Cumulative local production by automakers in South Korea for 2015 edged up for the first time in September, a turnaround from a prolonged slump seen throughout the year, industry data showed Wednesday.

According to the data by the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, five major automakers operating here produced a combined 3,345,199 vehicles during the January-September period, up 0.8 percent from a year earlier.

The increase followed a 0.4 percent decline they had posted until the previous month.

The turnaround is attributed in part to a spike in production by Renault Samsung Motors Co., which saw its car production here jump 58.5 percent on-year to 150,108 units during the cited period.

The local unit of the French auto firm Renault S.A., in particular, enjoyed a marked growth in exports, which more than doubled over the same period to 105,955 units, the data showed.

Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's two leading automakers, posted 0.6 percent and 0.9 percent declines in production, respectively, during the first nine months of the year.

GM Korea Co. and Ssangyong Motor Co. also saw their cumulative production for this year shrink 2 percent and 0.9 percent on-year, respectively, according to the data. (Yonhap)