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] Among the listed countries, South Korea is projected to record the highest CAGR at 23.9%. FactMr
• [New] South Korea is actively investing USD 1.2 billion to develop autonomous commercial vehicle infrastructure by 2027. Astute Analytica
• [New] South Korea, backed by synchronized regional frameworks under the APEC Carbon-Free Alliance, is growing offshore wind capacity on Jeju Island from 1 GW to 7 GW, increasing wind power's share from 20% to over 70%, to attain 100% renewable energy and hydrogen integration by 2035. Research Nester
• [New] Nominal gross domestic product is projected to jump 12.3% in 2026, matching the strongest growth since 1996, as soaring semiconductor prices sharply improve South Korea's terms of trade and lift export prices. Aju Press
• [New] South Korea is forecast to expand by 2.6%, supported by strong demand for semiconductors. DD India
• [New] The 2026 national budget tripled AI spending to 10.1 trillion won ($6.94 billion), and President Lee Jae-myung has pledged to make South Korea an AI G3 power by 2030. The Diplomat
• [New] South Korea's K-Robot Economy Plan targets 1 million robot installations by 2030, while the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act is channeling capital into highly automated semiconductor fabs. Persistence Market Research
• [New] South Korea is projected to advance at 10.6%, backed by life sciences investment and preventive health interest. FactMr
• [New] India's border tensions with both China and Pakistan have accelerated infantry modernization investment, while South Korea's threat environment from North Korea drives persistent demand for advanced soldier systems including night vision, body armour, and tactical communications. Persistence Market Research
• South Korea's Hydrogen Economy Roadmap targets 5.26 million fuel cell vehicles and 1,200 hydrogen refueling stations by 2040, alongside ambitious industrial hydrogen demand targets for the steel and chemicals sectors. Persistence Market Research
• SK Telecom plans 15 GW AI data center expansion across South Korea. DataX Connect
• Increased exports driven by global demand for artificial intelligence will be a primary factor in South Korea's economic growth for 2026 and next. SBS News
• The ADB projected inflation rates for South Korea at 2.7% for 2026 and 2.2% for 2027. SBS News
• NFD Korea plans 300 MW AI DC campus in South Korea. DataX Connect
• South Korea is planning an initial investment of 550 trillion won (US$ 356 billion) to build 8.4 gigawatts of AI data centers by 2029, and gradually expanding another 10 GW by 2035. Sophic Capital
• South Korea is forecast to grow at 7.2%, supported by its global leadership in advanced battery exports and high-nickel cathode technologies. 24-7 Press Release Newswire
• South Korea's outbound shipments are expected to jump a whopping 40% on-year in 2026 on the back of the global artificial intelligence boom. UPI
• SK Telecom, in South Korea, built a proprietary large language model trained on its telecom-specific data assets and embedded it into an enterprise AI agent platform, now targeting US$ 3.5 billion in AI-related annual revenues by 2030. PwC
• South Korea has launched a 238bn won CCU mega project with LG Chem and POSCO to convert industrial CO2 into e-SAF and chemicals, which could replace 10% of aviation fuel demand by 2050. SimpliFlying

Last updated: 05 August 2026