South Korea's industrial production gained 0.8 percent in April compared to the previous month, Statistics Korea said on Thursday - following three straight months of contraction.
The headline figure handily beat forecasts for a flat reading following the 2.6 percent contraction in March.
On a yearly basis, industrial production climbed 1.7 percent - blowing past forecasts for a decline of 0.6 percent after shedding 3.0 percent in the previous month.
The index of all industry production was up 1.6 percent on month and 3.7 percent on year in April, the bureau said. The Manufacturing Production Index in April increased 0.7 percent on month and 1.8 percent on year.
The Producer's Shipment Index in April was flat on month and gained 1.6 percent on year. The Producer's Inventory Index eased 0.6 percent on month but climbed 3.1 percent on year. The Production Capacity Index was unchanged on month and up 0.9 percent on year.
The Operation Ratio Index added 0.5 percent on month but fell 0.8 percent on year. The Manufacturing Average Operation Ratio was 75.9 percent, up 0.4 percentage points from the previous month. The Index of Services gained 0.2 percent on month and 2.6 percent on year.
The Retail Sales Index lost 0.5 percent on month but gained 2.2 percent on year. The Equipment Investment Index dropped 4.0 percent on month and 12.4 percent on year.
The domestic machinery shipment index plunged 15.6 percent on year, while the value of domestic machinery orders received in April added 2.7 percent on year. The value of construction completed at constant prices climbed 9.4 percent on month and 19.2 percent on year. The value of construction orders received at current prices plummeted 20.6 percent on year.
The Composite Coincident Index was up 0.5 percent on month. The Cyclical Component of Composite Coincident Index, which reflects current economic situations, gained 0.2 points on month.
The Composite Leading Index in April gained 0.5 percent on month. The Cyclical Component of Composite Leading Index, which predicts the turning point in business cycle, was up 0.1 points from the previous month.
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