AI PRISM
Curated news for global investors tracking Korean and international markets. Stay informed on cross-border capital flows, foreign investment trends, and macroeconomic developments affecting Korea.
Google and Marvell have launched joint development of two AI chips, an MPU and inference-specialized TPU, to counter Nvidia's dominance, with pilot production planned for next year.
A Chinese humanoid robot finished a Beijing half-marathon in 50:26, beating the human world record, as Hormuz tensions squeeze U.S. airlines and Korea courts global investors.
China's semiconductor industry posted 17.3% revenue growth in 2025 despite US curbs, with Cambricon surging 453% to its first profit. US crude exports to Asia jumped 82%, and SK hynix deepens TSMC HBM4E alliance.
Chinese firms captured 41% of their AI chip market, with self-sufficiency projected at 76% by 2030. Korea slipped to 5th in semiconductor competitiveness as Samsung and SK hynix secure two-thirds of ASML's EUV shipments.
China emerges as Iran war mediator as global leaders visit Beijing, while KOSPI reclaims 6000 level with 44.55% YTD gain. Korea's import prices surge 16.1%, the biggest jump in 28 years.
U.S. and Iran plan second nuclear talks as early as May 16 after reaching 80% agreement. KOSPI touches 6,000 as foreign investors return. Samsung Electro-Mechanics announces $1.2B Vietnam AI substrate investment.
US considers resuming military strikes on Iran amid Hormuz Strait counter-blockade; Iran threatens Red Sea closure. Korean investors dump $520M in US bonds as Treasury yields surge 38bp.
US-Iran 21-hour marathon talks collapse over Hormuz Strait reopening and uranium issues. Anthropic's AI Mythos prompts Wall Street emergency response while China advances SMR commercialization ahead of Korea.
Anthropic joins OpenAI and Meta in developing custom AI chips to reduce Nvidia dependence, while Hormuz Strait blockade threatens oil prices and Korean markets see concentrated short selling.
Fed March FOMC minutes reveal rate hike discussions as Middle East war drives record $36.55 billion foreign capital outflow from Korea. MATCH Act threatens ASML, Samsung, SK hynix China operations.
Korea faces urgent supply chain restructuring as Middle East oil dependency reaches 67.1% amid US-Iran 2-week truce. IMF warns of emerging market private credit risks while semiconductor exports drive record current account surplus.
Nvidia's acquisition of Slurm supercomputer software sparks monopoly concerns, while Samsung Electronics posts 57.2 trillion won Q1 profit and JPMorgan's Dimon warns of war-driven inflation risks.
Kevin Warsh's Senate confirmation hearing for Fed chair is set for the 16th, but one Republican defection could block approval. Also: Korea's 11% national debt growth dwarfs the U.S. and Japan, and U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks advance.
The U.S.-Iran war cuts Hormuz Strait gas supply by 140 billion cubic meters, with Qatar's LNG facility recovery taking up to 5 years. H5 IPOs projected at $280 billion. U.S. March CPI hits 3.4%, fueling stagflation fears.
Saudi Arabia's Petroline hits maximum 7 million bpd capacity as Hormuz blockade intensifies Middle East pipeline competition. Korea's foreign reserves fall outside top 10 for first time since 2000.
Trump's warning to strike Iran within weeks sends Brent crude to $108.9, KOSPI plunging 4.47%, and the won to 1,519.7 as energy crisis fears, resource nationalism, and U.S. tariff expansion converge.
US-Iran ceasefire signals push Brent crude below $100, KOSPI surges 8.44%, and March semiconductor exports hit a record $32.8 billion, but Hormuz Strait reopening remains uncertain amid lingering geopolitical risks.
Fed Chair Powell called private credit not a systemic crisis and signaled caution on rate moves amid the Iran war, sending rate hike odds plunging from 24.6% to 3.1% as WTI crude topped $100.
The US Treasury plans urgent meetings with insurance regulators over the $2 trillion private credit market, as DRAM prices surge 9.6-fold driving Samsung's memory profit outlook past 40 trillion won, and US special forces arrive in the Middle East.
Middle East war escalation drives Brent crude to $112 while Korean won plunges 4.72% in March. Dow enters correction as infrastructure M&A surges amid flight to stable cash flows.
SpaceX plans up to 30% retail allocation in its June IPO targeting $1.75 trillion valuation. Korean bonds gain global recognition after WGBI inclusion. LNG spot prices surge 90% on dual supply shocks.
Asian currencies hit 20-year lows as the dollar surges amid the Strait of Hormuz blockade, crushing oil purchasing power. Google's TurboQuant algorithm sparks memory chip selloff, and the OECD cuts Korea's 2025 growth forecast to 1.7%.
Arm unveils its first in-house AI data center CPU after 35 years, with Meta as its inaugural customer, targeting $15 billion in annual revenue within five years. Also: Former BOJ Governor Kuroda calls for rate hikes; Iran demands Hormuz Strait transit fees.
Major U.S. private credit funds face massive redemptions as BOK governor nominee Shin Hyun-song warns of shadow banking risks. Korea's NBFI assets reach 6,213 trillion won at 2.4x GDP.
PBOC Governor Pan Gongsheng blames U.S. trade deficit on dollar hegemony as WTI tops $100, KOSPI plunges 6.49%, foreign investors dump 20 trillion won, and gold crashes 18% — shattering safe-haven assumptions.