South Korea's central bank has released its GDP figures for the first three months of 2018.<br />It's a mixed bag with some indicators looking good,... others still struggling to get back on the recovery track.<br />Kim Hyesung has the details. <br /> South Korea's economy expanded at a seasonally adjusted one percent on-quarter in the first quarter of 2018.<br />The figure is slightly below the one-point-one percent expansion projected in a preliminary report released in April.<br />The Bank of Korea attributed the slower pace of growth to a fall in capital and construction investment in March. <br />In terms of spending, capital investment and construction investment rose three-point-four percent and one-point-eight percent during the January to March period, falling short of the provisional estimate in April.<br /> Private consumption edged up zero-point-one percent to zero-point-seven percent on purchases of durable goods like automobiles and home appliances. <br />Government spending jumped more than two percent on health care expenditures.<br /> Exports, which account for about half of the country's GDP, rose four-point-four percent on-quarter on the back of semiconductors and machinery goods.<br />Imports also went up on natural gas purchases. <br />By economic activity, manufacturing expanded one-point-six percent in the first quarter, construction grew two-point-one percent on-quarter.<br />The service industry rose around one percent thanks to the financial and insurance sector. <br />On a yearly basis, GDP growth was unrevised at two-point-eight percent - unchanged from the previous three months and in line with expectations.<br /> Real gross national income rose one-point-three percent in the first quarter.<br />South Korea's consumer price growth remained in the one percent range for the eighth consecutive month, recording one-point-five percent on-year growth in May.<br />Soaring vegetable prices and rising global oil prices drove up overall prices. <br /> Core inflation, which excludes oil and food prices, grew one-point-three percent on-year.<br />Kim Hyesung, Arirang News. <br />
