SEOUL, 29th May, 2026 (WAM) -- South Korea's industrial output lost ground in April from a month earlier, data showed Friday, with retail sales and facility investment sliding amid economic uncertainties stemming from tensions in the Middle East.
Industrial production fell 0.6% last month from March, according to Yonhap News Agency, while citing data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
Output in the mining and manufacturing sector, a key pillar of the economy, shed 0.7 % from the previous month due to the sluggish performance of the automobile industry, whose output fell 10 %. Production in the chip sector, on the other hand, rose 3.1%.
The wholesale and retail segment also lost 1.5 %, although the information and telecommunications segment jumped 4.3 %.
Retail sales, a gauge of private spending, contracted 3.6 % over the period. The ministry said facility investment slid 3.6 % in April from a month earlier, due mainly to weaker investment in the aviation industry.
