[THE INVESTOR] Korea’s overseas direct investment rose sharply in the second quarter from a year earlier due to a rise in offshore investment in the manufacturing and financial sectors, government data showed on Sept. 6.

Investments made by Korean companies in other countries totaled US$12.96 billion in the April-June period, compared with US$10.3 billion a year ago, according to data compiled by the Finance Ministry. This is also a 33.2 percent on-quarter jump.

The data showed investment into the US, the biggest investment destination for Korean money, increased 4.7 percent on-year to US$3.62 billion in the second quarter, while the figure for China soared 87.3 percent to US$1.21 billion over the cited period.

By sector, offshore investments in the financial and insurance sector more than doubled to reach US$5.43 billion, while those allocated to the overseas property sector spiked 64.3 percent to US$1.95 billion, the latest findings showed.

The comparable figure for the manufacturing segment also spiked 120 percent to US$4.1 billion. 

By Song Seung-hyun and newswires (ssh@heraldcorp.com)