Seoul: Industrial output, retail sales, and facility investment in the Republic of Korea all recorded monthly gains in March, according to official data released on Thursday. This marked the first time since last September that all three indicators posted on-month growth.
According to Emirates News Agency, industrial production edged up 0.3 percent last month, marking the second consecutive month of increase, as per data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. Output in the mining and manufacturing sector, a key pillar of the economy, rose 0.3 percent from the previous month.
However, semiconductor production fell 8.1 percent from a month earlier. Production of refined petroleum products also dropped 6.3 percent. Retail sales, a gauge of private spending, rose 1.8 percent over the cited period, the ministry said. Facility investment also increased 1.5 percent on-month.