South Korea's industrial output declines in March

The latest data on South Korea's industrial output have been released,... and they don't make particularly great reading.
They paint a bleak picture of the South Korean economy not being out of the woods yet,... with a sharp fall in the production and factory operation rate.
Kim Hyesung reports.
South Korea's industrial output fell one-point-two percent on-month in March, following a zero-point-two percent on-month fall in February,...marking two consecutive months of decline.
According to Statistics Korea on Monday, production in mining and manufacturing fell two-point-five percent on-month in March, driving the overall fall in output.
In mining, automobile and machinery output dropped by more than three percent due to sluggish auto exports, wiping out gains in memory chip production.
South Korea's average factory operation rate plunged near two percent on-month to 70-point-three percent in March, the lowest since March 2009.
Facility investment tumbled seven-point-8-percent on-month in March,... marking the first fall after five months of growth.
Retail sales, an indicator of consumption, went up two-point-seven percent on-month... on the back of strong automobile and clothing sales, posting three months of gains.
Production in the service sector edged up zero-point-four percent in March from a month earlier.
Kim Hyesung, Arirang News.