Ko Korean nuclear Loading... : Investor Sentiment and Bull/Bear Views

In the current rotation, he advises tracking top-line revenue growth, with leadership in AI infrastructure including semiconductors, equipment and power gear, plus defense and aerospace, cosmetics, nuclear, shipbuilding and secondary batteries. He suggests spreading exposure rather than chasing single names.

The US has not built nuclear plants since 1978 and lacks the necessary experience, forcing them to partner with experienced Korean construction companies for new projects like SMRs. However, the sector faces political risks depending on the US midterm elections, making renewable energy a preferred investment over nuclear at this moment.

Korea's strategic industries including shipbuilding, defense, nuclear and robotics are structural long-term beneficiaries of global supply-chain reordering away from lowest-cost outsourcing toward security and stability. Korea has dominant positions such as 91% LNG carrier orders, 69% K9 export share and low-cost nuclear construction, with government policy support reinforcing investment.

The shipbuilding, defense, and nuclear group is showing strong export and earnings momentum, with continuous order and contract announcements. Foreigners bought this group in January, and the speaker still sees an upward picture for these sectors.

The Korea-US investment project list is focused on nuclear, shale gas, and power grids. The US needs gas-fired power and shale-gas liquefaction/pipeline infrastructure, which should benefit Korean nuclear and power-grid supply chains.

Baek's 2026 mnemonic favors semiconductors, bio, holding companies, secondary batteries, solar, and nuclear. These sectors should be accumulated on market shakeouts.

U.S. policy aims to exclude China and revive manufacturing, but U.S. labor costs and skill shortages make robots and AI necessary; Korea is a key alternative supplier in shipbuilding, defense, nuclear, power equipment, and batteries, creating a strong multi-year opportunity.

After a market correction, prioritize power infrastructure, electric wires, and nuclear over semiconductors because AI's bottleneck is energy. Copper input costs can be passed through in power equipment and wires where demand is strong.

The Bank of Korea held rates at 2.5% because of high FX, inflation, and rising real estate, but weak won and tariff offsets are helping exporters. Autos, shipbuilding, power equipment, cosmetics, defense, nuclear, and bio are all showing strong exports even as domestic demand lags.

The nuclear power sector is reviving after roughly 40 years of dormancy, supporting renewed long-term investment and export opportunities.

Institutional program buying is rotating from Samsung and SK hynix into lagging large-cap representatives in shipbuilding, defense, nuclear, power, batteries, and chemicals, supporting broader KOSPI strength.

AI data-center power shortages, highlighted by Meta's large nuclear-power contracts, support nuclear and power-generation names.

Nuclear and power equipment should be treated separately from shipbuilding/defense and remain core AI-infrastructure holdings.

The Korean government may shift energy policy to emphasize nuclear and energy transition, and the market is watching how much nuclear share is included in the energy mix.

If Korean semiconductors are perceived to be peaking, funds may rotate into other strong sectors such as defense, power equipment, and nuclear-related names.

The KOSPI has been dominated by Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, but those semiconductor leaders now look short-term overbought while foreign investors are heavy sellers. Liquidity remains abundant, with customer deposits above KRW 80tn and a strong buy-the-dip mentality, so capital is likely to rotate or diffuse into non-semiconductor sectors that had previously led, such as shipbuilding, defense, nuclear, autos, energy, and robots. Today's broader advance supports that shift, though its continuity still needs confirmation.

For balanced exposure, prioritize nuclear/defense/power equipment as first tier and bio/auto/robots as second tier, while keeping a semiconductor core and cash buffer.

AI power demand and US nuclear/SMR permitting progress, plus Korea's SMR strategic-tech push, make the power/nuclear selloff an opportunity.