Korea's economic recovery trend is strengthening, driven by robust exports and improving domestic consumption, the finance ministry said Friday. Amid lingering uncertainty stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, burdens on people's livelihoods persist, including inflationary pressures from high oil prices and difficult employment conditions for vulnerable groups and sectors, the Ministry of Finance and Economy said in its monthly economic assessment report, known as the Green Book. "Recently, the Korean economy has seen its recovery strengthen, with exports rising sharply and domestic demand, including consumption, showing signs of improvement," it added. The ministry upgraded its assessment of the economy in its latest report, describing the recovery as strengthening, compared with the previous month's assessment that it was solidifying. In July, South Korea's monthly exports surged 62.8 percent year-on-year to $98.9 billion, marking the second-largest monthly figure after the record $102.2 billion posted in June. Retail sales rose 2.7 percent in June from a month earlier on stron