Signal Korean firms see US and Chinese rivals pulling ahead in main industries by 2030

Summary

The plan warns that threats to the global competitiveness of Korea's main industries are becoming visible. It attributes them to innovation by US big tech and to the upgrading and self-reliance of Chinese manufacturing. A survey by the Federation of Korean Industries in November 2025 asked how competitive main industries in other countries are compared with Korean companies. In 2025 the scores were 107.2 percent for the United States, 102.2 percent for China and 93.5 percent for Japan. For 2030 the expected scores rise to 112.9 percent for the United States, 112.3 percent for China and 95 percent for Japan, pointing to a widening gap with the two leaders.