South Korea's finance chief urges closing gaps to sustain growth at IMF gathering

During the International Monetary and Financial Committee session in Bangkok, Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il stressed that tackling inequalities in housing, employment and financial access is key to achieving lasting growth. He aligned with the IMF’s recommendation for sound fiscal policy combined with structural reforms to foster AI adoption and digital change. Lee outlined South Korea’s efforts, including a Future Fund financed by chip-industry tax revenues and a commitment to support vulnerable nations’ digital capabilities.

In side meetings with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and First Deputy Managing Director Dan Katz, he briefed them on these policies and signed a letter of intent for continued cooperation on the AI Hub project. Georgieva noted the IMF’s recent upgrade of South Korea’s growth forecast to 3.3 percent and praised the country’s balanced monetary and fiscal stance.