Korea's veteran progressive figure Lee Hae-chan hospitalized in Vietnam after heart attack SEOUL, January 24 (AJP) -Former South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, a veteran progressive politician and one of the most influential figures in the country’s liberal camp, was rushed to a hospital in Vietnam on Friday after suffering a heart attack and remains in critical condition, officials said. Lee, 73, who currently serves as senior vice chairperson of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC), collapsed at around 1 p.m. local time shortly after arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City while attempting to return to South Korea, according to PUAC officials. He had arrived in Vietnam a day earlier to attend a meeting of the council’s Vietnamese chapter but reportedly complained of flu-like symptoms before his departure from Seoul. As his condition worsened, Lee decided to cut short his trip and return home. During the airport incident, Lee experienced breathing difficulties and was transported by ambulance to a local hospital while receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Officials said he suffered cardiac arrest twice during transport and treatment. Doctors performed a stent insertion procedure, and Lee is currently breathing with the assistance of mechanical support. His condition remains critical, and he is expected to remain hospitalized until stabilized, officials said. President Lee Jae Myung was briefed on the situation and ordered the dispatch of his senior political secretary, Cho Jung-sik, to Vietnam to assist during Lee’s hospitalization. Cho was scheduled to depart early Saturday, according to the presidential office. Born in 1952, Lee Hae-chan is a seven-term lawmaker and a towering figure in South Korea’s progressive movement. He served as prime minister from 2004 to 2006 under the Roh Moo-hyun administration and previously held the post of education minister, where he spearheaded sweeping education and administrative reforms. Known as a hardline strategist and ideological anchor of the Democratic Party, Lee later served as a senior adviser to Lee Jae Myung’s presidential campaign in 2021 and as co-chair of the party’s election committee during last year’s general election. He currently holds the title of standing senior adviser to the Democratic Party. The PUAC is a constitutionally mandated presidential advisory body tasked with proposing unification policies, gathering domestic and international public opinion on inter-Korean relations, and building national consensus on unification. The president serves as its chair, while the senior vice chairperson serves a two-year term. The council comprises roughly 22,000 advisers at home and abroad, including regional, professional and overseas Korean representatives. Officials said they are closely monitoring Lee’s condition as arrangements are made for ongoing medical support in coordination with South Korean authorities. 2026-01-24 10:19:07

ChatGPT most downloaded app in South Korea last year SEOUL, January 8 (AJP) - ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, was the most downloaded new app in South Korea last year, big data analytics firm IGAWorks said on Thursday. ChatGPT led all apps with an average of 16.57 million new monthly downloads, followed by the state-run gift voucher app Digital Onnuri at 12.81 million, Chinese shopping platform Temu at 11.52 million, and the country's largest portal Naver's shopping platform at 10.20 million. When it comes to the number of users, U.S. streaming giant YouTube took the top spot with some 51.71 million monthly active users last year, followed by messaging app Kakao Talk at 46.35 million, Naver at 44.94 million, and Google at 41.28 million. 2026-01-08 09:43:00

Korean AI firm Upstage releases AI model as open source SEOUL, January 06 (AJP) - South Korean artificial intelligence company Upstage said on Tuesday it has released its in-house large language model, Solar Open 100B, as open-source software. Solar Open is the first output of the Ministry of Science and ICT’s “Independent AI Foundation Model” project, in which Upstage is participating as the lead company. Upstage said it developed the model entirely in-house, overseeing the full process from data construction to training. The company released the model on the global open-source platform Hugging Face and published a technical report detailing its development. Upstage said the 102-billion-parameter model delivers performance comparable to global frontier models. It said Solar Open is about 15 percent the size of China’s DeepSeek R1 but outperformed it in key benchmark evaluations across three languages: Korean, English and Japanese. According to the company, Solar Open recorded performance gains of 110 percent in Korean, 103 percent in English and 106 percent in Japanese compared with DeepSeek R1. The company said it plans to open part of the dataset through the National Information Society Agency’s AI Hub, describing it as a public resource aimed at strengthening South Korea’s artificial intelligence research ecosystem. “Solar Open is a model Upstage trained independently from the beginning, and it is the most Korean yet also global AI, with a deep understanding of Korea’s emotions and linguistic context,” Chief Executive Kim Sung-hoon said. 2026-01-06 08:44:14

INTERVIEW: Korea confident in AI sovereignty - National AI committee vice chair SEOUL, January 01 (AJP) -“The debate over whether sovereign artificial intelligence is even possible has completely shifted. Now the mood is: we can do it. That change in mindset is the most important development so far,” Lim Moon-young, the vice chairman of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee, told Aju Business Daily on Dec. 29, 2025. More than 100 days after its launch under President Lee Jae Myung, the National AI Strategy Committee's biggest internal transformation is the growing recognition that artificial intelligence is no longer merely a policy agenda to be discussed, but a national strategy that must be executed. Initial skepticism over whether Korea could realistically pursue “sovereign AI” has eased as plans to secure large-scale computing resources — including hundreds of thousands of graphics processing units (GPUs) — have taken shape and as the government’s commitment has become more visible. Officials say confidence has grown both inside and outside government. The committee has elevated AI to a top-tier national agenda and is pushing for a government-wide shift in how policy is coordinated. Its approach includes converting the body into a statutory committee to strengthen authority, applying a so-called “funnel strategy” to compel interministerial cooperation, and drafting a basic AI law centered on infrastructure building and real-world deployment. The ultimate goal is to establish AI as a foundational national infrastructure across industry and society. Below is a Q&A with Lim Moon-young, vice chair of the National AI Strategy Committee. What stands out most after 100 days of the committee’s work? “The biggest change is confidence — confidence that we can actually do this. At the beginning, there was a lot of doubt: ‘Can we really compete with big tech?’ ‘Is sovereign AI even feasible?’ But that atmosphere has changed completely. As plans such as securing 260,000 GPUs have taken shape, both policymakers and the public have gained confidence in the AI transition. People can now see that the government is serious, and that has changed attitudes,” Lim said. The committee is set to become a statutory body next year. What will change? “Becoming a statutory committee allows us to operate on a more stable footing. In the AI era, every ministry’s work inevitably overlaps, so coordination is essential. This committee is designed as a new organizational model to break down bureaucratic silos and drive cooperation. “Through an AI action plan based on the funnel strategy, we assign clear roles, responsibilities and deadlines to each ministry. Their outcomes then flow back into the committee through a funnel structure that enforces collaboration. We will also introduce evaluation indicators so the process cannot be ignored, and we plan to monitor implementation through a council of chief AI officers centered on AI senior secretary Ha Jung-woo,” he said. Why does South Korea need ‘sovereign AI’? “Sovereign AI should not be misunderstood as a closed or exclusive approach that relies only on domestic products. The core issue is choice and control. If we do not have our own technology, we become vulnerable when overseas companies raise prices or cut off supply. “It’s similar to national defense. Even if we buy fighter jets from the United States, we operate them ourselves. In the same way, we need a flexible strategy that maintains our own models while also using global technologies where appropriate,” Lim said. Startups worry that an AI basic law could stifle innovation. How do you respond? “This should not be framed as a simple choice between regulation and promotion. The real question is whether policy fits our current stage of development. From an AI-native perspective, we are still at a very early phase. We lack sufficient data centers and power infrastructure. “In that situation, leading with regulation would be putting the cart before the horse. The AI basic law should not function as a regulatory law at this stage. It should serve as a foundation for support and promotion, helping us repay what I call the ‘technology debt’ accumulated over 20 years of underinvestment and enabling us to rapidly build AI infrastructure,” he said. How should South Korea address widening knowledge gaps as subscription-based AI services spread? “We are entering an era of what I call ‘knowledge inflation.’ Advanced knowledge should not be accessible only to those who can afford expensive subscriptions. Just as King Sejong created Hangul to democratize knowledge, the core philosophy of the government’s AI basic society is that benefits must be shared by everyone. “Rather than simply distributing AI vouchers, the government can make foundational technologies — such as large language models or vision-language models — available for free or at low cost so startups and small business owners can use them. “For example, a restaurant owner could upload sales data and have AI automatically handle complex tax filings or track health-certificate renewal dates. They could also ask questions like, ‘Most of my customers are in their 40s — what menu item should I add?’ or ‘How should I redesign my interior?’ and receive consulting-level analysis,” Lim said. How can South Korea address power supply constraints linked to an AI-based economy? “The solution is what I call ‘Gyeong-su, hyang-san’ — data in the capital region, computing in the provinces. China processes data generated in its eastern regions using power-rich western regions, and we can take a similar approach. “Data creation will naturally remain concentrated around Seoul, but large-scale training data centers, which consume enormous amounts of electricity, should be located in regions with abundant power supply. Edge centers for inference, where real-time response is crucial, should be located in cities, but they must be carefully managed so they don’t proliferate uncontrollably. “AI itself should help solve this problem by analyzing fluctuations in energy supply by time of day and season, and allocating power more efficiently. Just as Google DeepMind is working on using AI to manage nuclear fusion, the interaction must be two-way: AI improves energy efficiency, and energy sustains AI,” he said. What are the committee’s mid- to long-term goals? “I hope South Korea does not miss this golden window for AI transformation and succeeds in building an independent ‘third zone’ between U.S. and Chinese dominance. We are one of the few countries with a full-stack capability — spanning semiconductors, software, services and data. “Our strengths lie in e-government know-how and world-class manufacturing. Going forward, we plan to expand the committee and place greater emphasis on physical AI as the next strategic frontier. “Beyond industrial development, we also want to ask more fundamental questions: how democracy and social systems should evolve in the AI era, and what kind of identity and governance model Korea should pursue,” Lim said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-01-01 14:12:50

South Korea eyes independent Mars landing by 2045 SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - South Korea’s space agency said on Tuesday it plans to pursue a dual-track strategy to achieve a Mars landing by 2045, combining international cooperation in the near term with the long-term goal of deploying a lander developed entirely with domestic technology. Unveiling its Mars exploration roadmap at a press conference in Seoul, the Korea AeroSpace Administration said it would initially collaborate with SpaceX by using the U.S. company’s Starship launch system to test key Mars exploration technologies, while continuing to develop its own launch vehicles for an independent mission in the future. “Mars exploration is progressing rapidly, with private companies playing a leading role,” Kang Kyung-in, head of the agency’s space science exploration division, said. “To land on Mars with our own technology by 2045, we must first verify our capabilities, even if that means using someone else’s car.” Under the short-term plan, South Korea would send payloads aboard Starship to the Martian surface, enabling domestic researchers and companies to test equipment and technologies. Kang noted that favorable launch windows for Mars missions occur roughly every 26 months, leaving only about five opportunities by 2035. Using Starship would provide a cost-effective way to land an exploration module weighing about 500 kilograms on Mars, he said. Over the longer term, the agency aims to conduct Mars exploration solely with South Korean technology, centered on an enhanced version of its next-generation launch vehicle now under development. Kang cautioned, however, that reaching and operating in Mars orbit requires more than launch capability alone. “Deep-space missions demand engines capable of long-duration acceleration with minimal fuel consumption,” he said, outlining plans to develop what he described as a “space delivery truck” that could transport equipment and cargo from Earth orbit to Mars orbit. Another major challenge is mastering entry, descent and landing (EDL) technology. Mars’ thin atmosphere limits the effectiveness of parachutes, requiring complex landing systems that rely on retro rockets and advanced heat-resistant materials, similar to techniques used in lunar landings. “International cooperation can accelerate Mars exploration, but our 2045 strategy is based on our own technology,” he said. “Successfully landing on Mars with domestic capabilities will secure our competitiveness and leadership in the global space industry.” * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-16 16:21:37

LG Uplus accused of hindering data breach probe by destroying critical server SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT has requested a police investigation into LG Uplus over allegations that the company intentionally disposed of a key server linked to a customer data breach. The ministry said the company discarded one of two APPM servers, which are critical for managing server account access and permissions, and submitted only the remaining server to a joint investigation team. “Both servers are required for an accurate forensic analysis, but one has already been disposed of, making a thorough investigation difficult,” a ministry official said. The case follows an August report by a U.S. security magazine, Frack, which said hacking activity had been detected on LG Uplus’s internal servers. At the time, the company said it found no evidence of intrusion. However, it was later confirmed that the operating system of the APPM server had been reinstalled a day before the company issued its initial response. The case has focused on whether sensitive customer data was leaked, and whether the company obstructed investigations by modifying or disposing of key digital evidence. Investigators said they have not ruled out the possibility of intentional destruction of evidence and have formally asked police to take over the case. An LG Uplus spokesperson said it was “currently assessing the situation.” * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-10 16:32:06

ChatGPT unrivalled 2025 app winner in Korea SEOUL, December 10 (AJP) - OpenAI's generative artificial intelligence ChatGPT was the standout app winner in South Korea this year, expanding user base nearly threefold between January and November, according to analytics firm WiseApp/Retail Wednesday. The AI assistance recorded a 196.6-percent surge in users from January to November, far outpacing growth across Korea's most competitive sectors from ecommerce to beauty and fintech. Other fast risers included bargain-shopping app Daiso Mall, which grew 31.9 percent, followed by beauty retailer Olive Young at 30.8 percent and Samsung’s financial management app Monimo at 28.1 percent. Ecommerce platform Gmarket increased 26.5 percent, fashion mall Musinsa 21.1 percent, TikTok Lite 18.5 percent, KakaoPay 17.7 percent, TikTok 14.6 percent, and Naver Pay 14.4 percent. In monthly active users, ChatGPT also dominated. The app averaged 16.72 million users over the past 11 months — nearly double the next-largest platform measured. KakaoPay followed with 9.13 million monthly users, trailed by Olive Young at 8.59 million, TikTok at 7.94 million, Musinsa at 7.44 million, Gmarket at 6.64 million, Monimo at 6.04 million, Naver Pay at 5.42 million, TikTok Lite at 4.74 million, and Daiso Mall at 4.05 million. WiseApp/Retail’s survey is based on a sample of Android and iOS smartphone users in Korea and reflects a year in which AI tools broke decisively into mainstream consumer behavior, overtaking longstanding leaders across retail, payment, and entertainment categories. 2025-12-10 13:32:04

All 12 CubeSats aboard Nuri rocket establish communication with ground stations SEOUL, December 09 (AJP) - All 12 CubeSats launched aboard South Korea’s fourth Nuri rocket mission have successfully established communication with ground stations, confirming the full success of the launch, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute said on Monday. Previously unresponsive satellites — including EEE Tester-1 developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, SpaceInTech’s B-1000 and Quaternion’s PERSAT — have now made contact. The Nuri rocket was launched on Nov. 27 carrying the next-generation medium satellite No. 3 along with 12 CubeSats. All payloads were successfully placed into a 600-kilometer earth orbit. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-09 09:27:17

Half of Korea's AI startups fail within three years, report shows SEOUL, December 08 (AJP) - Nearly half of South Korean artificial intelligence startups fail to survive beyond three years, underscoring structural weaknesses in funding and commercialization, according to a report released on Monday by the Korea Industrial Technology Association. The association said the three-year survival rate of AI startups stood at 56.2 percent as of the end of 2023, well below the 72.7 percent survival rate of general AI companies and the 68.8 percent average across all industries. The report found that AI startups remain highly dependent on external funding, with 22.9 percent of their research and development budgets coming from government grants and subsidies. “Government grants and subsidies are essential for sustaining AI startup R&D,” the report said, adding that heavy reliance on external capital reflects weak internal financial capacity. While average R&D spending by AI startups grew at an annual rate of 15.4 percent over the past three years, the amount reached only 590 million won in 2023, lagging behind other industrial sectors. “Bold R&D support and a stronger innovation ecosystem are needed for our AI startups to build global competitiveness,” said Ko Se-gon, executive vice president of the association. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-08 16:32:16

South Korea ushers in private-led space era with 4th Nuri launch GOHEUNG, South Korea, November 27 (AJP) - South Korea opened a new chapter in its space program Thursday with the successful fourth launch of the homegrown Nuri rocket — the first assembled by Hanwha Aerospace — marking a decisive shift toward a private sector–driven space industry. The 200-ton, three-stage rocket lifted off from the Naro Space Center at 1:13 a.m. and entered a sun-synchronous orbit 600 kilometers above Earth, deploying a next-generation medium satellite along with 12 cube satellites. The flight was completed in 18 minutes and 52 seconds, faster than the planned 21 minutes and 24 seconds, after its engines outperformed design specifications, according to Park Jong-chan of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). The medium satellite made first contact with Antarctica’s King Sejong Station 42 minutes after launch, with further communications scheduled with ground stations in Daejeon and Norway’s Svalbard. Deputy Prime Minister Bae Kyung-hoon called the mission a “pivotal moment” as the country transitions from a government-led model to a private sector–driven space economy. “South Korea is committed to becoming a top-five space power, with ambitions stretching from lunar exploration to deep space,” he said. For the first time, Hanwha Aerospace led the manufacturing and assembly of Nuri, following a technology transfer agreement with KARI earlier this year. The transfer, valued at 24 billion won (US$16.2 million), gives Hanwha exclusive rights to produce and operate Nuri through 2032, covering design, manufacturing and launch operations. Launchpad and propulsion-test infrastructure remain under government control. Compared with Nuri’s third launch in May 2023, which reached 550 km and carried 500 kg of payloads, Thursday’s mission flew higher and carried 960 kg — nearly double the earlier load. Experts say the launch is a watershed moment in Korea’s emergence into the “new space” era. “This marks the true beginning of private-sector-led space development,” said Huh Hwan-il, aerospace engineering professor at Chungnam National University. “Japan transferred launch vehicle technologies to industry two decades ago, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries now leads that market. Korea must prepare similar institutional groundwork to help companies fully utilize government-built capabilities.” The Korea Space Agency said it plans the fifth and sixth Nuri flights in 2026 and 2027, followed by a seventh in 2028. “We are planning next year’s budget to begin developing a next-generation launch vehicle building on Nuri’s technology,” said agency head Yoon Young-bin. South Korea’s steady push toward commercial space development — with Nuri now transitioning from state laboratories to private hands — positions the country to accelerate toward its long-term goal of joining the global top tier of space powers. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-11-27 07:40:31