SEOUL, April 23 -- Soaring semiconductor demand has driven South Korea's economy to its fastest growth in over five years, quarterly data from the central bank showed Thursday, as the Asian powerhouse brushed off risks from the Middle East war.

The country's gross domestic product (GDP) jumped 1.7 per cent in the January-March period compared to the prior three months, according to preliminary figures from the Bank of Korea (BOK).

It marked the fastest such expansion since the third quarter of 2020, when exports surged as Covid-19 lockdowns eased.

Growth was propelled by a 5.1 per cent jump in exports, led mainly by "IT items such as semiconductors", the BOK said.

"South Korea's economy expanded much more than we expected," Dave Chia,...