SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's industrial output fell for the third straight month in July due to lower production in semiconductors and automobiles in addition to the real estate market slump, statistical office data showed Friday.
The seasonally-adjusted production index in all industries, which exclude the agriculture, livestock and fishery sector, declined 0.4 percent in July from a month earlier after sliding 0.8 percent in May and 0.1 percent in June, according to Statistics Korea.
Production among manufacturers dropped 3.8 percent in July on a monthly basis after growing 0.7 percent in June.
Semiconductor output retreated 8.0 percent, with those for cars and electronic products plunging in double digits.
The ratio of inventory to shipment in the manufacturing industry gained 9.7 percentage points from a month earlier to 114.6 percent in July.
Manufacturers recorded an average capacity ratio of 71.4 percent in July, down 2.4 percentage points compared to the prior month.
Production in the construction industry reduced 1.7 percent in July from a month earlier, keeping a downward trend for the third consecutive month amid the lingering worry about the property market slowdown.
Output in the public administration sector advanced 6.0 percent last month, rebounding from a slide of 5.0 percent in the previous month.
Output in the service industry climbed 0.7 percent in July after rising 0.3 percent in June. ■