President Lee Jae-myung marked 500 days in office on October 16. The Kyunghyang Shinmun named easing polarization, settling reform conflicts and restoring politics as the three tasks ahead, while Herald Business described a macro rebound alongside difficult issues in housing, stocks and diplomacy.
According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, Lee said at a senior secretaries’ meeting on October 15 that he would pursue the goals of livelihood improvement, pragmatic reform and inclusive integration regardless of outside pressure or resistance. Financial News reported that he also said housing, jobs and finance would be the top priorities for the rest of the term.
광고 문의 · 300×250The first task is easing polarization and making gains felt by ordinary people. The Kyunghyang Shinmun said the question is whether the benefits of the chip boom can reach everyday life. Among the experts quoted, Jeong Se-eun of Chungnam National University said economic policy and the budget still lean toward growth and urged more public rental housing and stronger tenant protection, while Yoo Seung-chan proposed public deliberation on how to use roughly 160 trillion won in extra tax revenue.
The second is settling reform conflicts. The first step cited was resolving divisions inside the ruling camp over prosecution reform. Choi Chang-ryeol of Yongin University advised against being too bound by legal risks and urged a consistent centrist, pragmatic line, while Yoo argued that real estate, farmland and prosecution reform are unfavorable ground and proposed a new agenda such as medium-sized electoral districts. Jo Jin-man of Duksung Women’s University noted that parties move into general-election mode from the second half of next year, leaving about six months to show results.
The third is restoring politics. Experts urged reducing internal divisions and widening room for talks with the opposition. According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, on talk among some ruling-party figures of impeaching Chief Justice Jo Hi-dae, Choi said it could push politics into full confrontation and suggested the president publicly discourage it, while Yoo warned of an ‘impeachment black hole’ swallowing pragmatic reform. It was also suggested that if meeting People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok is difficult, he start with senior opposition lawmakers.
The economic report card is mixed. Herald Business reported that the IMF (3.3%) and KDI (3.2%) raised their 2026 growth forecasts for Korea and that the current-account surplus is expected at roughly 130 to 150 billion dollars. Yet under high prices and high interest rates, the self-employed and lower- and middle-income households feel little change, and a presidential official reportedly acknowledged that gains have not been widely distributed. The KOSPI hit a record and then fell back to the mid-5,000 range.
Housing and diplomacy are further variables. Herald Business said housing-stability and anti-speculation measures met a cold market and that critics say punitive taxes and uniform loan curbs shut out first-time buyers. In diplomacy, pragmatic diplomacy including G7 attendance and summits was seen as stabilizing, while friction with the United States over North Korea security and intelligence cooperation, trade and trust was noted recently. The same report said approval has stalled in the mid-30% range; the Kyunghyang article gave no specific figures, so poll numbers by pollster are unconfirmed here.
Assessments thus depend on vantage point. The government points to macro indicators and pragmatic diplomacy, while critics cite household sentiment, housing and political conflict. Either way, there is agreement that the time left is not long. How budget reviews and reform legislation are prioritized will be the first test of governing after the 500-day mark.
