The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Korea increased 0.1 percent in August to 121.2 (2004 = 100), following a 1.1 percent decline in July, and a 0.2 percent increase in June.
At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for Korea, a measure of current economic activity, increased 0.1 percent in August to 118.5 (2004 = 100), following a 0.5 percent increase in July, and a 0.4 percent increase in June.
The LEI for Korea has been relatively flat since 2011. Its six-month growth rate, while relatively unchanged in recent months, has turned slightly negative. Meanwhile, the CEI for Korea increased marginally for the third month in a row after declining sharply in the previous three months. As a result, its six-month growth rate has fallen into negative territory with widespread weaknesses among its components. Taken together, the composite indexes continue to suggest that economic activity will likely continue to grow in the near term, but at a slow pace.
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