South Korea’s exports surpassed $700 billion for the first time in 2025, a historic milestone achieved 77 years after the founding of the government in 1948. With exports reaching $700 billion, the country became the world’s sixth-largest exporter, following the United States, Germany, China, Japan and the Netherlands. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Customs Service on Dec. 29, cumulative exports for the year were provisionally tallied at $700 billion as of 1:03 p.m. that day. The photo shows stacks of containers at Pyeongtaek Port in Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Korea Bizwire) — Business sentiment in South Korea rose to the highest level in 17 months in December, supported by rising demand related to facility investments in the United States, a central bank survey showed Tuesday.
The Composite Business Sentiment Index (CBSI) for all industries came to 93.7 this month, up 1.6 points from November, according to the survey from the Bank of Korea (BOK).
It was the highest level since July 2024, when the index stood at 95.5, and marked a second consecutive monthly increase.
A reading below 100 indicates that pessimists outnumber optimists.
In detail, the CBSI for manufacturers rose 1.7 points to 94.4, while the reading for non-manufacturers gained 1.4 points to 93.2.
“Manufacturing improved on the back of rising orders for U.S. equipment-related parts, while demand also increased in the semiconductor, shipbuilding and auto industries,” BOK official Lee Hye-young told a press briefing.
In non-manufacturing, seasonal factors, such as Black Friday sales and an increase in Chinese tourists, helped boost retail sales and improve sentiment, she added.
The survey, conducted earlier this month, covered 3,255 companies, including 1,824 manufacturers.
(Yonhap)
