Can South Korea’s new president get his country back on track?
From culture to chips to arms, South Korea should punch above its weight
UNTIL RECENTLY South Korea seemed to be moving inexorably up the global food chain. Gone are the days of a “shrimp among whales”, as a traditional proverb described the nation’s position beside larger neighbours. Today’s South Korea is relatively free, relatively rich and relatively large, part of a small club of democratic nations with a GDP per person over $30,000 and a population over 50m (see chart). As Lee Jae-myung, the newly elected president of South Korea, quipped in an interview with The Economist earlier this year, now it is more fitting to compare his country to a dolphin.
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This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “From shrimp to dolphin”
From the June 21st 2025 edition
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