S. Korea’s Automotive Production Falls In July

SEOUL, Aug 18 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korea’s automotive production fell last month, owing to the production disruption in some of the factories, a government report showed today.

The number of vehicles, made in domestic plants, was 297,585 in July, down 13.9 percent from the same month of last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

It came, as the production in some of the local factories was delayed, by the facility construction and the shortage of semiconductors, used for cars.

Affected by the production disruption, the number of cars sold in the domestic market came in at 147,697 in July, down 9.6 percent from a year earlier.

The automotive export shrank 2.9 percent over the year to 181,046 vehicles in July, amid weaker demand for sport utility vehicles (SUVs).