Exports rose by more than 24 percent on-year in the first 20 days of May.

According to tentative data from the Korea Customs Service on Monday, the country’s outbound shipments stood at 38-point-six billion U.S. dollars in the cited period, up 24-point-one percent from a year earlier.

Average daily exports rose by seven-point-six percent, with the number of working days increasing by two from last year to come in at 15 days.

Shipments of semiconductors and petroleum products rose 13-point-five percent and 145 percent, respectively, while exports of wireless communication devices slipped 21-point-three percent.

Exports to the United States and China increased 27-point-six percent and six-point-eight percent each, while outbound commodities to Hong Kong plunged 31-point-seven percent.

Imports rose 37-point-eight percent on-year to 43-point-four billion dollars during the cited period.

The trade deficit expanded to four-point-82 billion dollars during the cited period from about 425 million dollars a year earlier. This year's cumulative trade deficit increased to ten-point-96 billion dollars as of May 20.