The number of companies in South Korea's service sector rose 1.8 percent on-year in 2013 to over 2.62 million, the government's statistical office said Wednesday.
Statistics Korea said these companies employed a combined 10.23 million people, up 4.7 percent from the year before. The increase comes as Seoul has pinpointed the service sector as an industry that can create more jobs and fuel economic growth. In the past, the government as a whole favored manufacturing and did not pay as much attention to the service sector.