South Korea Q1 GDP Revised Up to 1.8% QoQ, Fastest Since Q3 2020
The Bank of Korea revised Q1 2026 GDP growth to +1.8% QoQ, the largest quarterly expansion since Q3 2020, led by facilities investment and semiconductor exports tied to global AI infrastructure.
South Korea's economy grew +1.8% quarter-on-quarter in Q1 2026, revised up from the preliminary +1.7% estimate, according to the Bank of Korea. This marks the fastest quarterly expansion since Q3 2020.
Facilities investment was the key driver, revised sharply higher to +6.6% QoQ from +4.8% previously. Private consumption rose +0.6% QoQ. Exports were also revised up to +5.9% QoQ from +5.1%, fueled by semiconductor demand tied to global AI infrastructure investment.
Year-on-year, GDP grew +3.8%, the largest increase since Q4 2021.
Source: The Kobeissi Letter