Can AI Truly Save Humanity? The Illusion That Technology Will Save Humanity=Adam Becker, translated by Park Joo-yong, East Asia. The author, an astrophysicist and science journalist, critiques the prevailing Silicon Valley ideology that new technologies must be developed as quickly as possible for the benefit of humanity. He questions whether a technology-driven future is based on scientific evidence or merely serves to perpetuate the wealth and power of a few Silicon Valley billionaires. The book centers on interviews with key thinkers from Silicon Valley and Oxford, such as Eliezer Yudkowsky and Anders Sandberg, who view the emergence of artificial general intelligence (AGI) as inevitable. Through these interviews, scientific validation of original papers, and extensive field research, the author traces how the grand worldview of 'techno-salvation' has been formed while revealing the contradictions within this ideological framework. He critically examines how concepts like effective altruism, the singularity, AI alignment issues, and technological accelerationism have risen to prominence. Notably, he analyzes how effective altruism prioritizes the urgent issue of future space colonization over current problems like poverty, climate crises, and war. Yudkowsky's apocalyptic warning that humanity faces a high likelihood of extinction upon the advent of AGI is highlighted as a distraction from real issues such as bias in AI, job displacement, and energy consumption, providing a pretext for the tech industry to evade regulation. The author warns that major visions lack scientific grounding and could lead to disaster for humanity even if realized. He also argues that concentrated technological monopolies could become tools of oppression against humanity. The book emphasizes that the fears articulated by Silicon Valley are not new and prompts readers to consider whether the narrative of salvation promised by technology truly serves all of humanity. "Fear of the apocalypse, fear of death. But these are already familiar to humanity. Fearing death is natural, and immortality has been humanity's oldest fantasy." “Human history—especially the history of the 20th century—is filled with examples of utopian movements that ended violently. In 1990, British philosopher Isaiah Berlin asked, ‘What price would we not pay if we could make humanity forever just, happy, creative, and harmonious?’ He remarked that if such an omelet exists, we should break all the eggs to make it. This was the belief of Lenin, Trotsky, and Mao Zedong. Yudkowsky’s advice to world leaders to risk nuclear war to achieve their goals indicates that such extreme utopian ideologies have already taken root among rationalists.” (p. 287) Careless People=Sarah Winfield, translated by Ahn Jin-hwan, Deflot. The author shares her experiences as the Director of Public Policy at Facebook (now Meta) for seven years, working closely with founder Mark Zuckerberg. Joining the company during its rapid growth as a global social media platform, she initially believed that Facebook's technology would save the world. However, she later testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in 2025 regarding Meta's relationship with China, user privacy issues, and attempts at internal retaliation and silencing. The book details labor exploitation, workplace harassment, sexual assault, election interference via the platform, algorithm manipulation targeting youth, and repeated diplomatic blunders that the author either experienced or witnessed. While Facebook promotes the hopeful slogan of making the world a more open and connected place, she criticizes the reality that it destroys community trust and threatens democracy. Her central argument is that while the company has changed the world, the changes have been more negative than positive. She particularly points to Zuckerberg's autocratic leadership style, effectively running the company as a one-man rule. The organizational culture is also problematic; for instance, she was discouraged from discussing her role as a mother. Additionally, the author claims that Facebook has allowed the spread of fake news and hate and racist content, failing to respond actively even as the platform has been exploited as a tool for inciting violence by extremist groups. During the election process, when Donald Trump misled voters with fake news on Facebook, the company's leadership did not take the situation seriously, citing that Trump spent more on advertising than Hillary Clinton. Novelist Jang Gang-myung remarked, “What happens when great power ignores great responsibility? It decays from within and destroys the world outside. This book is a vivid indictment of how irresponsibly a colossal force in our era has acted and how rotten it has become inside.” “Like Mao Zedong's Little Red Book, Facebook's own Little Red Book is filled with the words, images, and core principles of its supreme leader. In this case, the leader is not Mao but Mark. Another ‘MZ’ is expressing a peculiar form of Maoist fervor. The first page reads, ‘Facebook was created to achieve a social mission. To make the world a more open and connected place.’” (p. 75)* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-08 16:42:00

Nvidia CEO reaffirms close alliance with SK hynix, unveils plans for next-Gen robotics chip SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang, who has been in Seoul since last Friday, began his day on Monday with a visit to SK Group, where he stressed Nvidia's "deepening, near-exclusive" reliance on the group for the era of artificial intelligence (AI). He praised SK hynix, an affiliate of SK Group, as a major player in global AI development and announced plans to use its memory in Nvidia's next-generation robotics processors. "I’d like to announce a long-term partnership with SK, we've been friends and partners with SK for a very long time," Huang said. "SK is the largest memory department. Without SK's partnership, today's AI would have not developed as wonderfully as it has." SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won said the two companies will jointly build future "AI factories" which includes AI data centers as well as SK hynix's fabrication plants and elevate their collaboration from a simple supplier relationship to a comprehensive, group-wide partnership to meet surging infrastructure demands. Beyond its dominance in AI data centers, Nvidia is aggressively expanding its hardware ecosystem, with Huang highlighting four new products: the Vera Rubin AI supercomputer, the Vera CPU, the RTX Spark for AI PCs, and the Jetson Thor robotics processor. He also confirmed that the tightly bound partnership will extend into this new frontier of physical AI. "We build a processor called Jetson Thor, and Jetson Thor will have SK hynix inside of it," Huang said, putting an end to speculation about hardware partners for Nvidia's push into the robotics sector. He praised South Korea's readiness for this next technological wave, citing the country's robust manufacturing sector and deep pool of AI talent. "The age of physical AI has finally arrived. And no country is prepared for robotics than Korea," he said. But it remains to be seen what impact their closer cooperation will have on other chipmakers. When asked by AJP whether the strengthened partnership with SK implies reduced reliance on other South Korean memory makers, Huang declined to answer. When asked what constitutes South Korea's strongest asset, Huang pointed to the country's comprehensive tech ecosystem, pointing out that its advancement in software and science is so deep that South Korea has become one of the leading contributors to global AI. "South Korea is world class in many factors, but South Korea has many advantages," Huang said. Highlighting South Korea’s rapid technological evolution, he added, "The basic combination creates a perfect environment for South Korea to take advantage of the AI revolution." Monday's meeting between Huang and Chey came just a day after the two mingled at a casual gathering over fried chicken and beer at a franchise restaurant in southern Seoul the previous evening. At the gathering, Huang enthusiastically praised an SK hynix high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chip as "the best," a public endorsement that highlights the formidable alliance between the two and signals potential impacts on the wider semiconductor supply chain. Meanwhile, their growing alliance appears to remain robust, as SK hynix's revenue linked to Nvidia reached about 7.78 trillion won (US$5.66 billion) in the first quarter alone, cementing SK hynix as Nvidia's largest single memory supplier, according to the latest financial data. The high-profile alliance with SK hynix stood in stark contrast to the absence of its rival, Samsung Electronics. Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong, who was on an overseas trip, was unable to attend last night’s reunion gathering, following a similar event last fall. But still Huang is unlikely to overlook the world's largest memory chipmaker. When asked by AJP about plans to meet Samsung's chief and executives, he said, "I'm looking forward to meeting YH tomorrow," referring to Jun Young-hyun, the newly appointed head of Samsung's semiconductor division. According to multiple industry sources, Huang and Jun are reportedly scheduled to have a private meeting at The Hotel Shilla in central Seoul before Huang's departure. 2026-06-08 16:41:26

Shortage of Ballots May Affect More Than 50 Polling Stations Concerns are growing that the scale of the ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections may be larger than initially reported. The Reform Party has received a report from the National Election Commission (NEC) indicating the potential need for re-elections in certain areas. On June 8, Chun Ha-ram, the floor leader of the Reform Party, stated at a National Assembly press conference, "I received a report from the NEC's deputy secretary-general regarding the current status of the ballot shortage situation." According to Chun, the NEC has identified that 50 polling stations nationwide have experienced actual ballot shortages. Among these, 22 polling stations required voters to wait before casting their ballots. However, this figure is based on preliminary counts as of June 5, and it is expected that the number may increase following further verification. In fact, the NEC reported that concerns over ballot shortages prompted the urgent dispatch of additional ballots to 67 polling stations across the country. Of these, 50 experienced actual shortages, while the remaining 17 received extra ballots as a precautionary measure, even though they did not face shortages. Additionally, it has been revealed that the decision to extend voting hours at some polling stations in Seoul until 10 p.m. was made unilaterally by the chair of the Seoul Election Commission. In response, Chun emphasized the potential legal implications and the need for a "selective re-election" in certain districts where voters faced delays. The Reform Party plans to file a petition for the annulment of some elections in Seoul due to the ballot shortage. Chun explained that during the report, the NEC indicated that if there are objections regarding the validity of the elections, petitions and lawsuits could be filed. Following this news, reactions online included comments such as, "Isn't this a violation of voting rights?", "Fifty polling stations is not just a simple mistake", "Re-elections seem necessary", and "The NEC must be held accountable". Meanwhile, the NEC is reportedly conducting further investigations to determine the exact scale and circumstances of the ballot shortage.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-08 16:36:00

Prosecutors Seek Two-Year Prison Sentence for Yoon Suk Yeol Over False Statements The special prosecutor's team, led by Kim Geon-hee, has requested a two-year prison sentence for Yoon Suk Yeol, who is charged with making false statements during his campaign as the presidential candidate for the People Power Party.During the final hearing on Yoon's election law violation case held on June 8 at the Seoul Central District Court, the special prosecutor urged the court to impose a two-year sentence.The special prosecutor stated, "The Constitution of the Republic of Korea mandates that the president be elected by direct vote of the people, making the dissemination of false information that influences the public's judgment a serious crime in itself. Following the defendant's statements in this case, various allegations against him quieted, allowing him to maintain his status as a leading presidential candidate."Additionally, the prosecutor argued, "Considering the trends in approval ratings and vote margins during the 20th presidential election, this offense should be viewed as having influenced the election results."Yoon is accused of making false statements regarding Jeon Seong-bae during an interview at the launch of the Buddhist Leaders Forum on January 17, 2022, claiming he had met Jeon only through introductions and had never met him with his wife.He is also charged with making false statements at a discussion hosted by the Kwanhun Club on December 14, 2021, denying that he introduced a lawyer to Yoon Dae-jin, the brother of former Yoon Suk Yeol, while serving as the head of the Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in 2012.If Yoon receives a sentence of more than 1 million won in fines in this case, the People Power Party will be required to return 39.7 billion won in election expenses to the National Election Commission, which were reimbursed after the presidential election.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-08 16:36:00

KOSPI Plummets to 7,000s Amid High-Leverage Investor Losses Concerns over interest rate hikes from the U.S. and a sharp decline in global tech stocks have heightened volatility in South Korea's stock market. Individual investors, who had heavily invested in single-stock leveraged ETFs for Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, now face significant valuation losses as leading stocks tumble. Amid growing warnings of overheating from foreign media, concerns about the concentration in the domestic stock market are also rising. On June 8, the KOSPI opened at 8,048.09, down 112.50 points (1.38%) from the previous trading day, and the decline accelerated, triggering a circuit breaker at 9:03 a.m. The index fell as low as 7,442.73, prompting a sell-off sidecar, and ultimately closed at 7,484.41, down 676.18 points (8.29%). The KOSPI index, which had closed at 8,801.49 on June 2, dropped 15% in just three trading days. The decline follows strong U.S. employment data in May, raising concerns about tightening by the Federal Reserve, coupled with news of capital increases being considered by hyperscalers, which has sparked debates over AI profitability. Major stocks like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix were hit hard, with Samsung falling 10.18% to 295,500 won and SK Hynix dropping 7.68% to 1,911,000 won. Single-stock leveraged ETFs, which attracted many individual investors, were particularly hard hit. The trading volume for 16 leveraged and inverse ETFs focused on Samsung and SK Hynix reached 8.2 trillion won on this day. Since the listing of related products on May 27, 14 types of long-direction leveraged ETFs saw a cumulative trading volume of 58 trillion won and net purchases by individuals of 7.4 trillion won over seven trading days until June 5. During the same period, approximately 79% of the total net purchases of domestic equity ETFs (7.7 trillion won) were concentrated in semiconductor-related products, exacerbating market concentration. As the underlying assets plummeted, leveraged ETFs also experienced significant declines. The KODEX Samsung Electronics single-stock leveraged ETF dropped 20.71%, while the TIGER Samsung Electronics single-stock leveraged ETF fell 20.69%. The SK Hynix leveraged ETF also saw declines of 15% to 17%. In contrast, inverse products recorded double-digit gains. While the exact scale of losses for individual investors has not been quantified, industry experts believe that a significant number of investors have likely entered a valuation loss zone. Historically, individual investors have shown a tendency to aggressively buy leveraged products during stock price declines. Park Yoo-an, a researcher at KB Securities, noted, "In the domestic leveraged ETF market, the correlation between individual supply and daily returns is low," adding that there is a characteristic of concentrated bargain hunting during downturns. Opinions on the market outlook are divided. Bloomberg reported that global investors are shifting from optimism to caution regarding the Korean stock market. Some foreign investment institutions are reducing their exposure to AI-related stocks or increasing their hedging. European financial firm Optiver warned that the proliferation of single-stock leveraged products could increase market volatility. Conversely, domestic securities firms view the recent drop as a process of overheating correction rather than a trend reversal. Jo A-in, a researcher at Samsung Securities, stated, "This adjustment is more about normalizing overheated positioning than damaging the AI semiconductor industry," and noted that the earnings estimates for domestic companies remain on an upward trajectory, enhancing the valuation appeal of the Korean stock market. Therefore, rather than rushing into bargain buying, it is advisable to gradually increase exposure to AI-leading stocks by utilizing the short-term volatility expected from major events scheduled for this week. However, with the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) announcement and simultaneous expiration of futures and options scheduled for this week, short-term volatility is expected to continue. Lee Kyung-min, a researcher at Daishin Securities, commented, "The excessive concentration of leading stocks has accumulated as a result," suggesting that while it is necessary to keep open the possibility of the KOSPI dropping to the low 7,000s or temporarily falling below that level, there is no need to hastily sell leading stocks. 2026-06-08 16:36:00

I-DLE to release ninth EP 'We made' in July SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - K-pop girl group I-DLE will return with its ninth EP, "We made," on July 6, its agency Cube Entertainment said Monday. The agency unveiled a teaser for the album through the five-member group's official social media channels at midnight. "We made" marks I-DLE's first release in six months since the digital single "Mono (Feat. skaiwater)" in January, and its first EP in a little over a year since "We are" in May last year. The teaser uses thermal camera and X-ray imagery to visualize how love registers in the body, tracing heat from the chest to the fingertips and into the minds of two figures facing each other. The album logo uses a distortion effect that echoes the emotional intensity of the visuals. Formed in 2018, I-DLE garnered immediate recognition, winning their first music show award just 20 days after debut and going on to receive multiple rookie awards at major year-end ceremonies that year. The group is widely regarded as one of the most successful K-pop girl groups outside of the industry's major labels. Before the EP's release, I-DLE will perform in Singapore, Yokohama and Hong Kong as part of its fourth world tour, "2026 I-DLE WORLD TOUR ." 2026-06-08 16:33:18

Nvidia CEO meets SNU students before wrapping up whirlwind Seoul trip SEOUL, June 8 (AJP) - Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who has become the talk of the town due to his high-profile visit to Seoul, met with students at Seoul National University on Monday. Huang attended an on-campus event at the country's top university in southwestern Seoul, where participants were introduced to an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted platform called "OpenClaw." He also delivered a 15-minute lecture on AI technology and its impact on future industries. Huang woke early in the morning to visit key business partners including SK Group and LG Group. Later in the day, he is also scheduled to visit automaker Hyundai Motor Group’s headquarters in Yangjae, southern Seoul, and online portal Naver's headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Since his arrival in Seoul last Friday, Huang has kept a busy schedule, mingling with business leaders at informal gatherings that began with grilled pork belly and a mix of soju and beer at a barbecue restaurant, before moving to a nearby fried chicken restaurant for a late-night second round. He also threw the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game and joined another gathering over fried chicken and beer. He is set to wrap up his stay here later in the day or early Tuesday. 2026-06-08 16:30:45

Protesters block Seoul vote-counting venue for fourth day as rally mood shifts SEOUL, June 08 (AJP) - A protest blocking the entrance to a vote-counting venue for the local elections that took place last week in Seoul entered its fourth day on Monday, as demonstrators gathered outside the handball stadium at Olympic Park in the southern Seoul district of Songpa. Police estimated around 1,600 people remained at the scene, maintaining a blockade of the facility. The crowd had peaked the previous day, swelling from 3,000 at noon to 20,000 by 6 p.m. before thinning overnight. Some participants stayed through the night, vowing to prevent ballot boxes from being removed, and blocked all ten entrances to the counting venue. Authorities had been expected to forcibly disperse the crowd Monday morning, but as of Monday afternoon no such action had been taken. The protest, which began June 5 following a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections, shifted noticeably in tone on Monday. Over the previous three days, organizers had discouraged the display of American flags and chants alleging electoral fraud, in an effort to broaden the rally's appeal. On Monday, however, demonstrators waved American flags and homemade Korean flags, held handmade signs, and chanted "fraudulent election, hold a new election" without pause. Participants spanning their twenties through their sixties were present. 2026-06-08 16:30:11

Clean Country Expands Export of White Paperboard to Vietnam, Targets CCKB Market Clean Country announced on June 8 that it is accelerating its export of white paperboard, focusing on Vietnam. Since establishing its Ho Chi Minh City branch in 2022, Clean Country has strengthened its localized sales and operational systems, enhancing its responsiveness to the Southeast Asian market. As a result, the volume of white paperboard exports to Vietnam is expected to increase by approximately 21% from 2021 to 2025. Vietnam's status as a global manufacturing hub is expanding, leading to a continuous rise in demand for packaging materials. Clean Country explained that global manufacturers such as Heineken, Coca-Cola, Samsung, and LG are increasing their production bases in Vietnam, which is driving steady demand for industrial packaging in the food and beverage, electronics, and consumer goods sectors. In response to these market changes, Clean Country is intensifying its efforts to penetrate the high-value packaging segment with its CCKB product. CCKB is known for its superior strength, moisture resistance, and printability compared to standard white paperboard, making it highly suitable for premium packaging applications such as beverage carriers, HMR, and consumer goods packaging. The company is also expanding its local customer engagement. It is managing existing clients while seeking new buyers, continuously adapting its sales activities to reflect market changes and customer demands in real-time. This strategy aims to broaden its supply to both global corporations and local businesses, thereby increasing its market share in Vietnam. Previously, on May 15, Clean Country signed an export contract with a U.S. distributor in the world's largest toilet paper market, valued at approximately $59 billion, announcing its plans to supply its brand 'Pure Soft' to the U.S. market. A Clean Country representative stated, "Vietnam is a strategic market characterized by a young population, its role as a global manufacturing hub, and a simultaneous shift towards eco-friendly packaging. We plan to strengthen our competitiveness in high-value packaging materials based on our local presence and continue to expand in the Southeast Asian and global markets."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-08 16:30:00

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang Visits Naver Headquarters, Emphasizes GPU Benefits Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, visited Naver's 1784 headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea, on June 8, stating, "The more GPUs you have, the more you can work and the happier you can be." According to the IT industry, Huang arrived at the Naver headquarters at 3:45 PM, where he met with Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin and CEO Choi Soo-yeon. Upon arriving in the lobby, he warmly embraced Lee, marking their second meeting during Huang's visit, following their first encounter on June 5. Naver prepared a webtoon featuring Huang and Lee as characters, asking them to fill in the dialogue for the final scene. A Naver representative explained, "The short comic you are seeing is created by the authors of one of Naver Webtoon’s flagship works, 'Legendary Territory Designer.' The protagonist of today’s story is a young person with the honest dream of wanting to achieve both work and happiness. By chance, he meets two mentors, Lee Hae-jin and Jensen Huang, to seek their advice." Huang remarked, "It’s very difficult to create (the dialogue)," but he contributed the line, "The more GPUs you have, the more you can work and the happier you can be." Lee added his line, saying, "Happiness is like pork belly, and work is like perilla leaves. Wrap them together and enjoy them at once." He noted, "I recently had a gathering over pork belly, so that memory is still fresh. I believe there is a good way to have both work and happiness without separating them." Huang agreed, stating, "I concur. Both of us are working hard and are very happy."* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-06-08 16:27:00