South Korea’s GDP growth beats forecasts amid AI boom

What happened: South Korea's GDP grew 1 percent quarter-on-quarter and 3.4 percent year-on-year in the July-September quarter, beating the Bank of Korea's August forecast of 0.3 percent, on booming AI chip demand. Key numbers: GDP +1% QoQ, +3.4% YoY; forecast was 0.3%; exports +2.3% QoQ and about 45% of GDP; facilities investment +4.1%; IP investment +2.3%; construction Why it matters: The results put the economy on track for its biggest expansion in more than a decade, with the Finance Minister expecting 3.4-3.6 percent growth in 2026, the strongest since 2011 excluding the pandemic. Coverage: 5 outlets in 24h

South Korea's GDP grew 1 percent quarter-on-quarter and 3.4 percent year-on-year in the July-September quarter, beating the Bank of Korea's August forecast of 0.3 percent, on booming AI chip demand.

The results put the economy on track for its biggest expansion in more than a decade, with the Finance Minister expecting 3.4-3.6 percent growth in 2026, the strongest since 2011 excluding the pandemic.