Startups – Sure A Not

Sunway, Ministry of Higher Education sign 3-year TVET MoU to produce industry-ready graduates

On: December 9, 2024

Collaboration offers jobs for southeastern Malaysia’s TVET individuals
Partnership emphasises training to increase knowledge &amp, market readiness

Senior director of competency at the Department of Polytechnic and Community Colleges, Razak bin Sabtu (left) and Sunway Group’s chief HR Officer, Foo Shiang Wyne post signing.

Sunway Group and the Ministry of Higher Education ( MOHE ) have signed a three-year technical and vocational education and training ( TVET ) memorandum of understanding ( MoU) focused on skills sharing, industrial training programmes, and human capital development.

Sunway stated in a statement that the partnership will provide internship opportunities to TVET students from Malaysia’s southern region in collaboration with Ibrahim Sultan Polytechnic ( PIS ) under MOHE’s Department of Polytechnic and Community Colleges.

Implementation of structured business training programs that aim to advance students ‘ practical skills and prepare them for changing market demands is a key component of this partnership.

More than 200 TVET individuals across the country have benefited from Sunway’s ongoing collaborations with Universiti Teknologi MARA, the National Youth Advanced Skills Training Institute, and different polytechnicnics and community colleges to time. Additionally, the business expanded its commitment to advanceing technical and vocational training by offering internship and skill-sharing opportunities to other common TVET institutions.

Sunway Group key HR official, Foo Shiang Wyne, expressed trust in the relationship. We think that this MoU will help us produce a capable workforce that meets industry requirements. Sunway is dedicated to providing PIS students with top-notch professional training and opportunities for talent development.

Senior director of competency at the Department of Polytechnic and Community Colleges ( JPPKK), Razak bin Sabtu, highlighted the collaboration’s importance. ” This relationship demonstrates JPPKK’s dedication, alongside PIS, to provide graduates with skills that correlate with business demands. Sunway acts as a strategic partner, expanding the scope of our alumni ‘ employment options and facilitating work assignments.

Sunway members, senior representatives from MOHE’s Department of Polytechnic and Community Colleges, and PIS also attended the signing ceremony. This partnership is a major step in bolstering relations between academia and industry to enhance Malaysia’s development of human capital.

The MoU aligns with Sunway’s broader efforts to boost Malaysians through training and coaching across five key industries: kindness, cooking, facilities and equipment upkeep, mechanical, and healthcare. It also supports the Malaysian government’s increased focus on vocational education, reflected in Budget 2025’s allocation rise from US$ 1.5 billion ( RM6.8 billion ) to US$ 1.7 billion ( RM7.5 billion ).

Yoon’s martial law stunt may cost Korea a lost decade – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: December 5, 2024

In: Asia

Yoon Suk Yeol, president of South Korea, set his country’s economy back ten centuries in six days, and increased the chances that the following ten years will be lost.

The government’s urgent request to remove Yoon’s resignation and impeachment for his crazy martial law declaration later on December 3 is the focus at this time. When the dust settles, nevertheless, the actual collateral damage will be to Asia’s fourth-biggest business.

On Monday, the day before Yoon’s determined stunt, South Korea was now carrying serious existing conditions into a 2025 some Seoul policymakers despair. Between China’s decline and Donald Trump’s coming trade conflict, South Korea’s business may find itself in harm’s way first and often.

Record household debts, which is putting strain on consumer spending, complicates the way forward. Additionally, South Korea has a gender pay gap and a labor-intensive workforce that prevents technology.

Korea’s fertility level is the lowest everywhere. A handful of family-owned conglomerates, or chaebols, continue to dominate the market, making it hard for start-ups to grow and destroy the government’s export-driven development model.

And the monetary system needs major changes to end the” Korea cheap” that underestimates Kospi index prices.

Problem is, Yoon’s antics really proved traders doubting Korea’s eagerness for global night right. His government is now even more in the lame-duck area than it was three days ago, also if Yoon can prevent being impeached — a great “if.”

It’s difficult to imagine how Yoon will survive this unless something else is dropping that we haven’t already discovered,” says Eurasia Group scientist Jeremy Chan.

As ideal as we can tell, Yoon’s martial law campaign was motivated by his disappointment with opposition parties that are stymieing his plan. The issue was considerably worsened by Yoon. Hope all-out gridlock today.

This new complication in Seoul elections appeared to be apparent to The Bank of Korea. Straight after Yoon declared martial law, BOK Governor Rhee Chang-yong pledged “unlimited cash” to calm industry. On Wednesday, he set up an urgent meeting to discuss how the BOK may protect the market from further political scheming.

” From a near-term plan aspect, apart from the market problems, doubt could also come in the event of government changes”, says Goldman Sachs scientist Goohoon Kwon. On Thursday, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun resigned.

According to Bank economists, in the best-case situation,” the negative effects to the economy and financial industry may be short-lived as uncertainties on the political and economic environment may be quickly mitigated on the back of strategic policy response.”

However, Moody’s Ratings ‘ economist Anushka Shah adds that a “prolonged period of political conflict that affects economic activity and leads to work stoppages would be credit negative.”

The significance of the Korean victory, both for domestic politics and the external sector, is a key climax. The domestic political unrest will only exacerbate the bearish sentiment surrounding the Korean victory, but Alvin Tan, a currency strategist at RBC Capital Markets, believes that the growth slowdown and potential US-China trade war in the coming year will continue to be the main drivers.

A wiser leader than Yoon might have examined his mediocre approval rating and adjusted his policies accordingly. Or create new ones that might appeal to voters and opposition parties. Instead, Yoon threw a tantrum, leaving many of Korea’s 51 million people wondering if Yoon’s support rate is way too high.

Yoon also spewed a dose of Trumpian skepticism by warning of “anti-state” militias sympathetic to North Korea’s plot against him. Not a wise choice from a leader who makes Shigeru Ishiba and Joe Biden the most well-known Americans in the world right now.

This was” an act of political desperation”, Chan says. ” It wasn’t about North Korea or social order — despite Yoon’s claims”. In the end, Chan adds, Yoon was” trying to bring all legislative proceedings to a halt” by calling on the National Assembly.

The issue is that South Korea’s government functions are squandering up at arguably the worst possible time. Along with China exporting deflation, Seoul is bracing for US President-elect Trump’s coming tariffs. Trump has threatened that the 60 % tariffs against China could be the start of a global arms race.

Trump has telegraphed 100 % taxes on automobiles made in Mexico. Car-making giants in Korea and Japan worry — for valid reasons — that they’re next.

Concerned about the fates of Hyundai, Kia and others, Yoon has been scrambling for a meeting with Trump. In a bid to get a Mar-a-Lago tee time, Yoon dusted off his golf clubs for the first time in eight years.

Yoon’s government even hired the lobbying firm Susie Wiles, the incoming White House chief of staff, worked for. The Washington embassy of Korea hired Mercury Public Affairs to build connections with the incoming White House, according to Korean media.

Trump, of course, is less of a bridge-builder than a geopolitical wrecking ball. Still, Yoon has studied up on former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Trump bromance.

Abe became the first world leader to hurl a long way to New York’s Trump Tower to kiss the ring in November 2016. The stunt also caused Abe to sit next to Trump at Group of Seven meetings and other global confabs, earning him a spot there.

If Yoon looked closer, he’d see how little the late Abe got in return for his subservience. Trump ignored Abe’s pleas and still abandoned the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, a cornerstone of Japan’s effort to contain China.

Abe’s acquiescence didn’t earn Tokyo a pass on the Trump 1.0 trade war. Trump continued to try to shake down Abe for US$ 8 billion in annual payments to keep American troop levels in Japan. It didn’t stop Trump from palling around with Kim Jong Un, legitimizing North Korea’s murderous regime at the expense of Japan‘s national security.

Yet Trump 2.0 is just one of South Korea’s biggest economic challenges. The other is how the economy is bouncing off course because of its already-existing circumstances.

The first half of Yoon’s five-year term did little to raise Korea’s economic game. He’s done little, if anything, to level playing fields to help small-and-medium-sized companies grow into larger ones.

He hasn’t made any discernible progress in lowering the nation’s crippling debt, increasing worker productivity, empowering women, and raising the average income.

Yoon hasn’t been able to dispel MSCI’s reservations about Korea Inc. Yoon argued in a uniquely assertive way earlier this year that the world’s largest index company should establish South Korea as a developed nation, a designation that would entice tidal waves of global capital into won-denominated assets.

Back in March, Yoon pledged to scrap outdated regulations, loosen limits on corporate ownership, strengthen capital markets, increase currency-trading hours, boost transparency and even tolerate short sellers.

MSCI went away unimpressed. According to its analysts,” these efforts will be subject to consultation with market participants once in effect,” as they stated in June. In other words, Team Yoon needs to carry out the Big Bang without resorting to a supply-side explanation.

Unfortunately, Yoon is only the most recent leader to talk a lot of money-savings and talk little. Like his five predecessors over the last 20 years, Yoon quickly realized the difficulty and risk of clashing with Korea’s chaebol-industrial complex and demurred.

This persistent complacency comes at a high price. In any tally of major economies courting a&nbsp, Japan-like lost decade&nbsp, through complacency and political distraction, &nbsp, South Korea&nbsp, deserves a primary place. Yoon, part of this sad continuum, also let the BOK run the show.

So did Moon Jae-in, who was elected in 2017 to restore faith in the Korean economy. Moon began with a bold plan to champion” trickle-up economics”. Higher corporate taxes were included in the plan to better distribute wealth and employment opportunities.

The strategy spearheaded by Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, and Abe decades earlier had a reversed impact due to Moon’s emphasis on enriching the middle class. Yet Moon, too, saw the magnitude of the task of taming Korea Inc&nbsp, &nbsp, — and he backed off.

The same was true for Park Geun-hye, president from 2013 to 2017. Not only was she Korea’s first female president, but also the daughter of former national leader Park Chung-hee, who built the chaebol-led model that still dominates today back in the 1960s and 1970s.

Park Geun-hye took office with grand plans to dismantle her father’s economic system. She talked of devising a more” creative” model of entrepreneurship and shifting&nbsp, tax incentives&nbsp, toward startups.

Park planned, too, to strengthen antitrust enforcement&nbsp, and penalize big companies for hoarding profits that could be used to boost paychecks and fund new cutting-edge research and development.

Her father’s export-driven development strategy placed a premium on loans to domestic businesses and shielded domestic industries from global competition. The strategy borrowed from the” Asian tigers” playbook Japan had written.

Of course, Park Chung-hee’s legacy is back in the news this week. The upheaval that occurred at the time of his 1979 murder occurred at the same time as a previous declaration of martial law.

Over time, Korean officialdom was captured by the home-growth giants Park&nbsp, Chung-hee’s policies created. But once daughter Park Geun-hye settled into the presidential Blue House, 38 years after her father’s assassination, she too decided change was too difficult and risky.

Rather than upending the chaebol system, Park got co-opted. By 2017, she was &nbsp, impeached and jailed&nbsp, in a scandal involving Samsung leader Lee Jae-yong. Both have since been pardoned, much to the dismay of many Korean voters.

Before Park, Lee&nbsp, Myung-bak, president from 2008 to 2013, &nbsp, pledged to generate more economic energy from the ground up. Voters hoped that, as a former CEO of Hyundai Engineering&nbsp, and Construction, Lee had the know-how to shift growth engines away from exports toward domestic demand. Lee demurred, siding with the chaebols that produced him.

If only these leaders had swayed the wind in a significant way, Korea might not be struggling to raise its prices and compete in the era of China. Even if Yoon manages to cling to power, somehow, his odds of elevating the economy to greater heights in the 887 days he’d have left in office are slight, at best.

What Yoon has accomplished is placing South Korea in the shoes of Asian martial law enforcers in a manner that international investors won’t find appealing. These include Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand – and now South Korea.

Yoon reassured markets about the Korean discount while also bringing up a past Kospi investors would prefer not to think about, such as 1948 martial law episodes.

One silver lining:” The swift reversal of the martial law underscores the resilience of South Korea’s institutions”, write analysts at BMI, a Fitch Solutions Company.

We anticipate only temporary effects for the economy and financial markets as the Bank of Korea and the Ministry of Finance have responded quickly by reassuring investors, according to BNI. Notably, the central bank has pledged to increase short-term liquidity and take steps to stabilize the FX markets, which is in line with our opinion that the risks associated with the South Korean victory should be kept under control for the time being.

Perhaps, but the effects of Yoon’s insane and selfish act may make South Korea worry about where and how all that potential was lost in a decade.

Follow William Pesek on X at @WilliamPesek

Trump tariffs potential death knell for Japan automakers – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: December 4, 2024

In: Asia

Somewhere in the world, probably Beirut, Carlos Ghosn is having a severe case of sadness.

The Nissan-Motor-CEO-turned-international-fugitive is seeing stock plunge 47 % during the recent CEO’s five-year career. Makoto Uchida also lost more than 100 percent details to Japan’s Topix score. He’s then Nissan’s worst-performing president since at least 1974.

But Nissan’s slip isn’t happening in a suction, as Japan’s another engine giants can speak.

In 2019, the business was still reeling from Ghos n’s arrest on financial misconduct charges and escape. Nissan and its Japanese competitors are now facing a worldwide market shakeup caused by the growth of China.

Or, as Michael Dunne, CEO of automobile industry advice ZoZoGo, calls it, the “great China vehicle blitzkrieg”. According to Dunne,” the unexpected flood of Chinese cars is upending years of steady market securities and profits.”

As Donald Trump enters the White House to start off trade war, China Inc. is becoming even more of a goal. Chinese manufacturers are under increasing pressure due to a precise explosion in competition from China, particularly in the field of energy vehicles.

The Volt manufacturing acceleration process has been at best slower. Has Japan Inc. CEOs ‘ pressure on the nation’s long-dominant hybrid car market shifted to EVs and loosened their hand?

” China may export a spectacular 6 million vehicles to more than one hundred countries this month, cementing its status as the country’s No 1 producer”, Dunne says.

The typical price of those made-in-China cars: US$ 19, 000. ” That’s less than half the regular price of a new vehicle in America and Europe”, Dunne adds. Customers in all time zones are switching to new Chery, MG, Changan, and BYD models instead of Chevys, VWs, and Hondas.

If not for Trump’s returning to the scene 48 time from now, Chinese EVs eating Japan’s meal would be problems much. The US president-elect has hit the ground running by enacting transfer taxes on both China and Canada.

Trump’s inclusion of neighbors in his price list is shocking Tokyo and Seoul. One big concern is Trump’s plan to impose 100 % levies on vehicles made in Mexico ( and, presumably, on Canada too ).

As Trump results to business, his “revenge” journey is sure to start in Asia. That has leaders at Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia and some bracing to levies of similar scale heading Asia’s manner. Auto-production-heavy markets like Thailand also may be in harm’s way as global supply chains go astray.

Tesla businessman Elon Musk has Trump’s hearing as the next trade war develops, thinning the story. Earlier this year, Musk warned that Chinese Vehicle areas are destined to have” important” achievement outside China.

Musk claimed in January that” the Chinese auto companies are the most competitive car companies in the world.” According to the statement,” I believe they will have a major achievement outside of China depending on the establishment of taxes or trade barriers.”

But, he added, “frankly, I think, if there are no industry restrictions established, they will very much dismantle most various companies in the world”.

In the months that followed, Musk has attempted to refute those sentiments. Apparently, someone in the Shanghai place reminded Musk of Tesla’s sprawling manufacturing presence there, where he built his first outside” Plant”.

Musk’s close relationship with Trump — including a position as authorities efficiency advisor— muddies the issue. How Musk manages to compromise his position in Trump World with an economy that Tesla heavily relies on, one that Tesla relies on.

Some argue that Musk’s level – and position in Trump World – may help Tesla engage in China via-a-vis contemporaries.

Tesla “has the scale and scope that are unmatched in the EV industry, and this dynamic could give Musk and Tesla a clear competitive advantage in a non-EV subsidy environment, coupled with likely higher China tariffs that will continue to dethrone cheaper Chinese EV players ( BYD, Nio, etc. )” from flooding the U. S. business over the forthcoming times”, says Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities.

There is nothing scientific about where all this leads, though, in Japan, where the country’s economy is still reeling from decades of excessive monetary easing.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been frantically trying to meet with Trump since his shock victory on November 5. But to no cost. So much, Trump World has refused to grant Ishiba a Mar-a-Lago market.

Ishiba hopes that by forming a specific relationship with Trump, Japan Inc. will suffer less collateral harm. It’s what former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did during Trump’s 2017-2021 president.

Abe became the first earth president to jump to Trump Tower in New York to love the ring in November 2016, just weeks after Trump’s victory in the election. But other than garnered worldwide headlines, the prank did little good.

Trump continued to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was started by the US. Abe had pressed Trump to be on the TPP, which was the foundation of Tokyo’s efforts to encircle China.

Nor did Abe’s beauty offensive win Tokyo a slip on the Trump 1.0 taxes. Trump, however, palled around with Kim Jong Un in way that upheld North Korea’s brutal government at the cost of Japan’s national security. Trump humiliated Abe by revealing that the Chinese president had nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, adding insult to injury.

But there’s another reason Ishiba may perform Trump 2.0 quite carefully: the interpersonal US leader’s wish for a “grand bargain” with Xi.

Trump government takes, including Scott Bessent as US Treasury director, argue that this is the end game. Today’s risks of large tariffs, they argue, are only a negotiating strategy aimed at prodding Beijing to flex to US needs.

Japan’s issue is that it would be looking into any diplomatic Group of Two trade offer from the outside. Chinese EV industry would be the main beneficiaries of any such agreement.

That, of course, would be the same of President Joe Biden’s plan of shutting Chinese Vehicles out of the US business with 100 % fees.

Trump claimed on the campaign trail that “large companies are only being built across the border in Mexico” by China to make vehicles to offer in the US market. Our folks will man those flowers, and those plants will be constructed in the United States.

The vegetables Trump may employ to encourage China to construct US factories remain ambiguous. But the stick if China Inc doesn’t post could be 200 % tariffs, Trump has warned.

Where does this leave South Korea and Japan, in my opinion?

Now, it’s clear Foreign EV makers are on a break. By the time they were a month quick, BYD, Leapmotor, and Xiaomi already had their yearly delivery goals crossed. What’s more, BYD, Xpeng and Zeekr saw record quarterly sales in November.

BYD, for instance, delivered 504, 003 passenger cars in November and 500, 526 in October. Its full-year sales for passenger vehicles presently hit 3, 740, 930, exceeding the week’s 3.6 million goal.

Leapmotor, which is backed by Stellantis, saw 40, 169 deliveries in November, up 5.2 % from October and a whopping 117 % year on year. As competition in China heats up, Tesla has had to slash Model Y prices by 10, 000 yuan ( US$ 1, 371 ) to 239, 900 yuan ( US$ 32, 000 ).

At the moment, Chinese automakers are playing catch-up in the EV area and boosting purchases. That’s regardless of what becomes of Trump’s business conflict or his pledge to eliminate Biden’s$ 7, 500 return on EV payments.

Toyota, for instance, is building a great power shop in the US state of North Carolina”. We plan for the long term, but political considerations aren’t a factor in how we approach product creation or investment opportunities,” says David Christ, vice president of Toyota North America.

Yet Japan Inc. is bleeding global market share. A new analysis by Bloomberg economists found that Japanese automakers saw the biggest market share losses of any peers between 2019 and 2024 in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

How China is gaining from those losses can be written in bold font between the lines. It’s likely they’ll strengthen that push,” says Bloomberg Intelligence senior auto analyst Tatsuo Yoshida of China’s ambitions.

Even the sales and output of the much-vaunted Toyota appears&nbsp, to have plateaued. All six of the main Japanese automakers that Bloomberg Intelligence has tracked have consistently ceded ground. In Thailand and in Singapore, where Japanese carmakers long enjoyed strong customer loyalty, market shares are down to 35 % from 50%-plus in 2019.

In 2023, China dethroned Japan to become the world’s top automaker. The devastating blow to Japan’s collective psyche was the worst since China overtook Japan in terms of GDP in 2011.

However, the ways that Chinese automakers managed to capture Japan’s nap continue to surprise economic historians. It’s not just autos. Efforts to generate more tech” unicorns,” for example, didn’t gain the traction Japan’s government expected. Even today, Japan trails Indonesia in the race to generate US$ 1 billion-plus valuation startups.

As the EV market expanded, Japan’s persistent obsession with hybrid vehicles reflects this same pattern. Granted, the slowdown in US demand for EVs has many auto analysts believing Japan’s dual-track approach has merit. At least temporarily.

Yet Toyota officials and their Japanese counterparts are in fact aware of their errors when they dismiss the EV future as being in view. Toyota is catching up on older models. Japan’s top automaker is tripling EV output as it chases China’s BYD, which in 2023 surpassed Musk’s Tesla.

The question, of course, is whether it may already be too late as Tesla, Detroit, Germany and China beat Toyota to the market”. No one,” says advisory ZoZoGo’s Dunne”, can match BYD on price. Period. Boardrooms in America, Europe, Korea and Japan are in a state of shock.”

Of course, Trump’s trade war could complicate the outlook considerably. This is especially important because no one is sure whether Trump will strike a deal with Xi’s China or instead impose tariffs.

For now, Cigdem Cerit, an analyst at Fitch Ratings, sees a” neutral outlook for the global automotive sector, “reflecting” our expectation of a stable production environment, with global light vehicle sales projected to increase by about 2 %.”

But Cerit adds”, the growth will be unevenly distributed across regions, as European and Chinese markets face macroeconomic challenges. We expect pricing to remain subdued due to escalating competition.”

For Japanese chieftains like Nissan’s Uchida to those at Toyota, the threat from China’s auto industry isn’t to be taken lightly. Nor does the upcoming US government work with China Inc. or support its replacement.

Follow William Pesek on X at @WilliamPesek

Cyberview, Futurise launch National Drone Sports Roadmap

By: Mary Blight

On: December 2, 2024

In: Technology

Drone Hub positions Cyberjaya as a hub for drone sports, talent & industry
NADSAR guides Malaysia’s drone sports growth through talent, partnerships & regulations

Najwan Halimi officiated the Drone Hub Innovation for Future Talents (DRIFT) and simultaneously launched the National Drone Sports Strategic Roadmap

Cyberview Sdn. Bhd., together with its subsidiary Futurise Sdn. Bhd., hosted the Drone Hub Innovation for Future Talents (DRIFT) event, showcasing Malaysia’s commitment to advancing drone innovation and talent development. The event featured the announcement of the Cyberjaya Drone Hub, the unveiling of the National Drone Sports Strategic Roadmap (NADSAR) 2023–2027, and the launch of the Cyberjaya Drone Hero (CDH) programme.

The Cyberjaya Drone Hub, an initiative by Cyberview, is designed to establish Cyberjaya as a thriving drone ecosystem built on key pillars such as drone sports development, community engagement, talent cultivation, commercial opportunities, and industrial growth. With facilities like the Drone Testing Zone (DTZ) and testbeds, the hub fosters innovation and collaboration. Since 2019, the DTZ—supported by Drone Academy Asia, one of the first CAAM-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisations (RPTO)—has trained over 2,300 remote pilots, conducted more than 150 training sessions, and logged over 2,000 flight hours, cementing Cyberjaya’s leadership in Malaysia’s drone sector.

A highlight of DRIFT was the unveiling of NADSAR 2023–2027, an initiative by Futurise via the National Academy for Drone Sports Excellence (AKSADRON). This roadmap serves as a blueprint for Malaysia’s growth in drone sports, emphasising talent cultivation, industry partnerships, and regulatory enhancements. It aligns with the government’s Visi Sukan Negara 2030, advancing both emerging sports and technological innovation.

Speaking at the event, Cyberview, Futurise launch National Drone Sports Roadmap Abdul Samad, CEO of Cyberview Sdn. Bhd. (pic), underscored DRIFT 2024’s significance in advancing Malaysia’s drone ecosystem. “Cyberjaya has been at the heart of Malaysia’s digital journey since the MSC days, evolving into a thriving ecosystem for technology, talent, and innovation. Today, we are proud to take another step forward, solidifying Cyberjaya as Malaysia’s Drone Hub.”

The Cyberjaya Drone Hero programme, a collaboration between Cyberview and he Cyberjaya Drone Hero programme, a collaboration between Cyberview and Futurise through AKSADRON, was introduced as a core initiative of the Cyberjaya Drone Hub. Focused on developing talent in drone sports, the programme provides hands-on training, competitive opportunities, and exposure to advanced technologies. By aligning with NADSAR’s objectives, it equips students and drone enthusiasts with STEM skills while encouraging participation from schools and universities nationwide. To date, the programme has trained over 200 students from 14 academic institutions, including SMK Cyberjaya, Sekolah Seri Puteri Cyberjaya, Politeknik Banting, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and Universiti Tun Abdul Razak.

During the event, two Letters of Intent (LOIs) were exchanged to strengthen Malaysia’s drone technology and talent cultivation efforts. The first LOI was signed between Cyberview and Drone Academy Asia, and the second between Futurise and UMPSA Advanced, a subsidiary of Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, supporting AKSADRON initiatives.

Beyond industry innovation, DRIFT 2024 seeks to engage local communities by raising awareness about drone sports and fostering a tech-savvy culture. Schools, universities, and stakeholders are encouraged to drive grassroots participation, creating excitement and ownership in this emerging field.

“As we move forward, Cyberview is committed to creating an inclusive and dynamic drone ecosystem. Through today’s engagements, let’s spark new ideas, collaborations, and inspiration to build a future that thrives on innovation and talent,” said Kamarul Ariffin.

The collaboration between Cyberview and Futurise reflects a unified effort to advance Malaysia’s technology ecosystem. Through initiatives such as the Cyberjaya Drone Hub, NADSAR, and the Cyberjaya Drone Hero programme, Cyberview is building a dynamic ecosystem that bridges industry and community through sports, positioning Malaysia as a global leader in drone innovation and technology.

SME spending signals growing confidence among APAC Businesses: Instarem SME Spend Barometer

By: Mary Blight

On: November 28, 2024

In: Technology

SMEs are turning to online resources, AI, to tackle rising prices &amp, increase productivity
Malaysia &amp, Australia travel IT assets, with F&amp, B, IT &amp, technology solutions seeing biggest increases

SME spending signals growing confidence among APAC Businesses: Instarem SME Spend Barometer

Instarem, part of Nium, Southeast Asia’s payments unicorn, launched its 2024 SME Spend Barometer, revealing insights into the spending behaviours of small and medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs ) in Singapore, Australia and Malaysia. &nbsp,

Based on data from a test of 700 SMEs and some subjective interviews with customers, Instarem’s annual SME Spend Barometer record analysed spending patterns from January 2023 to August 2024, highlighting how SMEs are carefully investing in technology, infrastructure, and talent to react to an evolving financial landscape.

A determined method to growth
Trade payments increased by 6 %, indicating a meticulous yet positive outlook for global growth, thanks to Malaysia and Australia. In comparison, trade payments to Singapore decreased by 27 % year over year, indicating that local companies may be shifting their attention away from home goals in the face of rising costs and financial pressures. &nbsp,

Ashish Sangle, world Nose of Instarem, said:” Instarem has supported thousands of businesses in their development journeys over the years. Expanding internationally allows SMEs to gain access to wider user bases and exploit market opportunities for scale and growth. In today’s culture, a little caution is natural, but we anticipate that SMEs will continue to look for and exploit opportunities that are in line with their objectives.

Embracing AI and robotics
As evidenced by a 29 % increase in spending on data services over the same time period in 2023, the implementation of AI and digital change is accelerating across APAC. Malaysia and Australia are leading the charge in IT investments, with sectors like F&amp, B ( 120 % ), IT and software services ( 66 % ), and business consultancy ( 59 % ) registering the biggest gains. &nbsp,

In order to reduce rising costs and increase efficiency, several SMEs who were interviewed for the record are using AI, automation, and online tools. They are adopting process technology, AI-driven fraud detection, and advanced data analysis, among other alternatives to simplify businesses, minimise regular work, and optimise resources.

However, not every industry is embracing tech at the same rate, with financial services and business services cutting their information services spending by 42 % and 4 %, respectively.

SME spending signals growing confidence among APAC Businesses: Instarem SME Spend Barometer

Return to work picks up speed
SME employers in all three markets are reinvesting in physical infrastructure following years of hybrid or remote work, as evidenced by the 16 % increase in office expenses. Sectors like retail and wholesale, as well as business services, have seen office expenses rise by nearly 150 % and 70 %, respectively, suggesting a shift in how businesses are positioning themselves for long-term growth. This rise in commercial real estate demand also accounts for the more than doubled transaction volumes for real estate and leasing between 2023 and 2024.

These patterns are not universal, and some industries, like those in industrial manufacturing and construction (-48 % ), online retail (-44 % ), and telecommunications (-28 % ), are bucking the trend in favor of a more cautious strategy driven by market needs. &nbsp,

Our decision to invest in physical office spaces in Vietnam and the Philippines has been influenced by employee demand for in-office collaboration. By balancing these investments with our offshoring model, Net Fusion Technology’s group managing director George Votava said that while promoting greater collaboration and innovation, the company can better manage costs. &nbsp,

Balancing talent and growth
Despite broader economic pressures, SMEs are n’t scaling back on talent investments, with salary payments up 7 %. In Singapore, salary investments stayed flat, with some sectors, including media and marketing ( 13 % ) and business services ( 3 % ) even increasing their spending on third-parties ( external advisors ) to drive growth. This suggests a strategic shift to increase internal teams without significantly enlarging the field.

According to the country’s Wage Price Index and the 3.7 % increase in the National Minimum Wage, salary payments among SMEs in Australia have increased modestly ( 3 % ), indicating that businesses are placing a premium on retaining key talent while managing costs. &nbsp,

What’s ahead
These findings demonstrate that SMEs are putting their weight on high-impact investments, such as digital transformation, while using measured tactics elsewhere. Resources are still being put under pressure, though, due to challenges like fluctuating exchange rates and high processing costs.

” Managing costs is a top priority for SMEs, particularly in critical areas like talent and expansion”, said&nbsp, Sangle. ” Thinking strategically about payments can free up important resources for growth and prepare SMEs for long-term success,” according to the statement” not only help to reduce high cross-border fees and improve cash flow.”

For more insights, download Instarem’s 2024 SME Spend Barometer Report here.

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US bil in 2024

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US$31 bil in 2024

By: Mary Blight

On: November 26, 2024

In: Technology

Online travel led sector growth with a 19 % increase, reaching US$ 8B GMV
E-commerce, M’sia’s leading online source grew 17 % to US$ 16B GMV in 2024

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US$31 bil in 2024

Malaysia’s digital economy is set to reach US$ 31 billion ( RM138.48 billion ) in Gross Merchandise Value ( GMV) in 2024, marking a 16 % increase from 2023, according to the latest e-Conomy SEA 2024 report by Google, Temasek, and Bain &amp, Company.

Good growth patterns in all electronic sector are present.

Malaysia’s online business continues its development towards success while sustaining double-digit GMV development. The report shows deeper online membership, successful crowdfunding strategies, and healing in pandemic-impacted sectors as key drivers of this growth.

Online travel: Posting the fastest GMV growth among sectors, online travel expanded by 19 % year-on-year to US$ 8 billion ( RM36 billion ) GMV. In 2024, Malaysia’s strong growth in worldwide tourism is anticipated to exceed pre-pandemic levels. Spending on international travel has increased 330 % since 2020, with the Asia-Pacific place accounting for 38 % of outgoing expenses. Visitors from Southeast Asia ( SEA ) represent nearly half ( 49 % ) of Malaysia’s inbound travel spend, driven by enhanced air connectivity, strategic airline partnerships, and favourable exchange rates.

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US$31 bil in 2024

]RM1 = US$ 0.22]

The growth of Malaysia’s online media industry has been consistent, with its GMV projected to increase 10 % from$ 3 billion in 2023 to$ 4 billion in 2024, as a result of the growing demand for digital content, video games, and streaming services.
As a number of Malaysia’s online banks provide powerful features and are simple to accessibility, contributing to the rapid expansion of the DFS landscape, online financial services is on a roll. Digital wealth is expected to grow significantly, reaching an assets under management ( AUM) of about$ 80 billion by 2030, while digital payments are anticipated to increase by 5 % from 2023 to$ 172 billion by 2024.

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US$31 bil in 2024

Malaysia to capture the AI option

Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) is reshaping Malaysia’s digital economy. The government’s commitment to responsible AI development through the Malaysia AI Roadmap 2021-2025 and the upcoming launch of the National AI Office ( NAIO ) underpins this transformation. The report identifies Malaysia as one of the top ten states globally for AI research interest, especially in training, advertising, and entertainment, with Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Selangor leading the way.

The demand for AI infrastructure may increase as more businesses use it to develop, increase efficiencies, and enhance customer experiences as well as to create new concepts. Malaysia invested$ 15 billion in AI network in H1 ’24 to meet this demand. According to the report, Malaysia’s existing data center capacity is 120MW, and it anticipates an increase of 5X over the next few years.

Malaysia has seized the AI possiblity thanks to strategic activities like KL20, which will support Malaysia’s startup habitat by promoting high-tech industries, obtaining tax exemptions for foreign investments, and providing$ 1 billion in federal funding for startups in Malaysia and the location.

We want to get a local hero for modern policies that are forward-thinking and transformative, encourage a regulatory environment that encourages scientific advancement, and foster cross-border collaboration as Malaysia assumes the Asean Chairmanship next year. The e-Conomy report serves as a powerful affirmation of our efforts and is not just a report, it is a testament to Malaysia’s enormous potential, according to Gobind Singh Deo, minister of digital, who was represented by Fabian Bigar, minister of digital, at the event.

” It is a call to action for all of us – the government, the private sector, and the people of Malaysia to collaborate and realise our nation’s full digital potential. Let us seize this opportunity and together, build a digitally empowered Malaysia that is prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable”, he added.

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US$31 bil in 2024 Meanwhile, Farhan Qureshi ( pic ), country director for Google Malaysia said:” We have been seeing a consistent strong growth of Malaysia’s digital economy and this year is another strong testament of the potential of Malaysia’s digital economy. With the region’s focus on AI, it’s encouraging to see the country’s leaders are putting AI and semiconductors in the country’s priority list”.

By empowering the local workforce with AI-ready skills and tools, we at Google are committed to further supporting Malaysia’s digital economy’s growth. We are committed to keeping Malaysia at the forefront of the digital age, he added, from funding scholarships for young people to develop AI-ready skills through Google Career Certificate scholarships to deploying Google Workspace for public officers.

Amanda Chin, partner, Bain &amp, Company, noted:” Southeast Asia’s digital economy thrives on double-digit GMV and revenue growth and a surge in profitability across sectors led by key players. Likewise in Malaysia, we see a healthy digital economy driven by e-commerce, online travel and digital financial services”.

” As the country’s DFS sector embraces digital disruption, new technologies such as AI are poised to accelerate growth. Businesses must move beyond experimentation and invest in fundamental elements in order to align AI initiatives with core business objectives to address real-world issues and create tangible value, strengthen AI talent, and create scalable, adaptable infrastructure for sustained growth, she added.

Geia Lopez, head of data, insights, and international growth at Google Southeast Asia, added:” Investments in AI and the growing interest in its applications signal a bright future for Malaysia’s digital economy. To maintain this momentum and foster trust in the changing digital landscape, it is important to prioritize digital security, though.

Click here to download the report.

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US billion in 2024

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US$31 billion in 2024

By: Mary Blight

On: November 26, 2024

In: Technology

Online travel led sector growth with a 19 % increase, reaching US$ 8B GMV
E-commerce, M’sia’s leading online source grew 17 % to US$ 16B GMV in 2024

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US$31 billion in 2024

Malaysia’s digital economy is set to reach US$ 31 billion ( RM138 billion ) in Gross Merchandise Value ( GMV) in 2024, marking a 16 % increase from 2023, according to the latest e-Conomy SEA 2024 report by Google, Temasek, and Bain &amp, Company.

Good growth patterns in all modern sector are present.

Online travel: Posting the fastest GMV growth among sectors, online travel expanded by 19 % year-on-year to US$ 8 billion ( RM36 billion ) GMV. In 2024, Malaysia’s strong growth in global tourism is anticipated to exceed pre-pandemic levels. Spending on international travel has increased 330 % since 2020, with the Asia-Pacific place accounting for 38 % of outgoing expenses. Visitors from Southeast Asia ( SEA ) represent nearly half ( 49 % ) of Malaysia’s inbound travel spend, driven by enhanced air connectivity, strategic airline partnerships, and favourable exchange rates.

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US$31 billion in 2024

]RM1 = US$ 0.22]

The growth of Malaysia’s online media industry has been consistent, with its GMV projected to increase 10 % from$ 3 billion in 2023 to$ 4 billion in 2024, as a result of the growing demand for digital content, video games, and streaming services.
As a number of Malaysia’s online banks provide powerful features and are simple to accessibility, contributing to the rapid expansion of the DFS landscape, online financial services is on a roll. Digital wealth is expected to grow significantly, reaching an assets under management ( AUM) of about$ 80 billion by 2030, while digital payments are anticipated to increase by 5 % from 2023 to$ 172 billion by 2024.

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US$31 billion in 2024

Malaysia to capture the AI option

The demand for AI infrastructure may increase as more businesses use it to develop, increase efficiencies, and enhance customer experiences as well as to create new concepts. Malaysia invested$ 15 billion in AI network in H1 ’24 to meet this demand. According to the report, Malaysia’s existing data center ability is 120MW, and it anticipates an increase of 5X over the next few years.

e-ConomySEA 2024 report: Malaysia’s digital economy to hit US$31 billion in 2024 Meanwhile, Farhan Qureshi ( pic ), country director for Google Malaysia said:” We have been seeing a consistent strong growth of Malaysia’s digital economy and this year is another strong testament of the potential of Malaysia’s digital economy. With the region’s focus on AI, it’s encouraging to see the country’s leaders are putting AI and semiconductors in the country’s priority list”.

Click here to download the report.

MediSun Energy raises US.75 mil seed round with Vynn Capital

MediSun Energy raises US$8.75 mil seed round with Vynn Capital

By: Mary Blight

On: November 25, 2024

In: Technology

MENA development and advancement of ionic energy innovation are the goals of Ambassador.
Tech&nbsp, can become critical for industries&nbsp, that require creativity in power management

A Singapore-based company with a focus on advanced osmotic ( blue ) energy technology, MediSun Energy Pte Ltd, has successfully secured US$ 8.75 million ( RM$ 39.1 ) in funding and established a strategic partnership with Southeast Asian venture capital firm Vynn Capital Sdn Bhd. The funding consists of US$ 5 million ( RM22.34 million ) in venture debt and US$ 3.75 million in equity financing, bringing the company’s valuation to US$ 44 million.

]RM1 = US$ 0.224]

The parties stated in a joint statement that this was one of the major investments made by the Mobility and Supply Chain fund of Vynn Capital, which was supported by some institutional investors in Malaysia and other local limited partners.

The money round, led by Vynn Capital, attracted many new buyers, including MOAJ Holding, a leading Royal investment firm, Frank Phuan, TNB Aura, a Singapore-based venture capital firm participating through its Scout Initiative, and Ciri Ventures, a weather tech-focused venture capital firm. In addition, MOAJ Holding has also pledged to fund a native joint venture by putting up up to US$ 30 million into Medisun’s Saudi Arabia company.

The collaboration aims to strengthen MediSun’s research and development capabilities and expand its development into the MENA area. One facility will be set up for load generation, the other for load production, according to MediSun.

Dusun Kim, Founder &amp, CEO of MediSun, stated:” At MediSun, we are dedicated to making the world green and better. Our zero-brine technology not only produces fresh, clean energy, but also benefits from a more lasting future. We will be able to expand our businesses and introduce our creative alternatives to new markets thanks to our new collaboration with Vynn Capital. We are committed to utilizing this opportunity to advance our goal of addressing the most pressing economic issues.

Victor Chua, Founding &amp, Managing Partner of Vynn Capital, added:” MediSun’s options are essential in solving water supply chain and lack concerns while achieving net-zero coal goals by reducing energy consumption. Over the medium word, we believe such systems can also be critical for various industries, such as freedom and business sectors, that require creativity in energy management. This is especially important given the tale that Southeast Asia and Malaysia play a bigger part in the renewable energy sector.

In addition to supporting MediSun’s development, Vynn Capital is constantly exploring different options and companies in important areas such as Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. This agreement places both businesses at the forefront of innovation and sustainability in the region because Southeast Asia’s liquid systems market is anticipated to grow significantly.

Israel sees profit in Thai food nous

By: Barkar Nash

On: November 24, 2024

In: South-East Asia

PUBLISHED: 25 Nov 2024 at 06: 31

Israeli ambassador to Bangkok Orna Sagiv — Orna Sagiv, the Jewish ambassador to Bangkok,

According to Israeli Ambassador Orna Sagiv, Jewish food technology may support Thailand’s agricultural sector and up can advance global food security.

During the” Savor the Future of Food: Satisfy Your Hunger with Israel’s Innovation” event in Bangkok last year, Ms Sagiv emphasised Thailand’s status as the “kitchen of the world”, saying the country has been playing a major role in producing and supplying food for the global community.

She argued that Thailand’s robust agricultural sector will be vital to addressing the nation’s food crisis.

She said that Israel’s cutting-edge agricultural technologies and agricultural innovations did aid Thailand in expanding its own agricultural and food businesses.

She believes that Thailand and Israel could work together on food systems in a win-win condition.

Ms. Sagiv argued that Israel views Thailand as a gateway to Southeast Asia and the place in general.

This year has seen growing common interest between big Thai firms and Israeli companies, particularly in food technology projects, seeking answers for tomorrow, she said.

Jewish companies have little access to larger markets, but they do have limited access to them thanks to the development of their business management capabilities.

The Thai company food producers, on the other hand, have the knowledge, resources, and ability to market Jewish goods in Southeast Asian markets.

” The teamwork will make a solution, not only for two places but for the world in terms of food surveillance”, she said.

Trump squeeze coming for vulnerably sandwiched South Korea – Asia Times

By: Bolen C

On: November 22, 2024

In: Asia

The Bank of Korea is often at the center of global financial discussion.

Despite Governor Rhee Chang-yong’s leadership, the team’s focus is on the US and Chinese economies’ respected markets and their respective markets, which are the two biggest imponderables for 2025.

Of program, Donald Trump’s returning to the White House ensures these two giants may meet, maybe creating a second unknown: a massive trade conflict the likes of which the globe has never seen before.

Rhee’s BOK is already on the spot thanks to local factors in Beijing and Washington, but both are already doing so. The chances of a US Federal Reserve rate cut at its policy meeting on November 28 are fluctuating, and they are decreasing day by day.

In any case, signs that US jobs growth may be slowing and that China’s home issue is continuing to cause depreciation support the case for a Fed easing walk.

Asian prices, meanwhile, is holding well below the BOK’s 2 % destination. According to the Korea Development Institute, a state-run think tank, “it appears that easing of monetary legislation through interest rate increases has been successful in reducing high prices since 2022.”

Yet Rhee’s selection is complicated by developments at home, especially near-record home loan amounts.

According to Ashok Bhundia, an analyst at the Institute of International Finance,” the central bank is in a difficult position where domestic demand is slower and inflation is below goal.” However, the decision is influenced by concerns about economic balance caused by high household leverage.

Bhundia’s bottom line is that “delaying the second level reduce will allow more time for evaluating the approaching US administration’s policy agenda and its possible impact on global trade, which had affect&nbsp, Korea’s growth and inflation outlook for 2025”.

As Trump 2.0 launches a 60 or more taxes on China, that plan may have a significant impact. And as Trump’s group slaps 20 % cover, across-the-board taxes on all products worldwide.

Trump’s government picks — including Robert&nbsp, Lighthizer, past and possible future business king — are mulling moves to degrade the dollar. This could be accomplished unilaterally by using aggressive currency market intervention or another” Plaza Accord” maneuver.

The dollar-yen pact that was used in this case was referenced in 1985. The top industrialized nations worked together to create it at Trump’s former hotel, the Plaza Hotel. Trump also wants to reduce the Federal Reserve’s independence, giving his White House influence over interest rate decisions. &nbsp,

Trump claimed in August that the Federal Reserve had “kind of gotten it wrong” in a number of ways. He continued,” I believe the president should have at least had a say, yeah. I feel that strongly. I think that, in my case, I made a lot of money. I was very successful. And I believe I have a better sense of instinct than those who would frequently serve as the chairman of the Federal Reserve.

More than a Group of Seven central bank, this is more typical of China.

Trump has previously mentioned avoiding paying the government’s debt. In 2016, while running for president the first time, Trump said this about US government debt:” I would borrow, knowing that if the economy crashed, you could make a deal. And if the economy was good, it was good. So therefore, you ca n’t lose”.

Remember that Trump filed for bankruptcy six times as a businessman. In light of trade tensions, the Trump 1.0 White House considered robbing Beijing of its debt. It is obvious why a financial earthquake of historical magnitude could result from the US national debt being twice the size of the Chinese GDP.

China, meantime, is juggling dueling crises in property, local government finances, high youth unemployment, rising in-person protests and weak retail sales. With all of this, Beijing now has a mix of both fiscal and monetary stimulus.

It’s a concern, though, that” China’s response to deflationary challenges remains cautious”, says Jonathan Garner, an equity strategist at Morgan Stanley. Even before Trump arrives, this will restore enormous trade conflicts.

How Rhee balances Korea’s current challenges with what’s to come in 2025 — whatever that might be — is an open question. And one that goes beyond the BOK headquarters ‘ decisions in Seoul.

Korea’s sizable, open and trade-reliant economy often serves as a weathervane for global inflection points. That’s why Korea’s” sandwiched” reality these days is raising more than a few red flags.

This predicament was arguably coined in 2007 by then-Samsung Group head Lee Kun-hee. At the time, Lee described Asia’s fourth-biggest economy as sandwiched between wealthy Japan and low-cost China.

Now, though, Korea is caught in the middle of something of a quadruple-decker sandwich. It’s squeezed between a Japan that’s raising rates, a China that’s slowing and an imminent” Trump trade” causing extreme dollar volatility.

Economists who are considering policy options concur that a case could be made for the BOK to ease next week but also that it should wait until January.

Recent Korean data, according to Capital Economics economist Shivaan Tandon, “was somewhat encouraging because it suggested that the worst is probably over for domestic demand.”

Others are less sanguine. Dave Chia, an economist at Moody’s Analytics, thinks soft third-quarter GDP results are” concerning and could lead to South Korea missing the BOK’s 2024 GDP growth target of 2.4 %”.

Seoul, though, must accelerate moves to batten down the hatches as the Trump vs Xi brawl begins. Korea Inc. will suffer significant collateral damage, despite China’s immediate immediate target.

A blanket global US tariff of 20 % would be disastrous for Korea, which generates 40 % of gross domestic product ( GDP ) via exports. Then there’s how the Trump revenge tour might imperil key Korean industries, not least autos.

Trump has threatened 100 % taxes on all Mexican-made vehicles. If Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol does n’t agree to big trade concessions, Trump might widen those levies to include Korean vehicles. Japanese autos, too.

In an effort to maintain the peace, Korea Inc. might try to placate Trump in the same way Japan did in 2017.

” If tariffs get raised, the first alternative firms can consider will be raising direct investment and on-site production”, Korean Trade Minister Cheong In-kyo tells Reuters. ” There are ongoing investments already, and there is a possibility that investment could accelerate, followed by an increase in US-bound exports by small and medium-sized parts manufacturers”.

Cheong emphasized that Seoul would increase efforts to foster trade diplomacy. ” We can only respond to the new administration’s policy”, Cheong noted. ” Nevertheless, we will make efforts for trade to remain smooth, with not only the United States but also China”.

In 2023, Korea’s trade surplus with Washington hit a record$ 44.4 billion, Seoul’s biggest imbalance anywhere. That’s unlikely to go unnoticed in Trump World.

With his approval rating&nbsp, around 20 % &nbsp, at the halfway point of his five-year term, it’s not clear how much latitude Yoon has to cave in to Trump’s demands for trade concessions.

And what if, as many believe, Trump’s real goal with tariffs is to force China into a “grand bargain” trade deal? On the one hand, if Korea can avoid the financial havoc that will come with a new trade war, that could be good for the country. A US-China deal might, on the other hand, leave Korea with no one to watch out for.

Politically, being left out of a US-China deal could be just as bad for Yoon’s support rate as the economic hit from Trump’s tariffs.

Then there are the ways China might retaliate, including driving the yuan lower. Apple, Walmart, and other important US companies could always be subject to a manufacturing tax from Xi.

Beijing could also dump&nbsp, large blocks &nbsp, of its$ 770 billion of US Treasury securities. Yes, China would be reborn as a result of the US debt yield surge. However, Xi might speculate that as Washington’s borrowing costs soar as the dollar falls, the US would lose more.

Korea— and the Kospi stock index — would be in the crossfire more than most export-driven economies. These dangers and other factors contribute to Rhee’s BOK staff’s potential dread of 2025. Yoon’s administration, too, as its lack of urgency in implementing vital reforms comes back to haunt it.

Unfortunately, Yoon is but the latest Korean leader to win power pledging a supply-side Big Bang only to fall short. &nbsp,

Over the last 15-plus years, Korean government after government got sidetracked by political squabbling and short-term concerns. Leader after leader turned to the BOK to repair economic flaws rather than rebalancing growth engines to increase competition and productivity.

If only Yoon’s predecessor Moon Jae-in had put some notable wins on the scoreboard to rein in the family-owned conglomerates, or chaebols, towering over the economy. Moon talked a great game of pivoting toward” trickle-up economics”, but achieved little.

The same went for Park Geun-hye, president from 2013 to 2017. Korea’s first female leader promised to build a more” creative economy” and reduce the economic power of chaebols.

She made a promise to make room for startups to start generating their own economic energy instead of going the way of the top. Park, too, achieved little.

Before her, Lee Myung-bak, president from 2008 to 2013, had his own bold plan to generate 7 % growth and make Korea one of the&nbsp, seven largest economies&nbsp, via disruptive reforms. It was all talk.

Korea ca n’t bring bold policies to level playing fields, boost productivity, empower women, and inspire young entrepreneurs to take bold risks in the last 15 years.

Despite all the excitement surrounding Korea’s startup scene, the chaebol-heavy business climate provides only limited economic support for businesses to grow.

Korea is currently dealing with an issue with its economy’s speed at the same time. China, for all its troubles, has been speeding up Asia’s economic clock — and increasingly so.

China continues to invest big in dominating the future of semiconductors, electric vehicles, aerospace, renewable energy, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, robotics and green infrastructure. &nbsp,

As China’s production capabilities increase, Korea is having a harder and harder time keeping pace with the region’s top export power and revamping its policy mix accordingly.

It’s not saying or articulating a precise plan for the moment if the Yoon administration understands this challenge.

Why Japan Inc. has such a difficult time adapting to rapidly changing global dynamics is if we overlook the fact that things are moving more quickly outside of its walls. Korea must do a better&nbsp, job keeping an eye on the time.

Seoul wo n’t waste a second when Trump and China are scheduled to invade Asia in two months.

Follow William Pesek on X at @WilliamPesek