Overview

• The finance ministry's May Green Book report highlights the first recorded export slowdown, attributed to US tariffs and global trade uncertainties.
• This marks the fifth consecutive month of warnings about increasing downward economic pressure in South Korea.
• Semiconductor-driven production growth contrasts with declines in consumption, investment, and quality jobs in manufacturing and construction.
• Consumer prices rose by 2.1% year-on-year in April, driven by higher costs of agro-fisheries products.
• A 13.8 trillion-won supplementary budget has been announced to bolster export sectors, enhance industrial competitiveness, and stimulate the domestic economy.