South Korea

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.

연 18.9% '쿠팡 판매자 성장대출', 금감원 검사 전환 검토

ET News | Local Language | News | Jan. 5, 2026 | Regulatory Enforcement Actions

The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) is considering upgrading its on-site inspection to a formal examination of Coupang Financial’s “Coupang Seller Growth Loan,” which charges a maximum annual interest rate of 18.9% to marketplace sellers. The review focuses on whether the loan product’s structure and risk disclosures were appropriate, amid concerns about consumer protection violations rather than the interest rate itself, which is within the legal 20% cap. A key issue under scrutiny is the collateral arrangement, where in the event of default, Coupang Financial can claim sellers’ settlement proceeds from Coupang and Coupang Pay directly.

The loan agreement allows repayment amounts based on a contractual ratio of up to 20% of sales per settlement cycle, with a minimum repayment requirement every three months. If sellers fail to meet these conditions, the lender can recover outstanding amounts by using sellers’ settlement claims as collateral. Financial authorities are investigating whether sellers were adequately informed about the risks and the collateralized nature of the product, and whether it was misleadingly presented as an unsecured personal loan.

Coupang argues the loan product supports "mutual growth," targeting small and medium-sized merchants and those with low credit who struggle to access traditional financing. It emphasizes that repayments are linked to sales levels, allowing flexibility to avoid delinquencies even when sales decrease. Meanwhile, the FSS has extended its on-site inspection of Coupang Pay by one week due to a personal information leak and may also escalate that to a formal examination if violations are found.

The Coupang case highlights increasing financial risks related to big tech companies, prompting discussions on potential regulatory measures for large retail platforms. FSS Governor Lee Chan-jin announced intentions to collaborate with relevant agencies on institutional improvements and a supervisory framework for such platforms akin to that applied to financial institutions.

"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.