South Korea's current account surplus rose to a nine-month high in July as imports, exports and overseas trips decreased amid the COVID-19 pandemic, though exports fell at a slower rate than imports.

According to the Bank of Korea(BOK) on Friday, the country's current account surplus for the month reached seven-point-45 billion U.S. dollars, the largest in nine months since October last year. 

The goods balance surplus, which is the difference between exports and imports, came to six-point-97 billion dollars, up 790 million dollars from a year earlier. 

Exports and imports decreased for the fifth consecutive month in July from a year earlier. Exports fell ten-point-eight percent on-year to 43-point-two billion dollars, while imports declined 14-point-two percent to 36-point-two billion dollars. 

The service balance logged a deficit of one-point-11 billion dollars in July, though it  narrowed by 440 million dollars from a year earlier.