Korea has recorded a trade deficit in services for ten straight months since last December, with the deficit in the tourism service account expanding.

The Commerce Ministry said that the nation recorded a one-point-six-six billion dollar service trade deficit in September, as service exports increased 14-point-four percent to four-point-three-six billion dollars from the previous year. Service imports jumped 23-point-two percent to six-point-zero-one billion dollars.

The servide trade deficit is up 55 percent from the previous year.

The deficit for the tourism service account climbed 360 million dollars from the same period last year to one-point-one-six billion dollars, as increasing numbers of people went abroad for study and travel.

Analysts say that the service account deficit has increased mainly due to a widening deficit in tourism, which accounted for 70 percent of the total service account deficit.

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