SEOUL, Nov. 25 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean consumer confidence climbed to its highest level in eight years this month, buoyed by easing trade uncertainty and stronger-than-expected economic data, according to a Bank of Korea survey released Tuesday. The central bank’s Composite Consumer Sentiment Index (CCSI) rose to 112.4 in November, up 2.6 points from October [...]
SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Korea Bizwire) — The government on Thursday announced a series of measures aimed at boosting consumer sentiment in non-metropolitan regions as part of its broader economic stimulus plan. Under the latest plan, consumers who spend 50,000 won (US$36) or more using credit cards at small businesses outside the capital area, such as [...]
SEOUL, July 30 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s credit card spending rose sharply in the second quarter of 2025, buoyed by recovering consumer sentiment and optimism over potential economic stimulus measures in the second half of the year. According to data released Wednesday by the Credit Finance Association, total card-approved transactions reached 313 trillion won [...]
SEOUL, June 18 (Korea Bizwire) — The Bank of Korea has raised alarm over South Korea’s persistently high cost of essential goods, warning that it is outpacing both inflation and global averages, and is stifling consumer spending—particularly among low-income households. In a report released Wednesday, the central bank found that from the onset of the [...]
SEOUL, June 2 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans are spending a smaller share of their income than they did a decade ago, signaling deeper shifts in household behavior amid demographic and economic changes, according to a new report released by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). The report, titled “Changes in Consumption Propensity by [...]
SEOUL, April 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s domestic consumption has entered a prolonged downward trend, driven not by short-term disruptions like COVID-19 or inflation, but by deep-rooted structural issues such as demographic aging, employment patterns, and industrial shifts, according to a new report released on April 23, 2025, by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s domestic auto market saw its weakest performance in over a decade in 2024, with new car sales hitting their lowest level since 2013, according to a report released by the Korea Automobile & Mobility Industry Association (KAMA) on Thursday. The report revealed that 1.635 million new vehicles were [...]
SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — For the first time since the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis, South Korea’s imported car market has experienced a two-year consecutive decline in sales. According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) on January 15, the number of newly registered imported passenger vehicles in 2024 totaled 263,288 units, marking [...]
SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — Concerns are growing that year-end consumption activities could drastically cool down if consumer sentiment is dampened due to the impact of the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district. According to the Bank of Korea (BOK), South Korea’s consumer sentiment index (CSI) has remained below 100 for five straight [...]
SEOUL, March 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Pummeled by the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, South Korea’s consumer sentiment fell at the fastest clip among major economies in February, data showed Thursday. South Korea’s composite consumer sentiment index stood at 96.9 for February, down 0.4 from the previous month, according to the data from the [...]