韩智库首次预测年经济增速跌破1%，引发韩国“经济衰退”担忧

Group 1 - The Korea Development Institute (KDI) has significantly lowered its economic growth forecast for South Korea in 2025 to 0.8%, marking the first prediction of growth below 1% since 1990, raising concerns of an "economic recession" [1] - KDI predicts that South Korea's GDP growth rate for the first half of this year will be only 0.3%, with a recovery to 1.3% in the second half, resulting in an annual growth rate of 0.8%, down from a previous forecast of 1.6% made just three months ago [1] - The main factors dragging down South Korea's economy include deteriorating external conditions and persistently weak domestic demand, influenced by rising trade protectionism in the US and Europe, weak global demand, a sluggish real estate market, high interest rates, and low consumer confidence [1] Group 2 - In response to the economic situation, presidential candidates in South Korea are focusing on "economic livelihood" in their campaigns, with the Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung advocating for a fair market order to support small and medium enterprises [2] - The People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo emphasizes activating market vitality through an "economic freedom development model," promising to implement measures such as deregulation, tax cuts, and subsidies to enhance the business environment and encourage innovation [2]