{"id":2206317,"date":"2024-08-29T17:58:54","date_gmt":"2024-08-29T08:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2206317"},"modified":"2024-08-30T21:46:25","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30T12:46:25","slug":"south-koreas-2025-budget-creates-winners-and-losers-among-key-industries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/08\/south-koreas-2025-budget-creates-winners-and-losers-among-key-industries\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s 2025 budget creates winners and losers among key industries"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea\u2019s <\/span>2025 budget proposal<\/span><\/a>, amounting to approximately $509.7 billion (677.4 trillion won), outlines a plan to increase government spending by 3.2% while aiming to reduce the fiscal deficit to 2.9% of gross domestic product.<\/span><\/p>\n Some sectors benefit from increased allocations while others face significant cuts. These cuts impact domestic and foreign businesses, creating \u201cwinners\u201d and \u201closers\u201d depending on their alignment with government priorities.<\/span><\/p>\n HIGH-TECH INDUSTRIES<\/b><\/p>\n The 2025 budget proposal includes an 11.8% increase in research and development (R&D) spending of $22.2 billion (29.7 trillion won), focusing on high-tech sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology and quantum computing.<\/span><\/p>\n Although substantial, this increase comes after the government <\/span>slashed R&D spending<\/span><\/a> in Dec. 2023 by 15%, which marked the first R&D budget cut in 33 years. Further, the main opposition Democratic Party <\/span>criticized<\/span><\/a> this increase as falling short of the $24.8 billion (33.2 trillion won) initially planned for 2025 in the <\/span>2022-2026 National Fiscal Management Plan<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Nevertheless, the increased R&D budget is a significant win for South Korean companies. Tech giants like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix stand to benefit as they continue to expand investments in semiconductor technology and AI.<\/span><\/p>\n For instance, Samsung plans to enhance its AI computations and semiconductor process innovation capabilities through <\/span>collaborations<\/span><\/a> with companies like Nvidia. This increase in R&D spending also aligns with South Korea\u2019s plan to build the <\/span>world\u2019s largest high-tech chip cluster<\/span><\/a> in Gyeonggi province by 2042, estimated to cost around $230 billion.<\/span><\/p>\n Foreign tech companies also stand to gain from this increased spending. The South Korean government\u2019s focus on high-tech exports as a key driver of economic growth presents substantial opportunities for foreign firms to enter the market or expand their presence through partnerships with local firms.<\/span><\/p>\n Although Samsung Electronics has <\/span>scaled back its collaboration<\/span><\/a> with Dutch firm ASML after a change in the former\u2019s management, foreign companies specializing in AI, biotechnology and quantum computing could benefit from joint ventures with other South Korean conglomerates, such as LG\u2019s decision to boost <\/span>AI cooperation<\/span><\/a> with U.S. firm Qualcomm, or by supplying essential components and technology to those firms.<\/span><\/p>\n