South Korea's industrial output has expanded for a third consecutive month, with the overall industrial production increasing by one percent in January from December according to a report by Statistics Korea on Thursday.
 
The output logged the first on-month growth in five months in November with a one-point-four percent growth. In December, it posted a zero-point-two percent growth.
 
Production in the mining and manufacturing sectors grew by three-point-three percent, as the increases in the outputs of the semiconductor and electronic sectors more than offset the falls in the telecommunication sectors.
 
Production in the service sector edged up by a half percentage point, led by the growth in the transportation, finance and insurance sectors.
 
Retail sales dropped two-point-two percent due to the fall in sales of durable goods, such as cars. 
 
It is the third consecutive month retail sales fell since it contracted by zero-point-three percent in November, which is the longest retail sales contraction since a five-month contraction in 2008.