경제·생활정보

Korea’s 2026 tax reform adds a production-linked tax credit for solar, wind, batteries, chips, core materials and AI robot parts.
The scheme shifts support from investment to actual output, running through 2036 with a regional multiplier and a tapering final phase.
It closely tracks the US IRA’s 45X credit and Japan’s Strategic Field Production Promotion Tax System.
We break down what it means for industry competitiveness and consumers.

South Korea approved 5 new materials-parts-equipment cooperation projects and named 5 ‘Super Eul’ core suppliers, backed by 91 billion won in 5-year R&D funding.
That is a fraction of the $33.7 billion the US has approved under CHIPS Act and the €135.2 billion China has deployed in equity investment.
Ecopro BM, Hanwha Ocean and three other firms will receive multi-year support for solid-state battery and defense materials.
Here is what was approved, how it compares internationally, and who it affects.

Korea says it will complete the Yongin semiconductor cluster up to 12 years earlier than planned.
TSMC’s $165B Arizona buildout is already shipping advanced chips, while Korea’s accelerated target still lands in 2033-2039.
The plan also folds in 127 trillion won in trade finance and a new Korea-U.S. shipbuilding cooperation push.
Here is what was announced, how it compares to Arizona, and who it affects.

A data-driven comparison of four US-listed robotics and automation ETFs — BOTZ, ROBO, ARTY (formerly IRBO) and ROBT — covering fees, holding concentration, returns and risk, including the IRBO-to-ARTY rebrand.

Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Basic Science Institute broke ground on July 27, 2026 on the ‘Korea Light Source (KLS),’ a 4th-generation storage-ring synchrotron facility in Cheongju’s Ochang district.
The project carries a total budget of KRW 1.1643 trillion and targets completion by the end of 2029, offering light 100 times brighter than Korea’s existing 3rd-generation facility for semiconductor, battery and drug-development research.
We compare it with Japan’s SPring-8 and the US Argonne National Laboratory’s $815 million APS Upgrade to assess where Korea now stands in the global synchrotron infrastructure race.
The piece also covers what the facility means for chip and battery supply chains that run through US manufacturers.

Korea’s government unveiled its ‘Agentic AI Initiative’ on July 23, 2026, targeting global top-3 AI power status.
The plan commits 3,352 GPUs across two 2026 funding rounds and a safety guideline due by year-end.
We compare it with Singapore’s pioneering agentic AI governance framework and Japan’s soft-law approach.
The piece also covers what the guideline could mean for US AI labs and industry.