South Korea

Five South Korean fugitives were arrested in Muntinlupa for a $2.9 million cryptocurrency scam, while a sixth was caught in Pasay for larceny. Separately, an Indonesian drug courier was denied entry at NAIA and sent back to Bangkok.

Toei Animation has teamed up with Wemade to create DenDenGarden, a blockchain-based game featuring NFTs from the DenDekaDen series. The game aims to expand into global markets, including Japan, Southeast Asia, and North America, with hopes of tapping into the growing blockchain gaming trend.

South Korean prosecutors seized over $9.3 million in Bitcoin from a convicted scam operator who targeted elderly citizens and North Korean defectors. Despite his conviction, the scammer showed no remorse, stating he “did not regret” his actions if it benefited his family.

South Korea's financial regulator is urging tighter oversight of the volatile cryptocurrency market, which recently surpassed the stock market in transaction volume. Authorities also confirmed North Korean hackers stole significant cryptocurrency in 2019, intensifying concerns about security and market manipulation.

Korea's first AI-powered drama, "Kiss Lighting – Ghost Cupid," uses AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney for scriptwriting and visuals, offering a cost-effective and innovative approach to production. AI is making content creation more accessible, though challenges remain in maintaining audience engagement and addressing legal concerns over ownership and copyright.

Upbit refunded 8.5 billion won to 380 voice phishing victims, reinforcing its commitment to user security. Authorities have also linked North Korea's Lazarus Group to the 2019 Ethereum theft of $1.4 billion. In response to rising crypto crimes, Upbit and law enforcement are ramping up their collaboration to safeguard the digital finance space.

South Korean authorities have linked the 2019 Upbit exchange hack to North Korea, with over $1 billion worth of stolen ether. The investigation, aided by the FBI and Swiss authorities, traced the stolen funds, recovering some of the assets.

A massive cryptocurrency scam in South Korea led to the arrest of 215 people, including a YouTuber who used his platform to promote fake investment schemes. The scam, which targeted over 15,000 investors, defrauded them of around $230 million by selling worthless crypto assets and making false promises of high returns.

A South Korean court upheld a bank’s decision to fire an employee for “habitual” crypto gaming and improper private money lending to clients, uncovered in an internal audit. The employee appealed, claiming the dismissal was unjust.

Delabs Games, creator of Rumble Racing Star, is diving into Telegram’s TON ecosystem with a Ragnarok release in Q1 2025, followed by Boxing Star in Q3—broadening its gaming presence and fan engagement on the platform.