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Lee Jong-Wha

Lee Jong-Wha

Writing for PS since 2012
55 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. Asia Must Unite to Survive Trump 2.0
    lee55_TANG CHHIN SOTHYAFP via Getty Images_asean+3 Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Images

    Asia Must Unite to Survive Trump 2.0

    Mar 26, 2025 Lee Jong-Wha highlights ways the region's economies can boost their resilience and global influence.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

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  1. basu111_Justin SullivanGetty Images_UScartariffs Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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    Trump’s Tariffs Will Accelerate America’s Economic Decline

    Kaushik Basu draws parallels between the administration’s policies and those that led to Argentina’s decades-long slump.
  2. blyth3_Chip SomodevillaGettyImages_trump_reciprocal_tariffs Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
    1

    Trump, Tariffs, and the Fate of the Dollar

    Mark Blyth

    Donald Trump’s attempt to reindustrialize the US economy by eliminating trade deficits will undoubtedly cause pain and disruption on a massive scale. But it is important to remember that both major US political parties have abandoned free trade in pursuit of similar goals.

     argues that America’s protectionist policies reflect a global economic reordering that was already underway.
  3. davutoglu1_Andrew HarnikGetty Images_trumpzelensky Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
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    Trump’s Old World Order

    Ahmet Davutoğlu warns that the US administration’s reckless conduct may destroy the last vestiges of multilateral cooperation.
  4. op_janeway19_MANDEL NGANAFP via Getty Images_trumpmusk Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
    2

    Crippling America’s Innovation Economy

    William H. Janeway

    Donald Trump and Elon Musk's reign of disruption is crippling research universities’ ability to serve as productive partners in innovation, thus threatening the very system that they purport to celebrate. The Chinese, who are increasingly becoming frontier innovators in their own right, will be forever grateful.

     warns that the pillars of US dynamism and competitiveness are being systematically toppled.
  5. muzikarova8_NurPhotoGettyImages_chip_manufacturing NurPhoto/Getty Images
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    America’s AI Iron Curtain

    Soňa Muzikárová explains how US export controls are harming allies and potentially helping Russia and China.
  6. hubbard5_SpencerPlattGettyImages_bessent_economic_club_of_new_york Spencer Platt/Getty Images
    0

    What Rebalancing the US Economy Really Requires

    Glenn Hubbard thinks US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is neglecting the need for spending cuts in major federal programs.
  7. rasoolayub1_Alex WongGettyImages_voa_building Alex Wong/Getty Images
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    America’s Voice No Longer Speaks for Democracy

    Heela Rasool-Ayub explains why authoritarians worldwide are celebrating Donald Trump’s renunciation of democratic advocacy.
  8. durostu1_Apu GomesGetty Images_LAfire Apu Gomes/Getty Images
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    Insurers Must Embrace Geospatial AI

    Pierre du Rostu touts the technology’s benefits for an industry that must shift its focus from paying claims to managing risk.
  9. gelfand4_Andrew HarnikGettyImages_trump_gesture Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
    Free to read
    3

    It’s Time to Abandon Trump’s Flawed Negotiation Playbook

    Michele Gelfand points out that the best dealmakers strive for win-win outcomes, not zero-sum Pyrrhic victories.

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