Have you ever generated an image using Large Language Models (LLMs), such as Gemini or ChatGPT? They produce new images and documents in the blink of an eye, when it would have taken several hours and specialized abilities if it were for us to make those. Therefore, many assume that the data learning and collecting process are automatized, unable to see the human labor that lies behind them. But that is not the case. Browsing the Internet, you might have stumbled upon unsettling, harmful images generated by LLMs. To prevent this from happening, there is a process called data labelling, also kn

Within the month of September, two record-setting Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) factorizations were announced back to back, both accomplished with the help of AI coding agents. Cognition researcher Eric LU used the company’s Devin agents to factor RSA-260 on Sept. 3. 16 days later, Stephen A. WEIS, a security engineer at Anthropic, used Claude to factor the larger RSA-896. For anyone who trusts encryption to protect their private information, the pace raises an obvious question: how much closer are computers to breaking the keys used today?RSA is a widely used encryption algorithm named after it

Science fiction has long portrayed artificial intelligence as a path to a dystopian future in which humanity falls under the control of machines. Whether such a scenario could become reality is now the subject of intense debate—not only among the public, but among some of the world’s leading AI researchers.Geoffrey HINTON, Yoshua BENGIO, Yann LECUN, and Andrew NG are among the most influential figures in modern AI. Hinton, Bengio, and LeCun—often referred to as the “Godfathers of Deep Learning”—shared the 2018 Turing Award for their pioneering work on neural networks, while Hinton later shared

The critical heatwaves and widespread wildfires striking the globe are not mere misfortune or anomalous natural phenomena. They signify that the intricate and destructive exploitation system by humans has finally begun to exact its cost. Behind the well-packaged carbon-neutral declarations of nations and the eco-friendly slogans of corporations lies a climate crisis that is directly destroying our daily lives. The crisis has already arrived, yet we are debating comfort inside a burning house. The Complex Mechanisms Behind the Global HeatwavesA complex mechanism operates beneath these recent he

With the recent surge in demand for AI semiconductors and the recovery of the memory market, the semiconductor industry has shown strong growth. As a result, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix made record-breaking consolidated operating profits of 57.2 trillion KRW and 37.6 trillion KRW, respectively, for the first quarter of this year. However, the atmosphere between labor and management at the two companies has been different. At SK Hynix, labor and management agreed to give 10% of operating profits as bonuses and abolish the bonus cap. In contrast, at Samsung Electronics, labor and management

• Recent enforcement exposed massive cartels in sugar, flour, and paper markets that inflated prices for vulnerable households.• Existing administrative fines have failed as corporations internalize them as operating costs while exploiting leniency programs.• Proposed solutions include compulsory divestitures, lowering import barriers, and AI-driven monitoring to foster natural market competition.Amid a prolonged economic downturn marked by high interest rates and inflation, corporate collusion in essential consumer goods has emerged as a critical factor worsening household financial burdens.

Recently, global financial markets have been fluctuating like a rollercoaster due to various factors, including the U.S.-Iran war and earnings announcements from AI and semiconductor companies. Korea’s stock market has shown the highest volatility compared to other major countries, even leading to the popularization of the term “Roller-KOSPI.” In March alone, the high-to-low volatility of the KOSPI reached 22.6%, which was 5.8 percentage points higher than that of Bitcoin during the same period. Furthermore, sidecars—emergency safety measures that temporarily halt program trading during sharp

Supply Chain Crisis: national naphtha price almost doubled due to Middle East Conflict Consumer Impact: Shortage of household goods and producer-set limits on purchase introduced Resource Security: Officials researching bio-naphtha and alternatives as well as more strategic naphtha allocationThe Invisible Squeeze: How Middle East Tensions are Upending Global Plastics SupplySouth Korea’s consumer panic stems from the escalating Middle East conflict. Intensifying tensions involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran have severely disrupted critical maritime routes, notably the Strait of Hormuz. This geo

In Iran, the hijab has long been more than a religious custom. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the pro-Western Pahlavi monarchy and established an Islamic Republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah KHOMEINI, it has also served as a political norm. The new governing state placed Islamic order at the center of public life, and women’s dress became part of that effort. Over time, the hijab became a required standard in public spaces and a symbol of how the state sought to regulate daily life.That issue drew renewed global attention after the death of Mahsa AMINI on Sept. 16, 2022. Amini

• Extreme Wage Disparity: Staggering pay gap between idols and the technical crews • ​Lack of Protection: K-pop staff lack standard contracts, overtime pay, and guaranteed rest windows ​• Structural Reform: Industry must move toward collective bargaining and legal labor protections The global cultural landscape has been undeniably reshaped by the “K-phenomenon.” K-pop idols are now redefining how our society evaluates the very value of labor. However, beneath the neon lights and synchronized choreography lies a sobering reality: a structural imbalance so profound it threatens the very foundati

On Jan. 22, the KOSPI exceeded the 5,000 mark for the first time. This surge was driven by the boom in the semiconductor industry, particularly among companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Thanks to the industry’s strong exports, South Korea’s current account surplus is also at a record high. According to conventional economic theory, this should result in a significant influx of dollars, causing the value of the KRW to strengthen. However, the KRW/USD exchange rate remains stuck in the mid-1,400 range.In the Korean economy, the KRW/USD exchange rate is more than just a number; it

Korea’s Sovereign AI Initiative The Survivors: LG AI Research, SK Telecom, and Upstage Upcoming: A “Wild Card” round open to both previous and new teams The “Originality” Controversy: Does originality outweigh efficiency and performance in an open-source-driven data environment?In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Korean government and companies started focusing on high-tech industries. Since then, Korea has become one of the leading countries of such technologies, including the field of semiconductor engineering. However, in the intense competition of AI technologies, unfortunately, Korea has fa

Although AI has been recognized as a promising technology for a long time, it seems that people truly began to see its potential when ChatGPT was introduced to the public. The emergence of this new model was also frequently discussed by key figures, including CEOs of major corporations, and by the media, and it became a defining model of AI. Since then, generative AI models have been woven into our daily lives. It is now used not only by younger generations and early adopters but also by people from a wider range of ages and groups. It seemed that it would remain to be the predominant model of

At 1:03 A.M. on Nov. 27, 2025, the night sky above the Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla, was ignited with a thunderous roar as Nuri—South Korea’s homegrown space launch vehicle (KSLV-II) —soared toward space. Although an anomaly detected right before liftoff delayed the launch by approximately 18 minutes, the rocket executed all flight sequences successfully. The mission concluded flawlessly in just 18 minutes and 25 seconds, nearly three minutes shorter than the originally predicted flight time, demonstrating the extraordinary performance of Nuri’s engine.The successful completion o

One of the most startling developments in the global technology landscape in 2025 was the emergence of “DeepSeek Shock.” The release of a large language model (LLM) by DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup, ignited a new AI race between the U.S. and China. DeepSeek challenged the prevailing success model of U.S. Big Tech by introducing a LLM that is not built on massive capital, and caused shockwaves through the AI-related stock market. As 2026 emerges, the phrase “Made in China” is undergoing a quiet but profound redefinition. No longer confined to manufacturing efficiency, it signals an all-out att

The 2025 APEC summit in Gyeongju ended with pledges to cooperate on technology, demographic change, and supply chain resilience. However, most concrete outcomes were produced through bilateral meetings on the sidelines rather than new multilateral trade commitments.APEC, proposed in Seoul in 1989 and formally launched in Canberra later that year, is a forum of 21 economies that operates by consensus and adopts non-binding commitments. This structure has long been associated with questions about its capacity to drive trade liberalization, and the latest summit was seen as reflecting those limit

The 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju brought global attention and boosted the local economy. However, with the event now concluded, many residents are experiencing both anticipation and concern about the city’s future. Hwangnidan-gil, the city’s representative commercial district, has already been suffering from gentrification, where original residents are pushed out as rents rise significantly due to the influx of outside capital. There is a growing concern that the success of the APEC summit may raise expectations for increased property values, potentially intensifying the trend of gentrificatio

While it emerged as the most demanding major, computer science is at a turning point. Computer science is still the most heated among all other fields, yet ironically, the heat is hurting the individuals involved. Across the world, enrollment surges are slowing, and job prospects for new graduates are becoming more competitive. AI is redefining what it means to study, work, and innovate in this field. These shifts raise a new question: if coding is no longer a rare skill, what does it now mean to be a computer scientist?For over a decade, computer science has been the most popular and fastest-

On Sept. 27, a fire broke out at the Korean government’s computer system headquarters, the National Information Resources Service Center (NIRS). This caused permanent data loss, without any backup storage of crucial national information. The fire broke out during the improper demolition of the battery. The firefighting process took considerable time since 380 battery packs had to be moved into water tanks. The NIRS fire brought longstanding concerns over battery safety back into the spotlight. There are various kinds of batteries; most commercialized are lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The Li-

A recent directive from the Ministry of Education has sent shockwaves through South Korea’s schools. The notice stated that while narrative sections of student records must be based on teachers’ direct observation and evaluation, they may use generative AI such as ChatGPT as a supplementary tool for editing. However, it firmly stressed that teachers will bear full responsibility if false or exaggerated information is discovered later.Teachers say using generative AI like ChatGPT to draft student records has already become an “open secret.” With the high school credit system fragmenting evaluat