South Korea Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lee Jong-il said the
economy could outpace the IMF's 3.3% growth forecast, barring major external
shocks, citing strong third-quarter exports and facility investment. The IMF
raised its Korea growth forecast to 3.3%—up 0.7 percentage points from July—on
strength in the global semiconductor sector. Lee said if export and capex
momentum persists, growth could reach around 3.5% (mid-3% range).
