{
  "id": 19233431,
  "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-19233431",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-09T22:42:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/economy/20261110/koreas-economy-is-booming-why-isnt-president-lees-popularity"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Korea's economy appears robust on paper, with annual exports projected to surpass $1 trillion for the first time this year, making the nation only the fourth country to achieve this feat after the United States, China, and Germany. Forecasts from eight major investment banks predict an average annual GDP growth of 3.5 percent, with some forecasting even higher growth rates of up to 4 percent. Per capita gross national income is also anticipated to exceed $40,000 for the first time, potentially ranking Korea sixth globally by that metric. Given these impressive numbers, one would expect President Lee Jae Myung's approval ratings to soar. After all, the economy is often considered one of the primary factors influencing presidential popularity. However, this is not the case. A recent Realmeter survey of 2,528 adults nationwide, conducted from November 2 to this Friday, revealed that Lee's approval rating stands at a mere 35.9 percent. His ratings have remained in the high 30s and low 40s since October, a significant drop from the 67 percent he commanded 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": [],
  "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."
}