South Korea

Joongang Ilbo | English | News | Jan. 15, 2026 | North Korea

South Korea’s Unification Ministry released its 2025 directory of North Korean officials on January 13, highlighting significant leadership changes. The directory notes the expansion of posts for first vice minister of national defense and first vice chief of the General Staff Department from one to two officials each, naming Cha Yong-bom and Kim Yong-bok respectively. Both officials are believed to have been instrumental in managing North Korean troop deployments to Russia in 2025, with Cha coordinating logistics and Kim overseeing special forces tactics. Cha was added to the EU sanctions list in May 2025 due to his role in the Russian deployment.

The Ministry also reported a reshuffle in Kim Jong-un’s protective detail, appointing new commanders for key security positions, including Song Jun-sol as the Workers’ Party guard chief and Ra Chol-jin as commander of the Guard Command. These changes were confirmed during the 80th anniversary parade of the Workers’ Party. In the party and Cabinet, Pak Thae-song’s role was elevated as he became premier in December 2024, a Politburo Presidium member, and vice chairman of the State Affairs Commission. Meanwhile, Ri Pyong-chol was removed from the Politburo Presidium, likely due to age and reduced public activity.

Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, a prominent figure in North Korea’s U.S. policy, was also added to the Politburo. The directory reflects agency name changes following legal revisions, such as the Ministry of Grain Management replacing the Ministry of Food Procurement and Administration, and the Ministry of Disaster Prevention replacing the State Emergency Disaster Committee. The Unification Ministry believes North Korea has dismantled the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, an entity involved in inter-Korean negotiations, following a policy shift that redefined inter-Korean relations as hostile.

The 2025 directory includes details on approximately 17,100 officials affiliated with 10,400 organizations, with 272 key figure profiles. It added 19 new profiles and removed 28 due to deaths or long-term absence from the public eye. The directory and power structure charts provide insight into ongoing leadership dynamics amid North Korea’s recent military and diplomatic activities.

Yonhap | English | News | Jan. 15, 2026 | UndeterminedBizdev-Partnering

Major business associations in South Korea and Japan have issued a joint statement calling for enhanced industrial cooperation in the artificial intelligence (AI) era. The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai) released the Joint Proposal for AI Era Cooperation, reflecting outcomes from four bilateral economic roundtables over the past two years.

The proposal was made during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's visit to Japan, where he met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two leaders agreed to initiate working-level consultations on AI and intellectual property rights. KITA and Keizai Doyukai welcomed the governments’ commitment to deepening future-oriented cooperation amid global uncertainties tied to supply chain instability and geopolitical risks.

The joint proposal sets three main objectives for Korea-Japan industrial cooperation: developing autonomous industrial infrastructure for the AI era, addressing social challenges with a focus on healthcare strengths in both countries, and expanding these initiatives to ASEAN countries. Collaboration areas include data centers, power management, technology research, and data sharing.

The statement emphasized that rapid AI advancements, demographic changes, and evolving social needs present shared challenges and opportunities. KITA and Keizai Doyukai expressed their commitment to promoting innovation, sustainable prosperity, and a shared economic future in the Asia-Pacific region through a forward-looking Korea-Japan partnership.

Joongang Ilbo | English | News | Jan. 15, 2026 | Cyber Attacks and Data Loss

Korean cybersecurity authorities estimate that approximately 9.6 million user accounts may have been affected by a recent cyberattack on Kyowon Group, a local education service provider. The company reported detecting traces of a ransomware attack and possible data breach after noticing abnormal activities in its internal system on Saturday.

Authorities estimate that 600 out of Kyowon’s 800 servers were impacted by the breach. The group’s eight affiliates collectively hold around 13 million members, which reduces to 5.54 million after removing overlapping accounts. The 9.6 million figure includes users with multiple accounts. Kyowon operates across various sectors including tutoring, home appliance rentals, and funeral services, suggesting the potential scale of affected individuals could be significant.

Kyowon Group has not yet confirmed whether personal data was actually leaked. The company stated that investigations are ongoing with relevant organizations to determine if customer data was compromised, and has pledged to notify users transparently if a leak is confirmed.