Korea's fiscal balance improved in the first nine months of 2026 from a year earlier, helped by increased tax revenue on the back of strong corporate earnings, the budget ministry said Thursday. The managed fiscal balance, a key gauge of fiscal health calculated under stricter criteria, posted a deficit of 32 trillion won ($23.9 billion) as of the end of September, according to the Ministry of Planning and Budget, marking an improvement of 70.5 trillion won from the same period in 2025. Tax revenue reached 385 trillion won during the January-September period, up 95.4 trillion won from a year earlier. Corporate tax revenue rose by 51.9 trillion won on the back of strong earnings by domestic companies. Income tax revenue increased by 15.7 trillion won, driven by bonuses paid by domestic companies and an increase in housing transactions. Non-tax revenue and fund revenue increased by 9.3 trillion won and 19.9 trillion won, respectively, from a year earlier. Total government expenditures amounted to 584.9 trillion won during the nine-month period, up 40.7 trillion won from a year earlier. As of