Mining and manufacturing output fell 4.8 percent from the previous month, reversing a revised 0.5 percent increase in July, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.
Automobile production plunged 24.8 percent, while semiconductor output fell 2.2 percent from July.
Semiconductor shipments, however, rose 7.1 percent, with export shipments up 7.9 percent. Automobile shipments fell 20.7 percent, while export shipments dropped 23.2 percent.
The broader all-industry production index fell 1.3 percent from the previous month after slipping 0.1 percent in July.
Services output rose 0.5 percent and construction increased 1.9 percent, partly offsetting declines in mining and manufacturing and public administration.
Retail sales declined 1.8 percent from July, extending a revised 2.6 percent drop in the previous month.
Sales of durable goods, including passenger cars and home appliances, fell 4.5 percent, while nondurable goods such as food and beverages declined 1.6 percent.
Equipment investment dropped 9.5 percent from the previous month, reversing an 8.0 percent increase in July.
Investment in transport equipment sank 32.8 percent, while machinery investment rose 1.6 percent.
AJP Takeaways
- South Korea's factory output fell 5.1 percent in August, led by a 24.8 percent plunge in automobile production.
- Semiconductor output slipped 2.2 percent, but semiconductor shipments rose 7.1 percent and export shipments increased 7.9 percent.
- Retail sales declined for a second month, while equipment investment fell 9.5 percent after rising in July.
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