South Korea

줄줄이 고개 숙였던 이통사 수장들 ‘변심’…정보보안 불감증서 전면전으로

Maekyung | Local Language | News | Jan. 5, 2026 | Cyber Attacks and Data Loss

The heads of South Korea's major mobile carriers have shifted their management priorities from primarily focusing on AI transformation and new business ventures to emphasizing the enhancement of information security and restoration of user trust. This shift follows a significant cyber breach that affected the telecommunications industry last year.

Jeong Jae-heon, President of SK Telecom, highlighted the importance of solidifying the core mobile network operator business while still pursuing AI innovation as a future growth area. He emphasized placing the customer at the center of operations and reinforcing fundamental business aspects before advancing further in AI-driven opportunities.

Kim Young-seop, President of KT, ranked strengthening information security as the top priority ahead of his departure. While maintaining KT's goal to evolve into an AI and ICT company, he stressed that robust security measures are essential. Kim called for a cultural change in awareness to defend against increasingly sophisticated intrusion attempts, urging all employees to contribute to rebuilding customer trust.

Hong Beom-sik, President of LG Uplus, framed the year around the concept of “TRUST,” viewing it as a foundation for customer promises, transparency, teamwork, and competitiveness. He underscored the need for honesty and collaboration, as well as improvements across employee relations, network operations, security, and service quality to accelerate success and build a competitive edge.

"디지털트윈, AI시대 ‘NW 시뮬레이션 고도화’ 날개”

ZD Net Korea | Local Language | News | Jan. 5, 2026 | UndeterminedTech Development/Adoption

Digital twins combined with AI technology are set to significantly enhance network simulation capabilities by creating virtual replicas of infrastructure that realistically reflect data flow logic. This advancement allows network construction simulations and fault predictions to be conducted in a flexible, virtual environment rather than the real world, increasing operational efficiency and reducing risk.

AI transforms digital twins from static models into dynamic, learning systems that constantly update with new data and can simulate a wide range of future scenarios. This enables telecom operators to evaluate thousands of scenarios, optimize backbone traffic routes, verify antenna placements, and allocate frequency resources efficiently, all of which reduce costs and improve network design accuracy without physical trial and error.

However, challenges remain, particularly ensuring the realism of AI-generated scenarios and maintaining high data quality to avoid confidently stated errors. Implementation also requires substantial initial investments, coordinated data collection, robust modeling platforms, and infrastructure. Additionally, security concerns and the need for organizational cultural readiness to trust AI-generated insights pose further hurdles in adopting AI-enhanced digital twin network operations.

Joongang Ilbo | English | News | Jan. 5, 2026 | North Korea

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea on Sunday morning, marking its first ballistic missile launch of 2026 and the first since a short-range missile was fired on November 7, 2025. The launch was confirmed by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The missile launch coincided with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's departure for a four-day state visit to China, invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The upcoming Seoul-Beijing summit is expected to address North Korea's denuclearization.

The launch occurred shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the military ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday.