SEOUL: South Korea’s government saw an economic recovery trend for the third straight month, driven by improved consumption and a semiconductor export boom, a finance ministry report said Friday.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance said in its monthly report, called Green Book, that the South Korean economy recently showed a continuing trend of economic recovery on the back of enhanced domestic demand, including consumer spending, and robust exports centered on semiconductors.
The ministry maintained its assessment of economic recovery since last November, though it cautioned that monthly volatility increased as economic indicators, which rose sharply in the third quarter of 2025, underwent adjustments owing to base effects and long holidays.
It noted that uncertainties remained, such as the pace of construction investment recovery and the effect of the U.S. tariff imposition amid the persisting employment difficulties for vulnerable groups.
Regarding the global economy, concerns lingered about persistent volatility in the global financial market and a slump in trade and growth, caused by the worsened trade environment and geopolitical uncertainty, the ministry added.
Retail sales reduced 3.3 percent in November from a month earlier, but facility investment rose 1.5 percent.
The consumer sentiment index fell 2.5 points over the month to 109.9 in December, but it hovered above the long-term average of 100 to indicate optimists outnumbered pessimists.
The daily average export mounted 8.7 percent in December from a year earlier due to solid semiconductor demand.
The number of jobs increased by 168,000 in December from a year earlier, slower than an expansion of 225,000 in the previous month.
Consumer prices rose 2.3 percent in December on a yearly basis, staying above the central bank’s mid-term inflation target of 2 percent. –Agencies
