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Lee Jong-Wha

Lee Jong-Wha

Writing for PS since 2012
54 commentaries

Lee Jong-Wha, Professor of Economics at Korea University, is a former chief economist at the Asian Development Bank and a former senior adviser for international economic affairs to the president of South Korea.

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  1. Reaping Asia’s Silver Demographic Dividend
    lee54_Ed JonesGettyImages_korea_elderly_worker Ed Jones/Getty Images

    Reaping Asia’s Silver Demographic Dividend

    Feb 13, 2025 Lee Jong-Wha urges governments to develop integrated policies that encourage older adults to stay in the workforce.

  2. Is Pax Sinica Possible?
    lee53_Kevin FrayerGetty Images_chinadreampoverty Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

    Is Pax Sinica Possible?

    Jul 30, 2021 Lee Jong-Wha assesses the challenges China will have to overcome if it is to become a truly global power.

  3. South Korea’s Health-Centered Development Model
    lee51_Getty Images_southkoreacovid Getty Images

    South Korea’s Health-Centered Development Model

    Jun 29, 2021 Lee Jong-Wha argues that the country’s universal-coverage system provides a roadmap for today’s developing economies.

  4. Building an Inclusive Digital Future
    lee52_digital inclusion

    Building an Inclusive Digital Future

    Jun 8, 2021 Lee Jong-Wha thinks policymakers should already be working to expand access to technology and the requisite know-how.

  5. Is the Asian Century Really Here?
    lee50_Lintao ZhangGetty Images_china crowd Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

    Is the Asian Century Really Here?

    Apr 1, 2021 Lee Jong-Wha thinks the region will fail to achieve global dominance without unified, collective leadership.

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  1. tbunde7_Johannes SimonGetty Images_vance Johannes Simon/Getty Images
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    A Westless World

    Tobias Bunde reflects on this year's Munich Security Conference and America's break from the transatlantic alliance.
  2. broning14_Maja HitijGetty Images_merz Maja Hitij/Getty Images
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    Germany’s Last-Chance Election

    Michael Bröning

    With German voters clearly demanding comprehensive change, the far right has been capitalizing on the public's discontent and benefiting from broader global political trends. If the country's democratic parties cannot deliver, they may soon find that they are no longer the mainstream.

     explains why the outcome may decide whether the political “firewall” against the far right can hold.
  3. popescu6_ZinchenkoGlobal Images Ukraine via Getty Images)_ukrainepeace Zinchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
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    The Only Path to Genuine Peace in Ukraine

    Nicu Popescu

    The Russian and (now) American vision of "peace" in Ukraine would be no peace at all. The immediate task for Europe is not only to navigate Donald’s Trump unilateral pursuit of a settlement, but also to ensure that any deal does not increase the likelihood of an even wider war.

     sees a Korea-style armistice with security guarantees as the only viable option in Ukraine.
  4. asakawa3_PoolGettyImages_hindu_kush_glacial_melt Pool/Getty Images
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    Meltdown at the Top of the World

    Masatsugu Asakawa urges development banks to act urgently to avert the catastrophic effects of the Himalayas’ thawing glaciers.
  5. frieda19_AnadoluGettyImages_russia_us_peace_talks Anadolu/Getty Images
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    The Economic Consequences of Trump’s Ukrainian Peace

    Gene Frieda

    Rather than engage in lengthy discussions to pry concessions from Russia, US President Donald Trump seems committed to giving the Kremlin whatever it wants to end the Ukraine war. But rewarding the aggressor and punishing the victim would amount to setting the stage for the next war.

     warns that by punishing the victim, the US is setting up Europe for another war.
  6. oneill128in McNameeGetty Images_trump Win McNamee/Getty Images
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    There Goes America

    Within his first month back in the White House, Donald Trump has upended US foreign policy and launched an all-out assault on the country’s constitutional order. With US institutions bowing or buckling as the administration takes executive power to unprecedented extremes, the establishment of an authoritarian regime cannot be ruled out.

  7. op_janeway18_DrAfter123Getty Images_AI DrAfter123/Getty Images
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    In AI We Trust?

    William H. Janeway

    The rapid advance of AI might create the illusion that we have created a form of algorithmic intelligence capable of understanding us as deeply as we understand one another. But these systems will always lack the essential qualities of human intelligence.

     explains why even cutting-edge innovations are not immune to the world’s inherent unpredictability.
  8. strain36_Michael M. SantiagoGettyImages_ny_stock_exchange Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
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    How Trump Can Achieve Sustained Growth

    Michael R. Strain foresees the US president building on a strong economy, so long as he steers clear of populist policies.
  9. schwarzer9_Telmo PintoSOPA ImagesLightRocket via Getty Images_macronstarmer Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
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    Europe Alone

    Daniela Schwarzer explains what the European Union must do now that America has walked away from the transatlantic relationship.

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