US-China Tariff Clash... Could South Korea-US Follow? [3-Min Brief]

① South Korea's foreign exchange reserves fell to $411 billion last month
② Bank of Korea analyzes correlation between experienced hires and youth employment
③ Why it is difficult for South Korea to impose retaliatory tariffs on the US like China

MARKET INDEX

○ Nvidia rebounds with a surge of over 5%
○ Alphabet's poor earnings overshadow concerns over retaliation by Chinese big tech
○ Mixed employment indicators... Focus on the employment report on the 7th

TOP 3 NEWS

■ South Korea's foreign exchange reserves last month at $411 billion... Lowest in 4 and a half years

○ End of quarter-end effects and foreign exchange authorities' defense of the exchange rate
○ Psychological threshold of $400 billion maintained
○ Volatility in KRW-USD exchange rate due to uncertainty over Trump administration's tariff policies

■ Narrowing job opportunities for people in their 20s... "Polarization deepens with experienced hires, lifetime income down 13%"

○ Bank of Korea analyzes correlation between experienced hires and youth employment
○ "17 percentage point gap in employment rates of regular workers aged 20-30, 40% due to experienced hires"
○ "Young adults just starting their careers become vulnerable to employment as corporate hiring practices change"

■ China imposes retaliatory tariffs on the US... Three reasons why South Korea finds it difficult to respond

○ South Korea finds it difficult to impose retaliatory tariffs on the US like China
○ High external dependence... US is an indispensable market
○ US holds core technologies for South Korea's main export products

Graphic News: Additional 300 billion KRW raised for regional revitalization investment fund

○ Regional revitalization investment fund launched last year for the first time
○ 81.5% of the 300 billion KRW fund consumed within one year
○ Additional fund raised to meet local government demand

Money-Making Law

■ Consolation money given after drinking and assault... Must be excluded from divorce alimony

○ Husband paid 100 million KRW... Considered in alimony judgment
○ Court: "Consolation money corresponds to predetermined compensation amount"
○ Alimony claims cannot exceed this amount
☞Read article: https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/lawtimes/2025020513493688371

■ Law firms' trade and tax teams flooded with consultations as Trump’s tariff war opens fire

○ Trump intensifies trade war with tariff imposition
○ 201 Korean large companies expand into Mexico and Canada
○ Law firms expand international tax and trade response teams
☞Read article: https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/lawtimes/2025020514001461118

■ “Parking fees are the customer's responsibility...” Controversy over Socar

○ Customers bear full cost for under one hour
○ Socar explains "Related matters notified in advance"
○ Experts say "May be legally invalid"
☞Read article: https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/lawtimes/2025020514312380415

※ 'Money-Making Law,' a content partnership corner between Asia Economy and Law Times, is published every Tuesday and Thursday.

Today's Key Schedule

○ Domestic

6th KOSDAQ Dongguk Life Science subscription public offering price 9,000 KRW

○Overseas

00:00 US ISM Non-Manufacturing Employment Index (January)

00:30 US Crude Oil Inventories

03:00 US Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's GDPNow (Q1)

16:00 Germany Factory Orders (MoM) (December)

◇ Lunch & Commute Weather

○ Lowest temperature -12℃(0℃) ｜ Highest temperature: 0℃(▲5℃)
○ Precipitation probability 10% in the morning｜60% in the afternoon
○ Fine dust Good in the morning｜Moderate in the afternoon

OK in 3 minutes, essential time-efficient economic news. Published daily at 8 AM.