Munseob Lee

Munseob Lee is Associate Professor of Economics and Director of the Korea-Pacific Program at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy. His research focuses on macroeconomics, economic growth, and development economics, with special emphasis on the Korean economy. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago and B.A. from Seoul National University.

His research explores industrial policy, inflation dynamics, productivity analysis, and economic measurement. Recent work examines plant-level productivity in Korea, racial disparities in inflation experiences, pandemic information policies, and historical educational institutions. Articles consistently appear in top economics journals including Journal of Political Economy, American Economic Journal, and Review of Economics and Statistics.

Dr. Lee has received significant recognition including:

• 2024 KAEA Young Scholar Award
• 2023 Sherman Family Korea Emerging Scholar Lecture Award
• Graduate Faculty Teaching Award Honorable Mention

He actively mentors PhD students in economics and advises on dissertation research. Current research grants include projects on industrial policy evaluation and North Korean economic systems.

As Director of the Korea-Pacific Program, he organizes seminar series and joint webinars with Seoul National University. His research has been featured in major media outlets including Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Bloomberg.