Asian Tech Roundup: Billionaire banged up

Plus: Japan's human-skinned robots

Welcome to Computing's fortnightly roundup of tech news in Asia. This time we look at South Korea's arrest of Kim Beom-su, MediSecure's mega-hack and India's tech security agreement with the UK

Australia

• Australia's Department of Home Affairs has ordered government departments to review their technology including for foreign ownership, control or influence related to procurement and maintenance of technology assets. Source
• 12.9 million Australians had personal data stolen when MediSecure, a company that facilitated electronic prescriptions and dispensing, was attacked in April, according to auditors. Source

China

• Apple's smartphone shipments in China fell by 6.7% in Q2 2024, while Huawei's grew by 41%. Source
• Huawei opened a R&D centre in Shanghai that's larger than Apple Park and the Microsoft Redmond Campus combined. Source
• Shipping and logistics, media and entertainment, technology and automotive businesses in Italy, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the UK are being targeted by China-based APT41 threat group. Source
• Nvidia is working on a version of its new AI chips for the Chinese market that will be compatible with US export controls. Source
• EV maker Xpeng is to strengthen links with Volkswagen, to develop a new cars for sale in China under the VW brand. Source
• Semiconductor stocks across Asia dropped after a report that the US was considering tighter restrictions on exports of advanced chip technology to China. Source
• TikTok's ecommerce activities in Asia have grown fourfold, reaching $16.3 billion last year. Source

India

• The UK and India announced a new Technology Security Initiative in a move to bolster economic ties and address critical global challenges. Source
• Tata Group's plans to establish a battery gigafactory in the UK have moved a significant step closer to reality. Source
• India is to eliminate it's "Google Tax", a measure introduced in 2016 to ensure tech giants pay their fair share of taxes. Source
• Bengalaru-based edtch firm Bluelearn has closed its doors and started paying back investors. Source
• And failed edtech startup Byju, up once valued at $22 billion, is to appeal insolvency proceedings, sources say. Source
• Airtel and Nokia claim to have achieved a throughput of 1.2 Gbps in a 5G cloud test in India. Source
• India's antitrust body, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), found that Apple has abused its dominant position in the app store market. Source
• Wipro, India's fourth-largest IT services player, missed quarterly revenue forecasts with consolidated revenue falling 3.8% to 219.64 billion rupees ($2.63 billion). Source
• The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Commission has warned of a Google ad scam offering ticket refunds. Source
• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has used facial recognition technology to block nearly 700,000 SIM cards and 10,296 mobile phones in Gujarat state for their suspected involvement in cybercrime. Source
• The government suspended two telemarketing companies V-Con and OneXtel Media for sending millions of fraudulent SMSs. Source
• India's largest cryptocurrency WazirX was hacked by suspected North Korean hackers, leading to losses of around $230 million. Source
• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched a wallet service for international travellers in the country called UPI One World. Source

Japan

• AI-powered search engines like Google and Bing likely infringe publishers' copyright, the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association said. Source
• Japanese scientists have attached human skin to robot faces, enabling them to smile. Source
• Only a quarter of Japanese companies have adopted AI, with more than 40% having no plan to use it, according to Reuters. Source
• Fujitsu and has announced a partnership with Canadian AI startup Cohere to develop a Japanese LLM for private cloud usage through Fujitsu Kozuchi AI services. Source
• Online marketplace Mercari reportedly laid off half of the employees at its US subsidiary. Source
• Toyota is to build an EV battery plant for Lexus cars on the island of Kyushu. Source

South Korea

• A former Samsung Display engineer was sentenced to 6 years in prison for leaking organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology to China. Source
• Kim Beom-su, billionaire founder of super app Kakao, has been arrested over allegations of stock price rigging. Source
• Samsung has acquired Oxford Semantic Technologies, a knowledge graph specialist, in a bid to "hyper-personalise" user experiences with AI. Source
• Samsung Electronics plans to sell air-conditioners that use 30% less power into the North American market. Source
• South Korea is investigating two major ecommerce platforms owned by Singapore's Qoo10. Both companies have stopped issuing refunds to consumers. Source

Singapore

• Ride-hailing and food delivery firm Grab has called off its planned acquisition of Singaporean taxi operator Trans-cab. Source
• Singapore ordered social media firms to block 95 accounts tied to exiled Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui. Source
• Singapore and Malaysia are tightening their oversight of social media platforms. Source
• Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC plans to acquire stakes in the Chinese units of multinational companies as they leave the country due to political pressures. Source

Taiwan

• Taiwan's MediaTek is being sued by China's Hauwei over alleged patent infringement. Source
• AI chip production will be constrained throughout 2025 said Taiwan's TSMC, but added it is investing in advanced packaging and chip production. Source

Other Asia

• The Philippines has closed its online gambling sites over allegations of tax fraud. Source
• In a money laundering investigation Cambodian payments firm Huione Pay received crypto worth over $150,000 from a digital wallet used by North Korean hacking outfit Lazarus, Reuters reported. Source
• US authorities have indicted North Korean national Rim Jong Hyok over a series of ransomware attacks on hospitals and healthcare providers. Source