June 18 - 1:10pm EDT   Having only recently introduced a regular version of the LCD to North America, LG is now shipping a 3D edition of the 47LH50 in South Korea. The 47-inch TV requires special glasses, but handles processing on its own when displaying supported 3D content. The set is also classified under the XCanvas brand in Korea. [full story]

April 14 - 9:40am EDT   Apple has little active interest in releasing a South Korean iPhone, claims a regional news site. Telecoms Korea cites KTF's VP of handset strategy, Won-Do Lee, who comments that while his carrier is in negotiations with Apple, progress appears to have stalled in part because of a lack of motivation on Apple's part. KTF has objections of its own though, Lee observes. [full story]

December 22 - 1:15pm EST   LG has released a new midrange cellphone, the LU1400. The phone's primary feature is its 2.8-inch LCD, which supports resolutions up to 800x480, and can rotate to a horizontal layout for tasks such as e-mail and instant messaging. Like a number of devices from South Korea the 1400 also supports the T-DMB standard, which provides mobile TV and it is better viewed in the widescreen ratio used by phones like the 1400. [full story]

December 4 - 1:20pm EST   Korea's TG Sambo, more commonly known in North America as Averatec, has announced what should be the first Atom-based mobile Internet device (MID) to be produced within the country. The Lluon Mobbit relies on a 1.33GHz Atom processor, paired with 1GB of 533MHz RAM and a choice of 30GB hard drive or 16GB solid-state drive. A 4.8-inch touchscreen on the device is said to support extremely high resolutions, possibly as sharp as 1024x6000. [full story]

November 4 - 3:35pm EST   The release date for a Korean iPhone is now dependent on government deregulation efforts, writes The Korea Times. The Korea Communications Commission is currently debating the future of WIPI, the wireless software standard which any phone in the country is obliged to follow. WIPI is said to effectively block the sale of foreign devices, however, and through negotiations the US government has pressured South Korea into opening up its market. [full story]

October 1 - 1:20pm EDT   Samsung has introduced two new flip-phone designs, the SCH-W570 and SPH-W5700. The phones are unusual for both relying on twin 2.2-inch LCDs; while a standard display is located on the inside, a screen of the same size is located on the outside, with its own touch-based interface used for accessing functions like video and music playback. This also enables use of the phones while closed. [full story]

July 23 - 11:20pm EDT   Korean OEM manufacturer Ripple has introduced an updated version of its Mac Mini clone using a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor in the Mini-ITX form factor. The Ripple Mini Chocolate uses the 45nm i945GC-Northbridge and ICH7Ssouthbridge chipsets, and supports up to 2GB of RAM. Intel specs show the low-cost motherboard with 2 USB ports, a pair of 3.0GBs SATA conntectors and single IDE socket. [full story]

July 17 - 12:30pm EDT   Not announced with its main wave of Centrino 2 notebooks, HP has revealed another such system in Korea. The Compaq 2730p is a tablet PC with a rotating, 12.1-inch screen, capable of native WXGA resolutions. Internally it is powered by a 1.86GHz Core 2 Duo processor, matched to a GM45 chipset; graphics are supplied by an integrated GMA 4500MHD chip. By default, the system comes with 2GB of 800MHz DDR2 RAM. [full story]

July 17 - 9:10am EDT   The iPhone 3G's next destination may well be South Korea, an update to Apple's main website has exposed. The Job Opportunities section lists an entry for a "Korean iPhone Account Manager," who will be expected to "manage the day to day issues of our chosen carrier, ensure healthy relationship and help develop the market." Apple does not currently sell iPhones in Korea, and it has not formally announced any plans. [full story]

June 16 - 1:05pm EDT   Korea's Samsung today announced two new cellphones, the W510 and the F268, at the World IT Show in Seoul. Rather than publicize performance specifications however, the company is concentrating on the reduced environmental damage of their construction. The W510 (pictured) is said to be Samsung's first built with "bioplastic," eschewing synthetic materials for those extracted from corn. The phone is further said to have been built without heavy metals such as mercury or cadmium, and use a water-soluble coating. [full story]

May 19 - 9:25am EDT   Two Asian countries may be engaging in an unusual deal in order to secure the iPhone, according to rumors. Japan's NTT DoCoMo and South Korea's KTF are said by Telecoms Korea to be in talks for a joint release, though the reason for combining the pair's efforts is unknown. The two countries do however rely on W-CDMA broadband, as opposed to the HSPA the 3G iPhone is expected to use in regions such as Canada and the US. It may thus make sense for KTF and DoCoMo to cooperate on a shared iPhone format. [full story]

April 25 - 8:40pm EDT   Samsung and Sony are paying 1.8 trillion South Korean won (~$1.9 billion) to upgrade the S-LCD Corporation joint venture, allowing the two companies to produce enough 8G LCD panels to meet global demand. The Wall Street Journal reports that the new manufacturing line will be located in the Tangjeong complex southeast of Seoul, where production will start in 2009. Monthly output is initially expected to reach 60,000 units, versus 50,000 sheets currently. [full story]

April 24 - 9:25pm EDT   LG will be rolling out its 8G television line at least half a year ahead of other Taiwanese rivals, including S-LCD, AU Optronics, and Chi Mei Optoelectronics. According to DIGITIMES, the Korean electronics manufacturer already completed its fabrication shells, and has scheduled production to begin by March 2009, and full-scale production of 32 inch OLED TVs to commence in 2011. LG's competitors will start production in late 2008. [full story]

April 17 - 4:00pm EDT   The chairman of Samsung, Lee Kun-hee, has been cleared of bribery charges from the South Korean government, but indicted on accusations of tax evasion and breach of trust. The news is the outcome of four months of investigation into executive corruption at the company, in which several members of upper management have been accused of concealing $4.55 billion in Lee's assets. The executives are also alleged to have kept a $200 million slush fund, whose sole purpose was to bribe the likes of politicians and prosecutors. [full story]

March 24 - 12:10pm EDT   Korean company MIU has unveiled an unusual new product, the HDPC. Its name standing for "Hybrid Dual Portable Computer," the HDPC functions primarily as a handheld UMPC, running Windows XP. Its four-inch screen displays images at 800x480, and users have access to a QWERTY keyboard as well as a pointer controller, and wireless Internet. By closing the lid however users switch into dedicated phone or media player modes, with extra touches such as a camera, an electronic dictionary and voice recording. [full story]