★★ Highly recommended by Kim Yu-won, CEO of Naver Cloud, and Park Jong-hoon, an economic expert!★★

The AI ​​hegemony war, deglobalization, and global supply chain restructuring...
The new Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, where the existing order collapses and a new game is created!

How will the Korean economy seize the opportunity to survive amidst the whirlwind of change?
35 economic experts analyze the Korean economy's outlook for 2026!

The world is now engulfed in a great turmoil that could be called the 'New Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period.'
The United States continues to impose and expand tariffs, disrupting the global trade order. Furthermore, with India and China, previously in conflict within the BRICS, now engaging in new cooperation, the bipolar US-China system is shifting to a tripolar or multipolar structure with the US, Europe, and BRICS competing against each other.
Above all, the massive variable called AI is shaking up security, industry, and society as a whole, completely changing the global economy.

The book "2026 Korean Economic Outlook" is a diagnosis of 2026, a year that will be plunged into a whirlwind of upheaval, by 35 of Korea's top economic experts.
The authors list 'turmoil in the clouds' and 'collapse in the sky' as keywords to describe this era.
As the saying goes, "Even in a chaotic situation where waves surge and clouds tumble, there is always a way out even if the sky falls," crisis and opportunity always coexist.
This book comprehensively analyzes the structural challenges facing the Korean economy, including AI, geopolitics, industry, and asset markets, and shows us the path we must take to survive in a turbulent world.
For readers who dream of the revival of the Korean economy and ponder the future of food even amidst extreme chaos, this book will serve as a friendly economic guide and a survival manual to navigate uncertainty.

Even in an uncertain 2026 economy, there are positive factors.
First, domestic demand is recovering, and positive factors include the growth of future industries such as AI platforms and the expected boom in industries such as shipbuilding, defense, and nuclear power.
While exports to the U.S. market have become more difficult, market diversification is taking place, with exports to Europe and the Middle East increasing.
I am also confident that the end of the Russo-Ukrainian war will present many positive opportunities for Korea.
The Ukrainian reconstruction project cannot be solely the responsibility of Western Europe, and Russia has no other choice but to choose South Korea as its economic cooperation partner.
In addition, various possibilities are covered in each section of this book.
This is precisely why the saying, “Even if the sky falls, there is a hole to emerge from” was included after the Pa Yong Unran.
--- From "The economic situation is turbulent and the clouds are turbulent, but there is opportunity"

The US-China competition for AI hegemony is becoming increasingly intense, unfolding in a complex intertwining of technology, industry, and security.
Recent advancements in DeepSec's model weight reduction and efficiency, Unitree's commercialization of low-cost robots, China's large-scale AI talent development, and its strategy of integrating manufacturing, healthcare, and military sectors are all testament to China's rise, and as a result, the US's AI leadership is facing challenges.
In response, the United States is strengthening its containment of China through measures such as GPU control, investment restrictions, and cloud blocking, while solidifying a monopoly structure centered on its own platforms, effectively transitioning to a closed system.
In contrast, China emphasizes an open ecosystem, championing open source and global governance.
The author suggests that within this framework, rather than unilaterally aligning with either the United States or China, Korea should maintain a balanced strategy and find a way forward through a convergence strategy that combines AI with its own industrial strengths in manufacturing, healthcare, defense, shipbuilding, and content.
--- From "AI, the Center of the World, and Its Waves"

There are also predictions that if high tariffs lead to a slowdown in economic growth and widening income inequality, the policy could be reversed due to political backlash.
In fact, some point out that the Trump administration's large-scale tax cuts for the wealthy, coupled with tariff increases, will inevitably worsen income distribution.
However, tariff revenues are expected to reach approximately $300 billion in 2025, four times the level in 2024, and are projected to reach a cumulative $2.5 trillion over the next decade.
This has the effect of significantly compensating for the tax revenue shortfall resulting from the tax cut, making tariff reductions unlikely at least during the Trump administration's term.
Moreover, given the ongoing corporate lobbying against tariff reductions and the ongoing US-China hegemony competition, the US's high tariffs and protectionist policies are likely to continue for a considerable period of time.
--- From "The Uncertain Global Economy: A Turning Point of Protectionism"

As of 2025, stablecoins have become a core pillar of digital finance, but they still face significant uncertainties.
Defegging incidents, such as the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in 2023, which sent the USDC price to $0.88, or the collapse of Terra and Luna in 2022, have exposed the structural vulnerabilities of stablecoins as "pseudo-banks."
Potential risks include the G20 and FATF's strengthened blockchain fund tracking, distrust in reserve transparency, and the risk of bank runs due to large-scale redemption demands.
In Korea, if won-based stablecoins and CBDCs address privacy concerns, they could secure a foothold in the domestic payments market.
In particular, the introduction of next-generation privacy protection technologies such as zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) is likely to increase user trust and significantly expand digital financial acceptance, especially among the younger generation.
--- From "Dollar Hegemony and Stablecoins"

The central bank's traditional monetary policy aimed to achieve both price stability and economic growth by adjusting the short-term interest rate known as the base rate.
However, as chronic oversupply of funds continues worldwide, and the possibility of inflation rising even in an economic downturn arises, the policy centered on the base interest rate is gradually reaching its limits.
Although the situation is not identical for the US dollar, the key currency, and the Korean won, a non-reserve currency, if long-term interest rates show a structural upward trend globally, both Korea and the United States could see a greater decline in currency value over time and an increase in the overall inflation rate, including for necessities.
Accordingly, investors will have a stronger incentive to prefer non-monetary assets to reduce inflation risk.
Compared to other advanced countries, Korea's average consumer prices are relatively stable (as of August 2025, the consumer price inflation rate was 1.7% year-on-year), but food prices are high in absolute terms and are rising rapidly due to global warming.
Additionally, the phenomenon of Seoul apartment prices jumping sharply whenever market interest rates fall is still a burden.

--- From "The Link Between Global Excessive Fund Demand and Increased Asset Price Volatility"