South Korea’s Ministry of Economy and Finance said the economy is maintaining a steady recovery, supported by strong exports and investment, but consumption has stalled and inflation has risen above 3%. In the September edition of its monthly Green Book, released on the 11th, the ministry maintained its positive assessment after describing the recovery as continuing in June, firming in July and strengthening in August. August exports rose 68.7% year-on-year, led by semiconductors, computers and cosmetics, while average daily exports increased 72.5% to $4.47 billion. Facility investment rose 7.5% in July from the previous month. Retail sales fell 2.4% and services output declined 1.3% in July, while all-industry output was flat month-on-month. The ministry said uncertainty related to the war in the Middle East and U.S. tariff measures had expanded from the previous month. Consumer prices rose 3.1% in August, core inflation reached 3.4%, and consumer sentiment weakened even as business sentiment improved. Employment increased by 184,000 year-on-year, but employment among young adults fell 143,000, with manufacturing and construction jobs also declining. The government plans measures to stabilize household conditions before Chuseok and a second-half growth strategy focused on potential growth and polarization.