South Korea took the top spot in global shipbuilding orders by both volume and value last month.

According to London-based Clarkson Research Services on Tuesday, South Korean shipbuilders won orders equivalent to one-point-29 million compensated gross tons(CGTs) in October, up more than threefold from a year earlier. 

It marks the first time this year that the monthly figure has surpassed the one million mark. 

The amount of shipbuilding orders came to two-point-six billion dollars last month, nearly tripling on-year to also post the largest monthly figure. 

South Korean shipbuilders accounted for 86 percent of the orders placed around the globe last month. 

South Korea has been ahead of China since August in total shipbuilding orders by value, but had been behind in terms of the volume of the orders.