On June 22, Kim Yong-beom, the policy chief at the South Korean Presidential Office, urged policymakers to consider how the advantages of the thriving chip sector could be more widely distributed across the economy. He cautioned that, in the past, surplus capital has frequently been diverted into the real estate sector. Kim Yong-beom highlighted that the global surge in artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly boosted profits in the semiconductor industry, propelling South Korea's nominal economic growth to its highest level in over two decades. Despite this robust macroeconomic performance, however, many households and small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have yet to experience substantial benefits.

He noted that in the first quarter, South Korea's real GDP expanded by 3.8%, while real gross national income (GNI) surged by an impressive 13.2%. This significant disparity underscores how the increase in chip prices has enhanced South Korea's purchasing power well beyond the growth in actual production. Kim Yong-beom pointed out that much of the current income growth has not yet been widely felt throughout the economy but is anticipated to gradually materialize in the coming quarters. This will likely occur through mechanisms such as bonuses, wage hikes, and the repatriation of export earnings, potentially fueling growth in luxury spending and real estate demand.

He underscored that historical precedents indicate that such funds have often flowed into the real estate market, and there is a possibility that this trend may recur in the current cycle.