NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for Korea increased 0.2 percent in November to 121.5 (2004 = 100), following a 0.7 percent increase in October, and a 0.8 percent increase in September.

At the same time, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) for Korea, a measure of current economic activity, increased 0.6 percent in November to 117.2 (2004 = 100), following a 0.2 percent decrease in October, and a 0.4 percent increase in September.

The LEI for Korea has rebounded in the last three months after declining in the previous two quarters, and as a result its six-month change has returned to positive territory. Meanwhile, The CEI for Korea also increased in November, but its six-month growth rate has slowed compared to earlier this year. The recent improvement in the LEI and its components suggests that the rate of economic growth may pick up slightly in the coming months.

About The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® (LEI) for Korea

The composite economic indexes are the key elements in an analytic system designed to signal peaks and troughs in the business cycle. The leading and coincident economic indexes are essentially composite averages of several individual leading or coincident indicators. They are constructed to summarize and reveal common turning point patterns in economic data in a clearer and more convincing manner than any individual component – primarily because they smooth out some of the volatility of individual components.

The seven components of The Conference Board Leading Economic Index^® for Korea include:

Stock Prices
Value of Machinery Orders
Letter of Credit Arrivals
Index of Shipments to Inventories
Export FOB
Yield of Government Public Bonds
Private Construction Orders

For more information including full press release and technical notes:
http://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=6

For more information about The Conference Board global business cycle indicators: http://www.conference-board.org/data/bci.cfm

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is an independent business membership and research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world's leading organizations with the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States.  www.conference-board.org.

SOURCE The Conference Board