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The International Monetary Fund and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered their global economic growth forecast for this year to 4.4%, reflecting concerns about the spread of Omicron mutation and inflation.

Korea's growth rate was also lowered to 3%. 



By Kim Yong-cheol, staff reporter.



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The International Monetary Fund's forecast for global economic growth of 4.4% this year was lowered by 0.5 percentage points from the October forecast of last year.



Korea's growth forecast for this year has been lowered by 0.3 percentage points to 3%.



This is the same as the growth rate forecast for this year announced by the Bank of Korea, and is 1 percentage point lower than last year's growth rate of 4%.



The US growth forecast for this year has been downgraded by 1.2 percentage points to 4%, and China's growth forecast has dropped by 0.8 percentage points to 4.8%.



[Other Gopinas/IMF Chief Economist: Omicron mutations cause new movement restrictions and labor shortages.

Supply chain disruptions, coupled with strong demand, have pushed up food and energy prices.]



The International Monetary Fund forecasts that the omicron mutation pandemic, supply chain disruptions and high inflation will negatively affect the economy.



The COVID-19 situation will improve from the second quarter, but there are concerns that geopolitical tensions such as monetary tightening in developed countries including the United States, debt in developing countries, and the Ukraine crisis will dampen economic activity.