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2 clusters · 12 sources · 3 days · First seen · Last updated

South Korean and Singaporean economic trends

Overview

South Korean business sentiment has shown significant recovery, with the September Business Survey Index (BSI) forecast reaching 102.0. This marks the first time the index has exceeded the 100 baseline in six months. The improvement is characterized by a broad trend where both manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors show positive outlooks simultaneously for the first time in nearly five years. While previous growth was concentrated in semiconductors and healthcare, the trend is expanding into components and materials, supported by stabilized exchange rates and a recovery in domestic demand sentiment.

In related regional economic data, Singapore reported a slowdown in manufacturing growth in July 2026, with output increasing 6.8% year-on-year. This deceleration was largely due to a slowdown in the electronics cluster and contractions in the chemicals and biomedical sectors. Meanwhile, South Korea’s Composite Business Sentiment Index reached its highest level since September 2022, driven by manufacturing confidence and improved outlooks in transportation and leisure.

Entities

Korea · Bank of Korea · Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade · Federation of Korean Industries · South Korea

Timeline

  1. 17 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 6 sources
    Manufacturing growth in Singapore slows as South Korean business sentiment rises

    Singapore's manufacturing growth slowed to 6.8% in July due to weaker electronics output, while South Korea's business sentiment reached a near four-year high in August.

  2. 20 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 6 sources
    South Korean business sentiment turns positive for September

    South Korean business sentiment is recovering, with the September BSI rising to 102.0. Both manufacturing and domestic demand show positive trends for the first time in several years.

Sources

beritaharian.sg · biz.heraldcorp.com · instaforex.com · jnilbo.com · joseilbo.com · koreaherald.com · kyeonggi.com · m.imaeil.com · manufacturing.asia · mirrorreview.com · tfmedia.co.kr · theindependent.sg