"South Korea, Moving Toward Dictatorship"... Where Did 'Liberal Democracy' Go? [3-Minute Brief]

[Read at a Glance]
1. South Korea rated as 'authoritarian' for two consecutive years in international assessment
2. OECD releases 'Interim World Economic Outlook'
3. US Department of Energy report highlights incident from over a year ago

MARKET INDEX : Year to date

○ Tesla plunges over 5% as IB lowers target price
○ Big tech's slump halts 2-day rise and turns to decline
○ US-Russia partial ceasefire agreement in Ukraine war leads to oil price drop

Top3 NEWS

■ South Korea is not a liberal democracy... Rated 'authoritarian' for 2 consecutive years

○ Annual report by Swedish Democracy Diversity Institute
○ Downgraded from liberal democracy to electoral democracy
○ "South Korea is experiencing increased repression of political opposition"

■ OECD lowers South Korea's economic growth forecast from 2.1% to 1.5%

○ Third largest drop after Mexico and Canada
○ Other institutions also lower South Korea's growth outlook one after another
○ Expansion of trade barriers and increased policy uncertainty

■ US nuclear reactor design leak attempt to South Korea detected... Did it trigger 'sensitive country' designation?

○ Employee of affiliated research institute attempted to export export control information to South Korea
○ Identified as one of several violation cases
○ Government to negotiate withdrawal with US before enforcement on the 15th of next month

Graphic News: "Domestic banks' excessive loan loss provisions... hindering growth"

○ Domestic banks' loan loss provision ratios are excessively high
○ Cited as a factor restricting growth
○ Need to lower loan loss provision ratios and increase investment in risk assets

the Chart: Big tech rushing before contract expiration... Sapien Semiconductor, AR glasses driving full-scale growth

○ Stock price up 44.7% this year
○ US big tech requests contract size to double
○ AR glasses core technology expected to grow twofold annually

Today's Key Schedule

○ Domestic

○ Overseas

02:00 US 20-year bond auction

08:50 Japan export value (YoY) (February)

12:00 Japan interest rate decision

19:00 Europe consumer price index (YoY) (February)

22:30 US crude oil inventory

◇ Lunch & Commute Weather

○ Lowest temperature -2℃(▼2℃) ｜ Highest temperature: 7℃(0℃)
○ Precipitation probability morning 0%｜afternoon 0%
○ Fine dust morning moderate｜afternoon moderate

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