Industrial output in North Chungcheong up 28% in Q2 amid chip boom

Mining and manufacturing output in North Chungcheong surged nearly 28 percent in the second quarter of 2026 from a year earlier, data showed Wednesday, driven by robust chip production, including that of SK hynix.

According to the Ministry of Data and Statistics, mining and manufacturing output in the province jumped 27.8 percent over the period, marking the fastest growth among Korea's regions.

Korea's overall mining and manufacturing output advanced 2 percent in the April to June period from a year earlier.

In North Chungcheong, output of semiconductors and electronic components soared 70.9 percent, leading the overall growth, apparently driven in part by SK hynix's production lines in the region.

Output in Gwangju rose 9.1 percent, led largely by the automobile sector, which shot up 21.8 percent.

The report showed that mining and manufacturing output in Seoul, Daejeon and South Jeolla, on the other hand, declined 5.7 percent, 5.3 percent and 9.2 percent, respectively, over the period.

Consumer prices, meanwhile, rose across all 17 provinces and cities surveyed during the period, with the national average increasing 3 percent.

Yonhap