S. Korea's trade surplus rises to US$5.37 bln in Sept.

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade surplus reached US$5.37 billion in
September, up sharply from $1.7 billion the month before mainly due to a plunge
in imports, a government report showed Thursday.
The country's exports came to $34.97 billion last month, falling 6.6 percent
on-year, with imports plummeting 25.1 percent to $29.60 billion, according to the
report by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.
September's trade surplus marks the eighth consecutive month that the country
exported more than it imported, with the size of the trade surplus for this year
reaching $32.06 billion.
"A surge in exports of liquid crystal displays, semiconductors and autos all
contributed to improved figures for last month," said Kang Myung-soo, head of the
ministry's export-import division.
Outbound shipments of display panels jumped 29.4 percent on-year, with numbers
for semiconductors and autos gaining 22.8 percent and 20.5 percent, respectively.
Exports to China, the United States and Europe continued to fall due to weak
worldwide demand, although the level of decline has eased.
Seoul predicted earlier in the year that exports could continue to decline until
October, but would rebound into positive territory starting in November.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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