S. Korea's electricity sales rise in Aug.

SEOUL (Yonhap) - A large increase in power usage in the industrial sector was the driver of a 3-percent increase in South Korea's electricity sales in August from a year earlier, the government said Tuesday, indicating the country's economy remains robust.
Demand for industrial electricity rose 7.1 percent on-year to 20.9 billion kilowatt-hours, although down on the 8.7 percent increase tallied in July, according to the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.
Industrial power sales serve as a barometer of industrial activity as companies use more electricity when business is good and cut back to cope with falls in orders.
The country's overall sales of electricity rose 3 percent to some 38.4 billion kilowatt-hours in August, with household demand down 3.2 percent on the same period last year.
"Overall sales increased despite a drop in demand for household electricity as export growth (up 27.1 percent from the same period last year) strengthened demand for industrial electricity by 7.1 percent," the ministry said in a press release.
By industrial sector, electricity demand from the chemical industry jumped 17 percent on-year, and the steel and machinery industries also recorded double-digit increases.