S. Korea's GDP expands 1 pct in Q3 on strong exports, investment: BOK

What happened: South Korea's real GDP rose 1 percent in the third quarter from the previous quarter, driven by strong exports and investment, according to advance data from the Bank of Korea. Key numbers: Q3 growth 1 percent, up from 0.6 percent in the prior quarter and above the BOK's August forecast of 0.3 percent. GDP grew 1 percent in 2025. Q1 2026 growth was 1.8 percent, the strongest since 2.2 percent in Q3 2020. Why it matters: The reading exceeded the central bank's own forecast, with growth attributed to the AI infrastructure boom and global semiconductor demand.

South Korea's real GDP rose 1 percent in the third quarter from the previous quarter, driven by strong exports and investment, according to advance data from the Bank of Korea.

The reading exceeded the central bank's own forecast, with growth attributed to the AI infrastructure boom and global semiconductor demand.