Export, which takes up about half of the export-driven economy, amounted to 32.2 billion U.S. dollars on August 1-20 period, up 40.9 percent from the same period of last year, according to Korea Customs Service.
The daily average export advanced 31.5 percent as the global demand kept recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Export for oil and steel products surged more than 50 percent in the 20-day period, and those for semiconductors, automotive parts, cars and mobile devices all jumped more than 30 percent.
Shipment to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, soared 37.3 percent, with those to the United States, the European Union (EU) and Vietnam going up 50.1 percent, 42.7 percent and 12.9 percent each.
Import spiked 52.1 percent over the year to 35.8 billion U.S. dollars for the first 20 days of this month, sending the trade deficit to 3.6 billion U.S. dollars.
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