SEOUL: South Korea's industrial output fell in May from a month earlier, as losses in the automobile sector offset gains in the semiconductor segment, with retail sales and facility investment losing ground as well, data showed Friday. Industrial output fell 0.7 percent on-month in May, compared with a 1.2 percent increase a month earlier, according to data compiled by Statistics Korea. Compared with a year earlier, industrial output advanced 2.2 percent in May. Retail sales, a gauge of private spending, shed 0.2 percent on-month due mainly to falling sales of clothes and cosmetic products. From a year earlier, retail sales slid 3.1 percent. Facility investment inched down 4.1 percent in May from the previous month, marking the third consecutive fall, the data added. Source: Yonhap News Agency