S Korea growth slows as Mers dampens consumer spending

Seoul

GROWTH slowed in South Korea in the second quarter as the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) damped consumer spending in an economy that's already struggling with weak sentiment and an export slump.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 0.3 per cent in the three months through June from the previous quarter, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said on Thursday, compared with a 0.8 per cent gain in the first quarter. The economy expanded 2.2 per cent from a year earlier, below the 2.3 per cent gain forecast by economists.