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The Star
12 hours ago
- Health
- The Star
South Korean medical students to return to school, urge education reforms
FILE PHOTO: A doctor holds a slogan in a protest against a plan to admit more students to medical school, in front of the Presidential Office in Seoul, South Korea, February 22, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Soo-Hyeon/File Photo SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean medical students who walked out of school last year in protest at a government plan to increase medical school admissions said on Saturday that they would return to campus, calling on authorities to normalize academic schedules. The Korean Medical Association, the main lobby group for doctors, in a statement urged the government to take steps to restore the academic calendar and improve training conditions. 'We will place our trust in the government and parliament and commit to returning to school to help normalize medical education and the healthcare system,' the KMA said in the statement, issued jointly with parliament's education committee and lobby groups representing medical students. A specific timeline for the return was not provided. Thousands of medical students walked out of school in early 2024 in opposition to a plan by the previous administration to add thousands of new spots at medical schools. The trainee doctors had argued that the planned rise in admissions would lower the quality of medical education. They said that rather than just an increase in numbers of students, more reform was needed to attract doctors into essential care such as emergency or pediatrics. The KMA statement called on the president and the government to form a task force to address long-term reforms in medical education and training and to ensure the participation of all stakeholders, including students. (Reporting by Heekyong Yang, Editing by William Maclean)
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Samsung flags big miss in Q2 profit, blames US AI chip curbs on China
By Heekyong Yang and Joyce Lee SEOUL: Samsung Electronics on Tuesday projected a far worse than expected 56% plunge in second-quarter operating profit due to weak AI chip sales , deepening investor concerns over the tech giant's ability to revive its struggling semiconductor business . The world's biggest memory chipmaker blamed the profit miss on U.S. restrictions on advanced AI chips for China, but analysts said the decline was also due to delays in supplying high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips to key U.S. customer Nvidia . In March, Samsung flagged meaningful progress on its latest HBM 3E 12-layer chips could come as early as June. But on Tuesday it gave no update on supply to Nvidia, only saying its improved HBM products were undergoing customer evaluation and proceeding with shipments. Key rivals SK Hynix and Micron have benefited from robust demand for memory chips driven by AI growth in the United States, but Samsung relies more on China, where sales of advanced chips are restricted by the U.S. and competition with local rivals is growing. "For Samsung Electronics, the key issue remains regaining competitiveness ... Everything ultimately comes back to HBM," said Ryu Young-ho, a senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities. Potential U.S. tariffs also cloud the outlook for Samsung's mainstay chip and phone businesses, pressuring margins. "It will also be difficult to raise prices immediately due to competition, making it challenging to sustain high margins," Ryu said. Despite the concerns, Samsung Electronics shares rose 0.4% versus a 1.5% gain in the benchmark KOSPI's as of 0030 GMT. It said it plans to buy back 3.9 trillion won ($2.85 billion) worth of its shares, part of a 10 trillion won buyback announced last November. Analysts said they expect Samsung's profit to improve gradually, supported by the launch of new phones and growth in sales of HBM chips to non-Nvidia customers. Samsung estimated an operating profit of 4.6 trillion won for the April-June period, versus a 6.2 trillion won LSEG SmartEstimate. That would be its weakest in six quarters, down from 10.4 trillion won in the same period a year earlier and 6.7 trillion won in the preceding quarter. "The DS Division recorded a quarter-on-quarter decline in profit due to inventory value adjustments and the impact of U.S. restrictions on advanced AI chips for China," Samsung said in a statement, referring to its Device Solutions division, which houses its chip business. Revenue would likely fall 0.1% to 74 trillion won from a year earlier, the filing showed. Samsung said earnings in its foundry business also fell, driven by sales restrictions and related inventory value adjustments stemming from U.S. export controls on advanced AI chips for China, as well as continued low utilisation rates. It expects the operating loss in its foundry business to narrow in the second half of the year as utilisation improves in line with a gradual recovery in demand. The company plans to release detailed results including a breakdown of earnings for each of its businesses on July 31.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Samsung Electronics Q2 profit likely to drop 39% on weak AI chip sales
By Heekyong Yang SEOUL: Samsung Electronics is expected to forecast a 39% plunge in second-quarter operating profit on Tuesday, weighed down by delays in supplying advanced memory chips to artificial intelligence chip leader Nvidia . The world's biggest maker of memory chips is projected to report an April-June operating profit of 6.3 trillion won ($4.62 billion), its lowest income in six quarters, according to LSEG SmartEStimate. The prolonged weakness in its financial performance has deepened investor concerns over the South Korean tech giant's ability to catch up with smaller rivals in developing high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in artificial intelligence data centres. Its key rivals, SK Hynix and Micron, have benefited from robust demand for memory chips needed for AI, but Samsung 's gains have been subdued as it relies on the China market, where sales of advanced chips have been restricted by the U.S. Its efforts to get the latest version of its HBM chips to Nvidia certified by Nvidia are also moving slowly, analysts said. "HBM revenue likely remained flat in the second quarter, as China sales restrictions persist and Samsung has yet to begin supplying its HBM3E 12-high chips to Nvidia," said Ryu Young-ho, a senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities. He said Samsung's shipments of the new chip to Nvidia are unlikely to be significant this year. Samsung, which expected in March that meaningful progress over its HBM chip could come as early as June, declined to comment on whether its HBM 3E 12-layer chips had passed Nvidia's qualification process. The company, however, has started supplying the chip to AMD, the U.S. firm said in June. Samsung's smartphone sales are likely to remain solid, helped by demand for stock ahead of potential U.S. tariffs on imported smartphones, analysts said. Many of its key businesses including chips, smartphones and home appliances continue to face business uncertainty from various U.S. trade policies including President Donald Trump's proposal for a 25% tariff on non-US-made-smartphones and the July 9 deadline for "reciprocal" tariffs against many of its trading partners. The U.S. is also considering revoking authorisations granted to global chipmakers including Samsung, making it more difficult for them to receive U.S. technology at their plants in China. Shares in Samsung, the worst performing stock among major memory chipmakers this year, have climbed about 19% this year, underperforming a 27.3% rise in the benchmark KOSPI.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Samsung launches slimmest smartphone as races against rival Apple
By Heekyong Yang SEOUL: Samsung Electronics made public on Tuesday its slimmest flagship model to date, complete with enhanced artificial intelligence features, as it seeks to get ahead of rival Apple in the premium market. The S25 Edge launch is designed to tap increasing demand, especially from consumers in their 20s and 30s, for more portable smartphones. "The feedback was clear - users wanted something slimmer and easier to carry without sacrificing performance," said Samsung , which made structural changes to reduce the thickness of internal components, including the printed circuit board and thermal systems. Analysts said the launch was strategically timed to pre-empt Apple, which is expected to launch a thinner iPhone in the second half of this year. "By releasing the product a few months ahead, Samsung could inflict some impact on Apple and attract consumers looking for thinner smartphones. It appears to be a calculated decision to capture that segment of demand," Ryu Young-ho, a senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities, said. The S25 Edge will go on sale in South Korea on May 23 and in the United States on May 30, Samsung said, adding it will roll it out to about 30 countries, including China and in Europe. Starting at $1,099, the model has a 6.7-inch (170 mm) screen and a 5.8 millimetre-thick body, making it larger than the basic S25 model but only fractionally heavier. The S25 Edge has Samsung's latest built-in AI functions, including multimodal AI that allows users to interact with the device in real time through vision and voice, using the camera to ask questions. Samsung did not disclose the production site for the new model. At the launch event, Samsung dismissed concerns about potential performance and heat management issues with the device. "Some may worry that a thinner phone compromises performance or struggles with heat management," said Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President Moon Sung-hoon. "We managed to engineer a thinner vapor chamber to fit the slim design, and we put everything into making that happen. We're confident the S25 Edge can be used without concerns about overheating," said Moon. Samsung became the world's leading smartphone vendor in the first quarter of 2025, capturing 20% of the global market and narrowly surpassing Apple, which held a 19% share, data from Counterpoint Research showed. Samsung last month, however, said second-quarter shipments could be affected if tariff risks weaken demand.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Samsung launches slimmest smartphone as races against rival Apple
By Heekyong Yang SEOUL (Reuters) -Samsung Electronics made public on Tuesday its slimmest flagship model to date, complete with enhanced artificial intelligence features, as it seeks to get ahead of rival Apple on the premium market. The S25 Edge launch is designed to appeal to increasing demand, especially from consumers in their 20s and 30s, for more portable smartphones. "The feedback was clear – users wanted something slimmer and easier to carry without sacrificing performance," said Samsung, which made structural changes to reduce the thickness of internal components, including the printed circuit board and thermal systems. Analysts said the launch was strategically timed to pre-empt Apple, which is expected to launch a thinner iPhone in the second half of this year. "By releasing the product a few months ahead, Samsung could inflict some impact on Apple and attract consumers looking for thinner smartphones. It appears to be a calculated decision to capture that segment of demand," Ryu Young-ho, a senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities, said. The S25 Edge will go on sale in South Korea on May 23 and in the United States on May 30, Samsung said, adding it will roll it out to about 30 countries, including China and in Europe. Starting at $1,099, the model has a 6.7-inch (170 mm) screen and a 5.8 millimetre-thick body, making it larger than the basic S25 model but only fractionally heavier. The S25 Edge has Samsung's latest built-in AI functions, including multimodal AI that allows users to interact with the device in real time through vision and voice, using the camera to ask questions. Samsung did not disclose the production site for the new model. It became the world's leading smartphone vendor in the first quarter of 2025, capturing 20% of the global market and narrowly surpassing Apple, which held an 19% share, data from Counterpoint Research showed. Samsung last month, however, said second-quarter shipments could be affected if tariff risks weaken demand. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
