{"id":74493,"date":"2026-11-11T01:38:19","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T05:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/asia-pacific-markets-and-security-asx-gains-as-japan-and-south-korea-bolster-tech-and-defense\/74493\/"},"modified":"2026-11-11T01:38:19","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T05:38:19","slug":"asia-pacific-markets-and-security-asx-gains-as-japan-and-south-korea-bolster-tech-and-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/asia-pacific-markets-and-security-asx-gains-as-japan-and-south-korea-bolster-tech-and-defense\/74493\/","title":{"rendered":"Asia-Pacific Markets and Security: ASX Gains as Japan and South Korea Bolster Tech and Defense"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Australia&#39;s S&amp;P\/ASX 200 (<a href=\"\/stock\/XJO\">XJO<\/a>) rose 0.3% to close at 9,153.20 points<\/strong>, buoyed by gains in the financial and technology sectors despite a weak lead from Wall Street.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Japan is set to codify &quot;denial capabilities&quot;<\/strong> in its revised National Defense Strategy, aiming to deepen military cooperation with the U.S. to deter regional aggression.<\/li>\n<li><strong>South Korea climbed to 10th place<\/strong> in the 2026 World Digital and AI Competitiveness Ranking, significantly outpacing Japan, which currently sits at <strong>19th<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>IHI Corporation (<a href=\"\/stock\/7013\">7013<\/a>)<\/strong> announced plans to establish a small-satellite manufacturing facility in Japan by <strong>FY2029<\/strong> to bolster sovereign Earth-observation capabilities.<\/li>\n<li><strong>South Korean diplomats called for a global cybersecurity overhaul<\/strong>, warning that AI-driven crypto thefts now pose a fundamental threat to international security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Market Performance and Corporate Developments<\/h2>\n<p>The Australian benchmark <strong>S&amp;P\/ASX 200 (<a href=\"\/stock\/XJO\">XJO<\/a>)<\/strong> finished the Wednesday session up <strong>0.3% at 9,153.20 points<\/strong>. The gains were primarily driven by a rotation into major banks and a <strong>10.02% weekly surge<\/strong> in the information technology sector. Investors remained resilient even as commodities like <strong>WTI <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/energy\/crude-oil\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"12\" title=\"Crude oil\">crude oil<\/a><\/strong> eased to <strong>$86.30 a barrel<\/strong> and <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">gold<\/a> futures tumbled nearly <strong>1.85%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In the industrial sector, <strong>IHI Corporation (<a href=\"\/stock\/7013\">7013<\/a>)<\/strong> is moving forward with its space-based intelligence strategy. According to <em>Nikkei<\/em>, the company aims to establish a dedicated small-satellite manufacturing facility by <strong>fiscal year 2029<\/strong>. This facility will support a planned constellation of <strong>24 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites<\/strong>, developed in partnership with Finnish firm <strong>ICEYE<\/strong>, to enhance Japan&#39;s sovereign monitoring capabilities.<\/p>\n<h2>Regional Security and Defense Shifts<\/h2>\n<p>Japan is undergoing a significant shift in its security posture, with government sources indicating that the upcoming <strong>National Defense Strategy<\/strong> will explicitly include <strong>&quot;capabilities to deny&quot;<\/strong> an adversary&#39;s objectives. This doctrine focuses on strengthening the <strong>defense industrial base<\/strong> and expanding integrated operations across ground, maritime, and air branches. The strategy emphasizes the use of <strong>uncrewed systems (drones)<\/strong> and deeper coordination with U.S. forces to counter growing regional assertiveness.<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, the human cost of regional drone activity was highlighted in Russia&#39;s <strong>Smolensk region<\/strong>, where the governor reported <strong>two fatalities<\/strong> caused by falling drone debris. This incident follows a massive wave of aerial activity where Russian air defenses reportedly intercepted over <strong>430 Ukrainian drones<\/strong> in a single 24-hour period across multiple regions.<\/p>\n<h2>AI Competitiveness and Cybersecurity Risks<\/h2>\n<p>South Korea has emerged as a global leader in the digital era, securing <strong>10th place<\/strong> in the <strong>2026 World Digital and AI Competitiveness Ranking<\/strong> published by the IMD. The country rose eight spots from the previous year, ranking <strong>3rd globally<\/strong> in technology infrastructure. In contrast, <strong>Japan<\/strong> continues to trail its neighbor, ranking <strong>19th<\/strong> as it struggles to match Seoul&#39;s pace in AI adoption and R&amp;D expenditure.<\/p>\n<p>However, this digital advancement brings heightened risks. South Korea\u2019s <strong>Vice Foreign Minister Jeong Yeon-doo<\/strong> recently urged a &quot;fundamental rethink&quot; of global cybersecurity. Following a series of AI-driven attacks on major lenders like <strong>Shinhan Bank<\/strong> and <strong>KB Kookmin Bank<\/strong>, Seoul warned that cryptocurrency thefts\u2014including a recent <strong>$6 billion heist<\/strong> attributed to North Korea\u2014have evolved from simple crimes into significant international security threats.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Australia&#39;s S&amp;P\/ASX 200 (XJO) rose 0.3% to close at 9,153.20 points, buoyed by gains in the financial and 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