Export, which accounts for about half of the export-driven economy, amounted to 18.7 billion U.S. dollars on March 1-10, up 14.9 percent from the same period of last year, according to Korea Customs Service.
The daily average export surged 32.6 percent in the cited period.
Import grew 15.3 percent to 20.1 billion dollars, sending the trade deficit to 1.4 billion dollars in the 10-day period.
Chip export jumped 28.5 percent, and oil products shipment almost doubled for the first 10 days of this month.
Auto parts export added 4 percent, but those for automobiles and mobile devices declined 28 percent and 10.9 percent respectively.
Export to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, advanced 13.5 percent in the 10-day period, while those to the United States and European Union (EU) rose 7.2 percent and 9 percent each.
Meanwhile, crude oil import soared 43.6 percent, and those for natural gas and oil products posted a double-digit increase in the 10-day period.
Import from China spiked 18.3 percent, and inbound shipment from Saudi Arabia more than doubled on expensive crude oil.
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