S . Korea ' s Q 1 GDP growth may accelerate : data SEOUL , April 5 ( Yonhap ) -- South Korea ' s economic growth for the first quarter of this year is expected to be faster than the fourth quarter of last year , fueled by robust exports , according to estimates by foreign investment banks Wednesday . Although the nation ' s industrial output fell in February , foreign banks , including Barclays , HSBC and Citibank , expected production to bounce back , helped by strong exports on improved global demand . The estimates , compiled by the Korea Center for International Finance , came as South Korea posted 13 . 7 percent growth in March exports . Bank of America predicted that South Korea ' s export growth would lead to a recovery in industrial production and facility investment , offsetting weakness in private consumption and the construction sector . JP Morgan expected South Korea ' s first - quarter economic growth to be higher than a quarter ago , led by exports . The Bank of Korea said last week that the nation ' s economy grew a seasonally adjusted 0 . 5 percent during the fourth quarter of last year , revising up an earlier estimate by 0 . 1 percentage point . The revised data showed that South Korea ' s economy grew 2 . 8 percent last year . ( END )