A country’s confidence is not measured only by its GDP number or its stock index. It is measured by whether its citizens feel that their savings, salaries, businesses and children’s futures are gaining strength, not merely surviving volatility.
Shinsegae Chairman Chung Yong-jin speaks during a press conference in Seoul on May 26, 2026. The South Korean operator of the Starbucks coffee chain said on May 26 it had been unable to determine whether a controversial marketing campaign accused of mocking a pro-democracy uprising had been intentional or not.