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South Korea
Intelligence for Better Decision Making
Bank of Korea and Naver Launch Sovereign AI Platform for Secure Financial Analysis
Jan. 22, 2026 | Financial SystemSouth Korea’s central bank and technology giant Naver have launched a sovereign AI platform tailored to finance and economics.
**The Bank of Korea partnered with Naver Corp to develop and deploy BOKI (Bank Of Korea Intelligence), a generative AI system specialized in financial and economic analysis.**
Unveiled at the January 2026 Bank of Korea–Naver Joint AX Conference, BOKI represents the world’s first sovereign AI platform operating within a central bank’s live working environment.
**Bank of Korea engineers built BOKI entirely within the institution’s internal network, isolating it on-premises to prevent data leakage and comply with strict national security guidelines.**
Naver Cloud contributed the cloud infrastructure, large language models and technical support, while the Bank’s personnel manage application development and day-to-day operations. All AI training and inference occur within this closed network to ensure data remains secure.
**BOKI offers five core functions that align with the Bank’s mission: document search and summarization, Q&A assistance, translation of official publications, economic issue analysis and data-driven decision-making.**
The platform also features law and regulation checks and an internal work chatbot designed to streamline workflows.
**After launching initial digital technology initiatives in 2020, the Bank commenced full-scale development of BOKI in 2024.**
Following rigorous internal testing and standardization, the Bank initiated BOKI’s first operational rollout in early 2026.
**Governor Lee Chang-yong emphasized the need for a sovereign AI system that understands Korea’s financial history, institutional frameworks and cultural context.**
He warned that current network separation policies—which forbid cloud-based internet access for critical institutions—hinder large-scale AI deployment and called for regulatory reforms to accommodate significant computing demands.
**Anticipating regulatory changes by March 2026, the Bank is reclassifying around 1.4 million internal documents into AI-readable formats, preparing a new national network security system and evaluating advanced security technologies.**
These steps will allow BOKI’s capabilities to expand once network separation rules are relaxed.
**Naver Cloud plans to apply lessons learned from BOKI to accelerate AI transformation across other high-security public and financial sectors.**
CEO Kim Yoo-won pointed to this project as a global example of deploying AI under stringent central bank security conditions and pledged continued support to strengthen AI infrastructure throughout South Korea’s industries.
Surging Semiconductor Demand Fuels Price Increases, Export Growth, and Production Expansion
Jan. 22, 2026 | FirmsStrong global demand for semiconductors is driving increases in prices, exports, and production capacities.
**Producer prices in South Korea rose 0.4 percent month-on-month in December 2025, marking the fourth consecutive increase since September.**
Semiconductor costs led the gain, with prices in the computers, electronics, and optical equipment category climbing 2.3 percent. Flash memory jumped 6.0 percent and DRAM semiconductors surged 15.1 percent, while industrial goods overall added 0.4 percent, pushing up the headline index.
**Bank of Korea data show both the Domestic Supply Price Index and the Total Output Price Index rising 0.4 percent in December 2025, indicating that domestic and export sectors contributed equally to price pressures.**
BOK officials say the extent to which producer price increases pass through to consumer prices will depend on company pricing strategies, prevailing business conditions, and government inflation measures. They also advise monitoring falling global oil prices for potential offsetting effects on inflation.
**The semiconductor industry has entered a “hyper bull” phase fueled by robust demand for memory chips, especially from expanding AI server deployments.**
Counterpoint Research projects memory chip prices could rise 40 to 50 percent quarter-on-quarter in early 2026, possibly surpassing the 2018 peak. Experts attribute current shortages—particularly in general-purpose DRAM—to a structural shift as manufacturers focus on high-bandwidth memory expansion.
**Major producers are responding by boosting capacity.**
Micron Technology plans to acquire Powerchip Semiconductor’s P5 fabrication plant in Taiwan for $1.8 billion, aiming to accelerate DRAM output by mid-2027. This approach should alleviate memory chip shortages faster than building new facilities, which typically require over five years to come online.
**South Korea’s leading memory firms are expanding as well.**
SK hynix is developing its Yongin semiconductor cluster, slated to begin operations in February 2027, and has already started HBM production at its M15X plant. Samsung Electronics is constructing its P4 and P5 fabs with a target of full operation by 2028. Both companies are evaluating US fab investments estimated between $67 billion and $81 billion for 2027–2030, aiming to sidestep potential tariffs despite only about 8 percent of Korean semiconductor exports going directly to the United States.
**In Japan, Advantest—a semiconductor inspection equipment maker—has seen its share price triple over two years to around ¥22,000 as of January 2026, with a market capitalization of ¥16.46 trillion.**
The company commands an estimated 60–70 percent share of the HBM tester market and holds a near-monopoly on AI accelerator inspection systems. Its testers validate next-generation GPUs from NVIDIA and AMD as well as memory products from Samsung, SK hynix, and Micron. Advantest plans to boost production capacity by more than 70 percent by the end of 2026, and global investment banks forecast operating profits exceeding ¥350 billion for that year.
**South Korea’s export performance in January 2026 underscored the semiconductor sector’s key role in the economy.**
In the first 20 days of the month, total exports rose 14.9 percent year-on-year to $36.36 billion, driven by a 70.2 percent surge in semiconductor shipments to $10.73 billion, which accounted for 29.5 percent of all exports. Exports to China climbed 30.2 percent to $8.45 billion, and shipments to the United States grew 19.3 percent to $6.66 billion despite existing tariffs. Imports over the same period increased 4.2 percent to $36.98 billion, resulting in a $600 million trade deficit. In December 2025, exports expanded 13.4 percent year-on-year to $69.6 billion—marking the 11th consecutive month of growth—and annual exports for 2025 reached a record $709.7 billion.
### IMPACT ANALYSIS
**From this Development, various impacts could cascade through the system, to a lesser or greater extent, depending on the severity and criticality of the shocks.**
| Domain | Causal Chain | Possible Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Macroeconomics & Growth | (Semiconductor export boom ↑ → Terms-of-trade index ↑ → Current-account balance (% GDP) ↑ → Potential GDP growth revision ↑ → Real GDP growth ↑) | The enhanced terms of trade and external surpluses will underpin upward revisions to potential output and drive stronger real GDP growth. |
| Macroeconomics & Growth | (Memory chip price surge ↑ → Import-price pass-through ↑ → Headline CPI/Core CPI ↑ → Inflation volatility ↑ → Inflation-targeting credibility ↓) | Rising import-price pass-through and inflation volatility may erode confidence in the central bank’s ability to keep inflation near its 2 percent target. |
| Competitiveness | (Semiconductor export boom ↑ → Trade-openness & preferential access ↑ → Real export market-share change ↑ → High-value-added export share ↑ → Total-factor productivity level vs frontier ↑) | Greater preferential access and high-value trade gains will accelerate productivity convergence toward the global frontier. |
| Macroeconomics & Growth | (DRAM price surge–driven profits ↑ → Capital-formation rate ↑ → Business fixed-investment growth deviation ↑ → Private fixed-investment growth ↑ → Potential GDP growth revision ↑) | Surging profits will finance elevated business investment, prompting analysts to hike potential GDP growth estimates. |
| Macroeconomics & Growth | (Memory chip price surge ↑ → Global-value-chain reconfiguration velocity ↑ → FDI net inflow (% GDP) ↑ → Foreign-owned green-field project count ↑) | Accelerated value-chain shifts will draw substantial FDI and increase foreign-owned greenfield semiconductor projects. |
| Firms | (South Korean PPI inflation ↑ → Supply-chain restructuring cadence ↑ → Supplier-delivery-times index ↓ → End-to-end supply-chain lead-time deviation ↓ → Capacity-utilisation in manufacturing ↑) | Faster supply-chain restructuring and reduced lead-time variability will boost manufacturing capacity utilization. |
| Technology & Innovation | (Strategic-sector export risk ↑ → Dual-use export-control restrictiveness ↑ → Semiconductor fab utilisation rate ↓ → AI inference cost index shift ↑ → AI adoption GDP uplift ↓) | Tighter export controls will reduce fab utilization, raise AI inference costs, and dampen AI-driven GDP gains. |
### BOTTOM LINE
- Robust AI-server demand has driven a pronounced memory-price cycle—general-purpose DRAM is projected to rise 40–50 percent quarter‑on‑quarter in early 2026—which has already lifted South Korean producer prices for four months and increases the likelihood of pass-through into consumer inflation unless firms absorb costs or falling oil prices offset the effect.
- The 70.2 percent year‑on‑year surge in semiconductor exports in early January 2026, which made semiconductors 29.5 percent of exports in the period, will materially improve South Korea’s terms of trade and current‑account receipts and is likely to justify upward revisions to potential GDP and stronger near‑term real growth if export strength persists beyond cyclical inventory adjustments.
- Elevated memory prices have translated into outsized cash flow for producers, which is accelerating capacity expansion via faster routes such as M&A (Micron’s $1.8 billion P5 acquisition) and large greenfield builds (SK hynix Yongin, Samsung P4/P5), and these actions should begin to relieve shortages by mid‑2027 to 2028, exerting downward pressure on prices over a 12–24 month horizon.
- Because acquisitions and new fabs take time to raise output, the market is likely to remain tight and price‑volatile through most of 2026, sustaining producer‑price pressures and complicating the Bank of Korea’s policy trade‑offs between containing inflation and supporting growth from the export boom.
- Firms across semiconductor supply chains are already shortening supplier lead times and raising capacity utilization, which will increase manufacturing investment and capital formation, tighten upstream markets for equipment and materials, and improve end‑to‑end reliability even as costs remain elevated.
- Tighter export controls or wider dual‑use restrictions would slow the flow of specialized equipment and materials, reduce fab utilization, raise unit costs for advanced memory production, and could slow global AI deployment by increasing AI inference costs and reducing downstream adoption rates.
- Equipment and testing suppliers are capturing disproportionate gains from the cycle—Advantest’s tripled share price and planned >70 percent capacity increase through 2026 demonstrate that test‑equipment makers and suppliers will continue to benefit and attract investment and talent over the next 12–18 months.
- The cycle is prompting value‑chain reconfiguration and potential US‑based investments (Korean firms evaluating $67–81 billion in US fabs for 2027–2030), which will increase FDI and diversify production footprints but will be costly and slower to deliver than near‑term capacity relief achieved through acquisitions and existing expansions.
- Policymakers and central bankers should monitor corporate pricing strategies, oil‑price trajectories, and the pace of announced capacity coming online, and consider targeted fiscal or regulatory measures (capex incentives, temporary subsidies, or macroprudential tools) to smooth consumer‑price effects while preserving incentives for private investment in domestic semiconductor capacity.
- Procurement and downstream firms should plan for sustained higher electronic‑input costs through 2026 by locking supply contracts, using hedges or pass‑through clauses, and exploring strategic partnerships or localized sourcing to mitigate exposure and secure long‑lead components.
Monitored Intelligence for South Korea - Jan. 22, 2026
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SK Innovation sells TerraPower stake to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power for three-way alliance
Yonhap | English | News | Jan. 22, 2026 | UndeterminedMergers & Acquisitions
SK Innovation has sold part of its stake in TerraPower, a U.S.-based developer of next-generation small modular reactors (SMRs), to Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP). This transaction enhances a three-way partnership aimed at expanding into the global SMR market. KHNP becomes the first Korean public energy company to invest directly in a leading global SMR developer. Despite the partial stake transfer, SK Innovation remains the second-largest shareholder in TerraPower, which was co-founded by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in 2008.
TerraPower is currently building the world’s first commercial SMR plant in Wyoming, targeting completion by 2030, using its Natrium reactor technology that integrates advanced energy storage. This technology is seen as a significant solution to power shortages associated with the rapid growth of the artificial intelligence industry. The three companies plan to collaborate on supporting the Wyoming project, pursuing SMR opportunities overseas, localizing key materials and components, and expanding SMR supply chains globally.
The alliance, initiated in April 2023 through a cooperation agreement, aims to build SMRs in the U.S. and other countries, introduce SMRs in South Korea, and leverage SMR modular designs to reduce construction time and costs while enabling phased expansion to meet rising electricity demand.
Foreigners caught in crossfire as bill aims to unmask user nationalities on online platforms
Joongang Ilbo | English | News | Jan. 22, 2026 | Privacy
A bill proposed by the conservative People Power Party (PPP) in South Korea seeks to mandate online platforms to disclose the nationalities and sign-in locations of users posting comments, aiming to curb perceived foreign influence in the upcoming June 3 local elections. This proposal has sparked debate with the liberal Democratic Party (DP) opposing it, accusing the PPP of targeting Chinese foreign residents, who make up the largest portion of permanent foreign residents in Korea. Public opinion appears divided but slightly favors disclosure, with 64 percent supporting the measure according to a recent poll.
The bill would require websites and social media platforms to reveal users’ countries of origin and whether posts were made using VPNs. While the PPP argues that this is necessary to protect public sovereignty from foreign interference, critics warn that the technology cannot reliably verify nationality without real-name authentication, which was ruled unconstitutional in 2012, and that location data can be easily circumvented or inaccurately detected. Experts also highlight concerns about privacy infringements and the potential suppression of free expression.
The context for the bill includes the increasing number of foreign residents eligible to vote in local elections, currently estimated at 154,000, with eligibility tied to permanent residency status. However, foreign voter turnout has historically been low, and experts suggest their influence on election outcomes is minimal. Scholars caution that the legislation could alienate foreign voters, particularly Chinese nationals, by fostering xenophobic sentiments and deterring their participation in the democratic process. The discussion reflects broader political tensions and questions regarding the balance between election security and individual rights in South Korea.
李 대통령 “성장 패러다임 대전환”…광역통합·벤처 중심에 방점
President Lee calls for a paradigm shift in growth focusing on metropolitan integration and ventures
ET News | Local Language | News | Jan. 22, 2026 | UndeterminedEconomic Growth
President Lee Jae-myung outlined a new national growth strategy focused on metropolitan regional integration and support for startups and venture companies at a New Year press conference on January 21, 2026. He emphasized a paradigm shift toward "local-led growth" through the integration of metropolitan areas such as Daejeon-Chungnam and Gwangju-Jeonnam, aiming to break the capital-centric development model. This includes reorganizing national land management into a "five hubs and three special zones" system with increased support to regions farther from the capital.
Lee also introduced a "growth for all" approach to address K-shaped economic growth, prioritizing the creation of a startup and venture boom to stimulate innovation and employment opportunities for young entrepreneurs. He linked this initiative to past successes under the Kim Dae-jung administration and framed it as both a job and youth policy, with a focus on balancing local and tech startup development.
Additional policy measures include enhancing industrial safety by increasing labor inspectors by 3,500 and introducing workplace guardians, along with revising relevant laws as needed. The cultural sector will receive a budget boost to 9.6 trillion won, positioning it as a core growth area. In diplomacy, Lee emphasized peace-driven stability and committed to efforts aimed at advancing North Korea–U.S. talks, resuming inter-Korean dialogue, and restoring the September 19 military agreement.
On governance, President Lee stressed a people-centered approach free from ideology and factionalism, committing to eliminate cheating, privilege, and unfairness that harm citizens' lives.
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