South Korea's economy is still in a downturn despite some improvements in major indicators, a state-run think tank said in its monthly report released Thursday.
  
"Some indicators have recently shown mild improvements, but the country's overall economy still appears to remain in a slump," the Korea Development Institute (KDI) said.
   
The KDI noted the recent increase in exports, as well as real estate transactions, may indicate improvements in the whole economy.
  
"However, indicators that reflect the country's output still remains weak while those related to domestic consumptions also show sluggish movements," it said.
  
The report said a 12.7 percent on-year increase in corporate investment in September helped boost overall spending, but a slowdown in the growth of consumer spending was a drag on domestic demand.
   
Growing uncertainties in the global market might be another hurdle to a recovery in the local economy, it said.
  
"Following a heightened awareness of possible downside risks in the global market, currency volatility in the financial market has expanded," the report said. "And we cannot rule out the possibility of the resulting global economic downturn working as an obstacle to the country's own economic recovery." (Yonhap)