Lee says S. Korea emerging as global economic leader on record current account surplus

What happened: President Lee Jae Myung said South Korea has emerged as a leading player in the global economy, citing the country's second-quarter current account surplus. Key numbers: Current account surplus was US$116.63 billion in April-June, second only to China's $193.72 billion, per IMF data on the Bank of Korea's Economic Statistics System. Why it matters: Lee said the surplus exceeded the combined surpluses of Germany and Japan, and called for using these achievements to strengthen industrial competitiveness and raise potential growth.

Record current account surplus cited as evidence of South Korea's emerging global economic leadership.

Record current account surplus cited as evidence of South Korea's emerging global economic leadership. — impact context not separately stored; see What changed.