(SEOUL=Yonhap News) Foreign direct investment in South Korea in the first nine months of 2016 rose 13.4 percent from a year ago, the government said Tuesday.
The number of registered foreign companies reached over 16,000, accounting for 13.4 percent of the total revenue and 18 percent of exports in Asia's fourth-largest economy, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said.
The foreign companies employed 6 percent of the total work force in the nation, it noted.
The ministry said high-value added industries, such as the advanced technology and service sectors, have seen hikes in the foreign capital inflow, and the nationality of investors has also diversified over recent years.
"We will provide support to create the best business environment so that foreign companies can continue to expand investment and contribute to the national economy," Vice Trade Minister Jeong Marn-ki said.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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Source: Yonhap News (Nov. 22, 2016)