South Korea

Yonhap | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Corporate Corruption or Fraud

The South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources announced the official end of mediation between Oxy Reckitt Benckiser and victims of the toxic humidifier disinfectant scandal, as no settlement was reached in an ongoing appeal case. Mediation efforts were led by the National Contact Point (NCP) for Responsible Business Conduct, a government body implementing OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises. The NCP has made three attempts to facilitate a settlement after individual consumers requested additional relief measures for victims whose injuries were not covered under the existing damage classification system.

The humidifier disinfectant scandal is considered one of South Korea's worst consumer product disasters, with Oxy, a Korean subsidiary of the British company Reckitt Benckiser, held responsible for selling products linked to deaths and illnesses starting in 2011. By 2023, 5,691 people were eligible for government-backed compensation, including 1,262 fatalities. Oxy maintains it cannot provide further compensation, having completed settlements and paid into a government-managed relief fund.

The NCP criticized Oxy for insufficient efforts to verify product safety and for making false safety claims. It urged the company to improve its internal policies, strengthen communication with victims outside the existing injury classification, and participate in the environment ministry-led relief efforts. The NCP also recommended that Oxy’s headquarters in Britain engage in these processes and submit a progress report within one year.

휴네시온, 공급망 보안 통합 위험관리 체계 구축

ZD Net Korea | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Supply Chain Issues

Hunesion, led by CEO Jung Dong-seop, has established an integrated risk management system focused on supply chain security and conducted company-wide SBOM-based supply chain security policy and operations training. This initiative addresses growing concerns about software supply chain attacks amid accelerated digital transformation. The training aims to set security policies, operational guidelines, and strengthen response capabilities to protect company and customer assets.

Globally, including in the United States and Europe, policies mandating SBOM (Software Bill of Materials) submission are being implemented, with the U.S. requiring it for software and medical devices supplied to the federal government. South Korea plans to institutionalize SBOM submission for public sector IT systems and products by 2027 as part of its comprehensive information protection plan announced in October.

SBOM, which applies the manufacturing Bill of Materials concept to software, is central to supply chain security by enabling identification and management of software components. In June 2025, Hunesion was selected for KISA’s “Supply Chain Security Model Construction Support Project,” under which it built an SBOM-based integrated risk management system. This system is incorporated into Hunesion’s network interconnection solution, i-oneNet, allowing prevention of threats across software development, manufacturing, distribution, and deployment phases, as well as enabling rapid incident response.

Hunesion recently inspected the 'React' server component vulnerability, confirming no impact on its systems. The company held SBOM-based security policy training for employees on December 8 and presented SBOM sharing strategies for supply chain threat response at the Peace & Park Convention on December 5.

Hunesion leads a consortium of five firms, each bringing specialized capabilities: SecureSystems provides AI-driven real-time threat monitoring, O2ones supports SBOM internalization, Cryptolab offers homomorphic encryption for SBOM distribution modeling, and EconetSystem handles SBOM provision systems and operational support. Together, they demonstrate comprehensive strategies covering the software supply chain lifecycle.

The i-oneNet solution, known for protecting networks from external and internal cyber threats, has led the domestic network interconnection public procurement market since 2015. It incorporates advanced features such as N2SF, quantum-resistant cryptography, cloud compatibility, and AI support. Product lines like i-oneNet DD and i-oneNet DX are tailored for operational technology (OT) security environments in critical infrastructure, supporting the digital transformation of industrial control systems.

Given the critical importance of supply chain security in national infrastructure sectors—such as power, gas, water, transportation, and communications—Hunesion is also involved in an international R&D project to develop an S/HBOM-based integrated security management platform for industrial control system supply chains, aimed at enhancing global competitiveness.

CEO Jung Dong-seop emphasized Hunesion’s decade-long leadership in network interconnection and the company’s successful internalization of a supply chain security management system to comply with strengthened government standards under the national information protection plan.

Yonhap | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

South Korea's Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina arrived in Washington on December 10, 2025, to urge the United States to swiftly implement an agreement enabling South Korea to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes. This request follows a prior agreement between the two countries, and Kim emphasized the need to start substantive discussions by assigning South Korea's counterpart in the process.

The upcoming 10th Senior Economic Dialogue (SED) between Kim and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg will focus on enhancing bilateral economic and industrial cooperation. Topics expected to be covered include shipbuilding, energy, cutting-edge technologies, critical minerals, and small modular reactors. However, the issue of South Korea's ambition to build nuclear-powered submarines will not be discussed during the SED, as it is considered a military matter slated for separate talks involving South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac.

The backdrop to this diplomatic activity includes a November 13 joint fact sheet where the U.S. expressed support for South Korea's civil nuclear fuel cycle activities, marking a departure from previous restrictions under the bilateral nuclear energy pact. South Korea is seen as an important partner in the U.S.'s broader "nuclear energy renaissance," with cooperation anticipated to benefit both nations. After the SED, Kim will represent South Korea at the "Pax Silica" artificial intelligence summit later in the week.