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] South Korea's renewed investment in gun-based air defence suggests a structural reorientation of its layered defence architecture, likely influenced by observed cost-exchange failures in Ukraine where high-value interceptors were expended against low-cost drone threats. Drone Warfare
• [New] The disbanding of South Korea's Drone Operations Command represents an institutional seam that, if exploited through coordinated drone ISR and special operations integration, could degrade counteroffensive cohesion before armored contact is established. Drone Warfare
• [New] Predictive Analysis: South Korea will likely initiate formal legislative or military review to reconsolidate counterdrone command authority at the division level, given the documented disbanding of the Drone Operations Command and ongoing public analysis of the resulting capability gap. Drone Warfare
• [New] By 2028 South Korea will mandate ISSB-aligned climate reporting for major companies, a move that further advances global alignment around consistent, investor-focused sustainability disclosures. We Mean Business Coalition
• [New] The United States is pressing new demands outward from the Iran war, extending alliance expectations beyond Northeast Asia even as its shifting priorities expose South Korea to energy disruption, trade pressure, and uncertainty over deterrence assets. Fault Lines
• [New] As naphtha prices in Asia have surged and supplies tightened, petrochemical producers in Japan and South Korea have begun cutting ethylene output, warning customers of possible force majeure, and facing growing pressure on feedstocks central to plastics and chemical manufacturing. Fault Lines
• [New] South Korea's overseas naval deployments, including anti-piracy missions, have focused more on conventional threats than on complex, multi-layered drone and missile attacks. UPI
• [New] South Korea may face the largest economic impact among major economies, with its consumer inflation rate projected to increase 0.06 percentage points and its economic growth rate expected to reduce 0.45 percentage points by 2027, if the global oil prices increase by around 10 US dollars. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] The reported redeployment of THAAD and Patriot PAC - 3 systems could create temporary gaps in South Korea's integrated missile defence networks against North Korean missiles. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] LG launches containerized data center offering, plans 60 MW deployment in Busan, South Korea. DataX Connect
• [New] South Korea launched the K-Moonshot national AI initiative to mobilize science and technology AI resources across industry, academia, and research, targeting 12 core missions across eight strategic fields by 2035. QS Newsletters
• [New] South Korea will prioritize its goal of deploying 100 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and expanding the power grid, in line with its pledge to phase out coal. Center for Strategic and International Studies
• [New] As USFK shifts from a fixed peninsula garrison to an Indo-Pacific hub, South Korea must decide how far it will move from local defender to broader strategic partner without destabilising its own neighbourhood. East Asia Forum
• [New] In a situation where North Korea has foreclosed dialog with South Korea, peace regime negotiations appear practically impossible - raising the prospect of a prolonged, unstable armistice and heightening the risk of accidental military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula. Daily NK English
• [New] South Korea could risk weakening deterrence unless it secures reciprocal concessions. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] Asia Pacific is projected to witness the highest growth due to the expanding e-commerce and food delivery ecosystems in China, Japan, and South Korea. ReAnIn
• [New] Investors seek 5G exposure for faster speeds, IoT growth and new services but face risks from intense competition, heavy capital spending and regulatory / technological uncertainty, and MarketBeat highlights a notable $23 billion catalyst tied to EchoStar. / South Korea MarketBeat
• [New] For U.S. allies, particularly Japan, South Korea, and Australia, autonomous integration offers reassurance that American naval power will remain credible for decades. Y F News
• [New] Integrating South Korea's booming defence industry into the US supply chain may look like a commercial opportunity for Seoul's arms exporters, but it also carries profound strategic implications for the Indo-Pacific. East Asia Forum
• [New] South Korea will invest $350 billion in the U.S. Marketplace
• [New] South Korea will import more than 6 million barrels of crude from the United Arab Emirates to ease fuel-price pressure after the Iran conflict disrupted global energy markets. The Asia Cable
• [New] Leader Kim Jong Un held a ceremony to unveil the deployment of 50 new launch vehicles for nuclear-capable short-range missiles threatening rival South Korea as he flaunted his expanding military capabilities ahead of a major ruling party congress. FDD

Last updated: 25 March 2026