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Consumer sentiment rebounds amid signs of economic improvement

Published: 23 Jan. 2026, 09:19

Korean bourse Kospi surpasses the 5,000 mark for the first time on the morning of Jan. 22. Numbers are shown at a digital board in Hana Bank in Jung District, central Seoul, as dealers celebrate the historic moment. [YONHAP]

Korea's consumer sentiment rebounded in January, supported by a strong stock market, robust exports and other signs of economic improvement, the central bank said Friday.

The composite consumer sentiment index stood at 110.8 in January, up 1 point from December, according to a survey by the Bank of Korea (BOK).

The rebound follows the index's sharpest monthly drop in a year in December, when it fell 2.5 points amid inflationary pressures and a weak Korean won. A reading above 100 indicates that optimists outnumber pessimists, while a figure below 100 suggests the opposite.

"The rebound was attributable to signs of economic expansion, including rising exports, an improvement in private consumption and a strong stock market, as well as growing expectations for the government's economic growth strategies," BOK official Lee Hye-young said.

The benchmark Kospi posted a 75.6 percent gain in 2025, topping all Group of 20 and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member countries.

The upward trend has continued this year, with the index breaking above 5,000 intraday for the first time on Thursday.

The country's real GDP ― a key measure of economic growth ― rose 1 percent in 2025, and the BOK expects the economy to expand 1.8 percent this year.

Yonhap