(LEAD) Korea's industrial output grows 1.4 pct in December

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By Kang Yoon-seung

SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's overall industrial output gained 1.4 percent in December from a month earlier despite a slight tumble in the service sector, data showed Friday.

From a year earlier, the overall industrial output grew 3.2 percent, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

The production in the mining, manufacturing, gas and electricity industries rose 3.5 percent from a month earlier, while that of the service sector edged down 0.1 percent.

The production, retail sales and investment gathered ground all together for the second consecutive month.

Retail sales rose 0.3 percent in December from a month earlier, helped by gains in sales of automobiles and electronics, according to the data.

Facility investment gained a whopping 10.9 percent in December from a month earlier, led by the machine and automobile segments, the data showed.

The statistics agency said it will closely monitor the impact of the rapid spread of the new coronavirus on South Korea's industrial activities.

Previous examples, such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003, had an adverse impact on the service segment, although its fallout on the manufacturing area was limited, it added.

Amid the global spread of the virus, South Korea on Thursday reported two more cases of the new coronavirus, with one believed to be the country's first human-to-human transmission, bringing the total number of people infected here to six.

colin@yna.co.kr
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