Lee says Korea emerging as global economic leader on record current account surplus

President Lee Jae Myung said Sunday that Korea had become a leading player in the global economy after posting the world’s second-largest current account surplus among major economies in the second quarter. Korea’s surplus reached $116.63 billion from April to June, behind China’s $193.72 billion. Lee said the surplus exceeded Germany and Japan’s combined totals and pointed to Korean companies’ global achievements, particularly in semiconductors. He called for building on those gains to strengthen industrial competitiveness and raise potential growth rates.

The figures came from International Monetary Fund data available through the Bank of Korea’s Economic Statistics System.

Lee wrote on social media that Korea was moving from following advanced economies to shaping the global economic landscape.

Lee identified semiconductors as a key industry in the age of artificial intelligence.

Lee called for the country to use its achievements to strengthen industrial competitiveness and raise potential growth rates.

Published Oct 25, 2026 8:31 pm KST

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting on regulatory reform at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Friday. Joint Press Corps

President Lee Jae Myung said Sunday that Korea has emerged as a leading player in the global economy, citing that the country posted the world's second-largest current account surplus among major economies in the second quarter.

The country's current account surplus reached $116.63 billion in the April-June period, trailing only China's $193.72 billion, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) data available on the Bank of Korea's Economic Statistics System.

"The Republic of Korea is now moving beyond being a country that follows advanced economies to become a leading nation shaping the global economic landscape," Lee wrote in a social media post, referring to Korea by its official name.

Lee noted that Korea's current account surplus exceeded the combined surpluses of Germany and Japan.

He also highlighted the achievements of Korean companies in global markets, particularly in semiconductors, a key industry in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

Lee called for the country to capitalize on these achievements to strengthen its industrial competitiveness and raise its potential growth rates.

韩国总统李在明周日表示，韩国在第二季度实现了全球主要经济体中第二大的经常账户盈余，使其成为全球经济的领军者。韩国4月至6月的经常账户盈余达到1166.3亿美元，仅次于中国的1937.2亿美元。李在明指出，韩国的盈余超过了德国和日本的总和，并强调了韩国企业在全球范围内取得的成就，尤其是在半导体领域。他呼吁巩固这些成果，以增强产业竞争力并提高潜在增长率。

这些数据来自国际货币基金组织的数据，可通过韩国银行经济统计系统获取。

李在社交媒体上写道，韩国正在从追随发达经济体转向塑造全球经济格局。

李认为半导体是人工智能时代的关键产业。

李呼吁国家利用自身取得的成就，增强产业竞争力，提高潜在增长率。

发布于2026年10月25日晚上8:31（韩国标准时间）

周五，李在明总统在首尔青瓦台出席监管改革会议并发表讲话。（联合记者团）

韩国总统李在明周日表示，韩国已成为全球经济的领先参与者，并指出该国第二季度在主要经济体中实现了全球第二大的经常账户盈余。

根据韩国银行经济统计系统提供的国际货币基金组织（IMF）数据，韩国4月至6月期间经常账户盈余达到1166.3亿美元，仅次于中国的1937.2亿美元。

李在社交媒体上发帖称：“大韩民国现在正从追随发达经济体的国家转变为塑造全球经济格局的领先国家。”他这里使用的是韩国的正式名称。

李指出，韩国的经常账户盈余超过了德国和日本盈余的总和。

他还重点介绍了韩国企业在全球市场，特别是半导体领域取得的成就，半导体是人工智能（AI）时代的关键产业。

李呼吁国家利用这些成就来增强其产业竞争力，提高其潜在增长率。