SEOUL, July 31 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's industrial output rebounded in June due to higher production of semiconductors and automobiles, statistical office data showed Thursday.
The seasonally-adjusted production index in all industries, which excludes the agriculture, livestock and fishery sector, rose 1.2 percent in June from a month earlier after sliding 0.7 percent in April and 1.1 percent in May, according to Statistics Korea.
Output among manufacturers gained 1.7 percent last month, turning around from a reduction of 3.4 percent in the previous month thanks to higher output in chips and cars.
Manufacturers posted an average capacity ratio of 72.4 percent in June, up 1.0 percentage point compared to the previous month.
Production in the construction industry jumped 6.7 percent in June on a monthly basis after retreating 3.0 percent in May.
Output in the service industry expanded 0.5 percent, and production in the public administration sector swelled 1.4 percent.
The retail sale index, which reflects private consumption, grew 0.5 percent in June compared to the previous month, after falling 0.1 percent in May.
Facility investment dipped 3.7 percent last month, keeping a downward trend for the fourth straight month.
The cyclical variation factor for leading economic indicators, which gauges the outlook for future economic situations, added 0.2 points over the month to 101.2 in June.
The reading for coincident economic indicators, which measures the current economic condition, slid 0.1 point to 98.4 in the cited month. ■
