President Lee Holds Second Summit with Xi Jinping... Discusses Ways to Expand Economic Cooperation [3-Minute Brief]

[At a Glance]
① President Lee holds summit with President Xi Jinping
② Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen warns Trump: "Fiscal dominance increases risks of inflation and financial instability"
③ "Korean economy seeks rebound to around 2% this year... Exchange rate and real estate market are key variables"

MARKET INDEX

○All three major U.S. stock indices closed higher... Dow hits record high despite Venezuelan airstrikes

○Energy stocks surge on expectations of Venezuelan oil infrastructure reconstruction

○Safe-haven assets such as gold and government bonds rise together

TOP 3 NEWS

■President Lee meets with Xi Jinping for 90 minutes: "Let's open a new chapter in Korea-China relations"... Discusses economic cooperation and peace on the Korean Peninsula

○First face-to-face meeting in two months since APEC in Gyeongju
○90-minute Korea-China summit... 30 minutes longer than scheduled
○Signing ceremony for 15 MOUs... China donates a pair of 'stone lion statues' as cultural relics

■ Yellen's warning: "Trump's 'fiscal dominance' increases risks of inflation and financial instability" [ASSA 2026]

○Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association (ASSA) 2026
○Former Treasury Secretary Yellen expresses concerns over central bank independence
○"The Fed is not a funding tool for fiscal authorities"

■ "Barely at potential growth rate"... Key variables for the Korean economy in the Year of the Fire Horse [2026 Economic & Financial Outlook Focus] ①

○Seeking a rebound to around 2% growth after a period of ultra-low growth
○Driven by improved private consumption, domestic demand recovery, strong AI industry, and base effect
○Concerns over a strong dollar persist... Average annual exchange rate expected to remain around 1,400 won this year

Graphic News: "Phew~ I wasn't laid off at a major company, but I'm moving to a different team instead" [The AI Era: Changing Jobs]

○Survey of the top 100 companies on 'organizational changes after AI adoption'

○38% of large companies say "AI adoption led to workforce reassignment, not layoffs"

○Only 9.5% of companies responded that "they plan to reduce staff"

Money-Making Law

■ "ACP needed in patent law as well"

○Related amendment pending in the National Assembly
○Patent attorneys request changes, Ministry of Justice remains cautious
○Attention on the status of the patent law amendment proposal
☞Read the article:  https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/lawtimes/2026010514150995445

■ Lawsuit begins over 96.3 billion won collusion among the three telecom companies

○KT's first hearing on the cancellation lawsuit on January 15
○"Difficult to establish agreement on number portability"
○Fair Trade Commission's administrative lawsuit in full swing
☞Read the article:  https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/lawtimes/2026010514162317143

■" Real estate agents must check and notify rights of other units in multi-family housing with joint mortgages"

○When a joint mortgage is set on multi-family housing, real estate agents are obligated to check and explain the rights relationships
○First Supreme Court ruling on the duty to check and explain by real estate agents
○Supreme Court: "Possibility of other tenants with joint mortgages... Actual explanation was insufficient"
☞Read the article:  https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/lawtimes/2026010514193875884

* 'Money-Making Law', a content partnership section between The Asia Business Daily and Law Times, is published every Tuesday and Thursday.

Key Schedule Today

○Domestic

○International

00:00 U.S. ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (December)

02:00 U.S. Atlanta Fed GDPNow (Q4)

05:30 U.S. CFTC S&P 500 speculative net positions

05:30 U.S. CFTC Nasdaq 100 speculative net positions

05:30 U.S. CFTC gold speculative net positions

17:55 Germany Services Purchasing Managers' Index (December)

18:00 Europe Services Purchasing Managers' Index (December)

◇ Lunchtime & evening commute weather

○Lowest temperature: -6℃ (▼2℃) ｜Highest temperature: 4℃ (▼2℃)
○Chance of precipitation: 10% in the morning ｜ 30% in the afternoon
○Fine dust: Good in the morning ｜ Good in the afternoon

3 minutes is all you need-essential, cost-effective economic news. Published daily at 8 a.m.