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.

KAI's KF21 fighter is receiving serious export inquiries, with the KAI CEO publicly expecting over 200 units. The speaker believes 200 exports are achievable within 10 years, and given the decades-long production and support cycles, total long-term exports could double or triple, making it a pivotal export item.

Poland's local production of over 800 K2 tanks creates a 'Made in Europe' label, bypassing EU protectionist sentiment and opening additional export opportunities to Romania and other Eastern European countries. This expands the total addressable market for the K2 platform beyond the initial Poland contract.

Cheongung II (KM-SAM) missile demand is exploding due to current conflicts, with proven near-perfect performance (96% official hit rate, 4% intentional self-destructs for safety). Foreign media understate Korea's production capacity, but domestic supply chain concentration in Changwon/Gumi and already-started factory expansion allow rapid scaling to multiple times current output on firm orders. Many export deals are undisclosed but will eventually surface, and existing contracts with UAE, Saudi Arabia are progressing normally.

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.