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Industrial output expands in November, retail sales post sharpest fall in 21 months

Published: 30 Dec. 2025, 09:52

Visitors view SK hynix semiconductor products on view at the SK AI Summit 2025 held at Coex, southern Seoul, on Nov. 3. [NEWS1]

Korea's industrial output grew from a month earlier in November, driven by robust semiconductor production, while retail sales fell at their fastest pace in 21 months, government data showed Tuesday.

Retail sales, a gauge of private spending, dropped 3.3 percent over the period, following a brief rebound the previous month, according to data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. This marked the steepest decline since February 2024, when it dropped 3.1 percent on month.

The downturn was largely driven by weaker sales of food and apparel, reflecting the fading impact of the extended Chuseok holiday that fell in early October. Sales of semidurable goods, such as clothing, dropped 3.6 percent, while sales of non-durable goods, including food, declined 4.3 percent. Sales of durable goods, such as home appliances, slipped 0.6 percent. Industrial production rose 0.9 percent on month in November.

Industrial output has fluctuated in recent months, falling 0.3 percent in August, rising 1.3 percent in September and declining 2.7 percent in October. The output of the mining and manufacturing sector, considered the backbone of the economy, gained 0.6 percent on month in November, the ministry said.

Notably, semiconductor production jumped 7.5 percent.

The ministry said chip output surged as global semiconductor demand continued to rise amid the AI boom. Facility investment increased 1.5 percent on month, led by higher investment in machinery, although investment in transportation equipment, including automobiles, declined.

Yonhap