The Conference Board(R) Korea Business Cycle Indicators(SM)

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index(TM) (LEI) for Korea and Related
Composite Economic Indexes for September 2009

NEW YORK, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board Leading Economic
Index(TM) (LEI) for Korea increased 2.3 percent and The Conference Board
Coincident Economic Index(TM) (CEI) for Korea increased 0.9 percent in
September.

-- The Conference Board LEI for Korea increased sharply in September,
following a small decline in August. The strengths among the leading
indicators were very widespread this month, as all of them made
positive
contributions to the index. With the gain in September, the growth in
the leading economic index has accelerated to 7.1 percent (about a
14.8
percent annual rate) in the six-month period through September 2009, a
sharp reversal from the decline of 8.6 percent (about a -16.4 percent
annual rate) for the previous six months, and the highest six-month
growth rate since August 1999. In addition, the strengths among the
leading indicators have remained widespread in recent months.
-- The Conference Board CEI for Korea, a measure of current economic
activity, also increased in September. All of the coincident
indicators
advanced this month. In the six-month period through September, the
coincident economic index increased by 3.3 percent (a 6.8 percent
annual
rate), a large improvement over the 2.9 percent decline (about a -5.6
percent annual rate) for the previous six months. At the same time,
real
GDP has continued to expand, by 12.3 percent (annual rate) in the
third
quarter of 2009, following a 5.6 percent average annual rate in the
first half of the year.

-- The Conference Board LEI and The Conference Board CEI for Korea have
both risen sharply this year, and their growth rates have picked up in
recent months. Taken together, the current behavior of the composite
indexes and their components suggests that the recovery in economic
activity will continue in the near term.

LEADING INDICATORS. All seven components that make up The Conference Board
LEI for Korea increased in September. The positive contributors - from the
largest positive contributor to the smallest - were the (inverted) index of
inventories to shipments, private construction orders, value of machinery
orders, stock prices, real exports FOB, letter of credit arrivals, and the
(inverted) yield of government public bonds.

With the 2.3 percent increase in September, The Conference Board LEI for Korea
now stands at 108.3 (2004=100). Based on revised data, this index declined
0.3 percent in August and increased 1.5 percent in July. During the six-month
span through September, the leading economic index increased 7.1 percent, with
six of the seven components advancing (diffusion index, six-month span equals
85.7 percent).

COINCIDENT INDICATORS. All four components that make up The Conference Board
CEI for Korea increased in September. The positive contributors - in order
from the largest positive contributor to the smallest - were industrial
production, the wholesale and retail sales component, total employment, and
monthly cash earnings.

With the 0.9 percent increase in September, The Conference Board CEI for Korea
now stands at 108.9 (2004=100). Based on revised data, this index increased
0.2 percent in August and remained unchanged in July. During the six-month
span through September, the coincident economic index increased 3.3 percent,
with three of the four components advancing (diffusion index, six-month span
equals 75.0 percent).

DATA AVAILABILITY. The data series used to compute The Conference Board
Leading Economic Index(TM) (LEI) and The Conference Board Coincident Economic
Index(TM) (CEI) for Korea reported in this release are those available "as of"
10 A.M. (ET) on November 11, 2009.

* The series in the coincident economic index based on The Conference Board's
estimates is monthly cash earnings.
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Summary Table of Composite Economic Indexes

2009 6-month
Jul Aug Sep Mar to Sep
------- ------- ------ ----------
Leading Economic index (LEI) 106.2 r 105.9 r 108.3
Percent Change 1.5 r -0.3 2.3 7.1
Diffusion 78.6 r 57.1 92.9 85.7

Coincident Economic Index (CEI) 107.7 p 107.9 p 108.9 p
Percent Change 0.0 p 0.2 p 0.9 p 3.3 p
Diffusion 25.0 50.0 100.0 75.0

n.a. Not available p Preliminary r Revised

Indexes equal 100 in 2004

Source: The Conference Board All Rights Reserved

For more information visit our Website:
www.conference-board.org/economics/bci/

The next release is scheduled for Friday, December 11, 2009 at 10:00 A.M.
(KST)

In the U.S - Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 8:00 P.M (EST)

SOURCE The Conference Board

Professional Contacts at The Conference Board, Indicator Program:
+1-212-339-0330, or Media Contact: Frank Tortorici: +1-908-875-8908