On September 23, 2026, according to South Korean media Korea Economic Daily, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently announced in its "Asian Economic Outlook" that it forecasted South Korea's economic growth rate for this year to be 3.2%. Meanwhile, Taiwan's growth rate, which like South Korea is experiencing a boom in AI (artificial intelligence) semiconductors, was forecast to be 11.0%, significantly exceeding that of South Korea.

South Korea's growth rate was revised upward by 0.6 percentage points from the July forecast. Regarding the reason, the ADB cited robust manufacturing-related indicators, such as the manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) for July and August. It explained that this "reflects an increase in exports due to expanding global AI semiconductor demand, expansive fiscal policies, and a gradual recovery in private consumption supported by solid corporate performance." However, it cited rising geopolitical tensions, increased volatility in global financial markets, and the possibility of a slowdown in exports and investment due to additional tariff hikes by the United States as major downside risks.

On the other hand, for Taiwan, the statistical authority (Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics of the Executive Yuan) forecasted 11.0%, almost the same as its own prediction of 11.05% announced on the 14th of last month. The Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics raised its forecast for the third consecutive time, following 7.71% in February and 9.64% in May. If these figures hold, Taiwan will record its highest annual growth rate since 1988. This marks two consecutive years of high growth, following 8.76% last year, and it will be the first time to achieve double-digit growth.

The article explains that the biggest reason for the upward revision in both South Korea and Taiwan is the expansion of AI semiconductor exports. However, the Korea Development Institute (KDI) analyzed last month that while South Korea's semiconductor boom is clearly reflected in exports and capital investment, the ripple effect on private consumption remains moderate because income growth is concentrated in the semiconductor sector. This is in contrast to the Taiwanese authorities' explanation that exports, investment, and consumption are all performing well across the board.

In response to this article, South Korean netizens commented, "Industries other than semiconductors are hopeless," "The government is only interested in semiconductors," "I think Taiwan's geopolitical risk is five times greater than South Korea's," "A criminal became president and is running the country, which led to this result," "The difference between Taiwan and South Korea is likely the presence or absence of an incompetent president like Lee Jae-myung holding them back," and "This means the South Korean government's national management capability is about one-third of Taiwan's government's capability."