132 overseas offices in 86 countries map out shifts

10 keywords include 'low-power mode generation'

Forum set for Saturday at Kyobo Book Centre in Seoul

KOTRA's "KOTRA World Trend 2027" publication [KOTRA]
KOTRA's "KOTRA World Trend 2027" publication [KOTRA]

Choosing ultra-cheap products over expensive ones, seeking temporary companions only when needed, and forming emotional bonds — even romantic ones — with AI rather than other people: these are no longer the stuff of science fiction.

The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency announced Thursday that it published "KOTRA World Trend 2027" on Wednesday, identifying the "light-and-flexible generation" and the rise of "AI companions" as the defining forces set to shape global markets next year.

Now in its 16th year of publication, "KOTRA World Trend" is a revamped edition of the agency's earlier "World Trends Korea Will Love" series. The report draws on emerging technology and business cases gathered on the ground by 132 overseas trade offices in 86 countries to forecast shifts in global markets.

KOTRA identified 10 keywords for 2027: the low-power mode generation, the slimming economy, infinite travel, Mitenomics, AI personalization, AI safety systems, AI catching AI, the redefinition of humans and labor, the circular and regenerative economy, and the custom life.

The report pays particular attention to consumers worn out by rapid growth and competition who are gravitating toward lighter, lower-pressure lifestyles. As GLP-1 weight-loss drugs go mainstream and reshape how people manage their bodies, a parallel drive to minimize burdens in consumption and personal relationships is also taking hold.

Rather than buying expensive goods and holding on to them, people are opting for cheaper products to reduce the weight of ownership, and choosing temporary relationships — companions for specific activities such as movies, travel or exercise — over deeper commitments. The report cites the example of Generation Z checking into care facilities to recover from burnout as one manifestation of this shift.

As AI embeds itself deeper into daily life, the relationship between humans and technology is also changing. Beyond serving as a simple work tool, AI is now emerging as a "companion" that reads users' tastes and emotions, reshaping the dynamics between people and between people and machines.

The report covers a range of overseas cases — from people who pursue romantic relationships with AI rather than other humans, to AI systems that detect deepfakes, to medical AI platforms that help route emergency patients to hospitals and reduce the problem of ambulances being turned away. The concept of "AI catching AI" — using artificial intelligence to solve problems created by artificial intelligence — is also highlighted as a major market trend.

To mark the publication, KOTRA will co-host the "2027 Global Business Trend Forum" with Kyobo Book Centre at the Kyobo Building in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, on Saturday. The event, themed "2027 Business Solutions Through the Lens of Macroeconomics, AI and Lifestyle," will feature KOTRA trade and investment information director Jeon Woo-hyeong, Knowledge Economy Research Institute director Park Jong-hun, KAIST professor Kim Dae-sik, and choreographer Kim Hye-yeon, who works with AI art. The speakers will examine shifts in global markets and the business opportunities they present for Korean companies.

KOTRA President Kang Gyeong-seong said the agency hopes "to help our companies and readers get ahead of global trends and be first to step into new markets in this era of AI transformation that has quietly become part of everyday life."


eyre@heraldcorp.com