FX.co ★ South Korea Retail Sales Rebound in March

Retail sales in South Korea rose 1.8% month-on-month in March 2026, rebounding from a revised 0.3% decline in February. The recovery was driven mainly by stronger sales of consumer durables, especially communication devices, computers, and home appliances. On a year-on-year basis, retail sales increased 5% in March, the fastest pace since January 2022 and an acceleration from the 4.3% gain recorded in the previous period. As a key indicator of private consumption, the data suggest a renewed strengthening in household spending toward the end of the first quarter, reversing February’s softness and pointing to firmer domestic demand in the near term.