South Korea's economic recovery is the sixth fastest among the Group of 20 economies in the second quarter, a report from the Ministry of Strategy and Finance said on Sunday.

South Korea, the fourth-largest economy in Asia, posted a 2.5-percent increase in its economic growth in the April-June period compared to the previous quarter, which is higher than the average growth for the 20 leading world economies at 2 percent.

Turkey led the pack with 6.4 percent growth, followed by Mexico (4.7 percent), Japan (3.9 percent), Germany (3.8 percent) and South Africa (3.4 percent), the report said.

But these five countries with higher growth rates than South Korea posted negative growth in the first quarter of this year, while Seoul had positive growth in the January-March period vis-a-vis the last three months of 2008, an official was quoted as saying.

In the first quarter of this year, South Korea's economy growth gained 0.1 percent.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday adjusted South Korean economic growth for 2009 to minus 1 percent from minus 1.8 percent made in August. It also revised up the country's economic growth for next year to 3.6 percent after a contraction of 1 percent this year, citing brisk exports and improving domestic demand. The IMF has earlier predicted in July a 2.5 percent growth next year, following a 3 percent contraction this year.

(Xinhua News Agency October 5, 2009)