S. Korea's overseas direct investment continues to grow in Q1

　　SEOUL, June 30 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's overseas direct investment continued to grow in the first quarter due to strong investment in the information and communication and the scientific and technical services industries, finance ministry data showed Tuesday.

　　Overseas investment through the purchase of foreign stocks and the establishment of foreign offices jumped 36.2 percent from a year earlier to 21.74 billion U.S. dollars in the January-March quarter, keeping an upward trend since the third quarter of 2025, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

　　Overseas investment in the information and communication and the scientific and technical services sectors surged in triple digits to 1.19 billion dollars and 910 million dollars each.

　　Investment in the finance and insurance industry soared in double figures to 13.38 billion dollars, but those in the manufacturing and the real estate sectors declined to 3.40 billion dollars and 840 million dollars each.

　　Direct investment in North America, Europe, and Asia advanced in double digits to 10.26 billion dollars, 5.13 billion dollars and 3.50 billion dollars, respectively. ■