The latest data on South Korea's industrial output have been released,... and they don't make particularly great reading.<br />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.<br />Kim Hyesung reports. <br /> 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. <br />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.<br /> In mining, automobile and machinery output dropped by more than three percent due to sluggish auto exports, wiping out gains in memory chip production. <br /> 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. <br />Facility investment tumbled seven-point-8-percent on-month in March,... marking the first fall after five months of growth. <br /> 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. <br /> Production in the service sector edged up zero-point-four percent in March from a month earlier.<br />Kim Hyesung, Arirang News. <br />
