(LEAD) Sept. industrial output growth hits 15-yr high on chips; retail sales, investment also up

South Korea's industrial output expanded in September at its fastest pace in more than 15 years, with the semiconductor sector driving the growth, according to data released on Friday. The government's Ministry of Data and Statistics reported that industrial production increased by 3% on a month-over-month basis in September, marking the sharpest gain since March 2011. This marked the first time since June that three major indicators, including industrial output, grew simultaneously.

The overall industrial output saw a month-over-month increase in June (2.6%), which later narrowed to 0.1% in July, before rebounding to 3% in September. The mining and manufacturing sector, a key pillar of the economy, saw a significant surge of 9%, primarily due to semiconductor production, which jumped 19.2%. The gains from chip output were the largest since February's 28.2% increase.

Other major contributors to the industrial growth included the automobile industry, where output jumped 39.9%, largely due to increased production of auto parts and hybrid models. The end of strikes at local carmakers and the end of the summer vacation season played a role in this growth. Meanwhile, production of medical, precision, and optical instruments declined by 8.8%.

Service output also rose by 0.5% on a month-over-month basis in September, led by the wholesale and retail sector, as well as the transportation and storage industry, which includes maritime shipping. Retail sales, serving as a gauge of private spending, increased by 3.6% over the same period. Gains were made across durable, semidurable, and nondurable goods, with durable goods posting the sharpest growth at 4.4%, driven by a rise in demand for cars.

Sales of nondurable goods, such as foodstuffs, and semidurable goods, including clothes, also rose by 4.2% and 0.6%, respectively.

Facility investment moved up by 5.3% on a month-over-month basis in September, with investment in machinery increasing by 4.7% and investment in transportation equipment posting a 7.4% increase.