Shilla Duty Free opens at Gimpo International Airport’s international terminal on Wednesday. The duty-free store run by Hotel Shilla was approved by the government in June last year in a bid against Lotte Duty Free. The duty-free store is renting the place for five years.
LG Electronics will be utilizing a Microsoft product in the development of autonomous vehicle systems, LG said Wednesday. Under the agreement between the two companies, LG has gained access to Microsoft’s Azure cloud-computing platform for its self-driving car systems. Apart from storing vast amounts of data, the Azure platform also offers immense computing power for data-based applications and services.
The two companies met Monday to sign a memorandum of understanding at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. LG will connect with Azure in developing driver-support systems, cameras and a virtual assistant that can answer vocal commands.
“Developing software for self-driving car components – whether it’s for navigation or infotainment – requires an enormous amount of data processing,” explained an LG spokesperson.
“The agreement with Microsoft Azure is basically aimed at helping our software save and utilize as much data as possible in the shortest amount of time.”
LG plans to use Azure’s high-performance computing and graphics processing units. According to the company, these tools can slash the time required to learn roads and traffic patterns from more than a full day to a few minutes. Higher processing speeds will also help the software learn patterns gathered from cameras regarding the driver, pedestrians and other objects on the streets.
Another tool offered on the Azure platform is a voice assistant. LG plans to incorporate this into its infotainment system so that the car’s software can answer questions and receive commands.
It could, for example, check traffic conditions, search for a restaurant nearby or call up favorite songs.
The large amounts of data LG collects from self-driving cars will be saved in the Azure system, including photos of roads, obstacles and road signs collected from all over the world. LG will be able to utilize the data collected for further development. In the past, before cloud services existed, international data had to be shipped to Korea in hard drives.
LG Electronics has been supplying components to self-driving carmakers since late 2016. The field is considered a future growth engine for the company.
“In the upcoming age of autonomous vehicles, LG Electronics will shift the definition of cars from a means of transportation to a mobile space, which can turn into a conference room, a theater or a shopping mall,” said the company’s chief technology officer, Park Il-pyung, during a pre-show keynote speech on Monday.
Hyundai Motor Group unveiled a holographic AR navigation system, the first of its kind, in collaboration with start-up WayRay at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Hyundai partnered with the Switzerland-based start-up that specializes in AR technology and demonstrated the navigation system on the group’s luxury sedan, the Genesis G80.
While conventional head-up displays (HUD) project a reflected image through a liquid-crystal display screen installed on the dashboard, the new holographic AR system displays what appear to be 3-D images on the road through the windshield and automatically adjusts the displayed information to the driver’s viewing angle.
The AR navigation system, demonstrated at WayRay’s CES booth, also takes up considerably more real estate compared to existing HUDs, typically relegated to a small corner of the windshield, and displays a variety of driving information that includes navigational features and safety warnings.
Information such as lane guidance, destination points and the current speed is shown along with advanced driver-assistance system features including lane departure warnings and forward collision warnings.
Hyundai said an image size of 3.15 meters (10.33 feet) by 1.31 meters will be visible from the driver’s perspective, despite the actual projected image being just 310 millimeters (12.2 inches) by 130 millimeters. The company’s existing HUD was changed to incorporate WayRay’s system.
Hyundai promised that the technology will bring changes to the conventional concept of a windshield.
“Future mobility windshields will be more than just a piece of glass,” said Hwang Yun-seong, director of Hyundai Motor Group’s Open Innovation Business Group. “AR holographic powered glass will serve as a platform to provide new services and open up new in-vehicle experiences”
Hyundai said that the two companies will continue to cooperate to expand the technology to display information that identifies objects on the road such as buses and crosswalks.
The two companies also plan to incorporate real-time data such as traffic signals, surrounding vehicle information and road or weather conditions into the technology.
Hyundai has worked on holographic technology since 2017 and invested in WayRay last September.
Samsung robots are coming this year. Kim Hyun-suk, president and head of Samsung Electronics’ consumer electronics division, said the company has been conducting research on the robotics market and is now preparing to launch several robots this year during a press conference with reporters on Monday, a day prior to the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Until now, Samsung Electronics has stayed mum on whether it is making robots. “To develop robots, it’s important to have an artificial intelligence [AI] platform ready [to mount on the robots],” Kim said. “That AI platform is almost ready.”
Samsung unveiled three variations of its AI-based robot, dubbed Samsung Bot, at the briefing, revealing its robotics technology for the first time.
The three Samsung Bots, labeled Care, Air and Retail, are designed to aid people’s health, and improve air quality and retail shop management. Samsung Bot Care, for instance, monitors users’ vitals like blood pressure and heartbeat and helps people take medicine at the right time. The robot can also call 119 and contact family members when it senses an emergency such as a heart attack.
The electronics giant also introduced its wearable robot, dubbed GEMS. It assists people with difficulty walking due to weak muscles or injuries and reduces physical pain in the knees and ankles.
“I can’t say for sure when the products introduced today will be commercialized,” Kim said. “There are possibilities that robot products not introduced yet could be commercialized first.”
Kim added that demand for robots is expected to increase, especially due to societal aging, pointing out that robots like Samsung Bot Care will be useful for the elderly.
“By exploiting Samsung’s know-how in AI, Internet of Things and developing multiple devices, we are considering our options for various types of robots,” Kim said.
On concerns of whether Samsung’s own AI engine Bixby is losing ground due to the company’s AI partnerships with tech giants like Google and Amazon, Kim said that is a “misunderstanding.”
Though Amazon’s Alexa AI assistant and Google Assistant may be a step ahead of Bixby in terms of technology and presence in the global market, Kim said partnerships make Bixby stronger, not weaker.
The important thing, according to Kim, is that when people ask Bixby a question, the AI will be able to give out answers based on its own knowledge or by utilizing data from Google or Amazon.
“No company has strengths in every aspect of business,” Kim said. “Though Bixby is a latecomer [to the AI assistant market], Samsung has relative strength in making devices compared to other tech companies, and Google and Amazon will focus on what they are good at.”
Kim also commented on LG Electronics’ rollable TV that made headlines globally. LG’s rollable TV prototype can roll itself into a storage box that becomes a table with speakers.
According to the Samsung president, there needs to be considerations on whether the product can be “economical.” He added that without the economic feasibility to commercialize the product, the prototype is a lot less meaningful.
Brian Kwon, head of LG’s home entertainment division, said in a separate press briefing Tuesday in Las Vegas that the company will make rollable TVs its future growth engine.
On concerns about the product’s cost, Kwon said while the price may be a barrier in widely expanding sales of the product right after launch, the company will strive to quickly improve the TV’s cost competitiveness.
LG Household & Health Care announced Wednesday it is buying Avon’s Chinese factory in an effort to expand production facilities. According to LG Household, subsidiary The Face Shop will purchase the London-based cosmetics firm’s factory in Guangzhou, China, for around 79.3 billion won ($70.8 million). Avon’s 49,500-square-meter (12.25-acre) factory in Guangzhou, China is capable of producing 13,000 tons of cosmetics and hair care and body products every year. Its facilities meet cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practice) regulations, which are enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
LG Household will use the Guangzhou factory to manufacture LG products like The Face Shop branded goods for its Chinese and other Asian businesses while continuing to produce Avon products as well. Avon employees will remain at the factory.
The buyout deal is expected to be finalized in February after Chinese authorities approve the transaction.
The move comes less than a year after LG Household purchased Avon’s Japanese operation for around $96 million last April. Avon said it hopes the Guangzhou factory sale will help increase its operational flexibility.
“This transaction is a significant step forward in our effort to ‘Open Up Avon’ by operating more efficiently, with a leaner, more agile global infrastructure,” said Jan Zijderveld, CEO of Avon. “We know [LG Household] well and believe that they will continue to be a strong partner for Avon.”
“We are pleased to … add a state-of-the-art facility with powerful capabilities to deliver quality products for the fast-growing local market,” added Suk Cha, CEO of LG Household.
South Korean Cafe chain Tom n Toms has started to launch outlets in Myanmar. Tom n Toms Myanmar has opened two locations in Yangon so far, at the international airport and the Kantharyar Centre, with a third planned for Yankin Township. Information from Myanmar International Business Alliance Company operation director Aung Sithu Khant revealed a fourth planned outlet at the Secretariat Building in Yangon.
“Myanmar people and coffee brands have been friendly for a long time,” said Khant.
“We opened these outlets hoping that Myanmar people can taste a high-quality coffee with reasonable price. Next month, strawberries from south Korea will be selling in Myanmar. We will introduce a menu connecting with strawberries.”
Khant said the third outlet will be opened soon. Future Tom n Toms cafes are expected to open in Mandalay, Taunggyi, and the capital city, Nay Pyi Taw next year.
“The main thing is the customer is always first. Therefore, we will pay special attention to coffee and other foodstuffs”.
Are you curious about all the hype over 5G? A ride on a 5G-powered bus may answer some questions. Mobile carrier KT announced Tuesday that people can sign up for free rides on its 5G bus. The bus will be connected to its ultra-fast 5G wireless network and will demonstrate devices that can be used to enjoy new media services like KT’s GiGA Live TV. GiGA Live is a head-mounted display – thick goggles with a screen embedded inside. GiGA Live supports virtual reality (VR) media services, including live sports broadcasts, as well as 360-degree films.
VR and augmented reality (AR) are commonly cited as the technologies that have the most to benefit from 5G network. Because 5G promises up to 20 times faster speeds than LTE, it can transfer large volumes of data quickly in real-time, which is integral to the proper operation of VR and AR services.
Those who want to take 30-minute sojourns on the 5G bus can apply online at www.kt5Gbus.com. The bus will run in the Gwanghwamun area from Jan. 15 to 24, and Gangnam Station from Jan. 25 to Feb. 2. Rides will be offered five times a day, excluding Sundays and Mondays.
“5G network makes it possible to transfer huge volumes of information safely and in real-time,” said Park Hyun-jin, head of KT’s 5G business. “We will continue to offer innovative 5G services that can provide new experiences and value to consumers.”
Earlier this month, KT added 5G-capabilities to its barista robot B;eat in Samsung Life Insurance’s Seocho District office. The robot, which looks like an advanced vending machine, can now recognize customers’ presence and send real-time footage of orders to human managers.
By 2022, all cars made by Hyundai Motor will be connected to the internet, the automaker announced during a press briefing held Monday in Las Vegas ahead of the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). “We aim to have 10 million active users of our connected-car services globally and apply connected-car technology to all vehicle segments in the global market by early 2022,” said Suh Jung-sik, senior vice president of Hyundai Motor Group’s ICT division.
At the CES, the company also introduced a vehicle in which the wheels are attached to robotic legs with a wide range of motion. Hyundai’s concept of a truly connected car is a car smarter than a computer that can share information not only with other vehicles on the road but also with homes, surrounding infrastructure and cities.
Using connectivity, the cars can offer real-time traffic and parking lot information to drivers and also alert drivers remotely of theft. Remote adjustments of in-car settings, such as temperature, will also be possible.
While Hyundai is already offering early versions of its connected cars in Korea, the United States, China, Canada and Europe, the automaker said it will establish additional big-data centers to offer similar services in countries like India, Brazil and Russia.
To offer better connectivity worldwide, the carmaker is currently developing an operating system, a cloud platform and network technology for connected cars. The company also announced a plan to introduce an open platform on which third parties can develop new technologies using big data shared by Hyundai.
Hyundai is not the only carmaker that came to CES with grand ambitions to take leadership in the connected car business.
BMW will introduce the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, which can interact with drivers and allow for video meetings, shopping and other digital services inside cars. Audi is introducing a virtual-reality entertainment service for passengers in back seats. VR games or travel content will match the actual movements of the car. In the long run, the carmaker said the videos will reflect real-time traffic conditions so that if a car stops due to red light, the video will show an obstacle.
Other participants, including Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Bosch and Continental, all shared their focus on connectivity.
“In the future, cars will be categorized as cars with hyper-connectivity and those without,” Suh of Hyundai Motor Group added.
Apart from connectivity, Hyundai said it will develop personalized electric vehicles for everyone by giving customers the freedom to select software and hardware for their vehicles.
To bolster open innovation, the carmaker has been setting up global open innovation centers to collaborate with foreign start-ups. Already there are three centers, established in Korea, the United States and Israel. Two more centers are set to be established, in Berlin, Germany and Beijing, China this year.
Hyundai Motor and its innovation center in Silicon Valley, the Hyundai Cradle, introduced the “Elevate” concept vehicle at this year’s CES. It has four robotic legs specifically designed for rescue in challenging environments.
U.S. design-consulting firm Sundberg-Ferar was involved in the development of Elevate, which Hyundai calls the ultimate mobility vehicle. It can swiftly move around places inaccessible to existing rescue transport.
Hyundai said the Elevate’s body can be switched depending on the mission and that the robotic-leg architecture has five degrees of freedom. The company added that the vehicles can also aid people with physical impairments.
LG Electronics’ operating profit fell nearly 80 percent in the fourth-quarter of 2018 year-on-year, according to preliminary figures disclosed in a Financial Supervisory Service regulatory filing Tuesday. The smartphone and household appliances manufacturer estimated 75.3 billion won ($67.0 million) in operating profit for the final quarter of last year compared to 366.8 billion won in the same quarter in 2017.
The estimate is far below the 398.1 billion won forecast by analysts surveyed by FnGuide, a data provider. The company anticipated 15.8 trillion won in revenue from October to December last year, a 7-percent decline from the same period a year earlier.
Analysts pointed to the slowing global smartphone market as a factor weighing on the company.
“With the smartphone market currently in a slump, [the company] is unable to find an opportunity to recover,” said Kim Ji-san, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities in a report Tuesday that predicted disappointing earnings prior to LG’s announcement. “Demand has slowed as smartphone replacement cycles have become longer in high-value markets such as Korea and the United States,” Kim added.
Meanwhile, the company estimated annual operating profit for 2018 at 2.7 trillion won, a 9.5 percent rise from the previous year.
Hyundai Motor will recall about 79,000 diesel-powered vehicles to fix faulty emission-related components, the Environment Ministry said Tuesday.Korea’s biggest carmaker by sales is expected to recall 78,721 vehicles encompassing three different models due to problematic parts that emit excessive nitrogen oxide into the air. The recall will start Wednesday and be carried out for one and a half years, an official at the Ministry of Environment said.
The three models are the 2.2-liter diesel-powered Grandeur sedan, the Megatruck and the Mighty truck.
“The ministry recommended Hyundai to recall 30,945 units of the Grandeur diesel sedan due to a faulty emission part,” the official said over the phone.
“As for the two truck models, however, the carmaker has voluntarily submitted its recall plan to the ministry, with an approval due to be made this week.”
Hyundai’s recall plan is in line with the government’s push to reduce diesel-powered vehicles on roads and fine dust, which is harmful to your health.
The world’s first Bite & Bite with Line Friends cafe has opened at Hong Kong International Airport. Operated by food and beverage company SSP Hong Kong, the cafe is located on level 7 near gate 201. The cafe combines original Line Friends characters with a variety of dishes ranging from breakfasts through to snacks and dinner fare in a 60-seat dining area. The menu features both Korean and western food.
Line, a chat program headquartered in Japan owned by South Korea’s Naver Corporation, has opened Line Friends stores in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Tokyo, Taipei, New York and Los Angeles, all selling memorabilia featuring the characters of software.
The Bite & Bite with Line Friends cafe also sells lifestyle products, souvenirs and travel items, such as neck pillows, luggage tags and travel bags.
View gallery below for pictures (6 images) :
LG Electronics unveiled the world’s first “rollable” television at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 that launched in Las Vegas, United States, on Tuesday. Last year, its affiliate LG Display unveiled a prototype of a 65-inch rollable OLED display panel at the same event. Dubbed the LG Signature OLED TV R9, it uses the same technology, only it comes with an aluminium case at the screen’s bottom that looks like a long tissue box.
A rolling OLED display was possible because unlike TV panels of the past, OLED screens don’t need backlight to show color, but have molecules that let out light on their own.
The panel can roll itself up and down from the case so that the television set looks more like a long, rectangular table once the screen is completely inserted. LG boasts that the screen can maintain its color definition even as it rolls itself. R9 won the CES 2019 Innovation Awards in the video display sector.
LG plans to launch global sales of R9 this year, starting from Korea. Its price was not disclosed, but it will be among LG’s premium television lineups. The advantage of the rollable TV set is that it can be placed in locations like the window side or in the middle of a room. For conventional TV screens, the popular choice was beside or on the walls as they take up space and block the view if installed elsewhere.
The television set also comes with high-quality speakers and an artificial intelligence software that enhances the set’s performance to adjust definition and sound according to the film or video played. It also recognizes simple vocal commands.
When the screens are rolled inside the case, R9 can work similarly to an audio set as it can play music via connection to smartphones or other portable devices. It also comes with various modes to use the screen apart from watching movies and TV shows.
It can function like a huge electronic canvas that shows photos saved in your smartphone. For those who want to create a cozy atmosphere, it has a “Mood” mode that plays a video of a fireplace or displays mood-specific light on the screen.
LG Display Vice Chairman Han Sang-beom expressed confidence in the panel in front of local reporters on Tuesday at the CES. According to Han, the rollable panel was rolled and unrolled more than 100,000 times during its development process.
“We’re talking with other clients as well [apart from LG Electronics] for the rollable TV panels,” he said. “My plan is to target the premium market instead of aiming for sales volumes.”
Storefront, the world’s largest online marketplace for short-term retail space, has officially launched in Seoul. Retail vacancy rates in Korea are on the rise due to a prolonged recession, and more brands are diverting their interests from traditional retail to offer a quality experience to customers in the form of pop-up stores and short-term leases. Storefront has partnered with the Korean marketing and retail firm Kcent to register qualified spaces, sign up leading and emerging brands and give them tools to successfully market their short-term space. The Storefront site will now offer thousands of spaces across Seoul available for pop-up stores, showrooms, and event spaces.
Storefront maintains a global presence with thousands of quality retail spaces across the world’s largest cities from Paris to London, New York and Hong Kong. This advantage allows any brand to pop-up in any location, test new markets and even launch simultaneously in more than one location worldwide.
Retail sales in Korea totaled $343 billion in 2016, and this latest partnership in Seoul signals Storefront’s break into the East Asian market with their brand, technology and insights combined with local talent and market expertise.
“Korea is APAC’s 3rd largest retail market, and most of it is based in Seoul. Pop-up stores and other forms of short-term rentals are already creating a buzz in the trend-savvy Korean market.
All we needed was a transparent and efficient marketplace like Storefront to leverage this trend.” said Jin Yong Kim, Kcent’s CTO.
“Korea has a unique culture and language barrier that make it hard for foreign brands to expand their business here. But if they have the right partner and know how to tell their story to Korean consumers, it can be a matter of a few days before they go viral.” adds Kim.
“Storefront is redefining how companies can locate and activate temporary retail space with its global marketplace for connecting tenants and property owners in an efficient, flexible and transparent way. We are excited to partner with Kcent to bring our expertise to this fast-growing retail capital and introduce the benefits of pop-up stores to thousands of merchants looking to expand into Korea.” said Benoît Clément-Bollée, General Manager, Storefront Asia .
South Korea’s top travel retailer Lotte Duty Free reported best-ever sales of 7.5 trillion won (US$6.7 billion) last year on a surge in online sales and mass purchases by Chinese merchants seeking trade in shuttling goods to China. Lotte Duty Free said its annual sales last year hit a record high of 7.5 trillion won, up 25 percent from a year-ago period. In particular, sales from the online business soared 50 percent on year to 2 trillion won, contributing 25 percent to its total domestic sales thanks to successful upgrades of its online and mobile platforms and various promotional perks like online-only products and discount options.
Lotte Duty Free’s main store in the bustling shopping district of Myeongdong in downtown Seoul remained the world’s single-largest revenue earner for three years in a row last year with annual sales up 35 percent at 4 trillion won and daily revenue at about 11 billion won as of Dec. 14.
The Myeongdong store that opened in 1980 has kept on growth with sales reaching over 1 trillion won in 2011, 2 trillion won in 2015 and 3 trillion won in 2016 on increasing demand from individual merchants from the mainland who buy popular Korean duty-free goods in bulk to profit from reselling them in China.
Lotte Duty Free has expanded its investment in domestic stores to draw more consumers. Its Myeongdong store was expanded in August 2016, and spent 10 billion won to add the Star Lounge for VIP customers in April 2018. The World-Tower store in the affluent Gangnam area of southern Seoul also posted 1 trillion won in sales last year, becoming the largest earner to reach the threshold in the district.
Meanwhile, Lotte Duty Free World Tower also posted sales of more than 1 trillion won (US$895.4 million), joining what the retailer dubbed the “One Trillion Club” on 23 December.
That represents an 80 percent increase year-on-year for the Jamsil, Seoul store, which reopened on 5 January 2017, 193 days after it was forced to close on 26 June 2016 due to the loss of its licence in an open tender.
“Even in the midst of rapid market changes, Lotte Duty Free has been able to achieve a record-breaking year, reflecting 38 years of operational expertise,” said newly appointed Lotte Duty Free CEO Lee Kap. “As a leader in the industry, we will endeavour constantly to improve our performance.”
Lotte Duty Free said that the World Tower store’s excellent tourist services and differentiated luxury brand offer had generated “remarkable achievements” in 2018. This was despite the proliferation of new duty free stores in the Gangnam area [notably the new Shinsegae Duty Free store opened on 18 July], the retailer commented.
Despite industry difficulties posed by the THAAD dispute between South Korea and China, sales of small and medium enterprise SME Korean brands at the World Tower store increased by 300 percent year-on-year. This contributed to a “win-win relationship” with SMEs, Lotte said.
Increased demand by daigou shoppers “greatly influenced” sales said Lotte. The retailer noted that such travellers had compensated for the “stagnation” of conventional Chinese tourism since the THAAD dispute erupted in March 2017. However, Korean travel retail executives and observers are closely monitoring the impact of China’s new e-commerce law, introduced on 1 January 2019, which is expected to hit the daigou business hard
L’Oreal is now accepting applications from students in Korea for its annual global marketing competition “L’Oreal Brandstorm 2019.” The mission for this year’s competition is to “invent the future skin care experience for health-conscious consumers.” Contestants need to choose one brand from L’Oreal’s Active Cosmetics division, such as Vichy or La Roche-Posay, and propose a new service or technology to enhance the consumer experience.
Undergraduates in their third or fourth year of study and graduates can apply in teams of three. The application deadline is Feb. 28.
After a final round in March, the winning Korean team will get a chance to represent the country and pitch its idea during the finals at L’Oreal headquarters in Paris.
The winning Korea team members will also qualify for a chance to intern at L’Oreal Korea.
The team that wins the global final round will get to test their idea at French start-up campus Station F for three months.
The first competition was held in 1992. Since then, over 34,000 students have participated.