{
  "id": 19105633,
  "title": "Korea's economy is booming. Why isn't President Lee's popularity?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/koreas-economy-is-booming-why-isnt-president-lees-popularity",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T06:32:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/economy/20261109/koreas-economy-is-booming-why-isnt-president-lees-popularity"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Korea's economy appears to be thriving, with projections indicating that annual exports could surpass $1 trillion this year, marking the country as the fourth nation to achieve this feat, following the United States, China, and Germany. Experts from eight leading investment banks forecast an average real gross domestic product growth of 3.5 percent for the year, with some predicting growth as high as 4 percent. Furthermore, per capita gross national income is expected to reach the $40,000 mark for the first time, potentially placing Korea in the top six globally in this metric. Given these impressive figures, one would expect President Lee Jae Myung's approval ratings to be soaring. However, this is not the reality. A recent Realmeter survey of 2,528 adults nationwide, conducted from November 2 to November 8, reveals President Lee's approval rating at a mere 35.9 percent. This figure remains stagnant since October, fluctuating between the high 30s and low 40s. This decline is starkly contrasted with a 67 percent approval rating seven months prior.",
  "summary": "On paper, Korea's economy looks strong. Fueled by a semiconductor export boom, the country's annual exports are projected to top $1 trillion for the first time this year, making Korea only the fourth country to reach the milestone, after the United States, China and Germany. Forecasts from eight major investment banks put Korea's real gross domestic product growth at an average of 3.5 percent…",
  "key_points": [
    "Korea's economy projected to exceed $1 trillion in exports this year.",
    "Experts forecast 3.5% real GDP growth, some predict 4%.",
    "President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating at 35.9%, unchanged since October."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}