South Korea's economy rebounded in the first quarter to recover to levels seen before the outbreak of COVID-19.

According to the tentative data by the Bank of Korea(BOK) on Tuesday, the country's real gross domestic product(GDP) grew one-point-six percent in the first quarter from the previous quarter. 

South Korea's economy contracted one-point-three percent and three-point-two percent in the first and second quarter of last year, respectively, before expanding two-point-one percent in the third quarter and one-point-two percent in the fourth quarter.

The central bank had said that if the reading posts more than one-point-three percent in the first quarter, the economy is thought to have recovered to the level seen in the fourth quarter of 2019, before the epidemic.  

But the latest reading is significantly larger than one-point-three percent. 
  
The growth was partly supported by a recovery in private consumption in the first quarter, which grew one-point-one percent on-quarter.