Asia-Pacific

Sejin Kim speaks on how generative AI is unlocking new business models, why the U.S. ecosystem moves so quickly, and how Korea can position itself as a world-class builder of AI-native applications.

South Korea faces a strategic decision: Address persistent trade asymmetries, or risk straining its long-standing alliance with the United States and lose autonomy vis-à-vis China. What’s needed is a genuine reset—one grounded in open trade and closer coordination with Washington to counter mercantilist practices.

While the Interim Report of the Market Review on the Digital Economy Ecosystem under the Competition Act 2010 reflects a valuable step toward understanding market trends, it does not present clear evidence of systemic market failure that would warrant prescriptive regulatory intervention.

Lilla Nóra Kiss speaks on policy measures and incentives that could further strengthen Korea’s strengths as a premier destination for U.S. investment.

Hodan Omaar briefs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on US-ROK collaboration for quantum technologies.

Decades of investment and world-class research have put the U.S. at the forefront, particularly in quantum computing, but a fragmented approach and limited focus on sensing and communication create strategic gaps. Collaboration with the ROK could help strengthen supply chains, accelerate commercialization, and bolster U.S. leadership in an increasingly competitive global landscape.

South Korea risks harming its consumers, economy, and relationship with the United States by adopting Europe's flawed digital competition regulations.

South Korea stands at a crossroads as its restrictive “positive regulation” and “shadow regulations” stifle innovation in AI, crypto, and mobility tech, allowing China to race ahead. Korea must modernize this framework or risk losing its position as a global innovation leader.

By deciding not to pursue digital competition regulation, Australia can avoid the problems that are already materializing as a result of ex-ante regimes like the EU’s DMA.

While ITIF commends the MBIE for analyzing the efficacy of its current regime, substantial changes to New Zealand’s competition laws should be a response to clear market failures that improves consumer welfare, and not merely an attempt to keep up with perceived global or regional trends.