In August, total industrial production, retail sales, and facility investment decreased. In September, growth in the number of employed persons slowed, while the month-on-month increase in consumer prices moderated.

In August, output increased in the construction sector (up 1.9% m-o-m and up 1.3% y-o-y) and the services sector (up 0.5% m-o-m and up 4.6% y-o-y), but it declined in the industrial sector (down 4.8% m-o-m and down 2.2% y-o-y). As a result, the overall industrial production declined by 1.3 percent month-on-month, while increasing by 1.9 percent year-on-year.

The cyclical indicator of the coincident composite index for August rose by 0.5 points and the cyclical indicator of the leading composite index decreased by 0.1 point.

In August, retail sales fell (down 1.8% m-o-m and down 0.3% y-o-y), and facility investment moved down (down 9.5% m-o-m and up 16.1% y-o-y) .

The consumer sentiment index (CSI) climbed by 2.1 points month-on-month to 106.6 in September. The composite business sentiment index (CBSI) went down by 0.5 points to 99.1 in September and the CBSI outlook for October remained unchaged at 99.6.

In September, exports grew by 83.5 percent year-on-year, supported by strong exports of semiconductors, computers, and cosmetics. Average daily exports rose by 104.9 percent in September compared to the same month of last year.

In September, the number of employed persons grew by 113,000 year-on-year, with the unemployment rate declining by 0.1 pecent point from a year earlier.

The consumer price index (CPI) climbed by 2.9 percent year-on-year (3.1% in August→ 2.9% in September), with the index excluding food and energy rising by 2.8 percent, the index excluding agricultural products and petroleum products by 2.7 percent, and the CPI for living necessities by 2.5 percent.

In August, stock prices moved up, Korean Treasury Bond yields rose, and the Korean won strengthened against the U.S. dollar.

In September, both housing prices (up 0.30% m-o-m) and Jeonse (lump-sum deposits with no monthly payments) prices (up 0.34% m-o-m) climbed.

The Korean economy continues to show signs of a robust recovery, supported by strong export growth, solid investment growth, and a gradual improvement in consumption.

However, uncertainties stemming from the Middle East conflict have increased somewhat. Pressures on livelihoods also persist due to rising inflationary pressures from high oil prices and challenging employment conditions for vulnerable groups.

The global economy continues to grow at a moderate pace, although uncertainties surrounding the Middle East conflict and U.S. tariff measures remain.

The government plans to make every effort to ensure stable supply and demand for key items to minimize the impact of the Middle East conflict, while strengthening policy efforts to stabilize livelihoods and reduce economic polarization so that the benefits of growth can spread throughout the economy.

■ Current Economic Trends
　Overview
　Economic Activity
　1. Gross Domestic Product
　2. Total Production and composite index of business indicators
　3. Private consumption
　4. Facility investment
　5. Construction investment
　6. Exports and imports
　7. Employment
　8. Prices
　9. Housing market

　Financial Markets
　1. Stock market
　2. Bond market
　3. Foreign exchange market
　4. Money market
　5. Official foreign reserves
　6. External debt

　Public Finance
　1. Fiscal balance
　2. National debt

■ Economic News Briefing
　1. Korea’s GDP Increased by 1.0 % in Q3 2026
　2. Proposed Amendments to the Foreign Exchange Transactions Regulations Announced for Public Comment
　3. Deputy Prime Minister Attends G20 and G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meetings
　4. Korea’s FDI Notifications Through Q3 2026 Up 10.8% to $22.9 Billion, Actual Inflows Up 30.6% to $14.9 Billion