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Keun Lee

Keun Lee

Writing for PS since 2021
21 commentaries

Keun Lee, a former vice chair of the National Economic Advisory Council for the President of South Korea, is Distinguished Professor of Economics at Seoul National University, a fellow at CIFAR, an editor at Research Policy, and the author, most recently, of Innovation-Development Detours for Latecomers: Managing Global-Local Interfaces in the De-Globalization Era (Cambridge University Press, 2024).

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  1. Has Escaping the Middle-Income Trap Become Easier?
    klee23_Per-Anders Pettersson Getty Images_worldbank Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images

    Has Escaping the Middle-Income Trap Become Easier?

    Dec 27, 2024 Keun Lee urges the World Bank to adopt a more reliable measure of economic development than nominal per capita GDP.

  2. The Chip War Turns Two
    klee22_VCGGettyImages__chinese_semiconductor_fab VCG/GettyImages

    The Chip War Turns Two

    Oct 31, 2024 Keun Lee assesses US efforts to achieve microchip self-sufficiency and impede China’s effort to do the same.

  3. India Needs More Big Businesses
    klee21_JUNG YEON-JEAFP via Getty Images_samsung Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images

    India Needs More Big Businesses

    Aug 30, 2024 Keun Lee considers what it would take for the country to become an economic superpower on par with China.

  4. How South Korea Broke the Development Mold
    klee20_Bernd von Jutrczenkapicture alliance via Getty Images_southkoreatrade Bernd von Jutrczenka/picture alliance via Getty Images

    How South Korea Broke the Development Mold

    Jun 28, 2024 Keun Lee attributes the country's economic success to the government's willingness to stray from prescribed orthodoxy.

  5. What Fiscally Sound Industrial Policy Can Do
    klee19_Gerhard JorenLightRocket via Getty Images_hyundaimanufacturing Gerhard Joren/LightRocket via Getty Images

    What Fiscally Sound Industrial Policy Can Do

    May 2, 2024 Keun Lee highlights three tools that can support domestic-market growth and development without breaking the bank.

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  1. benami222_Dia ImagesGettyImages_al-sharaa_erdogan Dia Images/Getty Images

    The Fight for Syria

    Shlomo Ben-Ami worries that Israel and Turkey, with their clashing ambitions, could undermine the country’s stability.
  2. wei68_EITAN ABRAMOVICHAFP via Getty Image_mercosureudeal Eitan Abramovich/AFP via Getty Images

    How to Counter Trump's Tariffs Productively?

    Shang-Jin Wei proposes steps that allies and rivals alike can take to mitigate the effects of American trade policies.
  3. ghosh85_NOAH SEELAMAFP via Getty Images_indiaaadhaar Noah Seelam/AFP via Getty Images

    Weaponizing Data Against Democracy

    Jayati Ghosh explains why and how authoritarian leaders like Narendra Modi hide or manipulate official figures.
  4. james227_Central PressGettyImages_neville_chamberlain_munich_pact Central Press/Getty Images

    Alternatives to Trump’s Russia Appeasement

    Harold James explains how France and Britain can guarantee Ukraine’s security now that America has effectively surrendered.
  5. op_malmendier1_ INA FASSBENDERAFP via Getty Images_germanyrailway Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

    Germany at a Crossroads

    Ulrike Malmendier, et al.

    Despite its ongoing economic stagnation and aging population, Germany’s outlook is far from hopeless. But to restore its growth momentum, it must embrace the realities of the twenty-first century, invest in high-potential emerging sectors, and adapt to an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.

    urge policymakers to pursue bold structural reforms, rather than clinging to an outdated growth model.
  6. cnobre2_CARL DE SOUZAAFP via Getty Images_amazonfire Carl de Souza/AFP via Getty Images

    The Amazon’s Future Will Be Decided in 2025

    Carlos Nobre & Marielos Peña-Claros warn that the world's largest rainforest is reaching a tipping point, beyond which it will largely disappear.
  7. zizek42_Andrej IsakovicGettyImages_serbia_student_protests Andrej Isakovic/Getty Images

    The New Face of Protest

    Slavoj Žižek contrasts the pioneering mass student demonstrations in Serbia with widespread private resignation in China.
  8. lee54_Ed JonesGettyImages_korea_elderly_worker Ed Jones/Getty Images

    Reaping Asia’s Silver Demographic Dividend

    Lee Jong-Wha urges governments to develop integrated policies that encourage older adults to stay in the workforce.
  9. ekue1_Peter DazeleyGettyImages_green_jar_coins Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

    Getting Green Investment Where It’s Needed Most

    Serge Ekué & Javier Díaz Fajardo propose a strategy to redirect all financial flows toward the climate transition.

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