FX.co ★ South Korea Business Confidence Eases

South Korea’s Business Survey Index (BSI) for the manufacturing sector slipped to 72 in February, down from 73 in January. Within manufacturing, production fell to 85 from 87, new orders declined to 81 from 83, inventories eased to 100 from 102, and the financial situation weakened slightly to 80 from 81. In contrast, the Economic Sentiment Index (ESI)—which integrates the BSI with the Consumer Survey Index—rose to 98.8 in February, up 4.8 points from January, indicating a modest improvement in overall economic confidence.