AJU PRESS ASIA FIRST NEWS AGENCY

Journalist

BAEK SEO HYUN
  • NVIDIAs Jensen Huang Meets with Krafton and NCSoft to Discuss AI Collaboration
    NVIDIA's Jensen Huang Meets with Krafton and NCSoft to Discuss AI Collaboration Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, met with representatives from leading South Korean gaming companies Krafton and NCSoft to discuss collaboration on game artificial intelligence (AI) and physical AI. Both companies have previously partnered with NVIDIA in the fields of game graphics and AI technology, and they anticipate expanding their cooperation beyond game AI into physical AI. On June 7, Huang arrived at Optimum Zone PC Cafe near Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam at around 1:20 PM to meet with Jang Byung-kyu, chairman of Krafton. Key executives, including Lee Kang-wook, Krafton's Chief AI Officer, and Jang Tae-seok, head of the PUBG: Battlegrounds IP franchise, were also present. As Huang entered, fans chanted his name, and Jang engaged with attendees by taking selfies. Huang interacted with fans by signing autographs and conducting a prize drawing. "Korea was the first country to export eSports to the world," Huang said. "Thanks to Korea, eSports has spread globally, and I always enjoy coming here." He introduced the latest graphics card, the GeForce RTX 5090, and unveiled the AI PC platform, RTX Spark, stating, "We are reinventing the PC after 40 years. This new computer runs both graphics and AI applications." Jang added, "The technology announced today is a new platform not just for gaming but also for AI, allowing participants to experience the intersection of gaming and AI through PUBG AI." After the event, Jang spoke to reporters, stating, "Krafton has been collaborating with NVIDIA for some time. Huang expressed a desire to see gamers in PC cafes directly, which led to this meeting. NVIDIA has deep roots in the gaming industry and likely wanted to experience Korea's PC cafe culture firsthand." He continued, "Korea ranks among the top three countries in AI, but we seem to excel even more in gaming. We will continue to engage in discussions with NVIDIA moving forward." Following his meeting with Krafton, Huang moved to Portal PC Cafe in Gangnam at around 2:10 PM to meet with Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft. The meeting lasted approximately 30 minutes and included key executives such as Vice President Bae Jae-hyun and Senior Vice President Lee Seong-gu, as well as interactions with gaming fans. At the cafe, Huang examined the game Aion 2 and engaged with users. "I love Aion 2," he said, adding, "NVIDIA GeForce and Korean eSports have grown together. The core development team of Aion 2 was also present to discuss future development directions." Kim noted, "When we officially launched Lineage 2 in 2003, we collaborated with NVIDIA GeForce FX for optimization, supplying thousands of GeForce units nationwide. We played a significant role in NVIDIA's growth, and NVIDIA contributed greatly to the success of Lineage 2. The relationship that began then continues to this day." 2026-06-07 15:39:00
  • Kakao Games Nominates Kim Tae-hwan and Lee Si-woo for Board Positions Ahead of Shareholder Meeting
    Kakao Games Nominates Kim Tae-hwan and Lee Si-woo for Board Positions Ahead of Shareholder Meeting Kakao Games is set to hold an extraordinary shareholders' meeting to nominate Kim Tae-hwan, Vice President of Line Games, and Lee Si-woo, Chief Business Officer of Kakao Games, for board positions. Kim is expected to assume the role of new CEO following the meeting. The company announced on June 4 that the extraordinary shareholders' meeting will take place on the 22nd at the Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. The agenda includes the election of two internal directors, one external director, and one non-executive director. Kim holds a degree in Political Science and International Relations from Yonsei University and has previously served as Vice President at Nexon Korea, Chief Business Development Officer at Nexon Japan, and Vice President at Nexon America. He is recognized for his extensive experience in both domestic and international gaming operations and global business development. Joining Kim as a candidate for internal director is Lee Si-woo, who has held various roles at NHN and Wemade, and previously served as the head of the mobile business division at Kakao Games. The external director candidate is Seo Seok-ho, Managing Director at Petrico Partners. Seo graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in Business and completed his MBA at Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business. Industry analysts believe that this extraordinary shareholders' meeting will pave the way for Kakao Games to establish a new management structure and refine its growth strategies, including new game releases and global expansion. The company stated, "The introduction of a co-CEO system is currently under review, and specific details will be announced once the appointments are confirmed through the board and extraordinary shareholders' meeting procedures later this month." 2026-06-04 16:18:00
  • SOOP Executives Buy Back Company Shares to Enhance Accountability and Shareholder Value
    SOOP Executives Buy Back Company Shares to Enhance Accountability and Shareholder Value SOOP's key executives have initiated a share buyback to strengthen accountability and enhance shareholder value. On June 4, SOOP announced that CEO Choi Young-woo, CEO Lee Min-won, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Choi Dong-geun, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Lee Byung-ho acquired company shares through market purchases. Choi and Lee each purchased shares worth approximately 100 million won, while CTO Choi and CFO Lee acquired shares valued at around 50 million won each. The company explained that this share buyback reflects the executives' confidence in the company's competitive position and long-term growth potential, aligning the interests of management and shareholders to enhance corporate value. With this buyback, SOOP plans to accelerate the execution of its core strategies, including enhancing platform services, expanding collaborations with streamers and partners, growing its global user base, and improving its revenue structure. The goal is to strengthen both profitability and growth. Additionally, SOOP announced a three-year shareholder return policy at its annual general meeting in March of last year. The company plans to allocate more than 25% of its consolidated net income for shareholder returns over the next three years and has changed its dividend criteria from free cash flow to net income.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 16:00:00
  • Naver to Meet Nvidias Jensen Huang as Physical AI Gains Traction
    Naver to Meet Nvidia's Jensen Huang as Physical AI Gains Traction Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, is scheduled to visit Naver's headquarters on June 8 to meet with Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin, raising interest in the potential expansion of AI collaboration between the two companies. Industry observers are noting Naver's potential emergence as a key player in the Physical AI era, beyond just Sovereign AI. According to industry sources, Naver has proactively secured data and ecosystems, which are critical components of Physical AI. Naver's D2SF currently allocates over 10% of its portfolio to companies related to Physical AI, investing across the entire value chain from perception to action, including vision sensors, behavioral data, industrial AI, and robot control. Physical AI refers to technologies that enable robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles to perceive their surroundings, make judgments, and take actions. While generative AI learns from text and image data on the internet, Physical AI requires learning from real-world data, such as human movements, actions, and spatial information. Naver's strength lies in its data. As the operator of search, shopping, maps, and blogs, it has amassed the largest user data in South Korea. Insights into user interests, consumption patterns, mobility information, and content usage behaviors are seen as valuable assets for future AI applications that aim to understand and predict human behavior. Naver D2SF's investment portfolio aligns with this strategy. 'Summer Robotics' is developing next-generation vision sensors that serve as the eyes of robots, a key technology needed for Physical AI to quickly recognize its environment. 'Movin' has developed the world's first LiDAR-based markerless 3D motion capture technology, which excels in acquiring human motion data necessary for Physical AI learning. 'Machina Labs' is creating an enterprise AI operating system that supports decision-making in industries such as automotive, semiconductors, and defense. 'Clobot' provides software for integrated control and operation of different types of robots. Industry experts evaluate that Naver is securing a technological ecosystem across all areas of Physical AI, including perception, cognition, action, and control. Recently, Naver also invested in 'UbiFly,' a drone company developing AI-based autonomous flight technology. UbiFly raised 60 billion won earlier this year from investors including Kreet Ventures and NXC, marking the largest single investment in a domestic drone startup. Drones are considered a representative application of Physical AI, linking to Naver's expansion strategy in defense and logistics. Naver is also recognized as a key player in the Sovereign AI sector. It is a leading full-stack AI provider in South Korea, possessing its own large language model (LLM), cloud services, and data centers. Recently, it has been pursuing the establishment of LLMs based on local languages and Sovereign AI projects in overseas markets, including Saudi Arabia. An industry insider stated, "In the era of generative AI, internet data was crucial, but in the Physical AI era, human behavioral data will become the key asset. Naver is positioned to be a central player in domestic Physical AI, as it secures not only AI models and infrastructure but also data and a startup ecosystem."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 15:00:00
  • Korean Privacy Commission Launches Investigation into TVING Data Breach
    Korean Privacy Commission Launches Investigation into TVING Data Breach The Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has initiated an investigation into a data breach involving the online video service TVING. On June 4, the PIPC announced that it had received a report of the data breach from TVING and has begun examining the circumstances surrounding the incident and the extent of the damage. TVING reported the breach after discovering unauthorized access to its database, which led to the potential exposure of personal information. The compromised data is believed to include user IDs, names, birth dates, genders, connection information (CI), duplicate membership confirmation information (DI), mobile phone numbers, email addresses, refund account numbers, and passwords. According to TVING's preliminary assessment, an unidentified hacker accessed the database containing personal information and transmitted related files externally, resulting in the breach. The PIPC plans to confirm the specifics of the breach and the extent of the damage through document requests and on-site investigations. Additionally, it will check compliance with safety measures and obligations regarding the notification and reporting of personal data breaches, as mandated by the Personal Information Protection Act.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 11:18:00
  • Naver Launches Naver Mate to Support Creators in the AI Era
    Naver Launches 'Naver Mate' to Support Creators in the AI Era Naver has introduced a fellowship program aimed at discovering and supporting creators who produce high-quality content in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). On June 4, Naver announced the launch of the 'Naver Mate' AI fellowship program. Naver Mate highlights creators who lead the content ecosystem based on professionalism and diversity across various user-generated content (UGC) services, including blogs, cafes, Knowledge iN, and premium content. The program will select creators from blogs, cafes, Knowledge iN, and premium content. Naver plans to publicly announce approximately 3,000 creators each month based on the number of AI briefing citations across ten major categories, including travel, lifestyle, and technology, as well as 25 specific topics such as health, parenting, film, and automobiles. Naver will introduce the first group of Naver Mate creators on its official page today. The selected creators are those most frequently cited in AI briefings within their respective fields, and Naver aims to establish content standards chosen by users in the AI era in collaboration with these creators. Support for creators will also be enhanced. Naver plans to provide approximately 20 billion won in activity support annually through the Naver Mate program, enabling creators to continuously produce in-depth content based on their expertise and experience. This year, Naver intends to refine its support system by gathering feedback from creators through the Naver Mate initiative.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 10:30:00
  • Tmap Launches Movement Log Service to Track Daily Travel
    Tmap Launches 'Movement Log' Service to Track Daily Travel Tmap Mobility has introduced a new service called 'Movement Log' that allows users to save and manage their travel and visit records. On June 4, Tmap Mobility announced the launch of the 'Movement Log' service, which records users' daily travel routes and visited locations for easy review. The Movement Log service consolidates driving records and check-in information in one place. Users can view their visited locations and travel routes on a map and timeline, enabling them to document and manage their travel history like a diary. Records are automatically saved when users complete driving or walking routes using the Tmap navigation app. Users can also leave more detailed location records by checking in at specific places. After a visit, users can select a date to add check-in records, and they can delete records for locations they prefer not to keep. The Movement Log is designed for personal access only. The service also includes a feature called 'Movement Log Insights,' which analyzes users' travel patterns. It provides intuitive insights into recent travel frequency, frequently visited locations, newly discovered spaces, and major visit categories, helping users understand their travel habits and radius. The Movement Log can be accessed through various pathways within the Tmap app, including the My Menu, saved locations screen, and end-of-trip screen. Jang Chang-geun, Chief Product Officer of Tmap Mobility, stated, "The Movement Log is not just a tool for storing travel data; it helps users discover and manage their travel experiences and preferences. We will continue to enhance user experience and content reliability based on actual travel data." Meanwhile, Tmap has been expanding user participation features, recently introducing a real-time road information sharing function called 'Social Reporting' as part of its service enhancement efforts.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-04 08:45:00
  • Venture Capital Investment Shifts to Robotics and Physical AI
    Venture Capital Investment Shifts to Robotics and Physical AI Venture capital funding, which previously flowed into generative artificial intelligence (AI) and graphics processing unit (GPU) infrastructure, is now rapidly shifting towards robotics and physical AI. As physical AI, which enables AI to perceive and interact with the real world, emerges as a next-generation growth industry, domestic venture capital (VC) funds are increasingly directed towards related companies. According to The VC, a venture capital analysis platform, investment in the robotics sector for domestic unlisted startups and small businesses reached 346.4 billion won from January to date. This marks a 552.4% increase compared to 53.1 billion won during the same period last year. However, the number of investment deals decreased from 27 to 23. Despite fewer companies receiving funding, large investment rounds suggest that capital is concentrating on a select few promising firms. During the same period, total startup investment surged from 2.0713 trillion won to 6.655 trillion won, a 221.3% increase. The growth rate in robotics investment significantly outpaces the overall market expansion, indicating heightened interest from investors. The trend of focusing on AI and robotics is also evident in the early investment market. According to The VC's investment statistics for May, 41% of seed-stage investments last month were concentrated in AI and robotics. Cumulatively, from January to May, 43% of the 148 seed investments were directed towards AI and robotics companies. Since the generative AI boom began in earnest in 2023, investments have primarily focused on applications and software. Starting last year, infrastructure companies like GPUs and data centers gained attention, but interest is now shifting towards physical AI. Monthly investment examples further illustrate the enthusiasm for physical AI. In February, autonomous driving and vehicle AI semiconductor design firm Boss Semiconductor raised 87 billion won in a Series A funding round, an unusually large amount for early-stage investment. In April, humanoid robot startup Holiday Robotics secured 150 billion won in a Series A round. Industry experts interpret these cases as a reflection of growing investment expectations in the physical AI and robotics sectors. Physical AI refers to AI technology that recognizes physical environments through sensors, makes autonomous decisions, and interacts directly with the real world via robots, autonomous vehicles, and industrial equipment. Unlike generative AI, which focuses on information generation, physical AI is distinguished by its ability to perform actions in real-world spaces. Industry insiders believe that the movements of global tech companies are also influencing investment sentiment. Notably, Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, who is visiting South Korea on June 4, has emphasized robotics and physical AI as next-generation growth drivers, further increasing interest in these industries. Jung Hyun-jun, a researcher at the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI), stated, "While investment in AI infrastructure remains active, there is now a growing focus on practical usability and commercialization potential. As interest shifts towards the value AI can create in the real world, robotics and physical AI are gaining attention." He added, "As services addressing real-world issues, such as household assistance and manufacturing automation, increase, the spread of related technologies is expected to accelerate." However, there are concerns that the intensifying concentration of investments may make it more challenging for early-stage startups outside the AI and robotics sectors to secure funding. 2026-06-02 15:27:00
  • NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang to Meet NCSofts Kim Taek-jin Amid AI Collaboration Talks
    NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang to Meet NCSoft's Kim Taek-jin Amid AI Collaboration Talks Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, is set to meet with Kim Taek-jin, CEO of NCSoft, during his visit to South Korea on June 4. According to the IT industry on June 2, Huang is scheduled to hold discussions with Kim on June 7 in Seoul. While specific details of the meeting have not been disclosed, collaboration in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to be a key topic. Huang has recently emphasized physical AI as a next-generation growth driver, raising interest in potential business partnerships in this area. Additionally, Huang is reportedly planning to have dinner on June 5 with prominent business leaders, including Koo Kwang-mo of LG Group, Chey Tae-won of SK Group, Chung Eui-sun of Hyundai Motor Group, and Lee Hae-jin of Naver. His meeting with Kim is said to be a separate engagement. Huang has shown a strong interest in the South Korean gaming industry. During his visit last October for the NVIDIA GeForce Gamer Festival, he remarked, "Korea created esports and made PC gaming a global phenomenon. Without PC gaming, PC bangs, and esports, NVIDIA today would not exist." Industry observers speculate that this meeting could lead to more concrete discussions regarding AI collaboration between NCSoft and NVIDIA.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-02 14:12:00
  • Netmarble to Open First Popup Store for Monster Taming: Stardive at Starfield Hanam
    Netmarble to Open First Popup Store for 'Monster Taming: Stardive' at Starfield Hanam Netmarble announced on June 2 that it will host the first popup store for its monster-taming action RPG, "Monster Taming: Stardive," at Starfield Hanam. The popup store will operate from June 3 to June 7 in the Central Atrium on the first floor of Starfield Hanam. Visitors can participate in various interactive experiences, including "Monster Touch! Catch!", "Today's Monster", and a popularity vote for the game. Coins earned through these activities can be exchanged for various prizes. The store will also sell official merchandise for "Monster Taming: Stardive." Among the items debuting at the popup store are the "SD Acrylic Diorama" and "LD Acrylic Stand," along with the popular "Meow Cushion" that received positive feedback at gaming events like G-Star and Tokyo Game Show. A demonstration zone will allow visitors to play the game directly. Attendees can experience the action combat of "Monster Taming: Stardive" using portable gaming PCs (UMPCs). "Monster Taming: Stardive" is a sequel to the 2013 release "Monster Taming." It features high-quality graphics and storytelling based on Unreal Engine 5, along with real-time tag play in three-person parties. A Netmarble representative stated, "As this is the first popup store since the launch of 'Monster Taming: Stardive,' we have prepared a variety of engaging content and official merchandise for users to enjoy. We hope many users will visit and create special memories at the event." More information about the popup store and the game can be found on the official "Monster Taming: Stardive" website and forum.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-02 09:42:00