Foreign direct investment in Korea is rising sharply even amid the global economic slowdown. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy said Sunday that FDI in the first seven months of this year amounted to US$6.79 billion, up 32 percent from $5.13 billion in the same period last year. This is the highest level since 2000 when the figure reached $7.4 billion.

In contrast, FDI in China declined 20.3 percent in the same period, and in Vietnam 89 percent. FDI in Japan slid 63 percent to $18 billion in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year. In Korea, FDI dropped 40% in the first quarter on-year amid the global recession, but turned upward in May.

Park Soon-kee, the ministry's investment policy director, said, "Europe and Japan are increasing investment in Korea, probably because of the Korean economy's fast recovery along with a weaker won. At the present rate, we will be able to achieve this year's FDI target of $12.5 billion without difficulty."