The diffusion index of coincident indicators, which gauge the current state of the economy, remained above the boom-or-bust line of 50 percent in January for the seventh straight month, according to the Economic Planning Agency.

In its preliminary report released Tuesday, the EPA said that the coincident DI -- which includes such indicators as industrial production and the ratio of job offers to job seekers -- stood at 87.5 percent in the reporting month.

In contrast, the DI of lagging indicators, which mirror the state of the economy in the recent past, was poor, said Yoshihiko Seno, head of the agency's Business Statistics Research Division.