South Korea 2025 growth slowed to 1.0%, the weakest pace since 2020, supported by solid exports but weighed down by a sharp fall in construction investment, preliminary Bank of Korea data showed. The economy unexpectedly contracted 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in October–December, its first contraction in six months and the weakest since late 2022, missing the central bank’s prior forecast for a small expansion. Construction investment fell 3.9% from the prior quarter, while expor