<\/p>\n\n\n\n
South Korea\u2019s consumer confidence slipped in September for the first time in half a year, as concerns over U.S. tariffs and a sluggish construction sector weighed on households.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bank of Korea said Tuesday its composite consumer sentiment index (CCSI) fell to 110.1 in September, down from 111.4 in August, ending a five-month streak of gains. The index had plunged 12.5 points last December during a state of emergency before staging a gradual recovery. A reading above 100 indicates optimism compared with the long-term average from 2003 to 2024, while a figure below 100 signals pessimism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the six components, expectations for the economic outlook saw the largest drop, falling 3 points to 97. Current economic conditions slipped 2 points to 91, while the outlooks for household living conditions and spending each declined by 1 point. Household income expectations and current living conditions were unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUncertainty around U.S. tariff negotiations and persistent weakness in construction weighed on consumer sentiment this month,\u201d said Lee Hye-young, who leads the BOK\u2019s economic sentiment survey team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite weaker overall sentiment, households grew more optimistic about housing. The housing price outlook index rose to 112, up 1 point from August and extending gains for a second month. That follows an 11-point drop in July after the government announced new debt-control measures. Still, Lee noted the index remains well below June\u2019s level of 120, adding that \u201cit\u2019s too early to say whether recent gains signal a sustained rebound, given the impact of regulatory measures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consumer inflation expectations for the next 12 months edged down to 2.5%, compared with 2.6% in August. The outlook for interest rates six months from now also fell, with the index slipping 2 points to 93.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
South Korea\u2019s consumer confidence slipped in September for the first time in half a year, as concerns over<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6194,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38,32,54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-stories","category-everyday-economy","category-top-section"],"yoast_head":"\n