Service output in all provinces, major cities up in Q3

By Kang Yoon-seung

SEJONG, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- Service output rose on-year in all regions of South Korea in the third quarter of 2023, data showed Thursday, as more people traveled and dined out amid eased COVID-19 regulations.

The country's service output went up 5.9 percent in the July-September period from a year earlier, led by a recovery in the accommodation, food services, transportation and storage sectors, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

Of the 16 provinces and cities, the southern resort island of Jeju, a popular destination for vacationers, enjoyed the highest on-year gain of 8.3 percent, followed by Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul, with 8 percent and the southeastern port city of Busan with 7.7 percent.

Service output in Seoul increased 4.8 percent over the period, the data added.

Meanwhile, retail sales, a gauge of private spending, advanced in a total of seven cities and provinces, with South Gyeongsang Province posting an increase of 2.7 percent on-year, the agency said.

Retail sales lost ground in the other areas, with Gwangju, 268 kilometers southwest of Seoul, posting the sharpest loss of 3.2 percent.

In Seoul, retail sales edged down 0.9 percent, mainly on weaker performances of duty-free shops and supermarkets.

colin@yna.co.kr
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