[Economy 365]

Manufacturing business sentiment has improved for the third consecutive month, driven by strong IT exports, particularly in semiconductors.

According to the Bank of Korea, the Business Survey Index (BSI) for the manufacturing sector in June stood at 101.2, up 0.4 points from the previous month.

This improvement is attributed to better financial conditions and an increase in new orders, fueled by strong performance from semiconductor and component manufacturers in the electronics, video, and communications equipment sectors.

The manufacturing BSI has maintained an upward trend since April, remaining above the long-term average of 100 for two consecutive months.

In contrast, the business sentiment index for the non-manufacturing sector fell by 2.1 points to 95.4.

The arts, leisure, sports, and service industries, as well as the accommodation sector, showed sluggish performance due to the base effect following the peak demand during the "Family Month" of May.

However, the outlook for next month shows a decline for both manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors, with the overall business sentiment index for all industries projected to fall to 95.2.

*This article was produced using AI audio.