Korea: Korean manufacturers see business conditions slightly deteriorating in April
Business conditions in the manufacturing sector are expected to ease to 73.0 in April from March’s 75.0, according to a survey of manufacturers conducted in March by the statistical office. As a result, sentiment moved further below the 100-threshold that separates pessimism from optimism among manufacturers. That said, despite the downtick, the reading remained one of the strongest since late 2021.
The slight deterioration was driven by weaker expectations among domestically-orientated firms. In contrast, expectations among export-orientated firms strengthened a touch.