South Korea's finance ministry on Tuesday raised its 2026 GDP growth forecast to
3%, one percentage point higher than its prior estimate, citing a
semiconductor-sector "supercycle" and eased Middle East-related uncertainty. The
revision, published in the ministry's H2 2026 economic policy plan, is above the
IMF/OECD/ADB consensus of 2.6%. First Vice Minister Lee Hyoung-il said other
agencies relied on March–April data, while the ministry's assessment uses more
recent data showing export strength driven by the semiconductor boom and further
easing in Middle East tensions.
