South Korea's monthly current account surplus edged up in January from a year earlier, but narrowed to a nine-month low due to slowing exports. 

According to preliminary data from the Bank of Korea on Friday, the country's current account surplus came to two-point-77 billion dollars in January, slightly up from two-point-64 billion a year earlier.

The country posted a current account surplus for 81 straight months since May 2012, but the January figure represents the smallest monthly surplus since April of last year.

The slow growth is mainly attributed to a drop in the goods account surplus, which fell to an eleven month low of five-point-61 billion dollars in January due to slowing chip exports. 

Exports shrank five-point-four percent on-year to post the largest drop since September of last year, while imports declined two percent to 43-point-77 billion dollars.

The services account posted a deficit of three-point-61 billion dollars from a year earlier, the largest figure since January of last year.