Having achieved 18M downloads and the number 1 spot in 20 countries back in 2009 with Oven Break, the company’s first release, Korean game developer Devsisters has just released their global follow-up, Cookie Run, on the Line games platform. Despite early success with Oven Break, they struggled to maintain momentum and effectively withdrew from the global market, choosing to focus on their home turf in Korea. This was due struggles in maintaining…

The below is the review segment for Korea. For the full article please click here to be redirected. Samsung 4Q13 profits to fall: Samsung Electronics has estimated its operating profits for the fourth quarter of 2013 at about KRW8.3 trillion(US$7.8 billion), down 18% from the prior quarter. Consolidated sales for the 4Q are set to stay flat on quarterat KRW59 trillion, Samsung disclosed. The forecast operating profits represent a 6.1% decrease compared tothe KRW8.84 trillion…

While many believe that the USA leads the world in innovation, with Silicon Valley as the heart of everything, there are other nations that are making an impact. Bloomberg recently conducted a survey of 215 countries to determine their ‘Innovation Quotient’ and ranked South Korea as number 1 in the world for 2013. South Korea has achieved phenomenal economic growth over the last four decades, and is now is a position globally…

Recent statistics show that 1.5 million to 2 million foreigners live in Korea, accounting for over 3 percent of the nation’s population. A range of programs are being offered to help them better adapt to life in Korean society. In a bid to help immigrant families, university student Ji Byung-ju came up with a unique idea early this year to provide immigrant mothers with postnatal services from midwives of the same nationality. “Despite…

Originally posted on TechCrunch Moms feeling guilty about baby-spamming Facebook with their child’s photos and their every precious moment now have a more private alternative for those updates, thanks to a new mobile social network called Smile Mom. The app, which is designed to connect moms with others nearby, has already grown to 14,000 users during its beta testing phase. The founders behind the new app are formerly of Paprika Lab, a…

beSUCCESS, Korean startup media organization, events organizer, and global connector is happy to officially announce that their flagship startup event, beLAUNCH, is back in 2014 in a year that is already heating up to be one of the most promising for Korean, Asian, and Global entrepreneurship. The event will be held May 14 – 15 at the brand new Dongdaemun Design Plaza in the heart of Seoul. In addition, this year there…

Seedstars World startup competition will hold its Grand Final in Switzerland on February 4th. 20 startups from emerging markets and fast-growing startup scenes including Seoul regional winner Flitto will compete to win a $500k equity investment. Seedstars World (SSW), the worldwide startup competition in emerging markets and fast growing startup scenes is two weeks away from its final event. Seedstars World team travelled to 20 different cities in 2013 to bring back…

Japan has been much harder hit by the global financial crisis than its North East Asian neighbors and has since struggled to catch back up. The country’s recovery has of course further been hampered by the devastating tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis in Fukushima. Suffice to say that Japan has seen better days, and now news that in the lucrative semiconductor market Japan is also losing out to Korea. According to research…

It has never happened before that a Korean startup has been able to secure early stage funding ($400k in this case) from such a high profile Silicon Valley investor line-up. The news that Korbit has achieved this momentous step heralds the start of a year that has already been billed as having the best potential ever, for Korean startups. While the value of the investment may seem small by Silicon Valley standards,…

I have published a number of stories about Google, Naver and Daum, the not so fair battle-ground of Korean internet, but this piece is also very worth while sharing, as it goes into great depth about the issue and also suggests that finally Google may be on the rise. The Korean hit drama series “Respond, 1994” which went off the air two weeks ago after attracting a huge following on cable TV,…

President Park Geun-hye urged scientists and information-communication technology (ICT) experts Friday to work harder to develop new technologies and innovate, saying South Korea can’t afford any stalling in such efforts in a fast-moving global economy. “New technologies and industries are now moving forward at a dazzling pace in many parts of the world,” Park said in a speech at a New Year’s meeting with leaders of the science-technology and ICT sectors. “We…

It was recently reported that Amazon plans to enter the Korean e-commerce market in 2014, potentially posing a major threat to existing domestic services and promising to further globalize the online shopping experience that has until now been dominated by domestic players. “As far as I know, Amazon is currently preparing to enter the Korean market,” an industry source said, adding that local companies are gearing up for a possible showdown with…

LTE-A will shape our mobile broadband future, has been all over the Korean tech news for a while, and has huge scope to grow, from current download speeds of around 45Mbps to up to 300Mbps. I thought it worth taking a look at where it is now and where it is heading in the next 12 months. For additional information please access the links in the text. Basic Facts: LTE was first…

According to a recent report Korea’s tech start-ups enjoyed positive growth in sales, operating profits and net profits alike in 2013, which will give President Park’s government a boost as they conclude their first year in office, and a year that saw a surge in government involvement with the tech startup community in Korea. According to the report startup’s average sales amounted to 6.72 billion won last year, with their average operating…

In 2014 The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) will a role out a raft of mid-to long-term software projects to bolster a number of domestic strategic industries. This will be achieved by developing 100 key software platforms for SMEs and foster high-quality human resources by organizing various educational programs. While it is certainly a positive step that the government is supporting these key industries, and is dedicated to bolstering innovation in…

Naver and Daum have made a tentative decision to shell out millions of dollars as a form of self-penance for abusing their market dominance in Korea’s internet portal industry, according to the Fair Trade Commission yesterday. As we have reported several times recently their has been concern voiced about the increasing dominance of the two companies in the Korean internet search market. The money will be spent in ways that benefit Internet…

Korea’s contents industry exports, centering on gaming, is forecast to exceed $5 billion for the first time, an increase of over 10.% on last year. Sales in the sector are also expected to increase by 4.9% from last year, to KRW 90 trillion. The gaming industry will fuel this growth, with figures up 9.9% on last year and is likely to account for 60% of total contents industry exports from Korea in…

The growth of South Korea’s smart connected device market is expected to turn negative this year for the first time from growing market saturation, data showed on Tuesday. According to the data compiled by market researcher IDC Corp., the country’s smart connected device market, which includes smartphones and tablet PCs, is estimated at 21.85 trillion won (US$20.78 billion) for the year, down 7.9 percent from a year earlier. In terms of volume,…

Who will come out as a winner in the new autumn version of the smartphone battles? Autumn 2013 will see a string of new smartphone releases, with the race already on. ‘Vega Secret Note,’ the ‘Galaxy Round,’ the ‘iPhone 5S’ and the ‘Vu 3’ will all be released in short succession over the next few months, with an advantageous position in the lucrative Korean market going to the victor. A fierce marketing…

Ever heard of Pantech? Probably not recently. The struggling tech company recently lost its head, who stepped down after ordering almost 1/3 of the workforce to take a six month ‘vacation’. The company is now hoping to gain some credibility back (from staff and customers alike), with the release of a new 5.9-inch phablet: the VEGA Secret Note. Pantech has posted three consecutive quarters of serious losses starting at 81.2Bn won in…