Construction permits for new buildings grew from a year earlier in the first half, partly on a rise in permits for new residential and commercial buildings, the government said Monday.

The number of construction permits issued for new buildings came to 134,348 in the January-June period, up 6.4 percent from the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

From six months earlier, however, the H1 tally marks a 3.6 percent drop.

The on-year gain was largely attributed to a surge in permits for residential and commercial buildings that include large apartment complexes but not detached houses.

Permits for new residential buildings climbed 7.7 percent on-year to 64,168 in the first six months of the year. The ministry earlier said the number of permits for all new homes spiked 18.4 percent on-year to over 355,000 in the first half.

The number of permits for new commercial buildings gained 6.1 percent on-year to 37,358 over the cited period, it said.

By region, construction permits for new buildings in the Seoul metropolitan area rose 7.5 percent to 42,763, while new building permits issued in rural areas gained 5.9 percent to 91,585.

The number of groundbreakings increased 4.2 percent on-year to 113,705 in the first half. (Yonhap)