South Korea

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South Korea Unveils National Strategy to Lead Global AI Semiconductor Race
Dec. 11, 2025 | Technology & Innovation

South Korea is charting an ambitious path to solidify its leadership in semiconductor technology and policy amid the global AI race.

**On December 10, 2025, President Lee Jae-myung convened a high-level briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office in Seoul under the theme “K-Semiconductor Vision and Development Strategy in the AI Era.” The briefing brought together key government figures and roughly 40 leaders from industry, academia and research institutions, including representatives from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.**
It stressed the dual role of the semiconductor sector as an engine of economic growth and a pillar of national security as global rivalry in AI technologies intensifies.

**The government set strategic objectives to secure South Korea’s place among the world’s top two in both memory and foundry by preserving an “ultra-gap” technological edge.**
It aims to increase domestic fabless semiconductor revenue tenfold and achieve technology and production sovereignty through the development and commercialization of next-generation memory solutions and neural processing units. The plan also calls for strengthening system semiconductor capabilities—especially on-device AI chips—and for achieving self-reliance in defense-grade semiconductors.

**To support these goals, the strategy launches a Global No 1 Development Project to reinforce supply chains for materials, parts and equipment.**
It calls for opening semiconductor-focused graduate schools to build a larger skilled workforce and for creating a Southern Region Innovation Belt to expand the nation’s semiconductor ecosystem. During the briefing, participants discussed changes in the AI-driven industry, plans to increase production capacity and the need to cultivate a robust AI semiconductor technology and ecosystem.

**On December 11, President Lee will meet with business executives from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, government officials and industry experts to refine strategies for advancing the semiconductor sector, with a particular focus on AI chip development.**
The session aims to address rising global competition for AI technology leadership through a coordinated national strategy.

**Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan will present an integrated government roadmap that emphasizes strengthening manufacturing capabilities in memory and foundry, expanding the nation’s role in chip design and accelerating next-generation semiconductors tailored to AI model requirements.**
The presidential office framed the global AI contest as a semiconductor-centered technology battle, prompting President Lee to mobilize national resources directly to bolster the industry.
US Approves Nvidia H200 AI Chip Exports to China in Strategic Shift of Semiconductor Policy
Dec. 11, 2025 | Geopolitics & Defense

The United States has granted permission for the export of Nvidia’s H200 AI chip to China, ushering in a new phase of semiconductor trade dynamics.

**The United States approved the export of Nvidia’s H200 AI chip to China, partially relaxing the 2022 restrictions.**
Former President Donald Trump announced the deal on December 8, 2025, allowing Nvidia, AMD, Intel and other American firms to sell the H200 under conditions designed to protect national security. This represents the first approval for such an advanced AI processor since the 2022 export controls took effect.

**Based on the 2023 Hopper architecture, the H200 delivers roughly twice the inference performance and six times the AI training power of the earlier H20 chip.**
US officials excluded more advanced Nvidia products—those built on the Blackwell architecture and the forthcoming Rubin family—from the arrangement. By permitting exports of this earlier-generation, high-performance chip, policymakers aim to preserve a technological lead without forfeiting access to lucrative sales.

**Under the agreement, Nvidia must remit 25 percent of its China-derived revenues from H200 sales to the US government, up from an initial 15 percent proposal.**
The government will allocate these funds to bolster domestic job creation and semiconductor manufacturing, balancing export facilitation with continued economic and security interests in strategic technology.

**South Korean suppliers SK hynix and Samsung Electronics stand to gain from increased H200 orders, as both companies produce the eight-layer HBM3E high-bandwidth memory modules integral to the chip’s performance.**
China’s mandate favoring domestically produced semiconductors may limit H200 imports, depending on Beijing’s policy toward foreign hardware deployment versus homegrown alternatives.

**Observers view this approval as a strategic shift in Washington’s competition with China in AI and semiconductors.**
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says selling chips to China reinforces US market influence and deepens Chinese reliance on American technology. The decision reflects a belief that US leverage over China’s chip capabilities has weakened after advances by firms such as Huawei. It also aligns with the more conciliatory climate ahead of the planned April 2026 US-China summit, using exports and financial terms to shape broader technology relations.

Monitored Intelligence for South Korea - Dec. 12, 2025


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“삿포로 눈보러 가야하는데”…7.5 강진에 멈칫, 흔들리는 여행객들

Going to Sapporo to See the Snow… Travelers Hesitate and Feel Shaken by the 7.5 Earthquake

Maekyung | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Natural Disasters

A magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck off the coast of Aomori Prefecture, Japan, on the night of December 8, 2025, causing significant anxiety among Korean travelers planning trips to Japan. Despite Tokyo and Osaka being distant from the epicenter, concerns about aftershocks have led some travelers to consider postponing their plans. Although cancellation rates have not sharply increased, travel agencies report a noticeable rise in inquiries and steady cancellation requests from independent travelers driven by psychological anxiety. Flights and accommodations remain operational, with cancellation fees still in effect.

Communities and travelers are actively sharing practical advice for earthquake preparedness, emphasizing the "Drop, Cover, Hold On" method, following public transportation guidance, and moving to higher ground in case of tsunami warnings. Key preparedness steps include saving emergency shelters in maps apps, and using earthquake alert apps such as "Yurekuru Call" and "Yahoo Earthquake Information," alongside maintaining an emergency kit stocked with water, food, and flashlights.

The Japanese government has elevated alert levels following the quake, with the Japan Meteorological Agency issuing a "Hokkaido and Sanriku offshore subsequent earthquake advisory"—the first since the advisory system was introduced in December 2022. Officials noted that after a magnitude 7.0 or greater earthquake, the chance of an 8.0+ magnitude quake within a week is approximately 1 in 100, reflecting an increased likelihood compared to normal conditions.

The earthquake’s epicenter was located about 50 km deep in the sea off Aomori Prefecture, near Hachinohe City, which recorded a seismic intensity of upper 6 (6+), with neighboring areas like Oirase Town and Hashikami Town experiencing intensity lower 6 (6-). The quake caused no fatalities but injured around 30 people and resulted in property damage, including collapsed roads.

금융보안원 "연이은 해킹, 디지털 혁신만큼 AI·제로트러스트 중요"

Financial Security Institute "Consecutive Hacks Make AI and Zero Trust as Important as Digital Innovation"

Digital Daily | Local Language | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Cyber Attacks and Data Loss

Park Sang-won, president of the Financial Security Institute, emphasized the critical need to strengthen AI technology frameworks and implement zero-trust security strategies to prevent large-scale security incidents in the financial sector. Speaking at the "Financial IT Innovation" event in Seoul on December 11, 2025, he asserted that the importance of security has grown to equal that of digital innovation, urging financial companies to continuously develop new security systems.

Financial authorities are shifting from rule-based regulations to principle-centered security frameworks, encouraging firms to build autonomous security environments. Park highlighted that with the government's move to relax network separation regulations, financial companies should focus on constructing updated security frameworks beyond traditional network separation.

AI is highlighted as a vital strategy to address evolving security challenges. The Financial Security Institute is supporting financial companies by providing AI security assessments and performance verification metrics. Park also noted ongoing preparations of unique AI guidelines for the financial sector in collaboration with financial authorities, driven by the AI Innovation Act.

Zero trust, which assumes threats arise both externally and internally, was underscored as essential following recent hacking incidents. The Institute is working with financial companies through consultative bodies to implement zero trust and is exploring models for export and overseas trends.

Park forecasted that as AI integration advances in financial services, leading to complex interconnections and innovation, security will become increasingly crucial. He described this shift as moving beyond digitalization toward AI-based reconfiguration, necessitating stronger security measures.

S. Korea confirms 2 additional highly contagious bird flu cases

Yonhap | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Epidemics and Pandemics

South Korea reported two additional cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza on December 10, 2025, bringing the total number of infections at poultry farms this season to 10. The new infections were confirmed at a layer chicken farm in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, and another in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province.

Agricultural authorities are implementing follow-up measures including entry controls, culling of affected poultry, and epidemiological investigations. The agriculture ministry has called on farms to strengthen quarantine measures to prevent further spread of the disease, particularly in the Gyeonggi and South Chungcheong provinces where multiple cases have been reported this season.

Disinfection efforts are underway near affected farms, including a duck farm in Yeongam County in the southwest, following an outbreak there on December 9, 2025.

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