Analysis
Lee Jae Myung’s ‘pacemaker’ strategy tests South Korea’s leverage with Trump
South Korea seeks influence over renewed US-North Korea diplomacy as Pyongyang shuts Seoul out of direct talks
October 2, 2026
Trump’s Korea investment victory lap masks safeguards Seoul still controls
Texas is approved, nuclear remains conditional and Alaska LNG will show how costly Seoul’s right to walk away may be
October 1, 2026
North Korean POW dispute tests Seoul-Kyiv trust and future Ukraine policy
Conflicting accounts of the transfer deal raise questions over aid, intelligence sharing and future POW cooperation
October 1, 2026
South Korea’s CPTPP push exposes the cost of turning trade gains into consensus
Lee wants exporters to help fund the losers from trade, but legal hurdles and foreign demands complicate the bargain
September 29, 2026
AI storage boom gives South Korea battery makers an EV overcapacity lifeline
LGES, Samsung SDI and SK On can repurpose US plants, but LFP costs and China exposure could sharply limit the payoff
September 28, 2026
South Korea’s Mexico strategy runs into the hard limits of USMCA politics
Washington and Mexico City want more regional content, raising costs for Korean suppliers tied to factories in Mexico
September 25, 2026
Preschool test ban forces South Korea’s English hagwons to rethink placement
New rules curb early selection but leave academies weighing how to group students after enrollment without formal exams
September 25, 2026
Lee Jae Myung’s Wall Street pitch tests South Korea’s capital market credibility
Leveraged products exposed the challenge of attracting long-term investors while keeping market rules more stable
September 24, 2026
US midterm clock raises stakes for South Korea’s $200 billion investment talks
Each project approval reduces Seoul’s bargaining room while key Korean priorities still depend on future US decisions
September 23, 2026
Lee’s Hormuz red line tests South Korea’s leverage in $350 billion US talks
Washington wants more allied support and Korean capital as Seoul tries to protect limits built into last year’s deal
September 22, 2026
