Cold wave grips South Korea SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - Bitter Artic air gripped South Korea Friday, sending temperatures in Seoul and elsewhere well below freezing and triggering widespread weather alerts. The mercury fell to as low as minus 17.6 degrees Celsius (0.3 degrees Fahrenheit) as of 5 a.m. and will stay subzero for most of the day. 2025-12-26 11:26:53

Seoul to decide whether to lift ban on North Korean state media access The South Korean government is weighing whether to allow public access to North Korea's state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun and, more broadly, to ease restrictions on North Korean websites, as part of a policy review led by the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The issue will be discussed at a Cabinet-level meeting on Friday involving officials from the NIS, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Korea Communications Commission. Under current law, most North Korean publications are classified as "special materials" under Article 7 of the National Security Act of 1970. The designation bans public access to materials deemed to promote or praise North Korea's political system or deny South Korea's democratic order. According to Democratic Party lawmaker Youn Kun-young, a member of the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, the NIS has notified lawmakers that it is reviewing whether to reclassify Rodong Sinmun at the request of the Ministry of Unification. The move follows remarks by President Lee Jae Myung during a recent government briefing by the unification ministry last week, in which he said South Koreans should not be treated as incapable of distinguishing propaganda from facts. He argued that the public should be trusted to exercise judgment rather than be shielded through blanket restrictions. In a report to the National Assembly, the NIS said it is "positively considering expanding access to North Korean websites" in order to strengthen the public's right to know and promote inter-Korean exchange. The agency also said it plans to cooperate with two bills currently under review by the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee that would establish a legal framework for the management and use of North Korean materials. At present, nearly 90 percent of all North Korean publications are classified as "special materials," making them inaccessible to the general public. Access is granted only with special approval from the Ministry of Unification and is limited to supervised viewing on designated computers at the Unification Education Institute. Ordinary users attempting to visit North Korean websites typically encounter a notice stating that the content is blocked as illegal or harmful. As part of the policy shift, the NIS has also decided to abolish its existing internal guidelines on North Korean materials and transfer authority over their management to the Ministry of Unification, signaling a broader institutional realignment in how such content is regulated. 2025-12-26 10:32:48

Samsung moves to develop in-house GPU for next-generation AI devices SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - Samsung Electronics plans to introduce its first fully in-house graphics processing unit (GPU) as part of a new Exynos application processor scheduled for release in 2027, marking a major step in the company’s efforts to strengthen control over on-device AI performance. According to industry sources on Thursday, Samsung’s System LSI division is developing a proprietary GPU architecture to be integrated into the tentatively named Exynos 2800. This would shift Samsung away from its long-running reliance on partner technologies such as AMD’s graphics architecture, which the company currently uses in its Exynos 2600 chip. The push reflects the growing centrality of GPUs in the AI era. GPUs handle parallel processing for graphics, video, gaming and neural-network operations, and serve as auxiliary accelerators to on-device NPUs. Optimizing GPU behavior for Samsung’s own software and hardware is seen as increasingly critical as devices adopt more advanced generative-AI features. Industry officials say the company’s U.S. semiconductor research organizations — including Samsung Austin Research Center and the Advanced Computing Lab — have recruited senior GPU engineers in recent years in preparation for full in-house development. Samsung has also sought to strengthen its design capabilities to compete with global GPU leaders such as Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Apple and Qualcomm. By internalizing GPU technology, Samsung aims to extend its AI ecosystem beyond smartphones to emerging form factors such as smart glasses, autonomous-vehicle infotainment systems and humanoid robotics. The in-house GPU is also expected to support the company’s longer-term ambitions in ASIC development, where customized chips are designed for external clients. A successful rollout would represent a milestone for Samsung’s System LSI business, bringing the unit closer to competing as a top-tier fabless player in advanced AI silicon design. 2025-12-26 10:29:25

BTS Jimin extends record with 120th week atop Spotify South Korea artist chart SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - Jimin of BTS has set a new record on Spotify South Korea's weekly artist chart, marking his 120th week at number one. According to data released by the streaming platform for the week of December 18, the singer remains at the top of the "Weekly Top Artists" chart. He is the first and only artist to reach the 120-week milestone since the chart's inception. The singer's run at the top is also reflected in the daily rankings. As of December 22, Jimin has held the number one spot on the "Daily Top Artists" chart in South Korea for 823 days. His solo catalog continues to see high engagement on the platform. "Who," the lead single from his second solo album "MUSE," has now spent 69 weeks at number one on the "Weekly Top Songs" chart in South Korea. This extends its record as the longest-running number one in the history of the domestic chart. His previous lead single, "Like Crazy" from the album "FACE," holds the second-highest record with 40 weeks at the top. As of December 22, "Who" has maintained the number one position on the "Daily Top Songs" chart for 485 consecutive days. The track is currently the most-streamed song on the Spotify South Korea chart, with more than 87 million filtered streams. Jimin has reached the top of the daily singles chart with five different songs, including "Set Me Free Pt.2," "Angel Pt.1," and the English version of "Like Crazy." Collectively, these tracks have earned him 789 days at number one on the "Daily Top Songs" chart. This total is more than five times the 152 days recorded by his group, BTS, which holds the second-highest number of days at the top of the South Korean daily song chart. 2025-12-26 09:13:07

KAIST researchers discover security flaw in architecture used by Google Gemini SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - Researchers have identified a critical security vulnerability in the "Mixture-of-Experts" architecture used by major artificial intelligence models such as Google Gemini. The study reveals that a single "malicious expert" hidden within an AI's internal structure can bypass safety filters, increasing the rate of harmful responses from zero to 80 percent. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on December 26 that a joint research team led by Professor Shin Seung-won and Professor Son Sooel has identified this new threat. Their research received the Distinguished Paper Award at the Annual Computer Security Applications Conference 2025 (ACSAC), a prestigious global forum for information security. Modern large language models often use a system called Mixture-of-Experts to save computing power. Instead of one giant AI handling every request, the system acts like a manager that routes specific questions to a group of smaller, specialized "experts." This allows the AI to be faster and more efficient by only activating the experts needed for a specific task. The KAIST team demonstrated that this efficiency creates a dangerous loophole. Because many AI developers use "open-source" parts shared by others, an attacker can distribute a single maliciously trained expert model. If this "bad" expert is integrated into a larger AI, it can take over whenever certain topics are mentioned. The researchers found that even if only one expert among many is compromised, it can force the entire AI to produce dangerous or restricted content. This attack is particularly difficult to detect because it does not slow down the AI or break its general logic. The model continues to function normally for most tasks, but when the specific "poisoned" expert is called upon, the success rate of the attack jumps from 0 percent to as high as 80 percent. This means an AI that appears safe during standard testing could still be manipulated into generating harmful outputs. "We have confirmed that the Mixture-of-Experts structure, which is spreading rapidly for its efficiency, can become a new security threat," Professor Shin Seung-won and Professor Son Sooel said in a joint statement. They emphasized that as the industry moves toward shared AI development, verifying the origin and safety of individual expert models is now essential for public safety. The award-winning research was presented on December 12 at ACSAC 2025 in Hawaii. The team included Kim Jae-han, Song Min-gyu, and Na Seung-ho. The study was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA), and the Institute of Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP). 2025-12-26 08:36:41

Park Chan-wook film No Other Choice opens in five US cities ahead of national release SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - Director Park Chan-wook's latest feature, "No Other Choice," opened in a limited release in five United States cities on December 25. Neon, the film's U.S. distributor, announced the Christmas Day opening via its website and social media channels. The film is currently screening in Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. According to the distributor, the release will expand nationwide in January. The film stars Lee Byung-hun as Man-su, a man who is suddenly laid off after 25 years of service at the same company. The plot follows his increasingly desperate and competitive efforts to secure a new position. Since its debut at the Venice International Film Festival, the film has gained significant traction on the international awards circuit. It won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Park Chan-wook was named Best Director at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain. The film currently holds a 99 percent critic score on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. It has also earned three Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language, and Best Actor for Lee Byung-hun. On December 16, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences included "No Other Choice" on the shortlist of 15 candidates for the Best International Feature Film category at the upcoming Oscars. The film is the South Korean director's first project since the 2022 romantic thriller "Decision to Leave." 2025-12-26 08:31:17

NYT: K-pop global peak raises questions about what comes next SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) -K-pop has never been more visible on the global stage, but its very success is now forcing a reckoning over where the genre goes next. A recent New York Times analysis argues that while K-pop has reached a new peak of cultural influence, it is also confronting structural limits that could shape its future trajectory. The paper points to the runaway success of KPop Demon Hunters, a Netflix animated film built around rival idol groups, as a symbol of K-pop’s full entry into the global mainstream. The film became one of the platform’s most-watched titles, with its soundtrack topping charts worldwide. For the Times, the phenomenon shows that K-pop has evolved from a niche export into a shared global cultural language. Yet the article quickly pivots from celebration to caution. Beneath the surface, it argues, K-pop is grappling with the constraints of the very system that made it successful. The genre’s highly centralized, top-down production model — long praised for efficiency and polish — now risks limiting creativity at a time when novelty has become harder to sustain. This tension is most clearly illustrated by the ongoing dispute involving NewJeans, which the Times describes as the most innovative K-pop group of recent years. The group’s conflict with its label, Ador, over creative control and workplace issues has effectively stalled its activities, even after a court upheld the validity of its contract. The episode has become a symbol of the broader dilemma facing the industry: how to reconcile artistic originality with corporate control. The article suggests that K-pop has entered a phase of saturation. Major groups continue to thrive commercially, but their musical frameworks are increasingly familiar. The industry’s ability to scale success remains intact, yet its capacity to surprise audiences is under strain. In this sense, K-pop resembles other mature global genres that must reinvent themselves to avoid stagnation. At the same time, the Times highlights emerging signs of transformation. New hybrid projects such as Katseye — formed through a partnership between Hybe and Geffen Records — point to a future in which K-pop functions less as a fixed genre and more as a flexible template. These groups borrow the training systems and visual language of K-pop while loosening its stylistic and linguistic boundaries. Beyond the mainstream, innovation is increasingly occurring outside the idol system. Independent and experimental Korean artists, often influenced by digital subcultures and hyperpop, are reworking K-pop’s aesthetics in more fragmented and unconventional ways. This shift suggests that creativity is migrating to the margins, even as the center remains commercially dominant. Ultimately, the New York Times frames K-pop as standing at a crossroads. Its global triumph is undeniable, but the next phase will depend on whether the industry can balance scale with experimentation, and control with creative freedom. The question is no longer whether K-pop can conquer the world — but whether it can reinvent itself after having done so. 2025-12-26 07:52:28

Ex-Korean president faces closing hearing of insurrection-related trials SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) -Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will face a closing hearing Friday in a criminal case accusing him of obstructing an arrest and infringing Cabinet members’ constitutional rights in connection with his declaration of martial law. The hearing, scheduled for 10:15 a.m. at the Seoul Central District Court, marks the first time one of four insurrection-related cases involving Yoon has reached the final stage of arguments. Legal observers say the outcome could serve as a bellwether for how the remaining trials may unfold. Criminal Division 35 will hear final arguments in the case charging Yoon with aggravated obstruction of official duties and related offenses. If proceedings move as scheduled, the court is expected to set a date for a first-instance verdict later in the day. The timing is notable, as a ruling could come just days before Yoon’s detention is set to expire on Jan. 18. Under the special counsel law governing insurrection-related cases, courts are required to deliver a first-trial verdict within six months of indictment. At a previous hearing on Dec. 16, the court indicated that a decision would likely be issued around Jan. 16. During Friday’s session, the court will first question two witnesses: Lee Sang-min, former interior and safety minister, and Choi Sang-mok, former deputy prime minister for economic affairs and finance minister. The special counsel team will then present its closing arguments and sentencing request, followed by the defense’s final arguments and Yoon’s own statement to the court. Yoon was indicted in July while in detention. Prosecutors allege that when he declared martial law on Dec. 3, he selectively summoned only Cabinet members considered favorable to him in order to create the appearance of a lawful Cabinet deliberation. They argue this violated the constitutional rights of nine ministers who were excluded from the decision-making process. The indictment further alleges that after martial law was lifted, Yoon ordered the creation of a false proclamation to make it appear the measure had been formally approved through a document bearing the signatures of then–Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Prosecutors say the document was later shredded, despite constituting an official presidential record. Yoon is also accused of ordering the deletion of secure communication records involving former Defense Security Command chief Yeo In-hyung, and of directing the Presidential Security Service to block the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials from executing an arrest warrant in January. Separately, the special counsel team has additionally indicted Yoon on charges of aiding the enemy, alleging that drones were sent into Pyongyang to heighten military tensions and create justification for declaring martial law. The team has requested extended detention in that case, and the court held a hearing on the request on Dec. 23. The court instructed both the prosecution and the defense to submit additional written opinions by Dec. 30, with a decision on the detention request expected after that date. In the same case, Kim Yong-hyun and Yeo In-hyung, indicted as Yoon’s accomplices, were issued additional arrest warrants on Dec. 24, extending their detention by up to six months. Kim’s previous detention was due to expire a day earlier, while Yeo’s was set to expire on Jan. 2. Yoon had asked the court to postpone sentencing in the current case until after proceedings conclude in what prosecutors describe as the “main case” — the charge of leading an insurrection — now being tried separately at the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 25 under Presiding Judge Ji Gwi-yeon. That request was rejected. The insurrection-leader case is expected to conclude arguments as early as next month, with a first-instance ruling likely in February, according to court officials. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2025-12-26 07:34:08

OPINION: South Korea's 2026 structural reforms must shift how wealth is built The mission for next year is structural reform. If 2025 was the year to set the direction and strategy for change, the coming year must be about execution. Structural reform is often misunderstood as synonymous with layoffs or austerity, recalling the trauma of the Asian financial crisis. But its true meaning is different. At its core, structural reform concerns how an economy creates wealth — its mechanism of accumulation. For decades, South Korea’s accumulation model was vertical and top-down. In an era of capital scarcity and limited technology, growth was driven by a strict division of labor: the state planned, firms executed. Resources were allocated through command-and-control mechanisms, enabling rapid, manufacturing-led expansion. That model delivered results, but it is no longer sustainable. Vertical structures tend to create silos, hinder convergence across sectors, and reduce flexibility in responding to change. Even Germany, long admired for manufacturing efficiency, now faces what some describe as “industrial arteriosclerosis,” the result of delayed digital transformation within a highly optimized but rigid system. The first task of structural reform in 2026 is therefore to complete a shift toward horizontal connectivity that maximizes AI-driven productivity. Growth today depends less on scale within individual firms and more on collaboration that produces outcomes no single player can achieve alone. Collaboration is no longer limited to meetings or partnerships; it is increasingly a chemical process in which data flows across firms and industries, with AI mediating those flows to generate new value. In the past, the government selected and nurtured heavy and chemical industries. Today, its role should be to diffuse AI as a general-purpose technology — infrastructure that raises efficiency across the entire economy. This requires building a “virtuous data cycle,” where manufacturing process data links with service-sector solutions, and mobility data connects with urban planning and public services. It also means moving beyond closed, vertically integrated conglomerate structures toward open ecosystems in which startups and large firms combine technologies on shared AI platforms. The state’s task is not to command outcomes, but to design incentives and digital environments that allow data combinations and collaboration to occur freely. Financial reform must move in parallel by reshaping how capital flows. In the past, finance functioned mainly as a policy tool, channeling funds to designated strategic sectors. What is now required is a system of venture-oriented and productive finance that enables risk-taking by innovative firms. Capital must flow more readily into future growth areas such as artificial intelligence, deep tech and climate technology, attracting both talent and opportunity. True “risk sharing” becomes possible only when financing decisions are based on technological capability and growth potential, even in the absence of traditional collateral — highlighting the importance of sophisticated policy finance. For startups and innovative firms to become new engines of accumulation, finance must act as a partner that shares in the upside of innovation, rather than a conservative system that avoids risk while privatizing gains. Korea’s objective should no longer be development alone, but genuine prosperity. The direction of structural reform in 2026 is clear: replace a vertical system of commands and rigid division of labor with a horizontal, collaborative structure that maximizes AI-driven productivity. If the country once escaped poverty by accumulating factories and machines, it must now advance to the next stage by accumulating data and innovation capital. That is the essence of structural reform in 2026 — and the key to restarting the growth engine. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI. 2025-12-26 07:24:26

Seoul elevates response to Coupang data breach, puts deputy PM in charge SEOUL, December 25 (AJP) -South Korea has elevated its response to the massive personal data breach at e-commerce giant Coupang, placing the interagency investigation under the leadership of the deputy prime minister for science as concerns grow over accountability, transparency and regulatory oversight. The Ministry of Science and ICT said Thursday that the government will expand its joint task force probing the breach and have it chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon. The move follows a high-level meeting attended by senior officials from the presidential office and multiple ministries and watchdog agencies. Participants included officials from the foreign, industry and trade ministries, as well as the Fair Trade Commission, the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC), the Korea Communications Commission and the Financial Services Commission. Authorities said the expanded task force will focus both on identifying the cause of the breach and on preventing secondary harm to consumers, while also preparing broader institutional reforms to prevent similar incidents at major digital platforms. The ministry criticized Coupang for publicly releasing its own conclusions about the breach before the government investigation was completed. In a statement, the ministry said it “strongly protested” the company’s unilateral disclosure, noting that key details — including the scale and mechanism of the leak — have not yet been verified by the public-private joint investigation team. Coupang said earlier Thursday that it had identified a former employee responsible for the leak, recovered all devices used, and confirmed through external forensic analysis that only limited customer data had been accessed. The company said data from about 3,000 accounts had been stored temporarily and later deleted, and that no information had been shared outside the company. However, authorities stressed that the investigation is still ongoing into how personal information linked to a total of 33.7 million user accounts was exposed, cautioning against drawing conclusions before the probe is completed. In its statement, Coupang said the former employee used stolen security credentials to access customer information and later confessed. The company said the accessed data included names, email addresses, phone numbers and home addresses, but did not include sensitive information such as payment details, passwords or customs clearance numbers. Coupang said it has secured all devices involved, including storage hardware, and pledged full cooperation with government investigators. The issue escalated further after the presidential office convened an emergency meeting of senior officials on Christmas Day, reflecting growing concern over the scale of the incident and its broader implications. The meeting was chaired by Presidential Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom and attended by Science Minister Bae, PIPC Chair Song Kyung-hee, Korea Communications Commission Chair Kim Jong-cheol, Fair Trade Commission Chair Ju Byung-gi, and officials from the National Police Agency. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and officials from the Office of National Security also joined, highlighting concerns that the controversy could affect Korea’s external relations. Officials have expressed unease over Coupang’s extensive lobbying activities in the United States. According to U.S. Senate disclosures, the company has spent at least $10 million on lobbying since August 2021. President Lee Jae Myung has called for tougher penalties for repeat data breaches, saying companies must face consequences severe enough to deter misconduct. Speaking at a policy briefing earlier this month, Lee said sanctions should be strong enough to make firms “fear going out of business” if they repeatedly fail to protect personal information. The data breach, first disclosed in November, affected 33.7 million users and has triggered mounting criticism from lawmakers and consumer groups over Coupang’s handling of the case. Political pressure intensified after Coupang founder and chair Bom Kim failed to appear at a parliamentary hearing convened to address the breach. The National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee has filed a complaint accusing him of violating legal obligations to attend hearings. The committee is scheduled to hold another two-day hearing starting Dec. 30, warning that additional legal action could follow if Kim again fails to appear. 2025-12-25 19:57:48