The manufacturing sector in South Korea continued to contract in April, albeit at a slower pace, the latest survey from Nikkei revealed on Tuesday with a manufacturing PMI score of 49.4.
That's up from 48.4 in March, although it remains beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.
Among the individual components, the index saw its fastest decline in new export orders in six months amid reports of reduced Chinese trade.
Production continued to fall while job cuts persisted. Input price inflation fell to a five-month low.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.