Though already approved by the South Korean government, the merger and integration of MediaTek and MStar is still pending the approval of the Chinese government, according to reports in Taiwanese local media.

Ericsson announced that starting from April 1, 2013, Jan Signell will be new head for Ericsson Northeast Asia, leading the business operation in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.

South Korea's Samsung sold 30.06 million smartphones in China in 2012, ranking first in the Chinese smartphone market for the first time.

China Mobile, Japan's NTT DoCoMo, and South Korea's Korea Telecom announced that the three parties have reached an agreement for a series of mobile phone services, aiming to realize cross-border payment services with the near-field communication function on mobile phones.

South Korea's Samsung has announced plans to invest USD1.7 billion to expand the production capacity of its plant in Kunshan, Jiangsu province.

MiTalk, the instant messaging and social application from the Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, has formed a partnership with Mface, a mobile social network in Southeast Asia, for the promotion of MiTalk throughout the entire Asian market.

Lotte's duty free store has launched the Chinese-language Internet shopping website, providing convenience to the ever-growing Chinese tourists in South Korea.

Chinese search engine company Baidu Inc. has formally launched its customized cloud solution for terminal manufacturers.

Yang Yuanqing, chairman and chief executive officer of Lenovo Group, revealed that in the third quarter of 2012, their smartphone shipments reached seven million units, increasing by 18 times compared with the same period of last year.

Chinese online game developer and operator Shanda Games and Japanese video game develop Square Enix jointly held a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, to announce that the two parties will implement strategic cooperation in mobile game sector.

China's Lenovo Group announced that it has appointed Jack Lee as new regional general manager for its Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea region, effective October 1, 2012.

South Korea's Samsung and Chinese electronics and home appliances retailer Suning have jointly launched Samsung's new Samsung Experience Shop in Suning's retail store in Pudong, Shanghai.

China Telecom has entered the South Korean market by establishing a new branch in the country, providing one-stop comprehensive information services to Chinese enterprises in South Korea.

South Korean electronics company Samsung will apparently outsource the production of its laptop products for the first time, and the company has allegedly delivered the initial original design manufacturer order to Taiwan's Compal.

Chinese Internet company Tencent revealed in its financial report for the first quarter of 2012 that the company acquired a 13.84% stake in KakaoTalk, a South Korean mobile communication application, for CNY403 million.