FX.co ★ South Korea Retail Sales Edge Up in May

Retail sales in South Korea inched up 0.1% month-on-month in May 2026, marking a slight rebound from a downwardly revised 3.5% decline in April, the steepest drop since July 2020. The modest recovery was mainly supported by stronger sales of vehicle fuel and cosmetics. On a year-on-year basis, retail sales rose 1.7% in May, after a 1.6% increase in the previous month. As a key indicator of private consumption, these figures suggest that household spending regained some momentum in May, although the marginal monthly gain indicates that overall consumer demand remained relatively weak.