Group 1 - The Business Sentiment Index (BSI) for South Korean companies is reported at 93.2 for September, indicating a pessimistic outlook as it remains below the baseline of 100 since April 2022, marking a record low [1] - The manufacturing sector's BSI is at 92.6, while the non-manufacturing sector is slightly better at 93.8, with several industries, including non-metallic materials and metal products, expected to remain sluggish [1] - The semiconductor industry has seen a significant decline, with the BSI for the "Electronics and Communication Equipment" sector dropping from 111.1 to 94.7, a decrease of 16.4 points [1] Group 2 - In the non-manufacturing sector, industries such as electricity, gas, and water (73.7), construction (83.7), and transportation and storage (95.5) are expected to continue underperforming [2] - Key economic indicators such as investment (90.6), domestic demand (91.7), and employment (93.2) are all in a low state, with the inventory index exceeding 100, indicating an oversupply [2] - A report from the Korea Chamber of Commerce highlights that 33.9% of companies cite "difficulties in financing" as their primary operational challenge, followed by tax rates (20.9%) and labor regulations (15.8%) [2] Group 3 - The decline in new business establishments in South Korea is attributed to weak consumer demand, poor restaurant industry performance, and a sluggish construction sector, with the accommodation and food services sector seeing a 14.7% year-on-year decrease [3] - The real estate sector has also experienced a 12.8% decline, while wholesale and retail sectors have contracted by 8.1% [3] - Conversely, the financial and insurance sectors have seen a 21.9% increase in new establishments, and professional and technical services have experienced a slight growth of 1.7% [3]