S. Korea's trade surplus reaches US$3.79 bln in Oct.

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details para 2; ADDS new information, comments from para 3)
SEOUL, Nov. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade surplus reached US$3.79 billion in
October, down slightly from $4.71 billion the month before mainly due to weak
imports, a government report showed Sunday.
The country's exports came to $34.02 billion last month, falling 8.3 percent
on-year, with imports falling 16.3 percent to $30.23 billion, according to the
report by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy.
October's trade surplus marks the ninth consecutive month that the country
exported more than it imported, with the size of the trade surplus for this year
reaching $34.58 billion.
"A surge in exports of semiconductors and liquid crystal displays contributed to
the favorable balance sheet last month," said Kang Myung-soo, head of the
ministry's export-import division.
Outbound shipments of display panels jumped 38.8 percent on-year, with numbers
for semiconductors gaining 36.8 percent.
Exports to the United States and Europe continued to fall due to weak demand,
while those for China and developing economies posted positive gains last month.
The ministry in charge of the country's industrial and trade promotion policies
said both exports and imports will probably rebound into positive territory in
November.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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