SEOUL, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's industrial output rebounded in November due mainly to higher production of semiconductors and electronic components, statistical ministry data showed Tuesday.
The seasonally-adjusted production index in all industries, which excludes the agriculture, livestock and fishery sector, rose 0.9 percent in November from a month earlier after dropping 2.7 percent in the previous month, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
The turnaround was attributable to strong demand for chips and electronic parts, of which the production expanded 7.5 percent and 5 percent each in the cited month.
Output among manufacturers gained 0.7 percent in November on a monthly basis after going down 1 percent in September and 4.2 percent in October.
Output in the construction industry grew 6.6 percent in November, rebounding from a drop of 21.1 percent in October.
Production in the service industry climbed 0.7 percent, while output in the public administration sector swelled 0.5 percent.
The retail sale index, which reflects private consumption, plunged 3.3 percent in November on a monthly basis after mounting 3.6 percent in October.
Consumer spending worsened last month as the positive impact of the Chuseok holiday, a South Korean version of Thanksgiving Day, wore off, ending the seasonal surge in domestic demand.
The cyclical variation factor for leading economic indicators, which gauges the outlook for future economic situations, added 0.3 points to 102.5 in November compared to the previous month.
The reading for coincident economic indicators, which measures the current economic condition, slipped 0.4 points to 98.6 in the cited month. ■
