Ahn Hyung-joon, deputy director-general for economic trend data at Statistics Korea, on Oct. 30 holds a media briefing on monthly industrial statistics for September at Government Complex-Sejong. (Yonhap News)

By Xu Aiying and Yoon Sojung

Industrial production, consumption and investment all saw increases last month for the first time in three months.

Statistics Korea on Oct. 30 said in its report on September's industrial activity trends that industrial output grew 2.3% last month from August thanks to higher production in mining and manufacturing, services and construction. Such growth had been 0.1% in July and minus 0.8% in August.

Production in mining and manufacturing grew 5.4% thanks to higher growth in the automotive (13.3%), electric parts (9.2%) and semiconductor (4.8%) sectors. The service industry saw production rise 0.3% due to boosted output in finance and insurance (2.4%), wholesale and retail (4.0%), and transportation and storage (2.7%).

The retail sales index rose 1.7% thanks to stronger sales of nondurable goods (3.1%) such as food and groceries and semi-durable goods (1.5%) such as clothing.

Facility investment jumped 7.4% last month backed by higher spending on transportation equipment such as those for ships (34.3%), the highest jump since 7.5% in March this year.

The cyclical component of the composite coincident index, a gauge of business conditions, rose three-tenths of a percentage point. That of the composite leading index, which forecasts the turning point in the business cycle, rose four-tenths of a point for its fourth straight month of rise.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki hailed the economy's results right after the report's release, saying on his Facebook account, "All (economic indexes) point in one direction: economic recovery."

xuaiy@korea.kr