KAIST team discovers single-packet flaw that can disable smartphone modems SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - A research team from South Korea has identified a critical security flaw that allows a single wireless packet to crash a smartphone’s cellular modem. The vulnerability affects a broad range of devices and highlights long-standing security gaps in the modem layer. The project was led by Kim Yong-dae, professor at KAIST, and Park Cheol-jun, professor at Kyung Hee University. The team developed a custom testing framework called LLFuzz to examine the lower layers of mobile communication protocols. Unlike the upper layers, which are typically encrypted and authenticated, these lower layers can accept external signals with minimal filtering. Using LLFuzz, the researchers tested 15 commercial smartphones from manufacturers including Apple, Samsung, Google, and Xiaomi. They discovered 11 previously unknown vulnerabilities. Seven of them have been assigned CVE identifiers and patched by vendors. The remaining four have not yet been disclosed. In a demonstration, the team showed how a malformed packet, transmitted from a laptop using a software-defined radio, could instantly disable a phone’s modem. A test video captured a phone streaming data at 23 megabytes per second before abruptly freezing and losing all signal after receiving the packet. "Smartphone baseband layers can accept arbitrary external signals without authentication, which introduces systemic risk," Kim Yong-dae said. "This research shows that standardization in modem security testing is no longer optional." The vulnerabilities were found in modem components known as RLC, MAC, PDCP, and PHY. These layers handle wireless signaling, error correction, and data transmission. Because they are not protected by encryption or authentication, they are susceptible to input from outside sources. Affected chips include over 90 from Qualcomm, around 80 from MediaTek, Samsung’s Exynos 2400 and 5400, and Apple devices using Qualcomm hardware. These modems are used not only in flagship smartphones but also in tablets, smartwatches, and low-cost IoT devices. The LLFuzz system compares device behavior against 3GPP telecom standards to detect inconsistencies caused by implementation flaws. The researchers believe that the lack of standardized security testing for abnormal packet behavior is a key reason such issues have gone unnoticed. "Even leading manufacturers have overlooked this area," Kim said. "Our work highlights the dangers of deploying technologies that have not undergone sufficient scrutiny." The research will be presented in August at USENIX Security 2025, a leading international conference in cybersecurity. The paper, titled LLFuzz: An Over-the-Air Dynamic Testing Framework for Cellular Baseband Lower Layers, is authored by KAIST doctoral student Tuan Dinh Hoang, along with researchers from KAIST and Kyung Hee University. The team plans to release the LLFuzz tool as open-source software. Early tests on 5G baseband chips using the same framework have already uncovered two additional vulnerabilities. The researchers are continuing to expand the tool and explore broader testing strategies for both LTE and 5G systems. The project was funded by South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation. 2025-07-25 14:36:54

Thailand recalls envoy after deadly border clash with Cambodia SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - Thailand has sharply condemned Cambodia over what it described as a serious violation of sovereignty, following a deadly border clash that left several civilians dead and injured. In response, Bangkok has decided to recall its ambassador to Phnom Penh and lower the level of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In a statement released Friday by the Royal Thai Embassy in Seoul, the Thai government said Cambodian troops had entered Thai territory on July 16 and 23 to plant landmines. One of those explosions injured a Thai soldier. On July 24, Cambodian forces allegedly opened fire near a Thai operations base and continued attacking throughout the morning. Civilian areas, including a hospital, were among the targets. "The Thai government strongly condemns the actions carried out by Cambodian military forces, which constitute a serious violation of Thailand’s sovereignty and international law," the statement said. Describing the attacks as deliberate and hostile, Thai authorities said Cambodia's behavior was part of a dangerous escalation. The government framed the decision to recall its envoy and request the departure of the Cambodian ambassador in Bangkok as a direct consequence of those actions. Bangkok also warned that if the attacks continue, Thailand is prepared to take further self-defense measures in line with international law. "The Thai government strongly demands Cambodia immediately cease its repeated violations of international law," the statement added. "These acts clearly contradict the principles of good neighborliness and sincerity and will severely damage Cambodia’s reputation and trust within the international community." The confrontation marks one of the most serious flare-ups between the two countries in years, drawing attention across the region as tensions remain high. 2025-07-25 13:51:22

President Lee invites Kazakhstan's Tokayev for official visit to Seoul SEOUL, July 25 (AJP) - South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke by phone on Wednesday, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening ties across trade, culture, and development. According to a statement released by the Kazakhstan Embassy in Seoul, the two leaders discussed a broad range of cooperation areas, including ongoing and potential joint projects in energy, the automotive industry, education, and medicine. "During the phone conversation, the presidents of Kazakhstan and Korea confirmed their desire to further strengthen multifaceted relations between the two countries," the embassy said. "They thoroughly exchanged views on a wide range of bilateral cooperation." Lee invited Tokayev to make an official visit to South Korea. Tokayev accepted and also confirmed his participation in the C5+K Summit, which will take place in Seoul in 2026. Diplomatic relations between South Korea and Kazakhstan were established in January 1992, shortly after Kazakhstan gained independence in December 1991. A key link between the two countries is the ethnic Korean community in Kazakhstan, known as Koryo-saram, which numbers more than 120,000. High-level visits have continued to support the relationship. Tokayev visited South Korea in August 2021, while former President Yoon Suk Yeol traveled to Astana in June 2024. Kazakhstan's first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, visited South Korea five times between 1995 and 2016. Trade and investment form a central part of the partnership. Bilateral trade reached around USD 6 billion in 2023, with Kazakhstan exporting approximately USD 3.8 billion in goods to South Korea and importing USD 2.2 billion. In 2024, the total trade volume stood at USD 3.1 billion. Key exports from Kazakhstan include crude oil, metals, and steel. South Korea mainly exports automobiles, electronics, and machinery. South Korea ranks as Kazakhstan's fifth-largest investor and fourth-largest trading partner. Korean investment in Kazakhstan has reached close to USD 9.6 billion since the mid-2000s. Cultural exchange remains strong. The Korean Theatre of Kazakhstan in Almaty, founded in 1932, is the oldest Korean-language theater troupe in the world and remains active. Gangnam University in South Korea has offered Kazakh language and culture programs since 2006. Tourism has grown steadily. In 2023, the number of South Korean visitors to Kazakhstan rose by 125 percent. Flight connectivity also expanded in 2024, with weekly flights between Seoul and Almaty increasing from 10 to 42. Air Astana launched direct flights between Astana and Seoul. 2025-07-25 09:23:00

KAIST team uncovers why some plants self-destruct after crossbreeding SEOUL, July 23 (AJP) - A research team led by KAIST has pinpointed the structural cause of a long-standing puzzle in plant biology: why certain plants, after being crossbred, mistakenly trigger immune responses against themselves and fail to survive. In collaboration with the National University of Singapore and the University of Oxford, the team used cryo-electron microscopy to identify how a specific protein, known as DM3, misfolds in certain genetic combinations, leading to a self-inflicted immune reaction known as hybrid necrosis. The problem has frustrated scientists for years. When two different plant varieties are bred, their offspring sometimes grow weak and die prematurely, despite appearing genetically compatible. This phenomenon, often tied to immune system overreaction, has been difficult to predict or prevent. KAIST researchers found that one version of the DM3 protein, called DM3Hh-0, fails to bind its six subunits properly. The plant's immune system recognizes this irregular structure as a threat and reacts accordingly. In contrast, another version, DM3Col-0, forms a stable complex and does not trigger a response. "The immune system can recognize not just pathogens from outside, but also structural problems within its own proteins," said Professor Song Ji-jun of KAIST's Department of Biological Sciences, who led the research. "This sheds light on how plants interpret internal changes as potential danger." Using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy, the team visualized the structure of DM3 and determined that the issue was not related to its enzymatic function, but rather to how well the protein units stick together. Loose binding appeared to be the key trigger. "This study brings together structural biology, genetics, and cell biology to explain a phenomenon that plant scientists have struggled to make sense of," said Dr. Kim Ki-jung, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zurich and one of the study’s first authors. "It gives us a clearer picture of how self-immunity works in plants and why certain genetic mixes can go wrong." The research team says the findings may help guide future crop breeding strategies by identifying potentially incompatible combinations in advance. The study titled "Structural determinants of DANGEROUS MIX 3, an alpha/beta hydrolase that triggers NLR-mediated genetic incompatibility in plants" was published on July 17 in Molecular Cell, a peer-reviewed journal affiliated with Cell. The project was jointly led by Professor Song of KAIST and Professor Choi Eun-young at Oxford. Co-first authors include Dr. Kim and Dr. Wei-Lin Wan of the National University of Singapore. KAIST Ph.D. student Kim Na-yoon is listed as the second author. The work was supported by KAIST’s Grand Challenge 30 initiative. 2025-07-23 17:34:42

Sejong mayor presses for capital relocation, says structural reform is urgent SEOUL, July 22 (AJP) - On Tuesday, Sejong City Mayor Choi Min-ho called for the full relocation of South Korea's presidential office and National Assembly to Sejong, saying that completing the city’s role as an administrative capital is essential to resolving regional imbalance and improving government efficiency. "Sejong and the completion of the administrative capital are not merely political issues but matters of Korea's future strategy," Choi said during a briefing hosted by the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club. "This embodies the public values of national competitiveness, regional integration and improving the quality of citizens' lives." The plan to relocate the capital was first announced in 2002 but was blocked by a Constitutional Court ruling in 2004. As a result, Sejong was launched in 2012 as a multifunctional administrative city. Since then, it has developed into a key policy center. Today, Sejong is home to 47 central government agencies, 16 ministries, more than 50 public institutions and major national research institutes. Its population has grown from 70,000 to over 390,000, with an average age of 37.6 years, the lowest in the country. It also ranks near the top in birth rate nationwide. Still, Choi said inefficiencies persist due to the continued presence of major state institutions in Seoul. "Annual travel expenses between Seoul and Sejong for official duties are estimated at 60 to 70 billion won," he said. "This figure only accounts for official budget spending, not personal costs." Although a new National Assembly complex is under construction in Sejong and 11 of the Assembly’s 17 standing committees are scheduled to move, Choi stressed that relocating the presidential office is necessary to complete the transition and reduce the excessive concentration of resources in the capital region. Choi also urged broader structural reforms. He called for the decentralization of high-quality jobs and elite universities, pointing out that over 90 percent of people moving to the Seoul area are young. He proposed relocating parts of Seoul National University to the provinces and restructuring Korea Polytechnic University into an international institution based in Sejong. He said Sejong should take on the country's core administrative functions, while Seoul should be cultivated as a global city for diplomacy, finance and culture. Referring to the Goryeo dynasty's historical system of "three capitals," he added that Pyongyang could eventually serve as a third capital after reunification. Choi called for constitutional reform. He proposed a bicameral legislature and a dual executive system where a prime minister oversees domestic affairs and the president focuses on diplomacy, national defense and unification. "South Korea is at a singularity," he said. "The problems we face cannot be solved by existing methods alone." 2025-07-22 19:14:32

[[K-pop]] Netflix animation 'K-pop Demon Hunters' tops global streaming chart, fuels real-world fandom SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - The animated Netflix film K-pop Demon Hunters continues to dominate globally, reaching No. 1 on FlixPatrol's "TOP 10 on Streaming in the World" on July 20. The film, which premiered on June 20, led daily VOD rankings across 941 platforms in 167 countries, including Netflix and Amazon. Blending K-pop stardom with supernatural action, the film centers on two fictional idol groups, Huntrix and Saja Boys, who double as demon slayers while dominating the music scene. Despite being entirely fictional, the characters have gained a massive global following, with original songs from the film going viral and fan-made content flooding social media platforms. The impact has been especially visible in streaming numbers. Since the film's release, K-pop tracks featured in the movie have seen a surge in online plays, with new listeners joining from regions where K-pop had limited reach until now. Merchandise sales have also spiked, with character-themed apparel, posters, and soundtracks selling out in multiple markets. Viewers have shared stories of watching the film repeatedly with family members, especially younger audiences who were drawn to dynamic animation and catchy songs. The film's success also highlights the rising influence of virtual idols and AI-enhanced entertainment in South Korea. Mysteri, a masked member of Saja Boys, whose solo track from the film became a viral hit. The singer behind the voice, Kevin Woo, was later seen performing the song with children, a moment that further cemented the emotional connection between fans and these virtual stars. 2025-07-21 15:13:54

S. Korea's security chief visits Washington for urgent talks as tariff deadline approaches SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - South Korea's National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac has arrived in Washington, D.C. on Sunday (local time), returning just 11 days after his previous trip, to prevent a looming trade conflict with the United States and finalize plans for a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump. South Korean officials predict that Wi will meet U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio, who also serves as National Security Advisor. Wi's visit comes ahead of the August 1 deadline, when the U.S. is set to impose a 25 percent tariff on South Korean imports unless a new agreement is reached. Trump had released a letter addressed to Lee earlier this month, warning that South Korean goods would face steep tariffs unless trade terms were changed. "South Korea is making a lot of money, and they're very good, they're very good, but, you know, they should be paying for their own military," Trump said during a cabinet meeting at the White House on July 8. His remarks were interpreted in Seoul as an attempt to link trade negotiations with security issues, including defense cost‑sharing. Officials believe that Wi's trip is aimed at reaching a last-minute understanding to avoid what South Korea sees as a "tariff bomb." During his earlier visit in early July, Wi and Rubio reportedly agreed on the need for an early summit between Lee and Trump, though no date was set. 2025-07-21 14:50:31

Police find homemade bomb at suspect's home after fatal gun attack SEOUL, July 21 (AJP) - Police on Monday raided the home of a man in his 60s who had fatally shot his son the night before, retrieving a homemade explosive device. The suspect is now being questioned in connection with the rare firearm-related homicide, an unusual occurrence in South Korea, where private gun ownership is strictly regulated. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, on July 21, a special operations team was dispatched to the suspect's apartment in northeastern Seoul, where they found and safely dismantled improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The materials included gasoline and paint thinner, rigged to a timer. The operation followed a confession from the suspect during police questioning that he had planted explosives in his residence. Authorities evacuated all 106 residents from the building and the nearby area before entering the apartment. Police said the explosives were neutralized at approximately 4:24 a.m. The suspect had been on the run after allegedly shooting his son, a man in his 30s, at an apartment in the western port city of Incheon around 9:30 p.m. Sunday. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterward. Gun-related crimes are extremely rare in South Korea, where civilian ownership of firearms is tightly controlled. Handguns and rifles are generally prohibited without special authorization, and most legal firearms, such as hunting rifles, are kept at police stations. The use of both a homemade firearm and explosives in this case has drawn widespread public concern and prompted a swift response from authorities. 2025-07-21 10:11:47

KAIST and Yoshua Bengio develop breakthrough to make AI diffusion models 100 times faster SEOUL, July 20 (AJP) - A research team at South Korea’s prestigious research institution KAIST, in collaboration with renowned artificial intelligence scholar Yoshua Bengio from the University of Montreal, has developed a technique that significantly accelerates the performance of AI diffusion models while maintaining high output quality. The new method addresses one of the biggest barriers to deploying diffusion models in real-time applications such as robotics and decision-making systems. KAIST said on Sunday that the project was led by Professor Ahn Sung-jin from KAIST’s School of Computing was carried out through the KAIST-MILA Prefrontal AI Joint Research Center collaboration project. Diffusion models, widely used in AI for tasks like image and text generation, are known for their slow inference speed, which has limited their real-world utility in time-sensitive systems. The research team tackled this issue by introducing an inference approach based on Monte Carlo Tree Search, a strategy often used in game AI to explore decision paths. By modeling the generation process as a tree and strategically narrowing down the most promising paths, the method was able to produce high-quality outputs using limited computational resources. It also achieved a 100 percent success rate in a large-scale maze-solving task, a benchmark that previous models consistently failed to complete. The study was presented as a Spotlight paper at the 2025 International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), held in Vancouver from July. 13 to 19. Spotlight papers are selected from the top 2.6 percent of all submissions, reflecting the technical significance and novelty of the work. While the initial version of the model demonstrated impressive accuracy, its speed remained a challenge. To address this, the team conducted follow-up research to parallelize the tree search algorithm, dramatically boosting its efficiency. The revised model achieved inference speeds up to 100 times faster than previous versions, with no loss in performance. "This study fundamentally breaks through the high computational cost barrier of conventional diffusion models," said Ahn Sung-jin. "We expect the technique to serve as a core technology across various domains, from intelligent robotics and simulation-based planning to real-time generative AI." The research was led by Ph.D. candidate Yoon Jae-sik, with contributions from Cho Hyeon-seo, Baek Doo-jin, Bengio, and Ahn. The results were published in two papers. The first, titled Monte Carlo Tree Diffusion for System 2 Planning, was authored by Yoon Jae-sik, Cho Hyeon-seo, Baek Doo-jin, Yoshua Bengio, and Ahn Sung-jin. The second paper, Fast Monte Carlo Tree Diffusion: 100x Speedup via Parallel Sparse Planning, was co-authored by Yoon Jae-sik, Cho Hyeon-seo, Yoshua Bengio, and Ahn Sung-jin. Both were posted on the preprint server arXiv. The study was supported by the National Research Foundation of South Korea. 2025-07-20 14:58:57

Viet Nam's top leader To Lam to visit South Korea for summit with President Lee SEOUL, July 16 (AJP) - General Secretary To Lam, the top-ranking official in Viet Nam's Communist Party, is set to visit South Korea in August for a summit with President Lee Jae-myung, diplomatic sources confirmed Wednesday. Lam is expected to arrive on August 10. Both sides are now working to schedule a summit meeting for the following day, August 11. This will be Lam's first visit to South Korea and the first by a Vietnamese general secretary in 11 years, following Nguyen Phu Trong’s trip in 2014. During the summit, President Lee and General Secretary Lam are expected to explore ways to expand bilateral cooperation in strategic sectors, including high-speed rail and nuclear power. The talks will be framed under the two countries' existing comprehensive strategic partnership. On July 4, Lam and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong sent a joint message congratulating President Lee on his election and inauguration. "We look forward to enhancing the relationship between Viet Nam and South Korea in a more practical, effective, and comprehensive way," the message read. "This will serve the interests of both peoples and contribute to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and around the world. We are ready to work with President Lee and the Republic of Korea to make that happen." President Cuong followed up with a phone call on June 12, less than two weeks after Lee took office. During the call, he wished President Lee a successful term. Thuong was the fifth foreign head of state to speak with Lee after calls from U.S. President Donald Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. President Lee noted the progress in bilateral relations since diplomatic ties were established in 1992. He pointed to growth in trade, investment, and human exchanges, and expressed hope for deeper cooperation under the comprehensive strategic partnership. President Cuong welcomed Lee’s remarks and emphasized Viet Nam’s interest in strengthening ties with South Korea, calling it a trusted and essential partner in Viet Nam’s economic development and modernization. Both leaders agreed to advance cooperation in strategic industries such as high-speed transportation and energy. President Lee also requested support for South Korean businesses operating in Viet Nam. President Thuong responded positively. Cuong invited Lee to visit Viet Nam. Lee said he looked forward to the visit and added that he hoped for continued high-level exchanges between the two countries, including through forums such as APEC. 2025-07-16 16:45:26