The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Korea increased 0.1 percent in February to 121.2 (2004 = 100), following a 1.1 percent decline in January, and a 0.4 percent decline in December.
At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for Korea, a measure of current economic activity, increased 0.3 percent in February to 118.5 (2004 = 100), following a 0.7 percent increase in January and a 0.1 percent decline in December.
The LEI for Korea has been essentially flat for more than two years despite month-to-month volatility. Although the six-month change in the LEI remained positive in February, the rate of growth is down from the last quarter of 2013. Meanwhile, The CEI for Korea improved in February, and its six-month growth rate increased slightly. Taken together, the somewhat subdued growth in both the LEI and CEI in recent months continues to suggest that the rate of economic growth is unlikely to improve rapidly in the near term.
