South Korea

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

South Korean cybersecurity authorities estimate that approximately 9.6 million user accounts may have been affected by a recent cyberattack on Kyowon Group, an education service provider. The breach was detected after Kyowon reported abnormal activities in its internal systems on Saturday and later found traces of a ransomware attack. Authorities estimate that 600 of the company’s 800 servers were compromised.

Kyowon Group operates across diverse sectors such as tutoring, home appliance rentals, and funeral services, with eight affiliates holding a total of 13 million members, which narrows to 5.54 million when duplicate accounts are removed. The 9.6 million figure includes users holding multiple accounts, indicating a potentially vast scope of impact.

Kyowon has not yet confirmed if personal data was actually leaked but stated that an investigation is ongoing with relevant security agencies to determine the extent of the breach. The company promised to notify users transparently if customer data leakage is confirmed.

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

Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, unequivocally rejected any prospects of improving inter-Korean relations, dismissing South Korea’s hopes for dialogue as “daydreams.” Her statement, issued via the state-run Korean Central News Agency, emphasized that the current state of relations between North Korea (DPRK) and South Korea (ROK) will not change, reaffirming Pyongyang's stance based on Kim Jong-un’s “two hostile states” doctrine which views the two Koreas as separate adversaries rather than parts of a divided nation.

This hardline position came after a senior South Korean Unification Ministry official interpreted Kim Yo-jong’s earlier remarks on a drone incursion incident as potentially opening a small window for easing tensions and resuming communication. Despite the ministry’s commitment to restoring relations even if only a 1 percent chance exists, experts saw Kim’s latest comments as a move to rein in South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung administration, pressuring Seoul to acknowledge the drone incident, apologize, and prevent future occurrences.

Pyongyang’s sharp reaction reflects its unease with Lee’s intensified diplomatic outreach, including his recent state visit to China where he asked President Xi Jinping to mediate on the Korean Peninsula. The statement was also issued shortly after a South Korea-Japan summit in which the leaders, along with the United States, pledged close coordination toward North Korea’s complete denuclearization. Analysts believe North Korea’s response aims to undermine these peace and denuclearization efforts and preempt any mediation attempts.

버려진 자석에서 값비싼 희토류 뽑아낸다…고려아연의 ‘신연금술’

Maekyung | Local Language | News | Jan. 15, 2026 | UndeterminedTech Development/Adoption

Korea Zinc has formed a strategic partnership with U.S.-based Alta Resources Technologies to extract rare earth oxides from discarded permanent magnets through an urban mining operation in the United States. The joint venture will operate on Korea Zinc’s U.S. subsidiary PedalPoint’s existing electronic waste recycling sites in cities like Chicago, Atlanta, and Las Vegas. The project is set to begin commercial production in 2027, targeting an initial output of 100 tons per year of high-purity rare earth elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium needed for electric vehicles, wind power, and defense sectors.

This collaboration aims to diversify and secure the rare earth supply chain, which is currently over 90% dependent on China’s refining capacity, by establishing a domestic rare earth oxide production system in the U.S. Alta Resources brings "precision mining" biochemical technologies capable of separating and refining low-concentration rare earths from complex waste materials. The urban mining approach allows Korea Zinc to recover valuable rare earth metals from electronic waste and permanent magnets without the large investments and environmental risks typical of traditional mine development.

The project aligns with Korea Zinc chairman Choi Yoon-beom’s "Troika Drive" growth strategy, which focuses on renewable energy, secondary battery materials, and resource circulation. Expanding the resource circulation business to include rare earth elements complements Korea Zinc’s existing metal recovery operations and supports the company’s role as a trusted supplier to advanced technology manufacturers in both Korea and the U.S. The initiative also contributes to building a critical minerals hub in North America, reinforcing economic security amid global supply chain challenges.