[MWC26]LG Uplus and Cryptolab Aim to Block Hacking Risks with Homomorphic Encryption

LG Uplus has partnered with Cryptolab to apply homomorphic encryption technology to its artificial intelligence (AI) agent Xio and AI Contact Center (AICC). The aim is to build a secure environment that blocks damage even in the event of hacking or data leaks, by leveraging homomorphic encryption, which enables information to be computed and utilized while remaining encrypted.

The two companies announced their collaboration at a press conference held on the 4th (local time) at the Fira Gran Via Exhibition Center in Barcelona, Spain, during Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2026. The event was attended by Jaehyun Jang, CTO of LG Uplus and Head of the Tech Intelligence Team, and Jeonghee Chun, CEO of Cryptolab.

Jeonghee Chun, CEO of Cryptolab (right), and Jaehyun Jang, CTO of LG Uplus and Head of the Tech Intelligence Team, are answering questions at a press conference held on the 4th (local time) at the Fira Gran Via Exhibition Center in Barcelona, Spain. LG Uplus

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LG Uplus is currently conducting a proof-of-concept to apply homomorphic encryption technology to its AI call agent Xio and AICC. Homomorphic encryption is a technology that allows data to be processed and utilized in its encrypted state.

With conventional encryption methods, data must be decrypted before it can be used, which increases the risk of exposure if hacking occurs during the decryption process, as plaintext data can be leaked. In contrast, homomorphic encryption allows data to be stored or transmitted without decryption. Even if encrypted data is hacked, it remains in an indecipherable ciphertext form, preventing potential data breaches.

Cryptolab is a company founded by Jeonghee Chun, Professor at the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Seoul National University. The company was the first in the world to develop and patent CKKS, a fourth-generation homomorphic encryption scheme that supports real number operations. Cryptolab has received a commendation from the Minister of National Defense for its AI model encryption technology demonstration project in the defense sector and has supplied technology to Toss that protects facial feature data using homomorphic encryption.

Recently, Cryptolab further improved performance by implementing matrix operations in encrypted form with CKKS+, a 4.5th-generation homomorphic encryption scheme. CEO Chun emphasized, "Performance has been improved to the point where there is no real-time latency, and the technology is lightweight enough to be used on-device."

Jeon Jeonghee, CEO of Cryptolab, is making a presentation at a press conference held on the 4th (local time) at the Fira Gran Via Exhibition Center in Barcelona, Spain. LG Uplus

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LG Uplus expects that homomorphic encryption can also play a role in safeguarding information within the AICC, its AI-based customer contact center. Sensitive data such as personal information and customer service records can be stored in encrypted form, allowing for data comparison and analysis without decryption.

Jaehyun Jang, CTO of LG Uplus and Head of the Tech Intelligence Team, stressed, "By integrating Cryptolab's world-class computational speed and noise removal technology into our services, we will build a robust infrastructure that enables customers to use our services with confidence, regardless of security threats." CEO Chun added, "Through our collaboration with LG Uplus, we have confirmed the feasibility of applying homomorphic encryption technology to real-world services. We will continue to contribute to creating secure data utilization environments across various industries."

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