President Lee Jae-myung on the 9th emphasized that we must do our best so that the fruits of economic growth are shared by everyone, not a select few.
The president that afternoon at Cheong Wa Dae presided over the "2026 economic growth strategy national briefing" and emphasized that this year must be the first year of a great leap forward for Korea, achieving growth in every field. The president also said that this year's economic situation is expected to be around 2%, slightly above the potential growth rate.
In particular, the president stressed "distribution," in which everyone shares the fruits of growth. The president said that if you look only at headline indicators, the economy will be better than last year, but added that there is a high possibility that many people will not feel the change. The president pointed out that inequality—so-called polarized growth—should be taken seriously as a structural question of the economic system, not a simple cyclical difference.
The president said the shadow of K-shaped growth concentrating on the younger generation goes beyond a youth issue and also threatens the long-term future growth engines of the Korean economy, adding that if national growth and the profits of corporations do not translate into job opportunities for young people, it is hard to call that society healthy.
The president emphasized that we must do our best so that the fruits of economic growth are shared by everyone, not a select few, and said the reality of our young people driven to an employment cliff should be recognized soberly as a national crisis and that special measures mobilizing all national capabilities must be prepared.
The president said to respond quickly based on policy imagination unconstrained by existing frameworks and to devise effective measures, and asked all ministries to be attentive so that youth, small and medium-sized ventures, and the regions can be prioritized in every policy.