South Korean President Lee Jae-myung marked his first 100 days in office on Thursday with a nationally televised address and press conference, highlighting early economic gains and pledging aggressive fiscal spending to sustain growth. Lee cited a rebound in consumer sentiment to a seven-year high, the KOSPI index climbing past 3,300, and plans to reduce South Korea’s overreliance on real estate by promoting equities and other financial investment alternatives through corporate-governance reforms and expanded public investment.

Turning to trade relations, Lee said follow-up talks on U.S. tariff hikes remain unresolved and described them as “unilateral U.S. increases,” vowing not