S. Korea's revised real GDP grows 0.6 pct quarter on quarter in Q2

SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's revised real gross domestic product (GDP), adjusted for inflation, grew 0.6 percent in the second quarter from the previous quarter, as exports and consumption held up, central bank data showed Tuesday.

People cross a street at Shinjuku area in Tokyo on Aug 25, 2025. (PHOTO: AFP)

The second-quarter growth was unchanged from the preliminary figure released on July 23, stabilizing at a healthy level after sharply rebounding 1.8 percent in the first quarter. Real GDP retreated 0.1 percent in the final quarter of last year, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK).

Exports, a key driver of the export-driven economy, climbed 1.3 percent quarter-on-quarter in the April-June quarter thanks to strong demand for semiconductors, machinery and equipment, while imports rose 0.7 percent, led by automotive and industrial equipment purchases.

Private consumption added 0.4 percent, propelled by gains in both goods and services, while fiscal spending inched up 0.1 percent on higher outlays for healthcare insurance benefits.

Intellectual property investment advanced 3.4 percent on growth in research and development (R&D) and software development.

Facility investment ticked up 0.2 percent owing to an expansion in machinery, notably semiconductor manufacturing equipment, but construction investment slipped 0.1 percent due to sluggish civil engineering projects.

Nominal GDP increased 9.2 percent in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter.

On a year-on-year basis, nominal GDP soared 26.4 percent in the second quarter, marking the highest growth rate in 47 years since the third quarter of 1979.

Nominal gross national income, which measures the combined income earned at home and abroad by people and businesses, expanded 8.8 percent in the April-June quarter from three months earlier.

The GDP deflator, or the ratio of nominal GDP to real GDP that gauges changes in prices of all goods and services produced in the country, jumped 21.9 percent year-on-year in the second quarter.