Exports fall 7.8 pct during first 20 days of February

SEOUL, South Korea's exports fell 7.8 percent on-year in the first 20 days of this month due mainly to fewer working days, data showed Wednesday. Outbound shipments reached US$30.72 billion in the Feb. 1-20 period, compared with $33.33 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. Per-day exports, however, advanced 9.9 percent on-year to $2.36 billion. The number of working days came to 13 days during the cited period this year, compared with 15.5 days a year earlier. South Korea's Lunar New Year holiday ran from Feb. 9-12 this year. In January, exports, a key economic growth engine, advanced 18 percent on-year to $54.6 billion, the fourth consecutive monthly gain, on the back of strong demand for semiconductors. Source: Yonhap News Agency