South Korea’s manufacturing sector showed renewed strength at the start of 2026, as the S&P Global South Korea Manufacturing PMI edged up to 51.2 in January 2026 from 50.1 in December 2025. The latest reading, updated on 2 February 2026, moves further above the 50.0 threshold that separates expansion from contraction, indicating an acceleration in manufacturing activity.
The improvement suggests that operating conditions in the country’s factory sector continued to strengthen after only marginal growth at the end of last year. December’s reading of 50.1 had pointed to a near-stagnant expansion, while January’s 51.2 marks a more solid pace of improvement, underscoring firmer momentum in South Korean manufacturing as the new year begins.
With the PMI now more comfortably in expansionary territory, the January data will likely be viewed as an encouraging signal for South Korea’s broader industrial outlook, though the sustainability of this upturn will depend on how demand and production trends evolve in the coming months.
