S. Korea posts trade surplus for 4th month in May

By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, June 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea posted a trade surplus for a fourth
straight month in May as imports declined sharper than exports amid a protracted
global recession, a report showed Wednesday.

According to the report by the Korea Customs Service, South Korea's trade surplus
amounted to US$5.06 billion last month, down from the previous month's $5.79
billion.
The amount of trade surplus shrank from a month earlier when the surplus hit a
record high but it has been in the black for four straight months since February.
Exports fell 28.5 percent last month from a year earlier to $28.14 billion, while
imports plunged 40.3 percent over the same period to $23.08 billion, the report
showed.
During the first five months of this year, South Korea logged a cumulative trade
surplus of $14.19 billion, compared with a deficit of $6.34 billion in the same
period a year earlier, according to the report.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
(END)