Dr. Lee Analyzes Historic Fed–Bank of Japan Policy

Dr. Sunhyung Lee, Feliciano School of Business Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics, was recently interviewed by Arirang News, South Korea’s international English-language broadcaster, for his expert perspective on the evolving global monetary policy landscape. Speaking to a worldwide audience, Professor Lee broke down the economic significance of a rare monetary divergence between the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan; the Fed signaling its first rate cut in over a year while the BOJ prepares for its first rate hike in 17 years. He framed the moment as a defining new phase in global monetary policy, emphasizing that the split has left investors navigating layered uncertainty driven by shifting economic signals, questions of central bank credibility, and persistent geopolitical risk.

Professor Lee also connected these macro shifts to structural pressures facing the Korean economy. While acknowledging strong recovery signals in semiconductors and export-led sectors, he cautioned that market strength remains uneven and must expand to lift broader economic growth. He linked Bitcoin’s recent surge to deeper speculative behavior sparked by wavering market confidence, noting that similar volatility could spill into other risk assets if underlying anxieties persist.