Korea Will Now Become a Key 'Factory' for the US | Hanwha Asset Management Vice President Choi Young-jin

Summary

Choi Young-jin, Vice President of Hanwha Asset Management, argues that the world has entered a prolonged US-China hegemony conflict in which defense, technology, energy, and currency are key battlegrounds. He says the US needs Korea's core manufacturing in semiconductors, defense, shipbuilding, and power infrastructure, so investors should buy and hold leading Korean manufacturing companies. He also discusses HBM/memory shortages, LNG shipbuilding dominance, power/nuclear infrastructure, and why Venezuelan oil may not lower crude prices easily.

• The guest frames the global regime as a long-term US-China hegemony conflict, not a return to peace.
• Korea is seen as a strategic manufacturing partner filling US value-chain gaps in semiconductors, defense, shipbuilding, and energy infrastructure.
• Defense is presented as a multi-decade pension-style holding, including Korean defense and global defense ETFs.
• Korean HBM/memory leaders Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are favored as AI-driven earnings estimates rise.
• Korean LNG shipbuilding is highlighted for technical dominance and Hanwha Ocean's LNG strength.
• Power infrastructure, nuclear/SMR, grid, and energy storage are seen as key AI/energy bottleneck investments.
• The host suggests KOSPI could head toward 6,000 on semiconductor earnings upgrades.
• The guest argues Venezuelan oil supply cannot quickly recover, so crude prices may not fall easily.