What South Korea’s presidential candidates aren’t saying about the economy



Analysis What South Korea’s presidential candidates aren’t saying about the economy Leading contenders sidestep inflation, revenue plans and climate tradeoffs as campaign rhetoric outpaces policy detail John LeeMay 28, 2025 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON From left: Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo and Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok \| Image: Democratic Party of Korea, People Power Party, Lee Jun-seok, edited by Korea Pro With less than a week to go before South Korea’s presidential election, the official campaign pledges submitted to the National Election Commission (NEC) still provide only a partial view of what’s at stake economically. While NEC pledges shape public perception, the candidates have outlined more consequential economic policies through media appearances, white papers and debate forums. But what’s most revealing is what the candidates aren’t addressing — from funding challenges to daunting political roadblocks — underscoring that their actual policies will inevitably diverge from their pie-in-the-sky pledges after the election. POLITICAL CALCULUS OF OMISSION All three leading candidates in South © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01Why South Korea cannot rebalance growth without stronger regional clusters 02Samsung, SK Hynix rejection exposes South Korea’s chip-grid financing problem 03Trump’s Cheongung social media post tests Seoul’s refusal to arm to Ukraine 04Lee Jae Myung risks public trust as South Korea rewires its justice system 05South Korea turns to Central Asia as Iran war tests its energy resilience 06Houthi seizure of Mokha sharpens South Korea’s Hormuz deployment dilemma 07Japan’s stronger yen may cut Korea’s import bill while raising funding costs 08South Korea leans on Europe as Hormuz deployment choices grow narrower

Analysis

What South Korea’s presidential candidates aren’t saying about the economy

Leading contenders sidestep inflation, revenue plans and climate tradeoffs as campaign rhetoric outpaces policy detail

John LeeMay 28, 2025

What South Korea’s presidential candidates aren’t saying about the economy

From left: Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo and Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok | Image: Democratic Party of Korea, People Power Party, Lee Jun-seok, edited by Korea Pro

With less than a week to go before South Korea’s presidential election, the official campaign pledges submitted to the National Election Commission (NEC) still provide only a partial view of what’s at stake economically.

While NEC pledges shape public perception, the candidates have outlined more consequential economic policies through media appearances, white papers and debate forums.

But what’s most revealing is what the candidates aren’t addressing — from funding challenges to daunting political roadblocks — underscoring that their actual policies will inevitably diverge from their pie-in-the-sky pledges after the election.

POLITICAL CALCULUS OF OMISSION

All three leading candidates in South

What South Korea’s presidential candidates aren’t saying about the economy

LATEST ANALYSIS

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John Lee