South Korea’s exports posted double-digit growth in January from the previous month, marking the first time that exports grew ten percent or more in four years.

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the country exported 40-point-three billion U.S. dollars' worth of goods in January, up eleven-point-two percent from December.

The jump extends the on-month export growth to three consecutive months.

Semiconductors and petrochemical products led last month's export growth with shipments of semiconductors posting a record six-point-four billion dollars and shipments of petrochemical goods reaching three-point-five billion dollars, a 25-month high.

Shipments to many of South Korea’s export destinations, including the Association of South East Asian Nations(ASEAN), Vietnam, China, Japan, the European Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States(CIS) and India all marked gains.

Exports to China grew 13-point-five percent, marking the first time in three years and five months that shipments to South Korea’s largest trading partner posted double-digit growth.  

South Korea's imports in January amounted to 37-point-one billion dollars, up 18-point-six percent from December.

The trade surplus amounted to three-point-two billion dollars in January, extending a surplus rally to 60 straight months.