Korea is lagging behind in global competition to enhance the productivity and employment of manufacturing industries, experts here say.Asia’s fourth-largest economy saw its manufacturing sector’s proportion of gross domestic product shrink from 31.36 percent in 2011 to 29.33 percent in 2016, according to data from the World Bank. The corresponding figure for member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development rose by 1.1 percentage points on average over the ci

Concerns are growing over the long-term prospects for Korea’s exports, which have supported its economic growth in recent years amid sluggish domestic demand and industrial activity.Mainly on the back of a rise in global trade, Asia’s fourth-largest economy had extended the streak of on-year monthly increases in exports to 18 months before its outbound shipments fell 1.5 percent from a year earlier in April.Trade officials attributed the decline partly to a base effect from an unusua

The parliamentary move to revise the labor act to expand the scope of the minimum wage marks a rare legislative step that works against the interests of waged workers in the country.Under an agreement reached last week by lawmakers on the parliamentary labor committee, monthly bonuses and lodging and transportation expenses will be gradually incorporated into minimum wage calculations by 2024. Next year, monthly bonuses that exceed 25 percent of the minimum wage and lodging and transportation ex

In view of his publicized remarks, there seems to be no reason to doubt President Moon Jae-in’s will to push for innovation-driven growth by lifting regulations.On several occasions in the past months, Moon has called for drastic regulatory reforms, describing them as a foundation for innovation-led growth.Regrettably, his professed will has not led his administration to take substantive action.Moon expressed his discontent with what has been done so far in a meeting held last week to check the

Key economic officials have recently expressed different views on the performance of the Korean economy, leaving market watchers confused about their intended policy direction. Last week saw the three top economic aides to President Moon Jae-in and the central bank head strike different tones on the current state of the economy and the effect of minimum wage hikes on employment.Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon, who concurrently serves as deputy prime minister for economic affairs, came forward Thu

Concerns are deepening that the planned implementation of reduced work hours unaccompanied by specific guidelines and supplementary measures will add to difficulties faced by local companies, pushing them further to move production abroad.Under the labor law revision passed by the National Assembly in February, the maximum workweek will be reduced from 68 hours to 52 hours in three stages, starting from July 1 at companies with 300 employees or more. The shortened workweek will be applied to fir

Korea is unlikely to be significantly affected by the spreading financial instability in emerging market countries but it must not let its guard down, analysts say.There are growing concerns that capital outflow from emerging economies with weak fundamentals will accelerate in the coming months, as they are being hit by the strengthening of the dollar amid the rise in US interest rates and oil prices. Prompted by the prospect that low unemployment and high oil prices will push inflation above it

Recent economic data have pointed to the weakening vitality of the Korean economy, raising questions about the possibility it will grow more than 3 percent this year as predicted by policymakers.The country saw all economic indicators except for retail sales take a negative turn in March, the latest month for which official data are available.Economists here caution that the supply side of the Korean economy is falling apart as its key traditional manufacturing industries are losing competitiven

A year into his five-year term, President Moon Jae-in is finding public support for his economic policies far lower than his high approval ratings.A survey of 1,002 Korean adults conducted by Gallup Korea earlier this month showed 83 percent gave a positive appraisal of his overall job performance.But only 47 percent said he was doing well in the economic area, down from 52 percent six months after his inauguration on May 10 last year.What should be taken more seriously by Moon and his economic

With a thaw in inter-Korean relations raising expectations for possible infrastructure projects in the North, concerns are growing over decreasing budgets set aside to build and refurbish social overhead capital in the South.It is still too early to discuss economic cooperation with North Korea as there remain many hurdles to its denuclearization that would be rewarded with the lifting of international sanctions on the impoverished regime. If the North would eventually take steps to scrap its nu

Korea’s unemployment problem has continued to worsen in recent years, with all other major economies seeing their job markets tightening in keeping with robust growth.According to data from Statistics Korea and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the country’s unemployment rate rose from 3.5 percent in 2014 to 3.7 percent in 2017, while the average jobless rate of 34 OECD members dropped from 7.4 percent to 5.8 percent over the same period.What should be noted

Concerns over the possibility of capital outflow amid a widening gap between interest rates in Korea and the US are being eased by the strengthening of the won against the dollar.Earlier this month, the Bank of Korea held steady its key rate at 1.5 percent despite a decision by the US Federal Reserve in March to raise its policy rate by a quarter percentage point to a range of 1.5 percent to 1.75 percent.A weakening increase in consumer prices, growing household debt and worsening conditions for

This year’s sharp increase in the minimum wage applied to all workplaces around the country is pushing many small companies to cut their payrolls to cope with labor costs.The number of people receiving unemployment benefits reached a record high of 628,433 in the first quarter of the year, according to recent data from the state-run Korea Employment Information Service.The figure marks a 6.9 percent rise from a year earlier. Government officials claim the increasing number of unemployment

Policymakers and private economists remain different in their forecasts on how fast the Korean economy will grow this year, following last year’s expansion of 3.1 percent.Most private research institutes here expect the 2018 growth rate to hover below the government-set target of 3 percent.A monthly report released by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance last week said Korea’s economy is maintaining a recovery momentum on the back of brisk exports and increased facility investment an

A slump in private consumption and worsening unemployment are raising questions about the relevance of the Moon Jae-in administration’s income-led growth policy.According to data released by the Bank of Korea last week, the ratio of personal consumption expenditures to the country’s gross domestic product stood at 48.1 percent last year, the lowest since related data began being compiled in 1970.The ratio, which hovered above 70 percent in the 1970s, slid to 53.8 percent in 2000, 49.

Concerns are growing over the negative impact of the strengthening won on Korea’s exports, with expectations also being raised that a rise in the value of the currency will help boost investment and consumption.The value of the won gained 1.16 percent against the US dollar over the past two weeks to close at 1,069.6 won per dollar in the Seoul foreign exchange market Friday.It marked the second-steepest appreciation among the currencies of Group of 20 major economies following Mexico&rsquo

Concerns over Korea’s mounting state liabilities and debt are being deepened by the Moon Jae-in administration’s push to hire a massive number of public sector workers and expand government spending beyond limits set by an existing fiscal management plan.Korea saw its state liabilities for pensions paid to retired public employees and debt owed by central and regional governments more than double over the past six years to exceed 1,500 trillion won ($1.42 trillion) combined last year

Recent economic data show a modest recovery in the country’s economy that has fallen short of boosting employment and improving people’s livelihoods.Underlying the trend is a widening polarization between large and small companies and between exporting and domestically focused firms, experts say.What is further concerning is the economy is set to face severe downside risks in the latter half of this year when the impact from deteriorating external and internal conditions will begin b

Korea is moving to free itself of the possibility of being designated by the US as a currency manipulator, which remains an uncertain factor for its exporters after the two countries this week reached an agreement on amending their bilateral free trade deal and exempting Korea from US steel tariffs.The Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Bank of Korea said in a joint statement earlier this month they had studied plans to advance the foreign exchange market in the country.No decision has bee

Negotiations with China and Japan on a trilateral free trade agreement could provide Korea with a framework instrumental in coping with rising global protectionism, experts say.Intensifying trade conflicts between the US and China might get Beijing to be more positive on reaching the three-way accord, which would create the world’s third-largest trade bloc after the North American Free Trade Agreement and the EU.The three Northeast Asian countries combined accounted for 23.3 percent of glo