S.Korea Aug department store sales growth at 7-mth high

SEOUL, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Sales at South Korea's top three department stores in August rose at the fastest clip in seven months, data showed on Thursday, fresh evidence of recovering domestic demand.

"Department store sales posted their strongest growth since January, backed by improved consumer sentiment," the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said in a statement.

Combined sales at Lotte Shopping Co Ltd (023530.KS), Shinsegae Co Ltd (004170.KS) and Hyundai Department Store Co Ltd (069960.KS) soared 7.6 percent in August over a year earlier, the sixth consecutive month of annual growth and the biggest gain since January's 10.4 percent, it said.

That was far faster than the 4.0 percent rise in July and 3.6 percent gain in June.

Combined sales at big discount stores fell 1.5 percent in August from a year earlier, the third month of decline in a row but easing from July's 6 percent drop, the ministry said. (Reporting by Seo Eun-kyung; Editing by Jonathan Hopfner)