South Korea recorded the lowest economic growth among 19 major economies in the first quarter.

According to the Bank of Korea on Sunday, the country's real gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by zero-point-246 percent in the January-March period compared to the previous quarter.

This marked the weakest performance among the 19 major nations that have released their first-quarter growth figures, including the United States, Canada, France, Germany and China.

Ireland posted the highest growth rate at three-point-219 percent, followed by China at one-point-two percent and Indonesia at one-point-124 percent.

Canada, Italy, Germany and France – all of which have larger economies than South Korea – recorded positive growth.

The United States, the world's largest economy, shrank by zero-point-069 percent due to its own tariff policies, though the decline was far less severe than South Korea's contraction.