Fair Square Lab to Develop Blockchain-Based Shareholder Meeting Platform

Lotte Data Communication, the IT service management unit of South Korean conglomerate LG Group, brought its hyperrealistic metaverse platform Caliverse and electric vehicle charging platform EVSIS to the stage at CES 2024, attracting great interest from stakeholders from around the world, according to an article by South Korean news outlet KG News.Photo by GuerrillaBuzz on UnsplashExploring tomorrow's technologyCES is one of the biggest annual tech conventions in the world organized by Consumer Technology Association, where companies and other industry leaders gather in Las Vegas to showcase their innovations and visions for a future led by advanced technology. This year’s event was held from Jan. 9 to 12.  AI takes the spotlightIn particular, user-engaging technologies such as generative AI received much attention at the convention, such as AI mobile scanning, which allows anyone to take a picture of their product with a mobile device and virtually create their own digital object in less than five minutes. Another new technology called metaverse live streaming allows users to interact with each other in the virtual space in real-time by replicating their appearance. Standing at the forefront of the IT industryLotte’s Caliverse platform provides deeply immersive content based on world-class technologies such as ultra-high-definition VR shots, image synthesis and real-time rendering graphics. It can also be experienced through a head-mounted display (HMD) as well as most other electronic devices such as 3D monitors, PCs and smartphones, maximizing user accessibility. The company also showcased various EV chargers and digital platforms that are used in its other new product EVSIS, gaining popularity among visitors at the event. Lotte aims to further establish itself as a global market leader in the IT industry based on these cutting-edge platforms.

South Korea’s National Police Agency will assign all 41 narcotics investigators recruited during the second half of the year to cryptocurrency-related duties, according to News1. The move follows the creation of a dedicated “Virtual Asset Analysis and Investigation Team” aimed at tackling drug offenses that use digital assets. To bolster skills, the agency plans specialist training for investigators from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2. Of the 41 recruits, 11 will staff an analysis unit and 30 will join field investigations. The analysis team, based at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, will handle crypto-related drug cases nationwide, generate intelligence, and support phishing probes involving digital assets. The investigation group will be deployed to five regional headquarters (Seoul, Busan, Incheon, southern Gyeonggi, and southern Gyeongsang) to target illicit crypto payment processors and the money launderers behind them.Photo by Scott Rodgerson on UnsplashLatest crypto seizure in UK drug caseThe push mirrors trends overseas. In the U.K., Devon and Cornwall Police said detectives seized £1.3 million (about $1.76 million) in cryptocurrency from Ryan Coleman, 36, who received a 15-year sentence after admitting to supplying cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis, and ketamine via the dark web. Police indicated the seized assets are expected to fund proactive operations and community initiatives, with half allocated to HM Treasury. Cartels turn to crypto in North AmericaNorth American authorities report similar challenges. In a January 2025 post, blockchain intelligence platform TRM Labs pointed to the growing use of cryptocurrencies by Mexican drug cartels and other transnational groups. It noted that an executive order signed by President Trump earlier this year allows U.S. law enforcement to freeze crypto wallets linked to these organizations. The post also outlined laundering pipelines that rely on Chinese money brokers, who convert U.S. cash into crypto for global transfers or for buying precursor chemicals. The scale of these flows is underscored by TRM’s September 2024 research, which estimated that Chinese drug-precursor manufacturers took in over $26 million in crypto in 2023, a 600% jump from the year before. In the first four months of 2024, receipts nearly doubled year-over-year. Roughly 60% of these payments were made in Bitcoin, 30% in TRON, and 6% in Ethereum. The analysis also noted that U.S. cryptocurrency ATMs transferred more than $170,000 directly to Chinese precursor vendors in 2023, modest in scale but valuable for investigators. Freezing stablecoins and tracing Chinese linksWhile targeted sanctions and blockchain tracing have disrupted parts of the network, traffickers remain agile, TRM noted. It underscored the need for continued vigilance, technological adaptation, and cross-border coordination. Suggested steps include freezing cartel-linked stablecoins, tightening U.S. cash-to-bank laundering controls, and using legal tools like the Patriot Act to trace Chinese firms and accounts involved in laundering. South Korea’s redeployment of personnel reflects this push to align national enforcement with evolving enforcement dynamics. 

South Korea is moving closer to the global stablecoin trend as public curiosity and real-world trials accelerate, even as the country’s central bank signals it wants tight guardrails. A recent analysis from Shinhan Card, reported by Money Today, finds that internet searches for “stablecoin” in South Korea jumped 403% in the first half of this year compared with the previous six months, based on data from major portals such as Google and Naver. Mentions on social media rose 359% over the same period. The spike reflects growing expectations that U.S. dollar-pegged tokens could make cross-border payments faster and cheaper by enabling near-instant settlement at prevailing foreign-exchange rates. Interest has been reinforced by user reviews of actual payment experiences, which climbed between May and July. Crypto-linked cards, including RedotPay and Bybit’s offerings, are already usable domestically and allow top-ups with leading stablecoins such as USDT and USDC. One user described buying a cup of coffee at a local shop with a RedotPay card via Apple Pay. The small purchase underscores how crypto rails are edging into routine spending.Photo by Oat Appleseed on UnsplashFrom curiosity to checkoutTrading venues remain the main arena. According to CryptoQuant, transactions in USDT and USDC on the country’s five leading exchanges totaled nearly $71 billion from January through August, underscoring stablecoins’ central role in crypto liquidity and price discovery. Stablecoin interest in Korea shows a skew toward younger users and men, with men making up 74% of related searches and women 26%. By age, people in their 20s–40s accounted for 66% of searches, while those aged 50 and above represented 34%. Public debate is widening alongside adoption, with some online commenters predicting that stablecoins could chip away at the influence of traditional card networks. At the same time, banks, card companies, and exchanges are bracing for the arrival of a won-pegged counterpart, as the government and parliament prepare a regulatory framework and aim to introduce a bill as early as this month. Domestic card issuers, drawing on their merchant networks and settlement systems, are already exploring how to integrate won-backed tokens in ways that maximize convenience and scalability. Adoption meets skepticismSkeptics counter that Korea’s existing payments infrastructure is already world-class, leaving only marginal gains for a won stablecoin. They also argue that cross-border benefits would be modest because the won lacks reserve-currency status and broad global demand. The Bank of Korea (BOK) has struck a notably conservative tone. Governor Rhee Chang-yong has previously questioned the benefits of a won-denominated stablecoin and warned of risks to the monetary system. Earlier this month, in documents submitted to a lawmaker and reported by The Herald Business, the BOK advised that parliament consider granting it authority to require issuers to deposit reserves at the central bank when necessary. According to the bank, such a measure would strengthen user protection during heavy redemptions, curb money-supply growth outside its control, and ensure that any seigniorage benefits flow to the public. That approach could reduce issuer profits, since deposits at the BOK would not earn interest, just as is the case for commercial banks. The documents also recommend sizing reserves to match the total stablecoin supply, while clarifying that not all of it would necessarily need to be held at the central bank. Issuance path and next stepsAs for who should issue a won-pegged token, the BOK favors starting with a consortium of banks, citing their track record on compliance and the need for a controlled pilot that lets regulators assess and mitigate risks before widening access. The developments suggest a country exploring how stablecoins might integrate into an already sophisticated payments network. Consumers are showing interest, exchanges are handling large flows, and regulators are shaping the legal framework that will define the place of any future won-based digital currency.