Global Scans · South Korea · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: South Korea may go nuclear if Trump cancels the missile deployment and leaves the country alone facing the North's threats. With the President facing an impeachment vote and mass demonstrations on the streets political and economic turmoil may follow. Chinese markets has already shaken South Korea, where central bankers downgraded their forecasts for economic growth.

• [New] India's Department of Telecommunications launched 100 5G Use Case Labs at educational institutions under the national 5G Innovation Initiative, while South Korea's Ministry of Science allocated KRW 390 Bn to smart city 5G integration through 2027. Persistence Market Research
• [New] South Korea is prepared to invest $6.94 billion in AI by 2027. Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence
• [New] The ASP of LPDDR4X solutions will jump by at least 70-75% QoQ for 2 Q26, while the ASP of LPDDR5X solutions will see a QoQ surge of 78-83%. / South Korea TechPowerUp
• [New] Coal is an early winner: Thailand restarting coal plants, Japan and South Korea lifting caps, Italy delaying coal phase-out to 2038, Germany's coal outproducing natural gas. youth4planet
• [New] An increase in its defence budget will send signals to North Korea, China and even Russia that South Korea is part of the US bandwagon, which could trigger a counter-response in the form of an arms race and impact inter-Korean dialog. OBSERVER RESEARCH FOUNDATION ( ORF )
• [New] South Korea is accelerating indigenous tactical UAS production capacity in a manner likely influenced by regional threat escalation and reduced dependence on foreign defence supply chains. Drone Warfare
• [New] South Korea will continue to support Laos by launching a new US$ 1 million (RM4 million) project to promote environmental conservation, research, and ecotourism. Bernama
• [New] South Korea cannot negotiate transit with Iran because any arrangement would risk triggering a tariff retaliation from the Trump administration, and Iran has limited Strait crossings to countries that have maintained greater foreign policy autonomy, such as Thailand, India, and Malaysia. Bloomsbury Intelligence & Security Institute (BISI)
• [New] Global developments continue to strain South Korea through energy exposure and increasingly unpredictable U.S.-led crisis management. Fault Lines
• [New] South Korea: Demand for frictionless retail technologies in South Korea is forecast to expand at 19.4% CAGR through 2036, supported by advanced smart retail infrastructure, strong digital payment adoption, AI-enabled customer analytics, and growing deployment of autonomous convenience stores. FactMr
• [New] South Korea mandates post-quantum cryptography across defence, telecommunications, and finance by 2030 - named industry partners already assigned. Advancing Industrial Economics Through Quantum Leadersh
• [New] South Korea's financial, manufacturing, and public sectors are adopting quantitative risk models to enhance resilience against cyber threats, especially in the context of escalating North Korean cyber activities and global cybercrime. Verified Market Reports
• [New] Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are highly exposed to disruptions in Middle Eastern naphtha flows. BakeryAndSnacks.com
• [New] South Korea's Navy will deploy the destroyer Wang Geon to the Gulf of Aden next week with newly upgraded anti-drone defence systems, following heightened security concerns after an explosion aboard a South Korean-operated vessel near the Strait of Hormuz. SOF News
• [New] Recent supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions affecting traditional maritime corridors have amplified South Korea's vulnerability as a trade-dependent nation, making Arctic route development a strategic priority for economic security. The Arctic Institute - Center for Circumpolar Security
• [New] In February, KDI projected South Korea's real gross domestic product growth at 1.9% for 2026, revising its previous forecast of 1.8% up by 0.1 percentage point on the back of strong semiconductor exports and a recovery in domestic demand. Seoul Economic Daily
• [New] South Korea faces similar demographic pressures, but it also reveals another modern vulnerability: dependence on global supply chains and imported energy. Armstrong Economics
• [New] Growth in South Korea's and Taiwan's offshore sectors is forecast, to above 10 GW in each case by 2032. Windpower Monthly
• Due to improved performance of military equipment, including trucks, tanks, machinery, and firearms, necessity of 4D printers in the South Korea defence industry is anticipated to expand. Persistence Market Research

Last updated: 27 May 2026