South Korea’s automobile output rose from a year earlier in July mostly on a large increase in exports, the trade ministry said Thursday.

Overall production by the country’s five automakers jumped 22.4 percent on-year to 409,283 cars last month, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

There was a slight increase in the number of working days in the month as the summer holiday season peaked in early August this year instead of late July like last year, the ministry said in attributing the production hike.

Higher production owes largely to a sharp increase in exports.

“Exports came to 266,741 units, up 16 percent from the same month last year, on improving value of local brands and an additional reduction of import tariffs under the Korea-European Union free trade agreement,” the ministry said. (Yonhap)