South Korea

Intelligence for Better Decision Making

Hyundai Launches Domestic AI-Driven Autonomous Vehicle Initiative for 2028 Commercialization
Jan. 13, 2026 | Technology & Innovation

Hyundai Motor and its partners are developing a domestically engineered AI-driven autonomous vehicle set for commercialization by 2028.

**Hyundai aims to integrate a homegrown AI autonomous driving model to manage core vehicle functions, narrowing the technological gap with global automakers and boosting its competitiveness.**
LG Electronics, Hyundai Mobis and HL Mando will jointly build the ADV platform—combining vehicle architecture and software—by the end of next year, while HL Clemoove and Kakao Mobility develop a specialized AI model for software-defined vehicles by 2027. Additional partners including Naver will support data integration and AI infrastructure.

**Mass production of the ADV is scheduled to begin in 2028, with broader applications rolling out by 2030 to strengthen South Korea’s AI mobility ecosystem.**
Hyundai plans to announce key milestones at the K-AI Future Car Alliance signing ceremony in January 2026. Chairman Chung Eui-sun has stressed the strategic shift toward in-house AI development to position Hyundai as a world-class automaker and reduce reliance on external solutions.

**In parallel, Hyundai is expanding its AI capabilities through collaborations in robotaxi and robotics.**
Partnerships with Motional and Boston Dynamics will foster AI expertise transferable across mobility and robotics ventures. Naver will extend mobility services by integrating AI agents, infrastructure and data to support future vehicle ecosystems.

**Gwangju city will serve as South Korea’s first autonomous driving testbed, hosting around 200 AI-equipped robot vehicles from mid-2026.**
Backed by a 62.2 billion won national investment, these vehicles will collect urban driving data in snow, rain, congestion, construction zones and narrow alleyways to refine autonomy algorithms and enhance performance.

**The K-Autonomous Driving Collaboration Model in Gwangju pairs large corporations developing vehicle control platforms with startups providing autonomous driving software.**
The downtown area will act as a demonstration zone, leveraging an existing national AI data center and a major driving simulator in Advanced Industrial Complex 3. Plans call for a triangular industrial belt linking Jingok, Bitgreen and the Future Car Industrial Complexes, later expanding citywide to mirror global autonomous driving hubs.

**Government support includes regulatory easing within designated autonomous driving pilot zones to encourage industry participation.**
These measures align with the national Master Plan to Foster the Future Car Materials, Parts, and Equipment Industry and aim to build a sustainable ecosystem that drives long-term local economic growth.
Motional advances full driverless robotaxi rollout in Las Vegas for 2026
Jan. 13, 2026 | Transportation & Logistics

Fully driverless Level 4 robotaxi services promise to redefine urban transportation in major cities.

**Motional, a majority Hyundai Motor Group joint venture, plans to launch fully driverless Level 4 robotaxi services in Las Vegas by the end of 2026.**
Since early 2026, the company has run pilot services with modified Hyundai IONIQ 5 vehicles alongside ride-sharing platforms such as Uber and Lyft to validate safety, driving quality, and customer experience before full commercialization.

**The company’s autonomous driving efforts began in 2018, with pilot programs in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Singapore.**
Motional chose Las Vegas for its dense traffic and high tourist volume, creating rigorous test conditions. To date, it has provided more than 130,000 public rides and logged over 2 million autonomous miles without any at-fault incidents. A fleet of 109 vehicles operates under daily monitoring by a central control team based in Las Vegas.

**Motional follows a safety-first approach, meeting US NHTSA Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and earning validations from German testing and certification bodies.**
Its robotaxis integrate 29 sensors—including cameras, radar, and LiDAR—for multimodal redundancy. On January 8, 2026, a 35-minute Level 4 test drive in Las Vegas demonstrated the vehicle’s advanced perception and decision-making: it detected a flying plastic bag, stopped, activated hazard lights, and smoothly navigated commercial districts, tourist areas, hotels, and the busy Strip. The only issue noted was noticeable computer fan noise inside the cabin, which the team will resolve before commercialization.

**Motional is shifting from a modular autonomous architecture to an end-to-end AI and machine learning system that unifies perception, decision-making, and control into a single model.**
This new approach aims to boost performance in complex settings, reduce software complexity, speed up updates, and support global scalability. Current pilot vehicles operate both architectures in parallel to gather data and refine the end-to-end system.

**Hyundai Motor Group will integrate Motional’s Level 4 operational know-how and safety systems with 42dot’s software-defined vehicle platform to strengthen its autonomous driving capabilities.**
Having invested approximately $3 billion in development, Motional is also evaluating service expansion into South Korea and other markets based on insights gained from its US rollout.

Monitored Intelligence for South Korea - Jan. 13, 2026


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보안 인증 8년만에 대폭 손질...컨설팅기업들 "특수 온다" 함박웃음

Major Security Certification Overhaul After 8 Years... Consulting Firms Beam with Anticipation of Special Opportunities

ZD Net Korea | Local Language | News | Jan. 13, 2026 | Regulation

The South Korean government is undertaking a major overhaul of the Information Security Management System (ISMS) and the integrated ISMS-P certification system after repeated hacking incidents compromised even certified companies. The ISMS, introduced in 2002 and maintained for roughly 24 years, merged with the Personal Information Management System (PIMS) in 2017 to form ISMS-P to reduce overlapping certification burdens. Despite these efforts, recent breaches have exposed weaknesses in the certification's effectiveness, prompting the government to advance stricter reforms.

Key reform measures include expanding mandatory ISMS-P certification to major public systems, telecommunications companies, and large platforms, as well as strengthening audit methods through on-site inspections, more rigorous pre-audit reviews, and vulnerability checks using simulated hacking drills. The government will also operate sector-specific certification committees and train auditors on emerging technologies like AI. The Personal Information Protection Commission and the Ministry of Science and ICT submitted amendments to the Personal Information Protection Act to expand mandatory certification, which have passed and are set for phased implementation starting in early 2026.

Security consulting firms are poised to benefit significantly from these changes, as organizations seek expert assistance to meet the heightened certification standards efficiently. The domestic security consulting market has been growing steadily, with revenues rising from 572.6 billion KRW in 2022 to 642.6 billion KRW in 2024. About 22.7% of 876 security-related companies engage in consulting, and 29 firms hold special government designations as information protection professional service companies. Experts expect demand for consulting services to increase as more companies face mandatory certification and revised compliance requirements.

Severe cold, snow, strong winds forecast to continue

Korea Herald | English | News | Jan. 13, 2026 | Extreme Weather Events

A powerful cold wave will continue to affect South Korea on Monday, with morning temperatures expected to drop as low as minus 14 degrees Celsius. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts daytime highs between zero and 10 degrees Celsius, with Seoul around minus 9 degrees and inland mountainous areas of Gangwon Province reaching minus 15 degrees. Snow or rain is predicted across central regions and North Jeolla Province, alongside precipitation on South Chungcheong’s west coast and Jeju Island. Authorities warned of hazardous icy roads and black ice, posing risks to motorists and pedestrians.

The cold snap follows a weekend of severe weather that resulted in at least eight fatalities nationwide. Incidents included a man in Gyeonggi Province killed by a sign torn loose by winds, and a multi-car crash on the Seosan-Yeongdeok Expressway in North Gyeongsang Province attributed to black ice, causing five deaths and eight injuries. Strong winds also escalated a wildfire in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, forcing evacuations and challenging fire containment efforts.

Widespread damage was reported, including injuries from falling debris and power outages affecting nearly 2,000 households and businesses in North Chungcheong Province. North Gyeongsang alone received over 100 wind damage reports. Air travel disruptions included 19 flight cancellations on routes linking Jeju with Gimhae, Yeosu, and Wonju. Authorities urged the public to remain cautious, secure loose structures, and avoid unnecessary travel as adverse weather conditions continue and emergency services stay on high alert.

FTC chief says business suspension of Coupang possible amid data-breach probe

Korea Herald | English | News | Jan. 13, 2026 | Privacy

Ju Byung-gi, chairman of South Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC), indicated that a temporary suspension of Coupang Corp.'s business operations could be possible amid an ongoing investigation into a large-scale data breach at the US-listed e-commerce giant. He stated that if the company fails to comply with orders or if relief for affected consumers is inadequate, the FTC might consider suspending Coupang's business operations.

Coupang disclosed on December 25 that a former employee stole personal information from 33.7 million user accounts, though the company claimed that only about 3,000 accounts' data were saved and later deleted. However, the science ministry criticized Coupang’s findings as one-sided and incomplete, highlighting that a joint public-private investigation had not yet concluded.

In addition to examining the data breach, the FTC is reviewing other concerns regarding Coupang’s business practices. The commission plans to soon release the results of its inquiry into allegations that Coupang shifted losses from low-priced sales onto its partner suppliers.

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