Global Leading Indicators

For Release 10:30 AM ET, April 10, 2025

Using the Composite Indexes: The Leading Economic Index (LEI) provides an early indication of significant turning points in the business cycle and where the economy is heading in the near term. The Coincident Economic Index (CEI) provides an indication of the current state of the economy. Additional details are below.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^®(LEI) for South Korea increased by 0.6% to 109.4 (2016=100) in February 2025, almost reversing the 0.8% decrease in January. Overall, the LEI expanded by 0.4% over the six-month period between August 2024 and February 2025, after growing by 1.0% over the previous six-month period (February to August 2024).  

The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index^® (CEI) for South Korea rose by 1.2% to 108.7 (2016=100) in February 2025, more than reversing the 0.5% decrease in January. As a result, the CEI expanded by 0.8% over the six-month period between August 2024 and February 2025, offsetting the 0.8% contraction over the previous six-month period between February and August 2024.

“The South Korea LEI increased in February” said Malala Lin, Economic Research Associate, at The Conference Board. “The increase can be attributed to improvements in value of machinery orders, the inventory-to-shipment index, stock prices, and private construction orders. As a result, the semi-annual and annual growth rates that had been trending down since mid-2024 improved, suggesting possible easing of headwinds. While not reflected in the February reading of the LEI, recent announcements of financial support for certain industries and ongoing trade negotiations are expected to mitigate the impact of US tariff increases. The Conference Board currently expects real GDP to slow to 1.5% in 2025 from 2.1% in 2024.”

The next release is scheduled for Thursday, May 8th, 2025, at 10:30 A.M. ET.

The South Korea LEI increased in February

The February gain was driven by improvements in four of the six components of the LEI

The South Korea LEI annual growth rate improved in February

About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) and Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for South Korea
The composite economic indexes are key elements in an analytic system designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle. Comprised of multiple independent indicators, the indexes are constructed to summarize and reveal common turning points in the economy in a clearer and more convincing manner than any individual component.

The CEI reflects current economic conditions and is highly correlated with real GDP. The LEI is a predictive tool that anticipates—or “leads”—turning points in the business cycle by around three months.

The six components of the Leading Economic Index® for South Korea are:

• Stock Prices
• Yield of Government Public Bonds
• Real Exports FOB (3-month moving average)
• Value of Machinery Orders
• Index of Inventories to Shipments
• Private Construction Orders

The four components of the Coincident Economic Index® for South Korea are:

• Industrial Production
• Wholesale and Retail Sales
• Total Employment
• Monthly Cash Earnings

To access data, please visit: https://data-central.conference-board.org/

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers Trusted Insights for What’s Ahead^®. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. ConferenceBoard.org