2018.10.3020:45:00UTC+00South Korea Industrial Output Slides 2.5% In September

Industrial production in South Korea fell a seasonally adjusted 2.5 percent on month in September, Statistics Korea said on Wednesday.

That follows the downwardly revised 1.3 percent gain in August (originally 1.4 percent).

On a yearly basis, industrial production tumbled 8.4 percent following the downwardly revised 2.5 percent increase in the previous month (originally 6.0 percent).

The Index of all industry production in September fell 1.3 percent on month and 4.8 percent on year.

The Manufacturing Production Index in September shed 2.1 percent on month and 8.9 percent on year. The Manufacturing Shipment Index eased 0.7 percent on month and 9.0 percent on year. The Manufacturing Inventory Index dropped 1.2 percent on month but increased 4.9 percent on year.

The Production Capacity Index added 0.1 percent on month but fell 1.9 percent on year. The Index of Capacity Utilization Rate slipped 2.4 percent on month and 7.9 percent on year.

The Manufacturing Average Capacity Utilization Rate in September was 73.9 percent, down 1.8 percentage points from the previous month. The Index of Services was flat on month but fell 1.4 percent on year. The Retail Sales Index fell 2.2 percent on month but added 0.5 percent on year.

The Equipment Investment Index climbed 2.9 percent on month but plunged 19.3 percent on year. The Domestic Machinery Shipment Index slid 13.2 percent on year, while the value of Domestic Machinery Orders Received added 1.9 percent on year.

The value of Construction Completed at constant prices fell 3.8 percent on month and 16.6 percent on year. The value of Construction Orders Received at current prices dropped an annual 6.6 percent.

The Composite Coincident Index was flat on month, while the Cyclical Component of Composite Coincident Index, which reflects current economic situations, eased 0.3 points from the previous month.

The Composite Leading Index in September added 0.2 percent from the previous month. The Cyclical Component of Composite Leading Index, which predicts the turning point in business cycle, lost 0.2 points from the previous month.

The bureau also said that retail sales in South Korea had fallen 2.2 percent on month and gained 0.5 percent on year in September. That followed the 0.1 percent monthly increase and the 5.9 percent yearly gain in August.