SEOUL, May 31 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's industrial output fell in single digits last month due to the manufacturing industry slump, statistical office data showed on Wednesday.
The seasonally-adjusted production index in all industries, which exclude the agriculture, livestock and fishery sector, stood at 109.8 in April, down 1.4 percent from the previous month, according to Statistics Korea.
It marked the fastest reduction in 14 months since February last year, after growing 1.0 percent in February and 1.2 percent in March.
Production among manufacturers retreated 1.2 percent in April from a month earlier on the continued export slide.
The country's export kept falling for the seventh consecutive month in April, leading to trade deficits for 14 months in a row.
The ratio of inventory to shipment in the manufacturing industry jumped 13.2 percentage points from a month ago to 130.4 percent in April, marking the highest since relevant data began to be compiled in 1985.
It was attributed to a double-digit decrease in the shipment of semiconductors and electronic parts. Chip inventory surged 31.5 percent in April on a monthly basis.
Production in the services industry declined 0.3 percent in April from the previous month.
The seasonally-adjusted retail sale index, which reflects private consumption, slumped 2.3 percent in April, recording the fastest decline in five months since November last year.
Facility investment gained 0.9 percent, and completed construction increased 1.2 percent in April.
The cyclical variation factor for leading economic indicators, which gauge the outlook for future economic situations, fell 0.2 points over the month to 98.0 in April, continuing to slide for the sixth successive month.
The reading for coincident economic indicators, which measure the current economic conditions, added 0.2 points to 99.9 last month. ■
