The Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators for South Korea gained two-tenths of a percentage point in June, the most recent month for which data are available. The index now stands at 125.5 (1990=100).
Adjusted for inflation, South Korea's GDP grew at an annual rate of 5% during this year's second quarter, three times as fast as the first quarter's 1.6% annual rate. "Although the strength in the leading index has moderated slightly since the beginning of the year, it suggests that this stronger economic growth should continue in the near term," says the Conference Board, a New York-based business research group.