South Korea

Intelligence for Better Decision Making

Emerging AI Integration Across Operating Systems, Industry Platforms and Enterprise Solutions
Nov. 6, 2025 | Technology & Innovation

The latest developments in AI infrastructure and platform initiatives demonstrate the growing integration of artificial intelligence across operating systems, industry events and enterprise-grade solutions.

**SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 16 embeds AI directly into its operating system, offering automated management and predictive operational functions backed by a 16-year support cycle.**
It introduces “Agentic AI,” which runs AI processes natively at the OS level, and implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for an open AI architecture that lets enterprises integrate any large language model without vendor lock-in. The release also adds enhanced operational management, including an “instant rollback” mechanism enabled by default in cloud images. Built on reproducible builds for source verification and meeting EAL4+ security standards, SLES 16 delivers predictable updates and a simple maintenance system to bridge technical gaps between Linux distributions, reduce long-term costs and ensure stability. SUSE plans to roll out a fully AI-integrated product portfolio starting November 4, 2025.

**The SK AI Summit 2025, held November 3–4 at COEX in Seoul, attracted roughly 35,000 participants—5,000 more than last year—and featured 78 organizations from eight countries, marking a 44% increase in participation.**
Rebranded from the SK Tech Summit in 2024 under the theme “AI Now & Next,” the event explored sovereign AI, agentic AI and manufacturing AI. In his keynote, Chairman Chey Tae-won urged “competition in efficiency,” emphasizing expanded memory semiconductor production, reinforced AI infrastructure and proactive AI utilization. High-profile speakers such as Amazon’s Andy Jassy and OpenAI’s Sam Altman acknowledged Korea’s AI prowess. Sessions examined AI applications in computing infrastructure, semiconductors, healthcare, retail and energy, while SK Group showcased new AI data centers, a next-generation 6G AI-RAN collaboration with NVIDIA and SK hynix’s memory semiconductor advances. SK Group plans to deepen cooperation with both global and domestic partners to strengthen the AI industry value chain and leverage the summit as a platform for sharing Korean AI capabilities.

**Pure Storage, Cisco and NVIDIA have unveiled the FlashStack Cisco Validated Design as a core element of the Cisco Secure AI Factory, delivering an integrated computing, storage, networking and software platform optimized for AI workloads.**
To help enterprises scale AI projects beyond fragmented data architectures and complex infrastructure operations, this solution supports a smooth transition from pilot to full production. Its data-centric architecture uses Pure Storage’s FlashBlade//S for high-performance structured and unstructured data management, combined with Portworx to ensure portable, secure data handling in Kubernetes environments. The platform’s hardware and software stack includes Cisco UCS C845a servers, NVIDIA AI Enterprise software and Cisco Nexus 9000 Series networking, which offers low-latency fabric, congestion-aware routing, telemetry and load balancing. Building on a FlashStack customer base of over 5,000, the solution addresses generative AI, semantic search, video analytics and code generation in regulated industries, reducing infrastructure complexity and risk so organizations can focus on model innovation rather than data readiness.
South Korea Unveils Ambitious 2026 AI-Focused Budget to Drive Technological Leadership
Nov. 6, 2025 | Technology & Innovation

South Korea’s 2026 government budget sets the stage for the nation’s ambitions in artificial intelligence and technological leadership.

**The total 2026 budget reaches 728 trillion won, an 8.1 percent increase from 2025.**
President Lee Jae-myung described this as Korea’s first AI-era budget, allocating 10.1 trillion won—more than triple the previous year’s 3.3 trillion won—to propel the country into the top three global AI powers.

**Within the 10.1 trillion won AI allocation, 2.6 trillion won will drive AI adoption across industry, daily life, and public services, while 7.5 trillion won will fund talent cultivation and infrastructure.**
Over the next five years, the government will dedicate 6 trillion won to transform manufacturing into a “technology-innovation-type industrial nation,” integrating AI with Korea’s strengths in robotics, automobiles, and semiconductors. It plans to train 11,000 high-level AI professionals and acquire 15,000 high-performance GPUs next year, bringing the government’s GPU inventory to 35,000. Simultaneously, public and private sectors aim to procure up to 260,000 GPUs from NVIDIA.

**Beyond AI-specific funding, the government boosts strategic R&D investment to a record-high 35.3 trillion won in 2026, up 19.3 percent, covering AI, content, defense, and other priority areas.**
It will also establish a 150 trillion won national growth fund over five years to spur private-sector investment and foster a convergence growth model that combines K-content with cutting-edge technology.

**The defense budget rises by 8.2 percent to 66.3 trillion won, reflecting plans to modernize weapons systems with AI capabilities and achieve greater self-reliance.**
President Lee noted that this defense spending equals 1.4 times North Korea’s annual GDP and cements Korea’s position as the world’s fifth-strongest military power.

**President Lee framed the AI allocation as essential to national survival amid rapid global economic and technological shifts.**
He called for an “AI superhighway” to drive growth and integrate AI across manufacturing and public services—from welfare and employment to taxation and drug review—laying the foundation for South Korea’s future competitiveness and welfare.

Monitored Intelligence for South Korea - Nov. 7, 2025


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Erudite Risk takes an all risks approach to intelligence reporting. We categorize key intelligence into one of 40 different risk intelligence categories.

The goal is to provide intelligence that allows decision makers to avoid being blindsided by what they may have missed, while informing them to make better decisions as well.

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Russian Nuclear Submarine Technology Will Make North Korean Threat More Palpable

38 North | English | AcademicThink | Nov. 7, 2025 | North Korea

At North Korea's October 11 military parade, the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was prominently displayed, highlighting the regime's expanding strategic capabilities. However, an important but less visible component of North Korea's nuclear arsenal is its development of submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), which offer a more survivable nuclear deterrent. Currently, North Korea lacks submarines large enough to carry these SLBMs, as its fleet is primarily composed of older, smaller submarines based on 1950s Romeo-class designs. To address this, Pyongyang is building a much larger, reportedly nuclear-powered submarine, with North Korean media showing the hull to Kim Jong Un in April 2025.

There are credible reports that Russia is supplying North Korea with nuclear propulsion technology for these submarines, potentially including reactor compartments, steam turbines, and cooling systems, likely sourced from decommissioned Russian nuclear submarines. South Korea's Defense Minister confirmed that North Korea is "likely receiving various technologies" from Russia for its submarine program. This technology transfer aligns with broader Russian-North Korean exchanges, including military support in the Ukraine conflict and supply of Russian oil products. Past cooperation includes the mid-1990s supply of obsolete Soviet Golf-class submarines to North Korea, which helped advance Pyongyang's SLBM capabilities.

Russia is dismantling several classes of nuclear submarines near Vladivostok, including Akula-class boats. Satellite imagery from early 2025 shows activity at these shipyards, suggesting possible removal of nuclear propulsion systems for transfer. The Akula-class submarines, such as the Nerpa, use OK-650B pressurized water reactors producing 190 megawatts, capable of powering nuclear submarines with enhanced stealth and endurance. Russia’s assistance could accelerate North Korea’s nuclear submarine program, either by direct installation of reactors or by providing designs and components for domestic development.

The acquisition of nuclear propulsion would significantly improve North Korea’s deterrent by enabling submarine deployments with extended range and reduced detection risk, allowing missiles to threaten distant targets such as the mainland United States from the North Pacific. This emerging capability underlines a growing submarine threat in the region, prompting calls for South Korea and Japan to develop or acquire nuclear-powered submarines to maintain strategic balance. Although operational deployment of North Korean nuclear submarines is still years away, ongoing developments indicate significant progress toward this goal.

Overshooting 1.5 C climate target 'inevitable': UN chief

Korea Herald | English | News | Nov. 7, 2025 | Climate Change

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that overshooting the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming target above pre-industrial levels is now inevitable in the short term. He warned that temperatures will exceed 1.5 C in the coming years, leading to devastating but predictable impacts. However, Guterres noted that if global leaders commit seriously to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions, limiting warming to 1.5 C by the end of the century remains possible.

Guterres criticized current national carbon reduction pledges, which cover 70 percent of global emissions, as insufficient. These commitments aim to cut emissions by only about 10 percent by 2035, whereas the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has emphasized the need for a 60 percent reduction from 2019 levels by that year to maintain a strong chance of limiting warming to 1.5 C. He stressed the need for countries to submit more ambitious climate plans ahead of the upcoming COP30 summit in Brazil.

Addressing misinformation, Guterres condemned falsehoods and greenwashing, highlighting the importance of scientific truth in combating climate change. In contrast to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s rejection of climate science and critique of renewable energy, Guterres underscored that renewables accounted for almost all new power capacity in 2024 and represent the most effective path to halting climate destruction.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), celebrating its 75th anniversary, is pushing for global coverage of extreme weather early warning systems by 2027. Guterres emphasized that every year in the past decade has been the hottest on record, with rising ocean temperatures damaging ecosystems and no country safe from climate-related disasters such as fires, floods, storms, and heatwaves. He called for countries to increase their climate ambitions significantly to meet the 1.5 C target.

금융위, 가상자산 시세조종 혐의자 수사 고발…“수십억 부당이득”

Financial Services Commission investigates and accuses virtual asset price manipulation suspect of tens of billions in illicit gains

ET News | Local Language | News | Nov. 7, 2025 | Corporate Corruption or Fraud

The Financial Services Commission (FSC) announced on November 5th that it will refer suspects involved in virtual asset price manipulation to investigative authorities. The FSC identified two main types of manipulation cases. The first involved a suspect who pre-purchased virtual assets, placed sell orders at a target price in advance, and artificially drove prices up to that target. The second involved multiple suspects coordinating to manipulate prices across multiple assets by using APIs to place high-priced buy orders, creating an illusion of active trading, and dividing roles to push prices higher.

The FSC believes these suspects obtained tens of billions of won in illicit gains through repeated manipulation patterns. They exploited price-change indicators on exchange platforms, which show trade executions in real-time, to falsely suggest high trading activity and boost buying interest. The suspects also used "single-lot trading," repeatedly submitting small buy and sell orders in short periods via APIs to lure buyers. This practice, combined with excessive order submissions, is considered prohibited price manipulation under the Act on the Protection of Users of Virtual Assets.

An FSC official stated that the commission, in cooperation with the Financial Supervisory Service, will continue strict investigations and enforcement actions against unfair trading to protect virtual asset market users and promote a healthy market environment.

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