Korea

• Hacker sponsorizzati dallo stato della Corea del Nord stanno implementando strumenti di IA per scansionare e sfruttare i punti ciechi della cybersecurity nelle reti target, secondo un nuovo report di Google sulla sicurezza informatica. • Il report descrive come questi attori utilizzino l'IA generativa per le attività di ricognizione, automatizzando la scoperta di vulnerabilità su larga scala, superando i tradizionali metodi manuali. • Questo sviluppo sottolinea il duplice ruolo dell'IA, sia come risorsa difensiva per le aziende di cybersecurity che come arma offensiva per gli avversari statali.

• La Corea del Sud sta preparando nuove misure per contrastare i cyberattacchi basati sull'AI a seguito delle preoccupazioni sollevate da Claude Mythos Preview di Anthropic, secondo un riepilogo sulla cybersecurity del 13 maggio. • La risposta politica riportata riflette i crescenti timori che gli strumenti di AI avanzata possano abbassare la barriera per il phishing, lo sviluppo di malware e i tentativi di intrusione automatizzati. • La questione è rilevante poiché la Corea del Sud è un'economia altamente digitalizzata con una forte esposizione nelle reti governative, di telecomunicazioni, finanziarie e manifatturiere.

• L'indice Kospi della Corea del Sud è crollato fino al 3,2% all'inizio del 13 maggio a causa del mancato accordo salariale tra Samsung Electronics e il proprio sindacato, ma ha rimbalzato nettamente del 2,6% chiudendo al record di 7.708-7.844. • La ripresa è stata favorita dagli sforzi del governo per gestire la situazione sindacale e da un più ampio ottimismo verso l'AI che ha rianimato il sentiment di mercato, nonostante i dati sull'inflazione statunitense e le tensioni con l'Iran. • Questa performance eccezionale ha contrastato i movimenti misti a livello regionale, evidenziando la volatilità della Corea tra questioni sindacali aziendali e la forza del settore tecnologico.

• I hedge fund globali hanno incrementato gli investimenti in Asia, con gli acquisti settimanali di titoli sudcoreani, giapponesi e taiwanesi che hanno raggiunto il massimo di 10 anni per la settimana conclusasi il 7 maggio, secondo un rapporto di Morgan Stanley. • L'impennata, la più consistente in termini di valore nominale in oltre un decennio, è stata guidata da clienti di tutte le regioni e strategie mirate al settore tecnologico asiatico nel contesto del boom dell'AI. • L'esposizione netta degli hedge fund verso Giappone, Corea del Sud e Taiwan è salita ai massimi dal 2010, raggiungendo ora circa il 19% del posizionamento globale, con un focus su semiconduttori e hardware nella supply chain dell'AI.

• La Corea del Nord ha travolto la Thailandia per 6-0 nei quarti di finale l'11 maggio presso il Taihu Football Sports Center di Suzhou, in Cina, mantenendo un record perfetto di 4 partite, 27 gol segnati e 0 subiti. • La Corea del Nord, campione in carica, affronterà ora la Cina nelle semifinali del 14 maggio, e il vincitore passerà alla finale del 17 maggio presso il Suzhou Sports Center Stadium. • La loro corsa dominante, definita 'spaventosa' dagli osservatori, li posiziona come favoriti per un posto alla Coppa del Mondo e mette in mostra la potenza offensiva della loro squadra giovanile.

• Il Primo Ministro giapponese sta valutando una visita in Corea del Sud intorno al 19-20 maggio 2026 per dei colloqui al vertice, secondo fonti citate da Asia Daily l'11 maggio. • Il viaggio mira a rafforzare le relazioni tra Giappone e Corea del Sud in un contesto di sfide alla sicurezza regionale in Asia orientale. • Questo segue le recenti esercitazioni militari congiunte che hanno coinvolto paracadutisti di Giappone, USA e Regno Unito, segnalando una cooperazione in materia di difesa più profonda.

• iShares MSCI South Korea ETF e iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF sono cresciuti rispettivamente del 239% e del 96% negli ultimi 12 mesi nell'ambito della mania per l'IA. • L'indice KOSPI della Corea del Sud ha raggiunto il record di 7.899,32 lunedì con un balzo del 4%, mentre il TAIEX di Taiwan ha chiuso sopra i 42.000 per la prima volta la scorsa settimana. • Goldman Sachs prevede che la crescita del PIL della Corea del Sud sarà del 2,5% nel 2026, con le esportazioni legate all'IA che triplicheranno raggiungendo quasi il 30% del PIL; si prevede che il PIL di Taiwan accelererà fino al 10% con simili aumenti delle esportazioni.

• Il Presidente Trump partirà da Washington lunedì per un viaggio cruciale in Asia, facendo tappa in Giappone e in Corea del Sud prima di un summit di due giorni con il Presidente cinese Xi Jinping. • L'itinerario si concentra sugli impegni diplomatici in un contesto di crescenti tensioni tra USA e Cina e preoccupazioni per la sicurezza regionale. • Si prevede che le discussioni riguardino il commercio, le alleanze di sicurezza e le relazioni bilaterali durante queste visite di alto profilo.

• South Korea's Kospi index surged 78% year-to-date, with Taiwan shares among the world's top performers this month as investors redirect capital flows to Asian equities for the next leg of the global rally. • Morgan Stanley forecasts Asia's fixed asset investment will jump from $11 trillion in 2025 to $16 trillion by 2030, driven by AI infrastructure, energy security, and defense spending reshaping the region's industrial cycle. • Semiconductor giants Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. are key beneficiaries, with implied volatility for Taiwan and Korea climbing to peak levels versus the S&P 500 as option costs rise amid investor enthusiasm.

• Asia-focused ETFs representing Japan, China, South Korea, and Taiwan are outperforming in 2026, driven by a structural re-rating of Asian growth prospects as global investors seek alternatives to high-valuation U.S. mega-cap technology stocks. • Semiconductor and hardware infrastructure sectors are the primary beneficiaries of ongoing global AI expansion, with integrated supply chains across Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea attracting significant catch-up trades from international investors. • A broader stabilization in the U.S. dollar is acting as a tailwind for developed and emerging Asian equities, reducing the cost of dollar-denominated debt for regional corporations and improving competitive positioning.

• Shares in South Korea and Taiwan have rallied the most globally this month, with South Korea's Kospi index surging 78% year-to-date amid optimism for tech-driven gains. • Traders are positioning for Asia's technology leaders to lead the next phase of the worldwide stocks rally, focusing on semiconductor and electronics firms in these markets. • The outperformance underscores Asia's pivotal role in global equities, potentially sustaining momentum if U.S. and European markets stabilize.

• On May 7, 2026, South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT announced the formation of a national AI supercomputing grid, integrating 16 existing data centers into a unified platform with total processing capacity of more than 40 exaFLOPS. • The grid, funded with ₩12 trillion (about $9 billion), will provide subsidized compute access to domestic startups, universities, and automakers, with particular emphasis on training Korean‑language LLMs and autonomous‑driving models. • Seoul positions the grid as a counterweight to China’s state‑backed AI clusters and U.S. hyperscalers, while also tightening export controls on high‑end GPUs integrated into the network.

• Conservative opposition leader Han Dong-hoon on May 8, 2026, launched a fierce attack against progressive President Lee Jae-myung and his ruling Democratic Party. • He criticized the government's aggressive legal campaigns using special counsels against former President Yoon Suk-yeol and associates. • Key Democratic Party plans include dissolving the prosecution service and expanding the Supreme Court bench massively to consolidate judicial influence.

• The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) hopes to keep politics separate from sports when women's clubs from North and South Korea face off in the AFC Women's Champions League semifinals on May 20 at Suwon Stadium, 30 km south of Seoul. • The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time, pitting the two Korean teams against each other in a high-stakes encounter. • AFC officials emphasized maintaining focus on football amid historical tensions between the divided nations.

Advertised prices for new rental listings rising at fastest pace since October 2024. Follow updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s housing market is at its slowest for almost 18 months as buyers stick to cheaper properties and abandon interest in the top end of the market.Figures today from the data firm Cotality show Melbourne and Sydney house prices fell 0.6% in April. Melbourne’s home values have now fallen 1.9% since November, with Sydney’s down 1%. Continue reading...

Leader mentions for first time lengths to which troops go to avoid falling into enemy hands while fighting for RussiaKim Jong-un has praised North Korean soldiers who blew themselves up with grenades in order to avoid capture while fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia’s western Kursk region, confirming the existence of the extreme battlefield policy.Mounting evidence, including from intelligence reports and testimonies of defectors, has indicated North Korean soldiers are explicitly told to resort to self-detonation or other forms of suicide to avoid falling into enemy hands. Continue reading...

The Seoul High Court found Kim Keon Hee guilty of manipulating the share price of Deutsch Motors, a South Korean car dealer, which it ruled a "collusive ... trading act constituting market manipulation".

In January, Kim Keon Hee was sentenced to 20 months for accepting gifts from the Unification Church, which sought political favors. (Image credit: Ahn Young-joon)

Regime used its isolation after closing borders to escalate killings when global scrutiny disappeared, NGO claimsNorth Korea dramatically increased its use of the death penalty after closing its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic, using its isolation to escalate killings when international scrutiny disappeared, according to a report mapping 13 years of executions under the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un.The number of documented cases of executions and death sentences increased by 117% in the nearly five years after North Korea sealed its borders in January 2020 compared with an equal period before the closure, according to a report by the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), a human rights NGO in Seoul. Continue reading...

• North Korea launched multiple ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan on Monday, prompting immediate condemnation from Seoul and Washington amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. • South Korea's military detected at least three missile launches, with analysts assessing the tests as part of Pyongyang's ongoing weapons development program. • The U.S. State Department condemned the launches as destabilizing and reiterated its commitment to defending South Korea and Japan through extended deterrence.

Foreign affairs minister begins another diplomatic tour to secure Australia’s fuel and energy supply chains. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning, Nick Visser here to guide you through the day’s news. Here’s what’s on deck:The foreign minister, Penny Wong, will travel to Japan today, part of a diplomatic trip to secure fuel supplies that will also include visits to China and South Korea. She said the effort will help “ensure Australia is prioritised as a reliable energy partner”. Continue reading...

• North Korea has deployed an additional 10,000 troops to support Russian forces in Ukraine, escalating foreign involvement in the conflict as fighting intensifies along multiple fronts. • South Korean intelligence reports indicate the troops are equipped with advanced weaponry and are positioned in the Kursk region; this represents a significant expansion of Pyongyang's military commitment to Moscow. • The deployment raises concerns among US and allied officials about the global implications of expanding proxy conflicts and potential technology transfers between Russia and North Korea.

• North Korean-linked hackers executed a $290 million cryptocurrency theft from Kelp DAO, marking the largest digital asset heist of the year and demonstrating persistent threats to blockchain platforms. • The attack underscores vulnerabilities in decentralized finance infrastructure and the sophistication of state-sponsored cybercriminal operations targeting crypto assets. • Security experts warn of escalating coordination between criminal groups and nation-state actors targeting high-value cryptocurrency holdings globally.

One pilot ordered to repay some of the $600,000 of damage caused by collision in 2021South Korea’s air force has apologised for a 2021 mid-air collision involving two fighter jets, a day after auditors said pilots were taking selfies and filming during the flight and held them responsible for the accident.“We sincerely apologise to the public for the concern caused by the accident that occurred in 2021,” an air force spokesperson said in a press briefing. The spokesperson said one of the pilots involved had been suspended from flying duties, received severe disciplinary action and has since left the military. Continue reading...

• North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile from its western region Tuesday evening, the sixth such test in the past three months despite frozen nuclear diplomacy with the US. • US officials assessed the missile demonstrated improved guidance systems, suggesting continued weapons development despite economic sanctions and international isolation. • The test complicates efforts to restart dialogue, with South Korea calling for emergency trilateral talks involving Japan to address escalating regional security threats.

Washington reportedly limits satellite data after minister spoke publicly about suspected facility in North KoreaThe US has partly restricted intelligence sharing with South Korea after the country’s unification minister publicly identified a suspected North Korean nuclear site, according to reports in South Korean media.Chung Dong-young told lawmakers in March that North Korea was operating uranium enrichment facilities in Kusong, a north-western area that had not previously been officially confirmed as a nuclear site alongside the known facilities at Yongbyon and Kangson. Continue reading...

Police seek warrant for Bang Si-Hyuk over allegations he illegally gained millions in investor fraud schemeSouth Korean police said on Tuesday they were seeking to arrest Bang Si-Hyuk, the chair of the agency behind the K-pop band BTS, as they expand an investigation into allegations that he illegally gained more than $100m (£74m) in an investor fraud scheme.The Seoul metropolitan police agency confirmed it had asked prosecutors to request a court warrant for arresting Bang, founder and chair of HYBE. Continue reading...

Sgt Celestino Chavez Jr, accounted for in 2025, given full burial honors and posthumous medals in New MexicoThe remains of a US soldier who went missing in action during the Korean war were identified by DNA analysis, and he was recently laid to rest in his hometown of Gallup, New Mexico, authorities said.US army Sgt Celestino Chavez Jr’s burial ended a decades-long saga that began with him being wounded while defending his post near the Changjin (Chosin) Reservoir in North Korea and then being taken to an aid station on 30 November 1950. Chavez, 19, was then reported missing in action three days later, when enemy fighters attacked his convoy. Continue reading...