Industrial output down 1.3% in Jan.; consumption, investment gain ground

Korea's industrial output dipped from a month earlier in January amid a slowdown in construction and manufacturing production, while private consumption and facility investment went up, government data showed Wednesday. Industrial production dropped 1.3 percent on-month in January, according to the data from the Ministry of Data and Statistics. Retail sales remained unchanged, but private consumption rose 2.3 percent over the cited period. Facility investment added 6.8 percent, led by increased investment in machinery and transportation equipment.