The manufacturing sector in South Korea fell into contraction territory in July, the latest survey from S&P Global revealed on Monday with a manufacturing PMI score of 49.8.
That's down from 51.3 in June, and it moves beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.
The decline was the first since September 2020, though only fractional overall. July data pointed to a third consecutive decrease in manufacturing output. The contraction quickened from June and was the sharpest recorded since last October.
Firms commonly associated lower output with rising raw material prices amid sustained shortages which made input procurement challenging.
