Weak U.S. and South Korean GDP Growth in First Quarter of 2025, but for Different Reasons
South Korea will need to improve the performance of its stock markets and small businesses by opening up to foreign portfolio investment
Political Turbulence Clouds South Korea’s Economic Outlook
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, and his subsequent impeachment on December 14 have plunged the country into its worst political crisis in nearly 40 years, with some signs of a negative economic impact. The economy was already showing signs of weakness before the December political crisis. The additional concerns about political instability have led some forecasters to downgrade their outlook for Korea in 2025.
Understanding the Gap in South Korea’s Perceived and Indexed Economy
One perplexing trend is the less sanguine numbers reported on the general perception about the country’s macroeconomic performance.
What Happened: Q4 2023
What happened in U.S.-Korea trade and investment in the fourth quarter of 2023?
Korea’s Economic Growth is Projected to Accelerate Following the Slowdown in 2023
Korea’s real GDP growth will rebound to more than 2 percent in 2024 and 2025, according to the OECD’s bi-annual economic projections.
Increasing Korea’s Potential Growth Rate
Korea needs to utilize its strengths to strengthen lagging sectors and reduce the polarization in the Korean economy.
Are foreign workers a solution to Korea’s demographic challenge?
Meeting Korea’s demographic challenge requires a comprehensive strategy, including by making greater use of foreign workers.
The Friction Between Employment and Property
The government’s new proposal to protect Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) comes into conflict with property owners.
The Sharing Economy and Korea’s Fragile Social Safety Net
Protests against Kakao Mobile reflect the precariousness of taxi drivers’ livelihood and the fragility of Korea’s social safety net
Kim’s post-Singapore Economy—Something from Nothing Isn’t Working
Pyongyang’s promise of prosperity runs up against hard realities that even the Worker’s Party cannot deny. With little changes to the broken economic structure, time may not be on Kim Jong-un’s side.