### Panama’s Decision to Withdraw from China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Background Summary

Panama's Declaration of Withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino has officially announced the country's withdrawal from China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This move, by the first Latin American country to join the BRI in 2017, is interpreted as a re-evaluation of Panama's economic cooperation with China.

U.S. Pressure and Panama's Position

The United States has long been checking China's expanding influence in Latin America, and former President Donald Trump also expressed strong concerns about China's influence surrounding the Panama Canal.

U.S. Intervention: Panama's decision was announced shortly after a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, leading to analyses suggesting that U.S. diplomatic pressure may have played a role.
President Mulino's Claim: However, President Mulino emphasized that the decision was independent and based on Panama's economic interests, not due to U.S. pressure.

Conflict Surrounding the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a key hub for global maritime logistics and holds strategic importance for both the United States and China.

Operation by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings: CK Hutchison Holdings, a Hong Kong-based company, operates two of Panama's five ports. The Panamanian government is conducting an audit to investigate potential contract violations.
U.S. Opposition: Former President Trump strongly criticized China's involvement, claiming that China was operating the Panama Canal and even suggesting potential military intervention.

China's Reaction and Response

China expressed strong regret over the Panamanian government's decision and conveyed a message to exclude external interference and make the right decisions.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Reaction: A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated, "We firmly oppose any external country undermining and interfering in Panama-China relations," in an official statement.
Chinese Ambassador to the UN: China refuted the U.S.'s claim that "China operates the Panama Canal" as a baseless lie and emphasized that it would continue global cooperation.

Future Prospects

It remains uncertain how Panama's decision to withdraw will affect other countries in Latin America. However, the power competition between the United States and China is likely to continue in the Latin American region, and tensions surrounding the Panama Canal are expected to persist.

U.S. vs. China: The Future of the Belt and Road Initiative | 🔗 https://nextgeninsight.net/?s=%EC%9D%BC%EB%8C%80%EC%9D%BC%EB%A1%9C
Panama Canal, a Strategic Stronghold for Global Maritime Logistics | 🔗 https://nextgeninsight.net/?s=%ED%8C%8C%EB%82%98%EB%A7%88

*Source : [MTN 머니투데이방송] [여의도튜브] "파나마, 中에 통보했다!" 시진핑 청천벽력 '분노' / 머니투데이방송

AI Era and Entrepreneurship: How to Survive in Future Industries

The Advancement of AI and the Crisis of Knowledge Workers

The rapid advancement of AI technology is akin to being in the midst of an industrial revolution. Just as the advent of the power loom caused countless workers to lose their jobs in the past, today's knowledge workers are also facing threats to their existing jobs due to the advancement of artificial intelligence.

Accordingly, the question "How should we live in this era?" is essential. As AI-based industrial paradigms completely transform, individuals or companies that fail to adapt will inevitably fall behind.

Entrepreneurial Experience of CEO Roh Jung-seok

The Beginning of Entrepreneurship and Silicon Valley Experience

CEO Roh Jung-seok is an entrepreneur who has experienced both IPOs and M&As while founding various IT companies. Examples include:

First company: Successful IPO
Second company: Failure
Third company: M&A with Google
Fourth company (Five Rocks): Almost failed but successfully exited
Fifth company: Co-founder lawsuit in progress
Sixth company: Currently operating

The most memorable company is Five Rocks, where he says that overcoming a crisis with only two months of runway left and reviving the company was his greatest lesson as an entrepreneur.

The Reason for Entrepreneurship: Why Keep Challenging?

Continuous Change and Knowledge Updates

CEO Roh Jung-seok emphasizes that it is more important to be on the battlefield himself than to simply remain an investor.

AI industry changes are rapid, and you lose your sense of things if you don't jump in directly.
Applying rapidly changing technologies in the real world through entrepreneurship is essential.

The Essence of Entrepreneurship: Problem Definition and Solution

With technological advancements, the role of the entrepreneur has evolved into defining and solving the right problems. It's not just about having good technology; the key is connecting AI with real-world industries.

AI Business Models and the Cosmetics Industry

Inspired by the Tesla Model

Just as Tesla combined the traditional automotive industry with AI technology to create new value, CEO Roh Jung-seok is attempting to innovate by incorporating AI into the cosmetics industry.

AI + Cosmetics = Personalization

The company currently operated by CEO Roh Jung-seok sells K-beauty products, and it provides a differentiated customer experience by incorporating AI technology.

Personalized skincare recommendations
AI-based color cosmetics recommendation system

This approach differentiates itself from existing cosmetics brands and demonstrates the potential for AI technology to be applied to all industries.

Fundamental Changes in the AI Era

Major Industries Where AI Will Be Applied

Media: Traditional media industries such as newspapers and broadcasting are being softwareized
Traditional Industries: AI can be applied to all industries, including construction, logistics, healthcare, and fashion
Daily Life: Robots and AI combine to replace simple labor and knowledge work

AI is evolving beyond a simple tool to replace human thought and judgment. Therefore, the need for not only companies but also individuals to understand and utilize AI technology is growing.

Startup Strategies for the AI Era

AI-based hardware and industrial innovation are more promising than simple IT services
Utilize vertical integration strategies to combine AI + specific industries
Providing AI-based personalized services is a key competitive advantage

How to Prepare for the Future

We are now in the midst of an industrial revolution, and only companies and individuals who utilize AI will survive.

① Learn and utilize AI
② Consider entrepreneurship and new business models
③ Prepare for change, keeping in mind that existing jobs will disappear

AI is not just a trend, but a core element that is restructuring the entire industrial and economic system. Therefore, preparation is needed not only at the corporate level but also at the individual level.

< Summary >

AI is innovating traditional industries and is highly likely to replace the jobs of knowledge workers.
CEO Roh Jung-seok emphasizes the importance of crisis management and AI application through various entrepreneurial experiences.
AI can create innovation in industries that seem somewhat unrelated to existing ones, such as cosmetics and fashion.
Just as Tesla revolutionized the automotive industry, all industries incorporating AI will change rapidly.
To survive in the AI era, you must learn technology and actively consider entrepreneurship or new models.

[More…]

▶ Future Changes in AI and the Industrial Revolution
🔗 https://nextgeninsight.net/?s=AI

▶ AI Trends Startup Founders Should Know
🔗 https://nextgeninsight.net/?s=%EC%8A%A4%ED%83%80%ED%8A%B8%EC%97%85

*YouTube Source: [내일은 투자왕 – 김단테]

– 새로운 산업혁명의 시작 (AI 스타트업 비팩토리 노정석 대표님)

Deepseek and the AI Hegemony Competition: Democratization of AI and Changes in the Semiconductor Economy

The Emergence of Deepseek and the AI Revolution

The emergence of Deepseek (Dippyq) in 2024 has greatly impacted the AI industry.
Unlike major AI companies such as OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, which operate AI models in a closed form, Deepseek has chosen a strategy of open-sourcing its AI models.
By disclosing detailed information about the learning methods and reward functions for reinforcement learning of AI models, it has increased accessibility for developers.

The Meaning of AI Open-Sourcing

Deepseek's approach is accelerating the democratization of AI models.
While existing companies like OpenAI and Meta have also provided some open-source resources, Deepseek differentiates itself by publishing even more detailed technical documentation.
Companies and researchers developing AI models can access them more easily, significantly lowering the barriers to entry into the AI market.

AI Hegemony Competition between the U.S. and China

As AI technology advances, the hegemony competition between the U.S. and China is intensifying.
The U.S. is attempting to maintain its technological advantage by operating closed AI models centered around NVIDIA, OpenAI, and Microsoft.
China is trying to build its own hardware-based AI ecosystem through semiconductor companies like Huawei.
In particular, the possibility of China's semiconductor resurgence is increasing as Deepseek uses Huawei's Ascend 910c chip as an inference server.

China's Economic Strategy Using AI

The Chinese government is trying to innovate its entire industry by linking AI and semiconductors.
The strategy involves actively introducing humanoid robots and AI-based automation in manufacturing to solve labor shortages.
AI and autonomous driving technologies are highly likely to spread beyond manufacturing to various industries such as services and finance.

AI Hegemony Competition and Changes in the Global Economy

Existing AI models required expensive costs and subscription fees, but Deepseek's emergence has greatly improved AI accessibility.
The gap between AI-utilizing companies and countries is narrowing, and AI technology is expected to become more popular.
As the demand for AI semiconductors increases, the semiconductor technology hegemony competition between the U.S. and China will intensify further.

Outlook for AI Popularization in 2025

After Deepseek's technology release, companies are likely to shift from developing their own AI models to utilizing open-source AI models.
As the cost of using AI services decreases, an environment is created where various startups and companies can actively utilize AI.
As China emerges as a full-fledged competitor in the AI market, the competitive landscape of the global AI market is expected to change.

< Summary >

The AI market is changing with the emergence of Deepseek (Dippyq), and the strategy of releasing AI models as open-source is accelerating AI democratization.
The AI hegemony competition between the U.S. and China is intensifying, and China is trying to develop semiconductor technology through AI inference services using Huawei chips.
Open-sourcing AI technology promotes AI popularization, making it easier for companies to access AI development.
The Chinese government plans industrial innovation using AI, autonomous driving, and humanoid robots, and is promoting an economic strategy linking semiconductor and AI technology.
The popularization of AI services is changing the AI economic paradigm, and the transition to an AI-based economic system is accelerating.

[More…]

*YouTube Source: [이효석아카데미]

– 딥시크는 한마디로 “AI 테무”, 중국이 이렇게 치고나올 수 있는 원동력은 바로 ‘이것’ㅣ강정수 박사 [풀영상]

US-ROK Alliance and Negotiation Strategy in the Trump Era

Strategic Importance of the US-ROK Alliance and Weapon Purchases

The US-ROK alliance includes strategic factors that cannot be evaluated solely on economic interests.
In particular, approaching the issue of defense cost-sharing simply as a matter of cost overlooks the value and purpose of the alliance.
South Korea maintains the US-ROK alliance in various ways, including actively purchasing US weapons, in addition to direct defense cost-sharing.
Therefore, these factors should be fully considered in defense cost-sharing negotiations.

Negotiation Strategy under the Trump Administration

The Trump administration is likely to negotiate with South Korea on various issues, including defense costs, trade deficit reduction, and maintenance of US military bases.
Although Trump has ranked South Korea behind China and Japan in terms of negotiation partners, negotiations are inevitable given its strategically important status.
A strategy is needed to strengthen the US-ROK relationship while gaining an advantage in negotiations.

Trump's Demands and South Korea's Response

Demand for Increased Defense Cost-Sharing
- The Trump administration has continuously sought to significantly increase South Korea's share.
- However, it is necessary to emphasize that South Korea is already contributing through substantial arms purchases.
- Just as Trump argued that NATO countries should bear 2% of GDP in defense spending, South Korea's contribution should also be reevaluated.
Trade Deficit Reduction Strategy
- The United States may pressure South Korea with tariff increases, citing the trade deficit.
- However, South Korea can respond by expanding job creation and investment in the United States.
- This approach can be an important card in negotiations with the United States.
US Troop Redeployment and Strengthening the Collective Defense System

The United States is strategically readjusting the deployment of US troops in Europe and is likely to show the same pattern in Asia.
South Korea must use defense cost negotiations as leverage to cooperate with the United States while avoiding excessive burdens.

Trump's Second Term and Changes in the US-ROK Alliance

Unlike Trump's first term, a rougher and stronger negotiation strategy is expected in Trump's second term.
In particular, negotiations centered on economic pressure rather than military intervention are likely to be the main approach.
Trump will develop policies that strengthen economic control instead of war, requiring a response strategy focused on economic negotiations.

Utilizing US-North Korea Relations
- Trump will seek to make negotiations with North Korea a significant US diplomatic achievement regarding the Korean Peninsula issue.
- South Korea needs to use this as leverage to ease excessive US demands for defense cost burdens and secure more favorable terms.
Checking China and South Korea's Position
- The United States will seek to strengthen alliances in the Asian region to block China's influence.
- South Korea should use this situation to maintain economic and defense cooperation with the United States while developing a strategy to avoid unfavorable terms.
US Troop Presence and the Issue of Security Guarantee on the Korean Peninsula

As Trump may use the threat of US troop withdrawal as a means of leverage, South Korea must prepare alternatives.
It is necessary to strongly appeal to the necessity of the US troop presence by emphasizing arms purchases and strategic contributions.

The Connection between US Weapon Purchases and Defense Cost Negotiations

The United States not only approaches defense cost negotiations as a simple increase in costs but also links them to arms sales.
In particular, South Korea is a major buyer of US weapons, making a significant economic contribution.
Therefore, in defense cost negotiations, it should be emphasized that South Korea's weapon purchases play an important role in terms of alliance contribution.

Impact of US Weapon Purchases on the US-ROK Alliance
- South Korea purchases major US weapon systems such as the F-35, which is one of the factors contributing to maintaining the alliance.
- A more reasonable negotiation strategy than simply demanding an increase in defense costs is to contribute through weapon purchases and investment in the US defense industry.
US Weapon Export Strategy and South Korea's Status
- The United States exports approximately $180 billion worth of weapons annually and makes significant sales to its allies.
- South Korea is one of the major markets, so this should be actively used in negotiations.

US Global Military Restructuring during Trump's Administration

Although Trump has hinted at reducing NATO's role, this is likely just a negotiation strategy.
He is adjusting policies by pressuring NATO member states to increase defense spending, and this is likely to be applied equally in Asia.
As the US strategic focus shifts from the Middle East to Asia, South Korea must set policies to secure a new strategic advantage.

US Strategy of Passing on Defense Cost Burdens

Increased Demand for Contributions to NATO
- As European countries expand their defense budgets, NATO's defense cost-sharing is also increasing.
- This suggests that the United States may apply the same strategy in Asia.
Measures to Pass on Military Costs within Asia
- It is highly likely that countries such as South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan will be required to bear more defense costs.
- This will be an important factor in determining the future strategy of the US-ROK alliance.

Conclusion

US-ROK negotiations under the Trump administration require a strategic and multi-layered approach beyond simple cost issues.
A comprehensive strategy must be developed, considering various factors such as defense cost negotiations, trade issues, US-North Korea relations, and China's containment.
As the United States changes its military strategy in Asia, South Korea must effectively utilize this to avoid being placed in an unfavorable position in negotiations.

< Summary >

The US-ROK alliance includes strategic and economic factors, and weapon purchases play an important role in the US-ROK relationship.
The Trump administration will use issues such as increased defense cost-sharing and trade deficit reduction as negotiation cards.
It is necessary to gain an advantage in negotiations through methods such as weapon purchases and increased investment in the United States.
Stronger negotiations are expected in Trump's second term, and there is an opportunity to utilize the North Korea issue and China's containment strategy.
The US weapon export strategy and South Korea's purchasing power should be actively used in negotiations.