Not all oil shocks are alike and symmetric for economic growth: evidence from Korea

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study’s primary contribution lies in conducting a comprehensive evaluation of how oil supply and demand shocks affect Korea’s economic growth, particularly emphasizing the role of uncertainty in global trade policies. Our research is primarily motivated by the desire to comprehend how various oil-related shocks impact a highly oil-import-dependent advanced economy like Korea, especially amid the fluctuating landscape of global trade policies. Employing a multi-step methodology that includes Structural Vector Autoregression (SVAR), Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL), and Nonlinear ARDL models, we delve into an extensive analysis spanning from 1998:Q1 to 2021:Q4. Our findings reveal that Korea’s economic growth is primarily influenced by aggregate and oil-specific demand shocks rather than oil supply shocks in the short and long term. Additionally, we observe an asymmetric influence of aggregate demand and oil-specific demand shocks on Korea’s long-term growth. However, such asymmetry is not evident across these three shock types in the short term. Lastly, we underscore the significant role of global trade policy uncertainty in assessing the impact of oil prices on Korea’s economic expansion. Our study’s unique focus on oil supply and demand shocks alongside policy uncertainty distinguishes it, emphasizing its distinct contribution to the field.