Kim Min-seok

There is large demand from emerging navies for 1,000-1,500 ton entry-level submarines, where Korean shipbuilders offer highly competitive cost (half the price of German equivalents) and proven designs like the HDS 1500 already being co-developed with Peru; countries such as Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Colombia are seeking affordable submarines, and Korean companies are well-positioned to capture this volume market.

There is large demand from emerging navies for 1,000-1,500 ton entry-level submarines, where Korean shipbuilders offer highly competitive cost (half the price of German equivalents) and proven designs like the HDS 1500 already being co-developed with Peru; countries such as Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Colombia are seeking affordable submarines, and Korean companies are well-positioned to capture this volume market.

Kim Min-seok, former Prime Minister and leading ruling party leadership candidate, argues that reviving the financial investment tax (capital gains tax) is not appropriate now despite the stock market’s sharp rise from 2,000 to 9,000 points. He states that qualitative and structural issues such as market volatility and broader economic stability concerns persist, and that the tax should only be reconsidered after the market has sufficiently stabilized. He pledges to maintain this stance if elected party leader and emphasizes that the government’s policy direction for capital market normalization, stock market activation, and retail investor protection will not waver. This removes a key regulatory overhang for Korean equities while the market still has room to grow, supported by semiconductor demand and ongoing commercial law reforms.