Sales growth in the nation's manufacturing sector is out of the red, posting over nine percent year-on-year in the first quarter.
 
According to Bank of Korea data released Thursday, corporate sales rose seven-point-nine percent from January to March compared to the same period last year.
 
The on-year growth rate in sales, an indicator of businesses' growth potential, continued a negative streak for ten consecutive quarters since the second quarter of 2014.
 
It only shifted to a positive growth of zero-point-eight percent in last year's fourth quarter.
 
The improvement in the sales figure is attributed to rising global oil prices and brisk domestic exports.