The index of exports volume reached its lowest level in five months in September partly due to fewer work days resulting from the Chuseok holiday.

According to Bank of Korea data on trade indicators and terms of trade for last month issued Friday, the export volume index recorded 153-point-96, the lowest since April.

The volume of shipments dropped from a year ago for most products with the exception of semiconductors, precision machinery and electric and electronic devices.

The central bank said the drop in the September index is mainly due to the number of working days, noting that compared to 2017, there were four more days off this year due to the Korean thanksgiving holiday.

Chuseok fell in October last year. 

Due to these reasons, the bank said the smaller export volume is likely temporary.