South Korea's retail shipments rise in Nov

Retail sales in South Korea grew last month as a year-end shopping festival buoyed both online and offline sales, a government report said on Wednesday.

The combined sales of 26 major online and offline retailers increased 7.5 percent in November from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

It came as the Korea Sale FESTA, a South Korean version of Black Friday, ran for three weeks from Nov 1.

Consumers raised the purchase of discount products during the country's biggest shopping season.

Offline sales rose 2.4 percent in the month, marking the first increase in three months.

Online sales advanced 14.8 percent, keeping a double-digit expansion for four straight months.