FX.co ★ South Korea Manufacturing Slumps to 2-½-Year Low

The S&P Global South Korea Manufacturing PMI fell to 47.5 in April 2025, down from 49.1 in March, indicating the third straight month of decline and the steepest drop since September 2022. This contraction was driven by a marked decrease in output due to a rekindled weakening of new orders amidst ongoing global trade uncertainty and a sluggish domestic economy. In response, companies curtailed employment, purchasing activities, and inventory levels. For the first time in 2025, business confidence turned pessimistic, with sentiment plunging to one of its lowest points since the survey's inception in April 2012. On a slightly brighter note, inflationary pressures eased somewhat. Input cost inflation, although still high, diminished to a five-month low, and output prices increased at a more controlled, yet still robust, rate.