South Korea’s industrial output inched up in January despite the marked fall in semiconductor production, data showed Monday.

Industrial output gained 0.4 percent on-month last month, the third consecutive on-year increase, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

But the output in the overall mining manufacturing sector shed 1.3 percent, driven by an 8.6 percent on-month fall in chip production.

Compared with a year earlier, industrial output climbed 7.3 percent as that of semiconductors surged 44.1 percent, the data showed.

Retail sales, a gauge of private spending, advanced 0.8 percent on-month in January, on growing sales of food, cosmetics and other non-durable goods.

On an on-year basis, however, retail sales shed 3.4 percent.

Facility investment tumbled 5.6 percent in January from the previous month, while construction investment jumped 12.4 percent on-month, the data showed.

Source: Yonhap News Agency