Daily Briefing is a curated listicle made available by The Readable. We select a handful of significant stories worth sharing with our readers and present them in an easy-to-read, accessible format. Dain Oh and Minkyung Shin collaborate in monitoring, selecting, and reviewing the news articles, with Arthur Gregory Willers contributing to improve the overall readability of the briefing.
1. At least 13 core industry experts recruited by China – South Korea’s Dong-A Ilbo
At least 13 South Korean professors and researchers have joined the Thousand Talents Plan, a Chinese government program aimed at recruiting top overseas talent.
According to an investigative reporting by South Korea’s Dong-A Ilbo, these scholars are involved in critical national strategic technology fields, such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors, and are receiving research funding and living expenses from China.
While the United States, Japan, and Australia have established systematic measures to protect national technological security and prevent China from poaching their talent, the South Korean government appears to have only a vague understanding of the current situation, the reporting team stated.
2. South Korea investigates alleged Chinese manipulation of public opinion – South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo
South Korean police have initiated an internal investigation into allegations that social media accounts linked to Chinese actors manipulated public opinion by posting coordinated comments on articles about competitive industries, such as electric vehicles and e-commerce. These sectors are particularly noted for the intense industrial competition between South Korea and China.
Domestic research teams have uncovered evidence of public opinion manipulation originating from China. Professors Kim Eun-young of the Police Administration Department at Catholic Kwandong University and Hong Suk-hoon of the International Studies Department at Changwon National University detailed their findings in a report titled Understanding Cognitive Warfare in Korea-China Competitive Industries. The report highlights coordinated comment activity designed to influence public perception in South Korea’s key economic sectors.
3. Korean obstetrics and gynecology delivery room secretly filmed by Chinese IP camera, leaked on Chinese porn site – South Korea’s Weekly Chosun
According to the findings of Weekly Chosun’s investigation into a Chinese pornography site conducted from September 6 to 25, compromised videos, which were recorded through Chinese IP cameras installed across South Korea, have been shared on Chinese pornographic sites.
The uploaded footage primarily features locations where Koreans frequently visit and have no choice but to expose their bodies, including pilates and pole dance studios, room cafes, coin karaoke venues, obstetrics and gynecology delivery rooms, rental party spaces, clothing stores, pension swimming pools, waxing salons, and skin massage shops.
Among the leaked videos, those with titles revealing specific places or personal information are readily available, bearing names such as “a filming studio in Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do,” “a locker room at the G Sports Center in Seoul,” and “an injection room at Y Hospital in Gangnam.”
4. PLUS: Interesting discussion regarding Chinese IP camera hack – Reddit
5. California governor signs bills to protect children from AI-generated deepfake nudes – ABC News (USA)
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed two proposals on Sunday aimed at protecting minors from the growing misuse of artificial intelligence tools to create harmful sexual imagery of children.
These measures are part of California’s concerted effort to strengthen regulations around the increasingly prominent AI industry, which is having a growing impact on the daily lives of Americans but has faced little to no oversight in the United States.
Earlier this month, Newsom also signed some of the toughest laws to address election deepfakes, although these laws are currently being challenged in court. California is widely viewed as a potential leader in regulating the AI industry in the U.S.
Editor’s note: Daily briefing will be back on October 2 due to South Korean national holiday on October 1.
