South Korean business sentiment improved for September while household sentiment weakened in August. The Federation of Korean Industries' Business Survey Index rose to 102.0 from 91.5 in August, moving above the 100 baseline for the first time in six months among the country's 600 largest companies by revenue. The Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade's manufacturing Professional Survey Index also reached 107 in August, up 12 points from July and above 100 for the first time since May, supported by exports. The FKI said manufacturing and non-manufacturing outlooks both turned positive for the first time since October 2021, while domestic-demand and export expectations reached 100.3 and 100.9, respectively. In contrast, the Bank of Korea's Consumer Sentiment Index fell 2.3 points to 104.5 in August, its first decline in four months, as a 24.6% July drop in the Kospi, accumulated inflation and employment concerns weighed on households. Consumer-price inflation eased to 2.8% in July from 3.2% in June, but one-year inflation expectations held at 2.7%. South Korean exports remained robust, rising 63% year on year in July to the country's second-largest monthly level, driven by memory-chip demand.