billion). ...more.

South Korea: China May Not Have Initiated Cyberattack

South Korea's communications regulator now says the cyberattack that paralyzed South Korean computer networks earlier this week might not have originated in China as originally believed. ...more.

South Korea Hit By Suspected Cyberattack

The computer networks of major South Korean banks and broadcasters have gone down and police are investigating the possibility of a cyberattack. ...more.

Samsung Electronics Appoints New Co-CEOs

Samsung has announced the appointment of Boo-keun Yoon and J.K. Shin as co-CEOs of Samsung Electronics. ...more.

SK Telecom, Nokia Siemens Networks collaborate on Liquid Applications

South Korea's SK Telecom is evaluating Nokia Siemens Networks' newly launched Liquid Applications in its LTE network. ...more.

DOCOMO, China Mobile, KT Agree to Joint Wi-Fi Inbound Roaming

Three Asian mobile networks have agreed to lay out a joint Wi-Fi inbound roaming scheme covering Japan, China and Korea. ...more.

LG Shows Off Android Smartphone with 5.5-Inch Display Screen

LG Electronics today introduced the newest addition to its G smartphone range to the Korean public. With the largest display yet to appear on an LG smartphone, the LTE-equipped Optimus G Pro comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display and new UX features. ...more.

Moody's: SK Telecom's 4Q results are credit positive

Moody's Investors Service says that the better-than-expected results of SK Telecom for the fourth quarter of 2012 are credit positive, but will not have any immediate impact on its ratings and outlook. ...more.

Moody's affirms Korea Telecom's rating; outlook negative

Moody's Investors Service has affirmed Korea Telecom's A3 senior unsecured rating, after the company announced its preliminary results for 2012. The rating outlook remains negative. ...more.