ZCZC
BCN-34
S.KOREA-INDUSTRIAL-PRODUCTION
S.Korea’s industrial production rises 0.3 pct in May
SEOUL, June 29, 2018 (BSS/Xinhua) – Industrial production in South Korea
rose last month, keeping an upward trend for the second consecutive month
despite the lackluster consumption and investment, a government report showed
Friday.
Production in all industries grew 0.3 percent in May from a month earlier,
after expanding 1.5 percent in the previous month, according to Statistics
Korea.
Output in the mining and manufacturing industries gained 1.1 percent in
the month due to growth in the auto and communications equipment that offset
reduction in the semiconductor sector.
Manufacturers posted an average factory utilization rate of 73.9 percent
in May, up 1.5 percentage points from the previous month.
Production in the services industry was down 0.1 percent on soft demand
for the information and communications services that offset solid demand for
healthcare and social welfare services.
Retail sales, which reflect private consumption, declined 1 percent in May
from a month ago, keeping a downward momentum for two months in a row.
Facility investment slumped 3.2 percent last month on weak activities in
the semiconductor equipment and transport equipment sectors.
BSS/XINHUA/HR/1425