South Korea's manufacturing sector expanded in June for the seventh consecutive month, but the pace of growth decelerated as external demand softened.
The latest Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data indicates that while the sector remains in expansion territory, the momentum is fading amid weaker export orders.
The slowdown in Seoul mirrors a broader global pattern of industrial softening.
Recent data from the euro zone showed private sector activity contracting for a third straight month in June, although the rate of decline moderated.
Similarly, India's private sector expansion slowed to its weakest pace in three months, driven by a broad-based drop in demand across both manufacturing and services.
For traders, the divergence between continued expansion and slowing momentum in key Asian exporters like South Korea suggests that global growth headwinds are persisting.