South Korea

Yonhap | English | News | Nov. 7, 2025 | North Korea

North Korea is reportedly prepared to conduct its seventh nuclear test promptly if leader Kim Jong-un decides to proceed, according to South Korea's defense intelligence agency. The test would utilize the No. 3 tunnel at Punggye-ri and could be carried out in a short time frame. The last underground nuclear test by North Korea occurred in 2017.

The defense intelligence assessment indicates that North Korea is reinforcing its nuclear capabilities by securing nuclear materials and establishing various manufacturing facilities for nuclear warheads. Additionally, Pyongyang appears to be preparing to launch another high-resolution spy satellite, with technological support from Russia. The country successfully launched its first military spy satellite, Malligyong-1, in November 2023 and aimed to launch three more in 2024, although a rocket carrying a satellite exploded shortly after liftoff in May 2024.

North Korea is also partially operating the previously closed Kaesong Industrial Complex, running facilities that produce everyday necessities. Following a South Korean drone infiltration operation in October 2024 targeting Pyongyang, North Korea reportedly prepared for war, with residents reportedly shaken. In response, South Korea increased its military presence near the border, including flying AH-64 Apache attack helicopters near the military demarcation line and deploying additional unmanned aerial vehicles.

취임 100일 한성숙 “이젠 회복 넘어 성장…벤처투자시장 40조 조성 본격 시동”

ET News | Local Language | News | Nov. 7, 2025 | UndeterminedEconomic Growth

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups, led by Minister Han Seong-sook, is advancing a privately driven roadmap to create a 40 trillion won venture investment market. This plan includes enabling pension and retirement funds to invest in venture funds, expanding the Mother Fund's budget more than twofold from 1 trillion won, and extending its lifespan. A record 2.2 trillion won R&D budget will focus on revenue-generating research and development, with 1.1 trillion won allocated to TIPS-style R&D that supports startups with private pre-investment.

Minister Han announced a policy shift from recovery to growth, emphasizing four key areas: reigniting the venture boom, scaling up SMEs, supporting small business owners, and fostering a connected and convergent ecosystem. The government aims to nurture 6,000 startups, 1,000 young entrepreneurs, and 1,200 TIPS-selected companies annually, and deploy 12,000 smart factories while fostering 500 manufacturing AI specialist firms. Additionally, institutional reforms, tax incentives, and financial market revitalization efforts, including the KOSDAQ, are being planned.

In small business support, the Ministry will monitor approximately 3 million loan-holding small business owners to detect risks early and provide comprehensive assistance, including debt adjustments and reemployment. Han stressed that the Ministry will serve as the central hub for growth by linking policy and field needs, aiming to enable sustainable growth for SMEs and small businesses beyond mere recovery.

Han also highlighted the impact of AI infrastructure expansion, referencing NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s announcement to supply 260,000 GPUs to Korea, which will benefit startups and SMEs. Public and industrial data access will be expanded to support AI ecosystem participation, with legislation to follow. She emphasized cooperation among SMEs and large companies to foster a collaborative AI ecosystem.

Since taking office, Minister Han has completed 49 on-site visits to SMEs, startups, and small businesses in 100 days, gathering feedback that informed measures addressing U.S. tariffs, technology theft, small business recovery, AI-driven manufacturing innovation, and SME support system improvements.

Hankyoreh - E | English | News | Nov. 7, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

Veteran South Korean diplomat and former foreign minister Song Min-soon argues that the goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through negotiations is an unrealistic “pipe dream.” He predicts that the peninsula will remain divided into “two very different, separate states” for the foreseeable future and suggests South Korea should temporarily shelve the pursuit of unification and denuclearization.

Song’s perspective is shaped by North Korea’s emergence as a nuclear power in 2017, marking a fundamental shift requiring South Korea to accept nuclear capabilities on the peninsula as a constant. He advocates for a “cold,” passive peace strategy focusing on deterrence, containment, and maintaining stability rather than the previous “warm” approach of exchange leading to denuclearization and reunification.

He warns that South Korea’s security reliance on the US nuclear umbrella is increasingly precarious due to growing American isolationism and unpredictable future commitments. As a solution, Song proposes South Korea pursue nuclear latency, a status where it has the capacity to quickly develop nuclear weapons while complying with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, similar to Japan and Germany.

Song calls for a redefinition of the South Korea-US alliance to one of mutual independence, including South Korea regaining wartime operational control from the US. He emphasizes addressing North Korea as a neighbor with whom coexistence and deterrence are necessary, and viewing unification as a possible, not guaranteed, outcome. His views are expressed in his new book, "Good Fences, Good Neighbors," which seeks to provoke national debate on the future direction of South Korea’s security and unification policies.