Consumption in South Korea is on the rise, aided by measures such as livelihood consumption coupons, according to the finance ministry.

In the August edition of its monthly economic report, the Green Book, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said consumption has shifted to an upward trend, offering a positive assessment of domestic demand for the first time in over two years.

However, the ministry still noted concerns over delayed recovery in construction investment and a potential export slowdown due to U.S. tariffs.

For the first time in eight months, the report omitted the phrase “increasing downward pressure,” which had appeared monthly since January.

In June, the ministry had already softened the wording to “downward pressure remains” before dropping the reference altogether this month.