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Last month, it was found that all industrial activities in Korea, including production, consumption and investment, contracted.

As the global economy stagnates due to Corona and the Ukraine war, it has spread to our economy as well.



Reporter Jo Ki-ho reports.



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Last month, the so-called 'triple decrease' appeared, in which production, consumption and investment in all industries decreased.



According to industrial activity trends released by the National Statistical Office, production in April decreased by 0.7% compared to March.



After declining 0.3% each in January and February of this year, it rebounded 1.6% in March, but declined again in April.



Although the service industry, such as accommodation and restaurants, increased by 1.4% as social distancing was lifted, manufacturing production decreased by 3.1% due to disruptions in supply and demand for semiconductors.



The retail sales index, which shows consumption trends, also fell 0.2% from March.



Following the 0.7% decline in March, the decline was the second straight month.



[Eo Woon-seon/Statistics Office Economic Trend Statistics Review Officer: Retail sales decreased by 0.2% compared to the previous month as sales of semi-durable goods such as clothes and durable goods such as passenger cars increased, but sales of non-durable goods such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics decreased.]



Equipment investment is a little more serious.



It was down 7.5% from March, but it is already showing a decline for the third month in a row.



The Statistical Office explains that the unrest in the supply and demand of semiconductors has led to a contraction in investment.



This is the first time in two years and two months since February 2020 that production, consumption, and investment have all decreased.



The leading economic index, which can predict the future economic trend, also fell by 0.3 percentage points, continuing anxiety for the 10th month in a row.



The National Statistical Office explained that while adverse factors such as external unrest factors overlapped and contributed to the economic recession, the lifting of quarantine measures and large-scale investment plans by companies could be positive factors.