
KT bets W1tr on cybersecurity over next five years
South Korean telecommunications giant KT said Tuesday it will invest more than 1 trillion won ($724 million) over the next five years to fortify cybersecurity, amid heightened consumer concerns following a massive data breach at bigger rival SK Telecom.
The planned investment surpasses SKT's 700 billion won pledge announced on July 4. SKT, the country's largest mobile carrier, made the commitment following a large scale cyberattack and subsequent data breach of customers' USIM data in April, prompting calls for an industrywide security overhaul.
KT, however, said the investment was already in development prior to the SKT breach. Hwang Tae-sun, KT's chief information security and privacy officer, said during a media briefing in Seoul that a string of data breaches at major US carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, in 2023 prompted the company to take action.
KT, the country's second-largest mobile carrier, currently spends more than 100 billion won annually on information security, the most among domestic telecom operators. Under the new plan, it seeks to nearly double its cybersecurity budget to about 200 billion won a year, starting next year.
Breaking down the investment, KT plans to allocate about 20 billion won to strengthen cooperation with global tech firms for security partnerships.
'In terms of partnerships, we are not only considering Microsoft, but also exploring collaborations with other major global security firms, such as Google and Palo Alto Networks,' Hwang said.
Another 340 billion won will go toward strengthening the company's 'zero-trust' architecture ― a cybersecurity model that no user or device is trustworthy by default and requires continuous authentication ― as well as enhancing infrastructure for AI monitoring systems.
The largest portion of 660 billion won is earmarked for ongoing disclosures and public trust initiatives. The remaining 50 billion won will be used to expand cybersecurity workforce.
Hwang said the company plans to increase the number of personnel on its in-house security team from the current 162 to 300 experts.
At the media briefing, KT said it will launch a new version of its artificial intelligence-powered voice phishing detection service later this year. The AI-powered tool analyzes phone conversations in real time to detect potential fraud. The upgraded 2.0 version seeks to raise detection accuracy from the current 91.6 percent to 95 percent, potentially preventing over 200 billion won in damages.
The company said it is also upgrading its AI-powered spam filtering system for text messages. The enhanced program will be able to detect and block emerging types of spam, including investment scam messages and those that mimic social media conversations.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Korea Herald
6 hours ago
- Korea Herald
OSR Holdings Enters into Term Sheet to Acquire Woori IO, a Pioneer in Noninvasive Glucose Monitoring Technology
BELLEVUE, Wash. and SEOUL, South Korea, July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- OSR Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSRH), a global healthcare company advancing biomedical and wellness innovation, today announced it has signed a term sheet ("Term Sheet") with Woori IO Co., Ltd. ("WORIO"), a South Korean medical device company developing next-generation noninvasive glucose monitoring technology. The agreement sets forth certain key terms for a strategic acquisition of WORIO by OSR Holdings' Korean affiliate, OSR Holdings Co., Ltd. ("OSRK"). Under the proposed structure, WORIO will become a wholly owned subsidiary of OSRK. Shareholders of WORIO will receive newly issued shares of OSRK through the share exchange and may be eligible to convert them into OSRH common stock traded on NASDAQ, subject to certain conditions including "$10 per OSRH share" condition. Specifically, WORIO shareholders may convert their OSRK shares into OSRH shares at a fixed exchange ratio of 1 OSRK share = 12.96 OSRH shares, provided that OSRH's stock price reaches $10.00 at least once within three years following the signing of the Term Sheet. If this condition is not met, the parties have agreed to renegotiate in good faith. The agreement includes a 6-month exclusivity period, during which OSRK will conduct confirmatory legal and financial due diligence with a target to complete this transaction within this exclusivity period. WORIO's proprietary platform uses near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to measure glucose without needles, sensors, or skin penetration — representing a truly noninvasive alternative to today's continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). Its solution aims to eliminate the burden of pain and daily finger pricks for millions of people with diabetes. According to recent global market research, the blood glucose monitoring devices market is expected to exceed $40 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8–10%, driven by rising diabetes prevalence and the convergence of medical technology with consumer electronics. Demand for noninvasive and wearable monitoring systems is expected to be a major growth driver. Dexcom, one of the market leaders in minimally invasive CGM which is the current standard of care has more than $32 billion in market capitalization (as of July 11), underscoring the significant commercial potential of advanced glucose monitoring solutions. Noninvasive alternatives hold tremendous promise and are poised to become an integral part of diabetes management in the future. WORIO has completed a proof-of-concept study with the Korea University Hospital (Guro) to validate the accuracy and effectiveness of its prototype devices and the data measured by them, based on which the company plans to enter a larger confirmatory trial to be registered with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of Korea for medical device approval pathway. WORIO's noninvasive technology is well positioned to be integrated into wearable glucose monitoring devices such as smart watches — WORIO has been selected by Samsung Electronics' innovative startup program ("C-Lab Outside") in Q1 2025. "We believe this initial milestone with Woori IO aligns strongly with our mission to accelerate breakthrough healthcare innovations with global impact," said Peter Hwang, CEO of OSRH. "Woori IO's breakthrough noninvasive glucose monitoring platform, coupled with its high-profile partnership with global companies, puts OSRH in a position to become a first mover in this fast-growing global market." Following the signing of this Term Sheet, both parties will proceed with due diligence and aim to execute definitive agreements within the 6 months exclusivity period. About OSR Holdings, Inc. OSR Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSRH) is a global healthcare holding company dedicated to advancing biomedical innovation approaches to health and wellness to support global health outcomes. Through its subsidiaries, OSRH is engaged in immuno-oncology, regenerative biologics, and medical device distribution. OSRH's vision is to acquire and operate a portfolio of innovative healthcare and wellness companies, improving patient care through cutting-edge research and development. For more information, visit About Woori IO Co., Ltd. Woori IO is a medical device company based in Jeonju, South Korea, focused on the development of noninvasive biosensing solutions. Its proprietary NIRS-based glucose monitoring system enables accurate, pain-free, and user-friendly diabetes management, with strong potential for wearable integration. For more information, visit


Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Lee seeks stronger ties in calls with German, Uzbek leaders
President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday held separate phone calls with his counterparts in Germany and Uzbekistan, his office said, to discuss strengthening bilateral cooperation. During his call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Lee highlighted the strong relationship between the two nations. Merz agreed, noting that Germany and South Korea are important partners that share the core values of democracy, human rights and free trade. The two leaders also agreed on the hope of meeting at the earliest opportunity. In his conversation with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Lee expressed his hope to elevate the "special strategic partnership" between South Korea and Uzbekistan. Mirziyoyev reciprocated by saying he holds a "special affection" for South Korea and wishes to see the relationship continue to grow. The two also acknowledged their countries' successful and practical cooperation in various sectors, including infrastructure and transportation. Lee requested Mirziyoyev pay special attention to the difficulties South Korean companies face while operating in Uzbekistan. (Yonhap)


Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Korea Herald
EngineAI Raises Nearly RMB 1 Billion in Pre-A++ and A1 Rounds, Led by JD.com
SHENZHEN, China, July 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After securing investments earlier this year from leading Middle Eastern and South Korean investors, EngineAI has successfully concluded its Pre-A++ and A1 funding rounds. The Pre-A++ round was led by XPeng-backed Rockets Capital, while spearheaded the A1 round with participation from strategic investors CATL Capital (affiliated with CATL) and Yintai Group, as well as institutional investors TH Capital, Guochen Venture Capital (Fortune Capital affiliate), and Huangpu River Capital. Existing shareholders also joined the two rounds. The strong investor confidence allows EngineAI to enter into mass production, further diversify product lines, and achieve breakthroughs in the real-world deployment of embodied intelligence and related technologies. A rising star in humanoid robotics, EngineAI drives innovation through cutting-edge technology, delivering intelligent, hyper-agile robots. Its proprietary joint modules set industry benchmarks for explosive power, torque, and rotational speed, enabling lifelike motion. By solving Sim2Real challenges, the company has carved out a unique tech advantage, achieving millimeter precision in high-dynamic maneuvers like complex dances, front flip, and sprinting. The global humanoid robotics market is forecast to exceed $100 billion by 2030, driven by strong enterprise demand across manufacturing, services, and logistics. EngineAI's "open-source hardware + ecosystem profit-sharing" model accelerates market penetration through strategic partnerships, enabling rapid application diversification and developer engagement. To overcome embodied intelligence hurdles, the company merges traditional control systems with reinforcement learning, boosting efficiency, precision, and reliability. This dual approach not only truly meets market demands but also gradually penetrates into consumer households, forming a unique commercial ecosystem. The newly secured capital will enable rapid advancement of EngineAI's core initiatives in H2 2025: EngineAI has established strategic collaborations with industry giants including NVIDIA, Amazon, Tencent, and ByteDance to advance humanoid robotics applications across commercial services, hazardous operations, and cultural tourism. These partnerships are accelerating the path to large-scale commercial adoption. With production accelerating and certain production segments already exceeding capacity targets, EngineAI is on track to complete optimization upgrades ahead of Q4 2025. This expansion ensures reliable delivery of advanced robotic solutions, positioning the company for successful mass-market penetration. EngineAI is expanding its workforce across critical R&D, production, and market expansion roles. The company is simultaneously enhancing its internal training programs to develop employees' technical and leadership capabilities, building a sustainable talent engine for continuous innovation. Looking ahead, EngineAI will intensify efforts in mass production, product diversification, and embodied AI implementation, contributing core strengths to the high-quality development of the humanoid robotics industry.