Journalist
Kim Dae-sik
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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KAIST develops AI that learns across hospitals and banks without sharing private data SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - KAIST researchers have created a new kind of artificial intelligence that can learn from multiple institutions, like hospitals and banks, without ever sharing personal information. The technology is based on "federated learning," a method where different organizations train a shared AI model using their own data locally instead of sending it all to one place. The team led by Professor Park Chan-young from KAIST's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering found a way to fix a major weakness in existing federated learning systems. Normally, when each institution adjusts the shared AI model to fit its own environment, the AI becomes too specialized and loses its ability to handle new situations. This problem, called "local overfitting," makes the AI less useful outside of one organization's data. For example, if several banks develop a shared AI for loan evaluations and one bank fine-tunes it using only large corporate customer data, the AI might work well for those clients but perform poorly when reviewing small business or personal loans. To solve this, Professor Park's team used a method called "synthetic data." Instead of using actual personal data, they created artificial datasets that imitate key patterns found in the real data but do not contain any private information. This allows each organization to fine-tune the AI for its own use while keeping privacy intact and maintaining the AI's ability to generalize across different data sources. Tests showed that this method worked well not only for secure fields like healthcare and finance but also for fast-changing areas such as social media and online shopping. The AI kept its performance stable even when new institutions joined or when the data environment changed quickly. Professor Park said the research offers a new approach for developing AI that protects privacy without giving up performance. He said it could help fields like medical diagnostics and financial fraud detection, where sharing sensitive data has always been difficult. The study was led by graduate student Kim Sung-won, with Professor Park as the corresponding author. Their paper, titled "Subgraph Federated Learning for Local Generalization," was presented at the International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) 2025 in Singapore, one of the world's leading AI conferences. It was selected as an oral presentation, an honor given to only about 1.8 percent of papers submitted. 2025-10-15 15:54:11 -
Nami Island hosts "Peru Week" showcasing Peruvian art, music, and traditions SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - Nami Island in Gangwon Province turned into a lively cultural hub last month as it hosted "Peru Week," a weeklong event celebrating the art, heritage, and traditions of the South American country. Organized in partnership with the Embassy of Peru in South Korea, the program ran from September 20 to 28 and attracted thousands of visitors, both Korean and international. Held during the island's peak autumn season, when an average of 12,000 visitors arrive each day and nearly 20,000 on weekends, the festival offered a mix of performances, exhibitions, and hands-on experiences. Guests were invited to explore Peru's cultural and natural diversity through dance shows, music, art displays, and interactive workshops designed for all ages. During the opening ceremony, Paul Duclos, the Ambassador of Peru to South Korea, joined the CEO of Nami Island Arts & Education to welcome guests. "We are delighted to see the beauty and diversity of Peru shared with Korean and international audiences in such a meaningful setting," the ambassador said. The ceremony was followed by lively performances from the Peruvian Cultural Association C.I.D.A.N. "Mi Perú" and the music ensemble "Peru Latin," filling the island with the rhythms of traditional Peruvian sounds. Peruvian flags and banners decorated the island's main entrances, walkways, and ferry docks throughout the week, creating a colorful display of friendship between Peru and South Korea. Visitors took part in family-friendly activities such as painting tote bags with Peruvian motifs, coloring traditional patterns, and playing simple versions of classic Peruvian games. Local Korean groups also joined in, performing Latin-inspired music to add to the festive mood. One of the highlights was the exhibition "Treasures of Peru: The Amazon Rainforest," held at Paz Gallery. The show featured vivid images of Peru's Amazonian landscapes, wildlife, and communities, including "Portraits of My Blood," a photography series by David Díaz portraying the Shipibo-Konibo people of the Amazon region. The HEI School Nami Island, part of the Helsinki International Schools network, also held a special educational session on September 27. Students learned about Peru's geography, culture, and biodiversity through interactive activities, baking alfajores, and decorating Ayacucho retablos, dolls, and bags with designs inspired by Machu Picchu, Pucará bulls, and alpacas. The event wrapped up with live performances by Peruvian musician Ángel Puma, who played traditional melodies that drew crowds across the island and offered visitors a memorable glimpse of Peru's cultural identity. 2025-10-15 12:07:36 -
Kathakali performance opens 11th Sarang Festival in Seoul SEOUL, October 15 (AJP) - The 11th edition of Sarang: The Festival of India in Korea opened on Tuesday evening with a dazzling Kathakali performance at Ewha Womans University's Samsung Hall in Seoul. Around 300 people from South Korea, India, and other countries filled the hall, their attention drawn to the vibrant rhythms and colorful movement unfolding on stage. The air was alive with music as the deep beat of drums, the clash of cymbals, and the resonant chanting of singers created a soundscape that carried the audience into another world. Dancers, dressed in ornate costumes with intricate face paint and towering headpieces, moved with precision and grace. Each gesture and expression told part of an age-old story, weaving emotion and mythology into a single flow. The performance was led by the renowned artist Sreenathan Sreenatha Mandiram and his troupe, invited by the Embassy of India in Seoul to mark the start of this year's Sarang Festival. In his opening remarks, Chargé d'Affaires Shri Nishi Kant Singh described Sarang as "a celebration of mankind's love for life and a reflection of the diversity that the world represents." He also spoke about the enduring cultural ties between India and South Korea, tracing back to the legend of Queen Heo Hwang-ok of Ayodhya and the historical Buddhist exchanges that followed. Kathakali, which emerged in the southern Indian state of Kerala in the 17th century, is one of India's most distinctive classical dance traditions. The art form combines dance, drama, music, and mime, using elaborate gestures and facial expressions instead of spoken dialogue. The stories are usually drawn from the Hindu epics—the Ramayana and the Mahabharata—and are performed through stylized movements accompanied by live percussion and song. Following the Seoul performance, the troupe will continue its tour with shows in Kunsan, Nami Island, Busan, and Miryang, as well as workshops for local dance students. The Sarang Festival, organized annually by the Embassy of India in collaboration with Korean partners, will feature a range of cultural events across South Korea throughout the season. 2025-10-15 10:10:20 -
Korea's top delivery operator Woowa takes in No. 1 industrial accident claim infamy with pride SEOUL, October 14 (AJP) - Woowa Youths, the logistics arm of Woowa Brothers, operator of South Korea's largest food delivery platform Baemin, remains atop the corporate rank on industrial accident insurance claims, but admits the infamy with grace rather than excuse. According to Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service data provided to Democratic Party lawmaker Park Hae-cheol, Woowa Youths filed 1,135 industrial accident claims as of August this year, with 1,071 approved—a 94 percent approval rate. While the numbers suggest the company has achieved top accident statistics for the fourth consecutive year, Woowa officials say the data tell a different story. "There are around 480,000 to 500,000 active riders nationwide, which is far larger than the workforce of any single industry," a Woowa Youths official told AJP on Tuesday. "Our rate of accidents per 1,000 riders has actually been dropping every year. What you’re seeing is a reflection of our scale and the fact that we don’t reject claims. We accept nearly every rider’s application." In industries like construction or manufacturing, industrial accident claims are often met with resistance from employers who fear the financial or reputational fallout. Delivery riders, on the other hand, work as independent contractors and are free to file claims themselves, resulting in a naturally higher volume of applications. Company figures show that the overall accident rate among riders has dropped by more than half, from 2.93 percent in 2022 to 1.38 percent in 2024. Woowa Youths attributes this steady decline to the Baemin Rider School, a safety education program the company has operated since 2018. Originally located in Namyangju, a satellite city of Seoul, the school moved this year to a larger, purpose-built facility in Hanam City, east of the capital. Construction was completed in September, and the new site will begin full-scale operations in November. The training center offers real-world riding simulations and defensive driving courses for delivery workers. More than 20,000 riders have completed the program so far. Woowa Brothers, which dominates South Korea's food delivery market with a 58.7 percent share as of May 2025, according to pollster IGAWorks' Mobile Index, was the first in the industry to voluntarily provide industrial accident insurance to riders starting in 2015, years before it became mandatory by law. The company says its priority remains the safety and well-being of delivery workers, even as competition in the market intensifies. "We believe rider protection is not just a legal duty but a responsibility," the official said. "Education, safety investment, and fair compensation are what will make the delivery industry sustainable." 2025-10-14 15:08:50 -
Kazakhstan taps South Korea as key partner for its national drive towards digital powerhouse SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - Kazakhstan, the Central Asian hub eager to break away from its raw materials-based economy, is turning to South Korea as a strategic partner in its ambitious push to become a global digital and artificial intelligence powerhouse. A high-profile government delegation will visit Seoul this week to present Kazakhstan’s institutional and systemic transformation, highlighting the Alatau Smart City project as its flagship initiative. “Kazakhstan has focused heavily on digital transformation,” said Nurgali Arystanov, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to South Korea, in an interview with AJP ahead of the Alatau Rise with Kazakhstan forum in Seoul on October 15–16. “Every ministry now has a department of information technology, and most administrative work is handled digitally. This shows how serious we are about building a digital society.” The envoy pointed to the shared aspirations of Astana (formerly Nur-Sultan) and Seoul to become global digital leaders. He said Kazakhstan’s digital strategy aligns closely with South Korea’s national drive under President Lee Jae Myung to integrate AI into public services. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced last month an ambitious goal to transform Kazakhstan into a fully digital nation within three years by embedding AI across all sectors. His administration recently launched the Ministry of AI and Digital Development to spearhead the initiative. “Both our countries are working toward the same goal — to make people’s lives better through technology,” Arystanov said. Located 47 kilometers north of Almaty, the Alatau Smart City is designed as a next-generation urban model integrating artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, green energy, water-saving systems, and urban air mobility, with plans for an international airport. The Kazakh government has looked to Shenzhen and other global innovation hubs for inspiration, seeking foreign investment through special legal status and generous tax incentives. “Alatau City is not just a construction project,” Arystanov said. “It represents a new way of living — sustainable, smart, and connected. We see Korea as a natural partner because of its advanced technology and our long-standing trust.” Kazakhstan sees Korea as an ideal partner for its digital transition, backed by a robust oil-based economy growing by five to six percent annually and a highly digital-literate workforce that makes up 60 percent of its 18 million people. South Korea is already Kazakhstan’s third-largest investor after Russia and the Netherlands, with some 876 Korean-capital companies operating in the country, according to the ambassador. Tourism and people-to-people exchanges are also on the rise, with weekly flight connections between Seoul, Busan, Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent now averaging 20 services — a 20 percent increase from last year. The Seoul forum aims to elevate bilateral economic ties to a new level. The delegation includes senior officials from Kazakhstan’s ministries of economy, land, transport, infrastructure, investment, and digital development, who plan to detail investment incentives, tax breaks, and supportive measures such as 30-day visa-free entry and English-language accessibility through the Astana International Financial Center’s common law framework. Historic ties also reinforce the partnership. Kazakhstan is home to about 120,000 ethnic Koreans, a community that continues to serve as a bridge between the two nations. On September 23, the Kazakhstan-Korea Friendship Association was launched in Seoul under Kwak Young Kil, chairman of Aju Media Corporation, as a platform for cultural, tourism, sports, and business exchanges. Academic and research cooperation is also expanding, with Kazakhstan’s education minister recently visiting Korean universities and encouraging Korean firms to consider establishing R&D centers in Kazakhstan. 2025-10-14 08:00:00 -
IAA Korea, Clebus team up to digitize art through NFTs SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - IAA Korea, the Korean branch of the International Association of Art (IAA), has signed a partnership with NFT technology company Clebus to push the art industry into the digital era and expand the global reach of K-art. The agreement marks a rare collaboration between a traditional fine arts institution and a blockchain firm, signaling a growing recognition of NFT technology in the global art world. The signing ceremony took place on September 24 in Seoul’s Jongno district. IAA Korea and Clebus agreed to work together to develop new business models for both the domestic and international art markets. Their plan covers not only painting and sculpture but also illustration, animation, and accessory design, transforming these into NFT-based content for exhibition, sale, and rental. IAA Korea President Lee Kwang-soo, who also serves as a board member of the IAA headquarters in Paris, said he expects the partnership to serve as "an important turning point for the global art market." The two sides plan to focus on creating an NFT-linked art trading platform while developing joint revenue models such as pre- and post-purchase arrangements and consignment sales. IAA Korea has invited Clebus to the IAA World General Assembly set for October 29 and is preparing to extend the partnership to the IAA’s Paris headquarters to strengthen global cooperation. One of the most eye-catching outcomes of the agreement is that Clebus’s art characters have been designated as official mascots of the IAA. It is an unusual move for a K-character to represent an international art organization, and both sides see it as a key step toward promoting K-art on the global stage. Clebus said it hopes the two characters will "grow into globally beloved K-characters, following the success of 'Kpop Demon Hunters.'" Founded in 2019, Clebus is a technology firm that has expanded into blockchain services. Since 2022, the company has provided NFT certification and membership platforms to luxury brands such as Hansung Motor, an official Mercedes-Benz dealer in South Korea, demonstrating its technical expertise and market experience. The collaboration between IAA Korea’s international network and Clebus’s NFT technology is expected to accelerate the digital transformation of South Korea’s art scene and open new opportunities for K-art in global markets. 2025-10-13 17:44:01 -
Sookmyung startup Labincube brings Nobel-winning material into everyday use SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - A startup from Sookmyung Women's University has brought a Nobel Prize-winning scientific material into people’s daily lives. Labincube, founded by Professor Choi Kyung-min from the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, became the first company to use Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) materials in consumer products such as air purifiers and cosmetic fillers. Professor Choi previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of UC Berkeley Professor Omar Yaghi, one of this year's Nobel Prize winners in chemistry. Building on that connection, Labincube, a subsidiary of Sookmyung’s technology holdings company, signed a technical advisory agreement with Professor Yaghi and succeeded in commercializing MOF-based products in 2024 for the first time anywhere in the world. MOFs are porous materials that can selectively trap or separate specific molecules through tiny openings. They have mainly been used in fields like petrochemicals and semiconductors, but Labincube found a way to adapt them for consumer use, expanding their reach into home appliances, beauty products, and biotechnology. In the home appliance sector, the company worked with LG Electronics to apply MOF materials to air purifiers that remove harmful gases and odors more effectively. In the beauty field, it incorporates MOFs into fillers and skin boosters to improve product stability and performance. Labincube is also developing environmental products that remove moisture and carbon dioxide from the air, as well as bio-materials that could replace antibiotics and antihistamines. The company’s progress led to its selection for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' "Baby Unicorn" program this year, which supports promising early-stage startups. Shin Ji-young, head of Sookmyung's Office of Industry-Academic Cooperation, said the achievement shows how the university's startup system can link world-class scientific research with technologies that improve daily life. She noted that as Sookmyung approaches its 120th anniversary in 2026, it is continuing to evolve as a research-driven university that connects basic science with practical innovation. Professor Choi said that Nobel-winning science often feels distant from everyday experience, but MOF technology is different. It is already being used in air purifiers and bio-materials, he said, adding that it is meaningful that a South Korean university startup was the first in the world to make this possible. 2025-10-13 17:25:29 -
KAIST launches nationwide campaign to share failures on International Day of Failure SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - KAIST has launched a national campaign inviting people to share their everyday mistakes to mark the International Day of Failure on October 13, highlighting the idea that failure is the starting point of innovation and challenge. "Failure should not be feared. A culture that accepts it is the basis of creativity and progress," said KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung. "Even for just one day, I hope everyone will recall a small failure they experienced and share it with others. That moment can become the starting point for a new challenge." The International Day of Failure began in 2010 when students at Finland's Aalto University started a movement built on the message, "Failure is part of challenge. Let's respect it." The idea gained wide support during Finland's economic slump following Nokia's decline and later spread to Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Since establishing the Institute for Failure Studies in 2021, KAIST has seen a visible shift in how its members view setbacks. A survey conducted in December 2024 showed that 73.9 percent of KAIST members said the university encourages new challenges, more than double the national average of 35.6 percent. Fifty-two percent said KAIST is tolerant toward failure, compared with 20.5 percent in South Korean society. More than 80 percent of respondents said the institute's programs had helped improve resilience and flexibility. To encourage participation, Lee shared a personal story on social media about being turned down while seeking donations. "One of the key duties of a university president is fundraising. I often meet potential donors, but most of them say no. Each time I walk away, the back of my head burns with embarrassment," he wrote. "Still, I take a break, then meet someone new the next day. My job is a series of failures, but I have decided not to feel ashamed of them. I believe it might give courage to those who hesitate to try something themselves." The Institute for Failure Studies also released simple ideas for people to join the campaign, such as sharing "today's failure" with family or friends, posting short stories online, or turning mistakes into memes. Director Cho Sung-ho said even small acts of openness can shift people's views about failure. "Just talking lightly about failure can change the way people see it. KAIST members show twice the level of acceptance toward failure compared with the general public because of this culture," he said. Since its founding, the institute has organized programs such as the Failed Project Showcase, failure essay contests, and the Failure Photovoice exhibition to encourage open discussion about mistakes. It has conducted a biennial survey since 2022 to track changes in awareness. This year, the institute plans to expand its activities nationwide. One new initiative, the AI×Failure Idea Contest, invites university students to present creative ways to learn from mistakes. The top ten teams will present their ideas at the Failure Conference to be held at KAIST on November 7. Lee said KAIST will continue to promote a culture that reflects on and shares failure as a part of everyday life. 2025-10-13 08:25:57 -
North Korean leader calls for internal purge ahead of ruling party anniversary SEOUL, October 09 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to root out acts that damage the authority of the Workers' Party of Korea, warning that such behavior must be "identified and eliminated." His remarks came on Wednesday, a day before the 80th anniversary of the party’s founding, during a visit to the Party Founding Museum in Pyongyang. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim said the party's longevity — the longest in the history of socialist movements — stems from its commitment to ideological and leadership unity. "The fundamental secret to our Party's long rule lies in directing everything toward ensuring the unity of its thought and leadership," he said. Kim said the WPK had strengthened itself through a series of internal "self-purification" campaigns, including "the struggle against factions" that began after the Korean War. He said those movements allowed the party to become "a more combative and leading political organization." He also called for tighter discipline among officials. "We must identify and eliminate all elements and acts that damage the Party's leadership authority," Kim said, stressing the need to establish "strict discipline and a healthy climate of order" within the organization. He urged senior cadres to wipe out "ignorance, incompetence, irresponsibility, self-protection, formalism, expediency, and abuses of power" that harm socialism and the people's trust. Kim added that officials carry "a very heavy and important responsibility" in what he described as a new stage of national development. "When we look at our ideals and goals, we must change at a much faster speed than now," he said. "We must boldly and devotedly transform every field, every sector, and every region within the next ten years." KCNA called Kim’s remarks a "significant and immortal revolutionary program" that sets the direction for the next decade of party and state policy. 2025-10-09 15:26:56 -
KAIST-incubated startup exports epilepsy drug technology worth $528 million SEOUL, October 09 (AJP) - A startup founded by KAIST professor Lee Jung-ho has licensed out an experimental RNA-based drug for hard-to-treat epilepsy in a deal valued at about 750 billion won ($529 million), the university said Thursday. Sovargen, co-founded by Lee and biotech entrepreneur Park Chul-won, signed an exclusive option agreement with Italy's Angelini Pharma for global development and commercialization of a first-in-class antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy aimed at intractable epilepsy. The deal includes upfront, milestone, and potential royalty payments worth about 550 million dollars in total. Angelini Pharma will handle development and commercialization, while Sovargen retains certain rights in parts of Asia, excluding South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The licensed compound, code-named SVG105, targets mutations in the mTOR gene, known to play a key role in severe epilepsy that does not respond to existing drugs. Lee's research team at KAIST earlier identified that acquired mutations in brain stem cells—called brain somatic mutations—can trigger intractable epilepsy and malignant brain tumors. The discovery was published in Nature in 2015 and Nature Medicine in 2018. After that, Lee teamed up with Sovargen CEO Park Chul-won to develop RNA-based therapies that could suppress those mutations. The agreement marks one of the few cases in South Korea where basic academic research has led to a global technology transfer for a new drug. "This achievement was made possible entirely by the strength of South Korean science, from identifying the cause of disease to developing a new therapy and exporting the technology globally," said Sovargen senior researcher Park Sang-min, a KAIST graduate. Lee said KAIST's research environment made such progress possible. "While most medical schools focus on patient care, KAIST promotes innovation and industrialization. That allowed us to achieve both fundamental discoveries and successful technology transfer," he said. KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung said the outcome reflects the school's goal of bridging basic science and industry. "This is a representative example of how our philosophy of moving 'from basic to industry' has taken shape in medical science. KAIST will continue to drive innovation that contributes to human health and the future bioindustry," he said. Experts say the deal gives new hope to patients who have run out of treatment options and shows that South Korea's biomedical research and startups are gaining ground on the global stage. 2025-10-09 14:13:46