South Korean retail sales rose 7.4 per cent in the first half of this year based on solid performance in e-commerce.

Data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy showed online sales running 16.3 per cent higher than during the same time last year, while offline sales rose just 2.7 per cent.

Grocery shopping via online malls with home delivery saw a major rise this year, with a 20.8 per cent increase in sales over last year.

Similar rises were reported for convenience stores, department stores and online marketplaces, although a 1.8 per cent drop hit large discount store chains.