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S.Korea commercial power consumption decline slows

Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:07pm EDT

SEOUL, April 15 (Reuters) - South Korea's consumption of commercial electricity in March fell by the slowest annual pace in five months, data showed on Wednesday, fresh evidence the downturn in Asia's fourth-largest economy was moderating.

South Korea

The amount of power used by the industrial sector fell 2.8 percent in March from a year earlier, marking the slowest annual decline since a 5.0 percent gain last October, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy data showed.

It follows drops in industrial electricity consumption of 5.5 percent in February and 11.0 percent in January over a year earlier.

The ministry said power consumption in the semiconductor and steel industries posted its first annual growth in five months in March, leading the overall improvement in consumption. (Reporting by Angela Moon; Editing by Yoo Choonsik and Jonathan Hopfner)

South Korea


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