S.Korea's industrial production rises 1.6 pct in November

Industrial production in South Korea rose 1.6 percent in November from a month ago, posting the first rebound in three months, a government report showed on Thursday.

Industrial output in all industries rebounded last month after falling 0.9 percent in September and 0.4 percent in October, according to Statistics Korea. The November increase was the fastest since a 2.0 percent growth tallied in May.

Production in the mining and manufacturing industries advanced 3.4 percent in November on a monthly basis. It was the fastest increase since September 2009 when the global financial crisis peaked.

Manufacturers logged an average capacity ratio of 73.5 percent last month, up 3.0 percentage points compared with the previous month. Inventory among manufacturers declined 1.1 percent.

Production in the services industry edged up 0.1 percent, marking the first growth after retreating 0.8 percent in September and 0.3 percent in October.

Retail sales, which measure private consumption, inched down 0.2 percent due to high base effect, caused by the rapid expansion in the prior month.

Facility investment rose 5.9 percent on solid capital spending in the general machinery and transport equipment sectors. Endit