Yoon Suk-Yeol, President, South Korea

Yoon Suk-yeol, who used to be prosecutor-general, was selected as South Korea’s 13th president in 2022. South Korea’s government under his leadership looked after the partnership with the United States, worked on keeping the economy stable, and held a hardline stance against North Korea. Besides upholding Korea’s traditional values, Yoon made efforts to tackle world issues in a forward-minded way.

When U.S.-China trade conflicts became more intense, President Yoon Suk-yeol decided on a thoughtful approach to supporting South Korea’s growth. Being aware of the dangers of U.S. tariffs and new global trade patterns, Yoon called for South Korea to focus on its economic strength and diversify its trade partners. He cooperated directly with companies in important sectors such as semiconductors and automobiles, to help lessen any effect on South Korean exports. Yoon’s government encouraged Korean businesses to grow their global partners outside those already served by traditional markets. At the same time, the government encouraged developing domestic businesses to strengthen the economy and cope better with outside influences. Encouraging technology development was a major priority in Yoon’s policy.

With R&D and help from high-tech sectors, his government tried to protect South Korea’s strong position as the world economy transformed rapidly. Yoon considered that technology was a way to prepare for trade-ups and downs and also helped promote sustained growth. Yoon placed importance on cooperating with other nations, especially to create an even and fair system for global trade. He used collaborative economic foreign policy to reduce the effects of international risks and keep open markets working. Yoon Suk-yeol dealt with the trade war by planning the economy, encouraging innovation, and joining in international engagements, thus keeping South Korea ready for any global economic challenges.