May 25, 2026 -
By Park So-jeong, ChosunBiz
Analysts say Korea's economy, after passing through the 12th business cycle that continued during the COVID-19 period, has effectively entered the 13th expansion phase. A business cycle refers to a pattern in which the economy expands and then contracts. This expansion, however, is heavily led by the semiconductor and ICT (information and communication technology) sectors. Some note the length of this expansion could vary depending on whether the semiconductor boom spreads to jobs, consumption and investment across the board.