Last month's exports were 4.6% ↑...Semiconductor 'Best Performance in October'

Korea's exports rose nearly 5% last month, marking the 13th consecutive month of increase.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Customs Service said exports amounted to $57.5 billion last month, up 4.6% from October last year.

In particular, semiconductors, the main export item, recorded their highest performance ever as of October, up 40% from last year to $12.5 billion.Automobiles, a major export item for

, also rose 5.5% to $6.2 billion, the highest performance in October ever.

At the same time, exports to China hit a new 25-month high, and exports to the U.S. also rose to the highest level as of October, with the two major markets also strong.

Imports rose 1.7% to $54.4 billion last month from a year ago, mainly in semiconductor equipment.

This marks the 17th consecutive month that the trade balance has been in the black, with a surplus of $3.2 billion.