2분기 성장률, 7분기 만에 최고치…"재정지출 효과"<br /><br />South Korea's economy is estimated to have grown 1-point-1 percent in the second quarter of this year.<br />This is a dramatic turnaround from the previous quarter when GDP shrank by the largest amount since the 2008 financial crisis.<br />Our Kim Da-mi reports.<br />South Korea's GDP grew by an estimated 1-point-1 percent in the April-to-June period.<br />According to Bank of Korea, the figure marks the highest on-quarter growth since the third quarter of 2017...when the economy grew 1-point-5 percent.<br />The country's economy grew at an annualized rate of 2-point-1 percent in the second quarter, also marking the highest growth since the final quarter of 2018.<br />But it's not all good news because the previous quarter's figure was so low...and also because the growth was largely thanks to the government's increased spending.<br />"The growth was partly caused by the government's increased spending on health care benefits. Government spending increased by 2-point-5 percent, which is a huge jump from the zero-point-4 percent increase in the previous quarter."<br />Exports in the second quarter increased 2-point-3 percent from three months earlier... thanks to increased exports of motor vehicles and semiconductors.<br />Imports also went up by 3 percent, owing to increased imports of machinery.<br />Facilities investment grew by 2-point-4 percent, led by the growth of investment in transportation equipment.<br />Private consumption also picked up pace, growing point-7 percent with increased expenditures on clothing and medical services.<br />"Even though the GDP growth rebounded to a positive number, the data doesn't show good signs for the country's economy. Both exports and facility investment actually dropped compared to the same period last year."<br />Real gross domestic income, or GDI, decreased by point-6 percent compared to the previous quarter because of the worsened trade terms.<br />With exports on a steady decline since December and the electronics industry facing Japan's export restrictions,... analysts note that it will be a challenge to reach the central bank's economic growth forecast of 2-point-2 percent.<br />"South Korea's GDP needs to be above point-8 percent in the third and final quarters of the year in order to reach the central bank's economic growth forecast.<br />While the Bank of Korea says it's too early to comment on the country's economic growth, it says it will carefully monitor the U.S.-China trade war, as well as Japan's latest export curbs.<br />KIM Da-mi, Arirang News."<br />
