(LEAD) S. Korea's fiscal deficit at smallest in 8 yrs through Aug.: budget ministry

SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea logged the smallest fiscal deficit through August in eight years on the back of strong tax revenue growth driven by higher incomes and an increase in home transactions, the budget ministry said Thursday.

The managed fiscal balance, a key gauge of fiscal health calculated under stricter criteria, posted a deficit of 43 trillion won (US$32 billion) as of the end of August, according to the Ministry of Planning and Budget, marking an improvement of 45.3 trillion won from the same period in 2025.

The end-August tally marks the lowest since a fiscal deficit of 12 trillion won during the same period of 2018, according to the ministry.

Tax revenue reached 329.9 trillion won during the January-August period, up 69.1 trillion won from a year earlier.

Corporate tax revenue rose by 28.2 trillion won on the back of strong earnings by domestic companies.

Income tax revenue increased by 14.4 trillion won, driven by bonuses paid by domestic companies and a rise in home transactions.

Securities transaction tax revenue rose by 7 trillion won during the period amid higher trading volume in the market.

Non-tax revenue and fund revenue increased by 9.2 trillion won and 32 trillion won, respectively, from a year earlier.

Total government expenditures amounted to 524.7 trillion won during the eight-month period, up 39.3 trillion won from a year earlier.

As of the end of August, the central government's outstanding debt stood at 1,372.1 trillion won, up 17.9 trillion won from a month earlier.

sam@yna.co.kr
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