News

Europe posts record year for clean energy

2025/01/24 10:00

The proportion of renewable energy in total electricity production in the European Union reached an all-time high last year. According to London-based think tank Ember on Thursday, renewable energy production, including solar, wind, and hydropower last year in the European bloc reached 13-hundred terra watt hours, accounting for 47-point-4 percent of the total electricity production. The figure is an increase of 7-point-6 percent from the previous year. Meanwhile, the proportion of fossil fuels, such as coal and gas, used in EU electricity production stood at 28-point-9 percent, the lowest in 40 years.

[Econ & Biz] Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Personalized AI at the core of Samsung's S25 strategy

2025/01/23 20:00

Samsung Electronics' Unpacked conference took place on Wednesday, local time, in San Jose, California. There, the tech giant unveiled its latest flagship smartphones the Galaxy S25 series with AI technology taking center stage. For a closer look, our business correspondent Moon Hye-ryeon joins us here. Hye-ryeon, tell us more about what's new. Well, Jung-min, I went to take a look at the new phones for myself in Gangnam today, and here's what I saw. The Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra are all equipped with new AI tools unseen in their predecessors unveiled as the firm's first AI smartphones a year ago. The new models will hit the shelves on February 7th in the same price range as the S24. They use Google's Gemini AI model alongside Samsung's in-house AI voice assistant Bixby, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chips for on-device processing – meaning that you don't have to be connected to the internet to be able to use AI functions. And these AI functions provide a key element in the S25 user experience: personalization. "With the S25, users can enjoy a seamless experience where the AI agent and personalized AI features make life easier—just say what you need, and the phone will recommend and handle it for you." For example, "Now Brief" and "Now Bar" is a new service that provides a morning feed catering to your personal preferences based on user data, as well as giving you updates throughout the day — such as giving you directions to your next meeting, or giving you a breakdown of the latest sports games you've missed based on what teams you follow. And this is another reason why on-device processing is so crucial – because personal data used to tailor these functions will only be stored and processed on the phone. With many using mobile phones to search the web, Gemini's search tool enables users to look up information from their own images and even videos. While the new AI features are the main focal point of the new phones, the hardware also boasts some upgrades. The new Ultra line has a 50-megapixel sensor on its ultra-wide rear camera in contrast to the S24's 12-megapixel sensor for better quality images and videos and also features a new, hardier screen. The series overall has rounded corners with a reduced bezel for a bigger display, and there's an even thinner model to come – called the Galaxy S25 Edge. This model was briefly previewed at the end of the Unpacked event, setting up competition in the skinny smartphone market, with Apple's ultrathin model expected to come later this year. Are there any other new reveals from Samsung Electronics alongside their new phones? Well, Jung-min, there's actually a new monthly service that they're launching called the "New Galaxy Club." Subscribers can choose between a 12-month or 24-month plan, and effectively purchase the latest Galaxy smartphone at half the upfront cost. Last month, Samsung entered the appliance subscription market with its AI products by introducing the "AI Subscription Club" service. I asked an expert about why Samsung Electronics might feel the need to launch such a service like this alongside its newest model, and here's what he said. "As data builds up, they can provide a variety of services powered by tailored AI and large language models. In the long term, they can use the smartphone's AI chip to deliver personalized services in real-time, and apply AI in specific areas to their needs." You mentioned earlier that Samsung Electronics is entering the ultrathin smartphone market alongside Apple — with the S25 series in general, where do they stand in terms of the competition out there? The smartphone industry right now is extremely competitive — not just between Samsung Electronics and Apple with the biggest portions of the pie, but Chinese companies too. Both Apple and Samsung Electronics saw a decline in shipments last year, according to data from the International Data Corporation — while Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi experienced the fastest growth with a more than 15 percent increase. But Samsung stands out with its diverse lineup of devices, positioning it to integrate AI across phones, cars, and home appliances seamlessly. "This is the only company in the world that has it all. Looking ahead to the AI era, if collaboration across the board becomes the norm and personalized AI services based on data become a part of everyday life, I think Samsung is in an incredibly strong position." Thank you for your report, Hye-ryeon. Thank you for having me.

Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Samsung's Galaxy S25 series promises private, personalized user experiences with AI tools

2025/01/23 17:00

Samsung's Galaxy S25 series are out and they are pledging to change the way individuals interact with their smart phones thanks of course to AI. Our business correspondent Moon Hye-ryeon explains. Imagine a phone that knows what you need before you do — that's what Samsung's latest smartphones promise to make a reality. At its Unpacked conference on Wednesday in San Jose, California, Samsung Electronics announced its latest flagship Galaxy smartphones — the Galaxy S25 series. The Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra are all equipped with new AI tools unseen in their predecessors unveiled as the firm's first AI smartphones a year ago. The new models will hit the shelves on February 7th in the same price range as the S24. They use Google's Gemini AI model alongside Samsung's in-house AI voice assistant Bixby, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chips for on-device processing – meaning that you don't have to be connected to the internet to be able to use AI functions. And these AI functions provide a key element in the S25 user experience: personalization. "With the S25, users can enjoy a seamless experience where the AI agent and personalized AI features make life easier—just say what you need, and the phone will recommend and handle it for you." For example, "Now Brief" and "Now Bar" are new services that provide a morning feed catering to your personal preferences based on user data, as well as giving you updates throughout the day — such as giving you directions to your next meeting, or giving you a breakdown of the latest sports games you've missed based on what teams you follow. And this is another reason why on-device processing is so crucial – because personal data used to tailor these functions will only be stored and processed on the phone. With many using mobile phones to search the web, Gemini's search tool enables users to look up information from their own images and even videos. '"The S25 also makes everyday interactions easier, by simply being able to ask your phone to do things. Schedule the launch of the new S25 in my calendar. Schedule it for February 7th." While the new AI features are the main focal point of the new phones, the hardware also boasts some upgrades. The new Ultra line has a 50-megapixel sensor on its ultra-wide rear camera in contrast to the S24's 12-megapixels for better quality images and videos and also features a new, hardier screen. The series overall has rounded corners with a reduced bezel for a bigger display, and there's an even thinner model to come – called the Galaxy S25 Edge. This model was briefly previewed at the end of the Unpacked event, setting up competition in the skinny smartphone market, with Apple's ultrathin model expected to come later this year. Moon Hye-ryeon, Arirang News.

Galaxy Unpacked 2025: Samsung's Galaxy S25 series promises private, personalized user experiences with AI tools

2025/01/23 10:00

Samsung Electronic's latest venture into integrating AI into smartphones promises smarter, faster, and more personalized experiences for users. Our Moon Hye-ryeon has the details on its next-generation Galaxy S25 series. Imagine a phone that knows what you need before you do — that's what Samsung's latest smartphones promise to make a reality. At its Unpacked conference on Wednesday in San Jose, California, Samsung Electronics announced its latest flagship Galaxy smartphones — the Galaxy S25 series. The Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra are all equipped with new AI tools unseen in their predecessors unveiled as the firm's first AI smartphones a year ago. The new models will hit the shelves on February 7th in the same price range as the S24. The new phones use Google's Gemini AI model alongside Samsung's in-house AI voice assistant Bixby, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chips for on-device processing – meaning that you don't have to be connected to the internet to be able to use AI functions. And these AI functions provide a key element in the S25 user experience: personalization. "With the S25, users can enjoy a seamless experience where the AI agent and personalized AI features make life easier—just say what you need, and the phone will recommend and handle it for you." For example, "Now Brief" is a new service that provides a morning feed catering to your personal preferences based on user data – such as displaying your schedule for the day from your mobile calendar. "Now Bar" is something that leads on from the briefing, giving you timely updates throughout the day – such as giving you directions to your next meeting, or giving you a breakdown of the latest sports games you've missed based on what teams you follow. And this is another reason why on-device processing is so crucial – because personal data used to tailor these functions will only be stored and processed on the phone. While the new AI features are the main focal point of the new phones, the hardware also boasts some upgrades. The new Ultra line has a 50-megapixel sensor on its ultra-wide rear camera in contrast to the S24's 12-megapixel sensor for better quality images and videos and also features a new, hardier screen. The series overall has rounded corners with a reduced bezel for a bigger display, and there's an even thinner model to come – called the Galaxy S25 Edge. This model was briefly previewed at the end of the Unpacked event, setting up competition in the skinny smartphone market, with Apple's ultrathin model expected to come later this year. Moon Hye-ryeon, Arirang News.

S. Korean companies-Westinghouse settle nuclear tech IP dispute; Green light for nuclear exports?

2025/01/17 17:00

Meanwhile in a rather promising development. A deal to end a nuclear technology dispute has been sealed between the Korea Electric Power as well as its nuclear power unit and the U.S.'s Westinghouse Electric. Park Kun-woo has details. A two-year-plus nuclear power dispute has come to an end. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Korea Electric Power Corporation said on Friday that they have resolved their intellectual property dispute with the U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Company. They added this will pave the way for stronger cooperation in the global nuclear energy market, while enhancing their competitiveness. The dispute began after Westinghouse filed a lawsuit in a U.S. court against KEPCO and KHNP in 2022, for "unauthorized" sharing of nuclear technology that it claimed to have the intellectual rights to. However, the South Korean companies maintained that there were no legal violations as they successfully reverse-engineered the technology. Details of the resolution between the two sides were not disclosed on Friday due to a mutual confidentiality agreement. But pundits say they may have agreed on collaborating in other regions such as Europe, where Westinghouse has traditionally operated, among others. They also expect the end of the dispute to provide a green light for Korea to secure a nuclear power project in the Czech Republic after it was selected as the preferred supplier last year. Also on Friday, Industry Minster Ahn Duk-geun welcomed the agreement, saying he looks forward to deeper cooperation with the U.S. This comes after a recent MOU on nuclear power exports and cooperation in related sectors between the two countries was signed last week. One expert also spoke about the significance of the agreement. "The two countries were in some sort of tangled relationship but started communicating and even signed the MOU. This means Korea can now negotiate with the Czech Republic more comfortably without any noise." He added that it will also be a chance to remove potential uncertainties when exporting and operating nuclear reactors in other regions in the future as well. Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.

KHNP, KEPCO resolve IP dispute with Westinghouse, paving way for stronger nuclear energy cooperation

2025/01/17 10:00

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Korea Electric Power Corporation have resolved their intellectual property dispute with U.S.-based Westinghouse. The agreement, announced Friday, ends the legal dispute and paves the way for stronger cooperation in the global nuclear energy market. With KHNP the preferred bidder for a nuclear power project in the Czech Republic, the deal is expected to boost their chances of securing the project. KHNP said it aims to strengthen its position in the global market by forming a new strategic relationship with Westinghouse.

S. Korea's ICT exports reach new high in 2024 on record chip exports

2025/01/14 20:00

Korea's exports of information and communication technology products soared almost 26 percent on-year in 2024. Our correspondent Lee Soo-jin covers this latest data. South Korea's tech shipments reached a new annual high in 2024, led by record chip exports. Data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy showed that ICT exports last year came to 2-hundred-35 billion dollars, up nearly 26 percent compared to the same month the year before. This marks a fresh high on a yearly basis, surpassing the previous record set in 2022, as ICT exports have continued to see year-on-year rises for 14 straight months. The ministry attributed this mainly to outbound semiconductor shipments reaching an all-time annual high of 1-hundred-42 billion dollars in 2024, boosted by robust global demand for AI-related products. That's up a whopping 42-point-5 percent compared to the year before. Chip exports also surpassed the 10-billion dollar mark for the eighth consecutive month, as shipments of memory chips, including high-bandwidth memory semiconductors, showed significant growth. And a shift to a double-digit growth in mobile phones as well as large demand for solid-state drives also contributed to 2024's record-high tech exports. By country, exports to Vietnam and the United States, which showed a sluggish performance in 2023 due to a slump in the global economy, both recorded their highest-ever export value last year. China, South Korea's top export destination, accounted for over 40 percent of Korea's total ICT exports last year, on the back of strong chip demand. As for exports in December alone, shipments reached more than 22 billion dollars, up more than 24 percent year-on-year. But it wasn't just December that saw solid monthly exports, as shipments surpassed the 20 billion dollar mark for five straight months starting last August. And exports in the last month of the year were also bolstered by chip shipments, with both memory and system semiconductors showing significant increases compared to the previous year. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.

Hyundai, Kia's eco-friendly car exports record all-time high in 2024

2025/01/14 17:00

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors have set a new record for exports of eco-friendly vehicles. According to the two automakers on this Tuesday they exported over 7-hundred-7-thousand eco-friendly cars last year UP three percent on year. This is the highest figure ever and includes EVs, hybrid EVs, and fuel cell EVs. According to company officials the latest surge was driven by a 44-point-6 percent on-year jump in exports of hybrid EVs as well as efforts to better respond to global market trends.

S. Korea's ICT exports reach new high in 2024 on record chip exports

2025/01/14 17:00

In other news. Korea's exports of information and communication technology products soared almost 26 percent on year in 2024. Our correspondent Lee Soo-jin covers this latest data. South Korea's tech shipments reached a new annual high in 2024, led by record chip exports. Data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy showed that ICT exports last year came to 2-hundred-35 billion dollars, up nearly 26 percent compared to the same month the year before. This marks a fresh high on a yearly basis, surpassing the previous record set in 2022, as ICT exports have continued to see year-on-year rises for 14 straight months. The ministry attributed this mainly to outbound semiconductor shipments reaching an all-time annual high of 1-hundred-42 billion dollars in 2024, boosted by robust global demand for AI-related products. That's up a whopping 42-point-5 percent compared to the year before. Chip exports also surpassed the 10-billion dollar mark for the eighth consecutive month, as shipments of memory chips, including high-bandwidth memory semiconductors, showed significant growth. And a shift to a double-digit growth in mobile phones as well as large demand for solid-state drives also contributed to 2024's record-high tech exports. By country, exports to Vietnam and the United States, which showed a sluggish performance in 2023 due to a slump in the global economy, both recorded their highest-ever export value last year. China, South Korea's top export destination, accounted for over 40 percent of Korea's total ICT exports last year, on the back of strong chip demand. As for exports in December alone, shipments reached more than 22 billion dollars, up more than 24 percent year-on-year. But it wasn't just December that saw solid monthly exports, as shipments surpassed the 20 billion dollar mark for five straight months starting last August. And exports in the last month of the year were also bolstered by chip shipments, with both memory and system semiconductors showing significant increases compared to the previous year. Lee Soo-jin, Arirang News.