-- South Korea recorded a trade surplus of $23.8 billion in April, which was the second straight month of more than $20 billion in trade surplus for the first time, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said in a Friday release.
Exports in the month increased 48% to $85.9 billion from the year-ago period, while imports rose 16.7% to $62.1 billion, the release said.
Eight of the top 15 export categories recorded growth in the month, with outbound shipments led by semiconductors, petrochemicals, and petroleum products, while other sectors, including computers, ships, wireless communication devices, display panels, and steel, also recorded higher exports, according to the trade ministry.
Semiconductor exports gained 173.5% to $31.9 billion, while automobile exports declined 5.5% to $6.17 billion from April 2025, the release said.