{"id":2208436,"date":"2025-02-21T08:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T23:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2208436"},"modified":"2025-02-20T12:54:51","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T03:54:51","slug":"south-koreas-consumer-sentiment-rises-in-february-but-data-masks-bigger-dangers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/02\/south-koreas-consumer-sentiment-rises-in-february-but-data-masks-bigger-dangers\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea\u2019s consumer sentiment rises in February but data masks bigger dangers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Korea\u2019s consumer sentiment index rose to 95.2 in February, up 4.0 points from the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/01\/south-koreas-consumer-confidence-rises-but-remains-below-long-term-average\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">previous month<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, according to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bok.or.kr\/portal\/bbs\/B0000501\/view.do?nttId=10089845&amp;searchCnd=1&amp;searchKwd=&amp;depth2=200038&amp;depth3=201263&amp;depth=201263&amp;pageUnit=10&amp;pageIndex=1&amp;programType=newsData&amp;menuNo=201264&amp;oldMenuNo=201263\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">data<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday. The improvement follows a sharp drop in December, when consumer confidence fell to 88.2 amid heightened political uncertainty following President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s martial law declaration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The survey, conducted from Feb. 6 to 13, showed modest gains in household income and spending expectations, while inflation expectations declined slightly to 2.7% for the next year, down 0.1 percentage points from January. However, the index remains below the long-term average of 100, indicating that consumers remain pessimistic about economic conditions compared to historical trends. Sentiment on job opportunities, interest rates and real estate prices remained fragile, with the housing price expectation index falling to 99, its lowest level in months.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>WHY IT MATTERS<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rebound in consumer sentiment does not indicate recovery. While consumer sentiment has improved from its December low point, it remains well below pre-crisis levels, reflecting continued uncertainty among South Korean consumers. Thursday\u2019s data reflects a correction from that plunge, not renewed consumer confidence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ongoing political instability and external economic risks are likely weighing on consumer sentiment. Further, the BOK\u2019s survey was conducted before markets could fully react to key developments such as Donald Trump\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/02\/trumps-tariffs-hit-south-korean-steel-hard-as-us-trade-war-expands\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">25% tariff on steel and aluminum<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and China\u2019s latest rare earth metal <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/02\/south-korea-faces-supply-chain-shock-as-china-restricts-rare-metal-exports\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">export control measures<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Given these factors, business and investor sentiment could shift abruptly in March, rendering the February data outdated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Korea faces rising risks of stagflation and policy paralysis. While inflation expectations have moderated slightly, growth forecasts for 2025 have been revised downward, with Morgan Stanley cutting its projection to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/01\/morgan-stanley-slashes-south-koreas-2025-growth-outlook-to-1-5\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1.5%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Household debt remains a major concern, and the BOK has limited policy space given the U.S. Federal Reserve\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/01\/fed-holds-rates-steady-putting-south-korea-in-a-bind\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recent rate freeze<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and increasing U.S. tariff threats. The economy is at risk of entering a phase where inflation remains stubborn while growth and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/01\/job-market-struggles-highlight-south-koreas-economic-vulnerabilities-in-2025\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">job numbers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> stagnate, limiting policy options for the interim government or the next administration.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-tags\"><a href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/tag\/business-economy\/\"><span class=\"tag\">Business &amp; Economy<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Korea\u2019s consumer sentiment index rose to 95.2 in February, up 4.0 points from the previous month, according to data released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday. The improvement follows a sharp drop in December, when consumer confidence fell to 88.2 amid heightened political uncertainty following President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s martial law declaration. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2208437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[24],"class_list":["post-2208436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-briefings","tag-business-economy"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>South Korea\u2019s consumer sentiment rises in February but data masks bigger dangers - Korea Pro<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/02\/south-koreas-consumer-sentiment-rises-in-february-but-data-masks-bigger-dangers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"South Korea\u2019s consumer sentiment rises in February but data masks bigger dangers - Korea Pro\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"South Korea\u2019s consumer sentiment index rose to 95.2 in February, up 4.0 points from the previous month, according to data released by the Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday. 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