Overseas construction orders clenched by South Korean builders last year were the second highest in the country’s history, with the number of overseas orders and countries placing the orders also increasing, the government said Monday.

The total amount of overseas orders reached $65.2 billion, up 0.5 percent from $65.9 billion tallied in 2012, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The figure is the second highest in the country’s history after $71.6 billion posted in 2010.

“The figure fell short of the $70 billion target for this year, yet marks a small but significant growth from a year earlier amid difficulties in both the global and domestic markets prompted by economic downturns in the United States, Europe and other advanced economies,” the ministry said in a press release.

The number of overseas orders won by local builders had jumped more than 10 percent on-year to 679 from 617 in 2012, with the number of countries placing construction orders with South Korean companies also growing 9.5 percent to 104, apparently representing the diversification of overseas markets for local companies. (Yonhap News)