The Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators increased seven-tenths of a percentage point in January, the most recent month for which data are available. It was the fourth consecutive monthly increase for the index, which now stands at 151.0 (1990=100).
The South Korean economy grew at an annual rate of 7.2% during the final three months of 2005, and "continued widespread strength in the leading index suggests that economic growth is likely to remain strong in the near term," says the Conference Board, a New York-based business research group.
