Overseas construction orders jumped 83.7% on-year in January

The amount of overseas construction orders reached US$2.78 billion in January, up 83.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the Overseas Construction Association, Feb. 4.

The figure gives the greenlight to South Korean builders to achieve this year's goal of receiving construction orders worth $70 billion from foreign countries, officials of the association said.

By region, Asia topped the January list with $1.61 billion, followed by the Middle East with $819 million and North America-Pacific with $173 million.

In particular, orders from Middle East countries jumped 257.8 percent last month from a year earlier, and are still growing, the officials said, adding that expectations are high for a "second Middle East boom."

By Ayaka Erin Tobari

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com