Thoughts on Korean Business by Don Southerton

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  KOREA-US-Global INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING Monday, August 3, 2026     Listen to the audio version HEADLINE Korea posts a record chip-driven July export month TOP STORY Korea's July exports came in at $98.9 billion, with semiconductor shipments topping $40 billion for a second straight month. Meanwhile, the won has weakened against the dollar. For US buyers of Korean components, this currency move partly offsets tariff costs . SECTOR WATCH Semiconductors:   Samsung and SK Hynix are moving toward large long-term supply agreements with major US technology buyers, which will lock in AI memory volume ahead of the tariff step. The unresolved exposure is China, where Korean firms' ability to run their existing fabs still depends on US license posture. Automotive:   Hyundai , Kia , and Genesis vehicles built in Alabama and Georgia sit outside the import tariff entirely, which keeps widening the margin gap between their US-built and Korea-built lines. BCW TAKE Clie...

  TOP STORY Samsung Electronics closed up roughly 27 percent and SK Hynix roughly 30 percent on Friday in Korea, the largest single-day gains on record for both, after strong Microsoft , Amazon , and Meta results reaffirmed AI infrastructure spending . BCW TAKE What can I say, semiconductors dominate: Samsung unveiled its next-generation HBM4 ; SK Hynix closed long-term supply agreements with more than 10 customers, and Nvidia is among them. We're watching the sector, the supply chain , and the opportunities.  Call Don with any questions at 310-866-3777

  US-Korea-Global Week in Review--New Book, too.     Listen to the audio version   The week of July 20 to 24 ended with the tariff question answered, and not the way Seoul and others wanted. Washington set a new floor, Korea, for example, kept its previous ceiling. Forced-labor tariff landed at 12.5 percent.   USTR issued its final Section 301 action  on Thursday, covering Korea, Japan, Switzerland, and 57 other economies, effective July 24. For Korea, it works as a floor, topping products up to 12.5 percent rather than adding 12.5 across the board. Seoul has held the 15 percent ceiling on cars. Washington reaffirmed that Korean goods should not exceed the negotiated bilateral rate. Section 232 metals stay capped at 15 percent through 2027. Pharma and semiconductor carve-outs are still being negotiated. BCW Take Globally, the 12.5 percent forced-labor floor is the number to plan around now. It is not catastrophic, but it resets the base under every other ...

  Korea-US-Global Briefing Saturday, July 25, 2026​     Listen to the audio version Cadence: Briefing Mon-Fri, Sunday Week in Review, plus special updates most Saturdays. I am in the process of updating after nearly 15 years. The book examines the origin of not only Hyundai and Kia , but Korean industry. Look for future updates on its release in Kindle and paperback. From 2012, Author Don Southerton Announces  Hyundai and Kia Motors: The Early Years and Product Development Author Don Southerton has announced the release of a new publication,  Hyundai and Kia Motors: The Early Years and Product Development . The Book provides deep insights into the rise of the South Korean car industry . Southerton's latest writing weaves first-hand accounts of the challenges experienced by Korean management during the first years of Korean car production with the development of specific models, such as Kia's Brisa , Pride, Sephia, Sportage, and Rio, plus Hyundai's Pony , Excel,...