President Lee Jae-myung met the International Monetary Fund(IMF) chief in Gyeongju on Friday and discussed Korea’s economic outlook on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Lee told the IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva that political uncertainty had eased soon after the new administration took office, allowing the Korean economy to recover rapidly and the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index to surpass four-thousand points for the first time.

He added that stimulus spending and improved consumer sentiment were reviving domestic demand and expressed hope that the momentum would continue into next year.

Georgieva praised the recovery of Korea's consumption and exports, predicting that its economy would rebound to its potential growth level in 2026.

Lee outlined plans to accelerate an “AI-driven transformation” and advance the nation’s financial and foreign-exchange systems while maintaining results-oriented fiscal management.

The IMF chief urged Lee to continue bold structural reforms without hesitation, saying his leadership and vision at APEC had been “a great source of inspiration.”