Trend Great-power rivalry and protectionism push the world toward a multipolar, bloc-based order

Summary

KISTEP expects the rivalry between the United States and China to persist and to keep shaping the global order. As the leadership of the countries that once steered the international system weakens, power is projected to spread across more poles, including emerging economies. Tariff-led protectionism is intensifying alongside disruptions to global supply chains and sharper conflicts between states. World politics and trade are regrouping around geopolitical blocs defined by shared interests, which the report expects to widen uncertainty further. For Korea this means planning science and technology strategy under a more fragmented and less predictable external environment.