Analysis
South Korea’s petrochemical rescue faces a reckoning over who pays the bill
Creditors are extending repayment deadlines as new production in Ulsan tests the value of planned factory closures
October 26, 2026
South Korean officials can’t agree on why US curbed intel sharing
Conflicting accounts of alliance strain come as Washington keeps its demands out of public view
October 23, 2026
South Korea’s prosecution reform reshapes how crimes reach the courtroom
Police now lead most investigations while prosecutors review evidence and request further work under tighter deadlines
October 22, 2026
South Korea’s US$744 billion climate change plan faces first financial test
Public lenders are hitting financing targets, but K-GX must show which projects create new investment and cut emissions
October 21, 2026
SK Hynix’s China plans pose test for US semiconductor investment goals
Washington must weigh tighter equipment controls for allies in China against financing for new American NAND plant
October 19, 2026
South Korea to legalize abortion pills despite unresolved gaps in the law
Seoul aims to approve the drug in 2027, but unresolved rules on consent, pharmacy dispensing and liability cloud access
October 16, 2026
South Korea’s rate hike risks hitting indebted households hardest
Households and SMEs face brunt of higher rates even as mortgage lending stays firm, complicating central bank’s path
October 15, 2026
South Korea’s won faces a new test as foreign bond buying loses momentum
With WGBI entry ending in November, pension fund swaps and Washington’s investment demands loom over currency policy
October 13, 2026
Trump’s Russian diesel deal may leave South Korea’s refining boom intact
Damaged Russian refineries and tight Asian fuel supplies may keep Korean export margins high despite Trump’s pledge
October 12, 2026
Trump’s Alaska LNG claim shows who really runs the US-South Korea alliance
With no one below the president owning the file, Seoul’s nuclear and submarine goals now wait on Trump’s investment wins
October 8, 2026
