Outbound shipment amounted to 16.3 billion U.S. dollars in the December 1-10 period, up 26.9 percent from the same period of last year, according to Korea Customs Service.
The daily average export, which excludes the working day effect, gained 11.9 percent in the cited period.
Import grew 7.9 percent to 15.4 billion dollars in the 10-day period, sending the trade surplus to 0.9 billion dollars.
Demand was strong for major export items. Semiconductor export surged 52.1 percent, and automotive shipment advanced 22.4 percent in the period.
Shipment of telecommunication devices, such as smartphones, jumped 59.6 percent, and auto parts export went up 34.0 percent.
Oil product export tumbled 36.8 percent amid cheaper global crude oil.
Export to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, increased 12.1 percent, and those to the United States and the European Union (EU) jumped 23.1 percent and 45.6 percent each.
Shipment to Vietnam and Japan soared in double digits, but export to the Middle East dived 33.6 percent.
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