South Korean exports increased by more than six percent in the first 10 days of November compared with the same period last year, driven by strong shipments of semiconductors and passenger cars.
 
Korea Customs Service data released Tuesday showed that exports totaled 15-point-8 billion U.S. dollars during the period.
 
The figure represents an increase of 950 million U.S. dollars, or six-point-four percent from the previous year, with the number of working days unchanged.
 
Shipments of semiconductors and passenger cars rose 17-point-seven percent and 16-point-two percent, respectively, while exports of petroleum products slipped 14 percent.
 
Exports to the United States and China increased by more than eleven percent, while shipments to Japan and Vietnam fell by more than eleven percent each.
 
Imports rose by eight-point-two percent to 17 billion dollars during the period, resulting in a trade deficit of one-point-two billion dollars.