Kevin Min

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

AMD CEO Lisa Su visited South Korea, meeting Samsung and Naver to expand AI chip and data center partnerships. Samsung will supply next-gen HBM4 memory for AMD. The visit, during NVIDIA’s GTC, highlights intensifying AI chip competition and Korea’s growing supply chain role.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

The U.S., once seen as a model of democracy, dropped 24 places to 51st and is now viewed as no longer a full liberal democracy, in accordance to V-Dem Report. More than 4,000 experts around the world assess the level of democracy in each country using over 600 indicators.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

President Donald Trump said any deal with Iran would require “unconditional surrender.” In a Truth Social post, he claimed that if Iran accepts and forms new leadership, he would help make Iran’s economy stronger than ever.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

Ahead of a third round of nuclear talks in Geneva, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on over 30 vessels, individuals, and entities tied to Iran’s oil “shadow fleet” and weapons networks, aiming to disrupt funding for Tehran’s missile, drone, and nuclear programs.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

South Korea’s tech level is 82.8% of the U.S., trailing China (86.8%) as the gap widens. China now leads in batteries; Korea lags in aerospace, quantum, and AI. Experts warn faster tech cycles make securing strategic technologies crucial for national security and competitiveness.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

Trump raised a new “global tariff” from 10% to 15% a day after the Supreme Court ruled reciprocal tariffs illegal. He vowed to find legal workarounds, but GOP divisions, inflation concerns, and likely lawsuits threaten the plan.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

Iran and Russia held joint naval drills near the Strait of Hormuz, seen as a show of force toward the U.S. Iran warned U.S. bases could be “legitimate targets,” raised tensions with Israel on alert, and pushed oil prices to a six-month high as risks to key energy routes grew.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” illegal, saying IEEPA doesn’t authorize tariffs. The decision voids the legal basis for the policy, delivers a political blow, and creates uncertainty for countries that made trade deals tied to tariff cuts.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT will pursue fusion superconducting technology by 2035, build a world-class 16T test facility by 2028, launch joint research with CERN, and invest in high-temperature superconductors for compact fusion reactors.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

Trump announced the launch of a $550B U.S.–Japan trade deal, starting with investments in Texas oil & gas, Ohio power, and Georgia critical minerals. He credited tariffs for making it possible and warned South Korea of 25% tariffs over legislative delays.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

Korean Level-4 autonomous cars face limits because privacy laws blur pedestrian data, reducing AI accuracy. China advances faster using unrestricted facial data. Korea is considering AI regulatory exemptions to allow original data use with strict security safeguards.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

Korean researchers developed an electro-thermal stamping process that creates nanoscale semiconductor films in seconds without costly vacuum equipment. By briefly heating Teflon-based carbon paper with electricity, nano films can be transferred precisely in a simple, single-step.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

33.67M people affected in a Coupang Inc data breach—over 7,000× more than first reported. A former Chinese developer (suspect) stole signing keys to automate massive unauthorized access. Logs were deleted, late reporting fined, and govt ordered fixes with audits by July.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

Jensen Huang predicts rising semiconductor use in robots. Of 14 showcased robots, 6 were Chinese—built 10x faster at 1/5 the cost. Korean firms are focusing on high-precision robot hands: one startup’s hand has 15 degrees of freedom, a potential edge in humanoid robotics.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

Trump unveiled a 42-page Maritime Action Plan to revive U.S. shipbuilding, pledging cooperation with S. Korea and Japan. It cites $150B in investment and proposes a “bridge strategy” allowing foreign shipbuilders to build some ships abroad before shifting production to the U.S.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

Ahead of an April U.S.–China summit, the U.S. reportedly paused major tech security actions against China, including bans on China Telecom, TP-Link routers, and Chinese equipment. The move aims to avoid tensions after a trade truce, but sanctions could return if relations worsen.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

U.S. told European leaders it won’t make major troop cuts in Europe. Combat forces and equipment will stay, but about 200 rotational personnel won’t be replaced. The plan may be discussed at a NATO meeting. About 85,000 U.S. troops remain stationed in Europe.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

Vatican Bank launched two Catholic-principles stock indices with Morningstar: one for the U.S. and one for the Eurozone. Each tracks 50 mid- to large-cap stocks, including tech and finance leaders like Meta and Amazon in the U.S., and ASML and Deutsche Telekom in Europe.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

NVIDIA unveiled its next-gen AI chip “Vera Rubin,” powered by HBM4, boosting inference 5× and training 3.5×. Samsung and SK Hynix are ramping mass production, while Micron may fall behind. With AI demand rising, the HBM market is shaping into a two-horse race.

[Kevin Min @RealKevinMin]

SK Telecom runs subscription GPU data centers powered by NVIDIA, but rising power costs are driving a shift to NPUs. Korea’s startups like FuriosaAI are building low-power, inference-focused AI chips, gaining global deals and government support to challenge GPU dominance.