South Korea May export price index YoY 46.9%; prior reading revised to 41.3% from 40.8%.

CPCA secretary-general Cui Dongshu wrote that national passenger-vehicle inventory at end‑May 2026 was 3.48 mln units, down 60k MoM and up 30k YoY; manufacturer inventories make up 30.3%, a relatively high share. CPCA optimism for May was 27%; early‑June post‑May satisfaction was 26%, with high oil prices cited as the main adverse factor. The team's optimism for June dropped to 31%, a recent historical low. Inventory at pure new‑energy vehicle manufacturers rose to 790k units in May, up 40k MoM, 10k above the Nov‑2025 peak but down 80k YoY from 870k in May‑2025. OEM and dealer channel inventories for NEVs are facing retail demand below expectations, leaving elevated industry inventory pressure.

China's National Bureau of Statistics said May economic activity was broadly stable and continued shifting toward new, higher-quality growth. Production and supply rose modestly; employment and consumer prices were broadly stable; external trade showed continued resilience; new growth drivers strengthened. More proactive macro policies helped offset external shocks, supporting overall stability and structural improvement.